The information available from results of the probe for the 2014 NAEP Technology and Engineering Literacy Assessment will provide important data that can be used throughout the tenure of the framework. The results of the probe will begin the trend line for the new assessment, and policymakers, educators, and the public can use data from the assessments as a tool for monitoring certain aspects of student achievement in technology and engineering literacy over time. NAEP reports from any subsequent administrations of the assessment will compare student performance in the three areas of Technology and Society, Design and Systems, and ICT among groups of students within the same grade. Long-term achievement trends (e.g., the comparison of score performance to previous administrations) can also be reported starting with the second administration.
The scores from the assessment will be of value and interest not just to technology and engineering teachers but to a broad range of educators. As discussed earlier, many different types of teachers are involved in teaching their students about technology and its applications in grades K-12, from those specializing in science, math, and engineering, to those teaching social sciences, humanities, and the arts as well as members of cross-disciplinary teams.
Because the NAEP Technology and Engineering Literacy Assessment will measure some technology and engineering literacy experiences but not all, there will be limitations to the range and scope of information it can produce. NAEP publishes data on student performance in relation to various achievement levels and demographic subgroups; the information reported does not evaluate results or provide conclusive statements about the level of achievement among the nation's K-12 students. Furthermore, the NAEP Technology and Engineering Literacy Assessment is not designed to inform instruction—to guide how technology and engineering literacy is taught—but only to measure the performance of a representative sample of the American student population at the designated grade within the assessment context outlined in this framework.
