Education

Money Woes Delay NAEP Art Exam, Cut Math Data

By Lynn Olson — November 30, 1994 2 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

A lack of federal funds has delayed plans to assess what students know and can do in the arts until 1997. The fund shortage also means that states will have less data with which to compare their students’ performance in science and mathematics.

The arts exam was originally slated for 1996 as part of the National Assessment of Educational Progress, the federal program that tests as many as 20,000 students in various subjects each year.

But the National Assessment Governing Board, the 26-member panel that sets policy for NAEP, voted Nov. 19 to put off the arts exam for another year.

The board decided to forge ahead with 1996 assessments in science and math. But it will limit the data collected for making state-by-state comparisons to grade 8, instead of compiling it for grades 4 and 12, as well.

NAGB’s executive committee had recommended both steps because of budgetary constraints. The U.S. Education Department had requested $3.27 million for NAEP in fiscal 1995, but a law reauthorizing the program limited the budget to $3 million. (See Education Week, 09/21/94.)

If more funds are made available, science and math testing will be expanded to allow state-by-state comparison at grade 4 and then at grade 12. But Roy Truby, NAGB’s executive director, said that scenario is “optimistic, to say the least.”

The board’s decision means that NAEP will produce fewer state-by-state comparisons of students’ math performance than in years past, when states have received such results for two grade levels.

Parent Surveys Dropped

NAEP has also dropped plans to field-test two parent surveys in 1995. The surveys--the first ever of parents--were designed to yield more accurate information about students’ socioeconomic status.

But board members adopted a resolution in August criticizing the surveys as too intrusive. They also worried about the surveys’ length, reliability, and cost. (See Education Week, 09/07/94.)

Federal officials now plan to spend more time developing the questionnaires, with any major test postponed until at least 1996.

Officials are also exploring whether data from the Agriculture Department on which students receive free or reduced-price lunches could be used as a source of information about the poverty levels of students who take NAEP tests.

At its March meeting, NAGB plans to consider a policy statement on the background information collected and reported by NAEP, including the use of parent questionnaires. The governing board does not have the authority to approve specific questions, but can set a general policy.

Related Tags:

A version of this article appeared in the November 30, 1994 edition of Education Week as Money Woes Delay NAEP Art Exam, Cut Math Data

Events

Jobs Virtual Career Fair for Teachers and K-12 Staff
Find teaching jobs and other jobs in K-12 education at the EdWeek Top School Jobs virtual career fair.
Ed-Tech Policy Webinar Artificial Intelligence in Practice: Building a Roadmap for AI Use in Schools
AI in education: game-changer or classroom chaos? Join our webinar & learn how to navigate this evolving tech responsibly.
Education Webinar Developing and Executing Impactful Research Campaigns to Fuel Your Ed Marketing Strategy 
Develop impactful research campaigns to fuel your marketing. Join the EdWeek Research Center for a webinar with actionable take-aways for companies who sell to K-12 districts.

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

Education Briefly Stated: February 21, 2024
Here's a look at some recent Education Week articles you may have missed.
8 min read
Education Briefly Stated: February 7, 2024
Here's a look at some recent Education Week articles you may have missed.
8 min read
Education Briefly Stated: January 31, 2024
Here's a look at some recent Education Week articles you may have missed.
9 min read
Education Briefly Stated: January 17, 2024
Here's a look at some recent Education Week articles you may have missed.
9 min read