A History of the National Assessment of Educational Progress and Some Questions About Its Future

The initial aim of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) was to develop and then to employ procedures for monitoring achievement in the nation. Here, a history of NAEP is presented, with a special focus on procedural changes from 1969 to date. Then some questions are posed about future shifts in the purposes of NAEP. In offering answers to the questions, I argue that NAEP should continue to monitor achievement trends in the nation and in the participating states and that, because those objectives are not compatible with NAEP as a high-stakes accountability assessment program, NAEP should avoid serving this added purpose.