The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), also known as the The Nation’s Report Card, chose Walpole High School Friday, February 27 as one of their test sites. The test, administered to a random group of seniors, is one of the national tests used to measure how the different states compare against each other.

Since 1969, NAEP has measured the academic progress of students nationwide in a number of key subjects and has reported the results to the American people.  Students are randomly selected to participate in one of the subjects and spend 90 minutes taking the assessment.  NAEP features a mix of multiple-choice and open-ended questions.  Students are also asked other background questions, including their television-watching and reading habits, their class size, the content of their courses, and other background information.

The US Department of Education administers NAEP based on authorization from Congress.  The test is used in the development of educational policy.  State leaders and educators use NAEP for information on student achievement in their states and other states.  Because all students take the same assessment in a given subject and are measured in the same manner, the test is valid to measure states achievement from state to state.