Reporting Background Variables

Background data on students, teachers, and schools are needed to fulfill the statutory requirement that NAEP include information, whenever feasible, for groups identified in the first section of this chapter (e.g., gender, race/ethnicity). Therefore, students, teachers, and school administrators participating in NAEP are asked to respond to questionnaires designed to gather demographic information. Information is also gathered from non-NAEP sources, such as state, district, or school records. For the 2014 NAEP Technology and Engineering Literacy Assessment, only student and school information will be collected since many students will not have taken a separate course in technology and engineering literacy taught by a specific teacher.

In addition to demographic information, background questionnaires include questions about variables related to opportunities to learn and achievement in technology and engineering literacy. The variables are selected to be of topical interest, to be timely, and to be directly related to academic achievement and current trends and issues in technology and engineering literacy. Questions do not solicit information about personal topics or information irrelevant to the collection of data on technology and engineering literacy achievement.

The important components of NAEP reporting are summarized in Table 5.2. Recommendations for background variables for the 2014 NAEP Technology and Engineering Literacy Assessment are presented in the separate background variables document.