The Center for Process Data has finished work on the 2017 grade 4 NAEP mathematics process data. The data are now available under a restricted-use data license to researchers who apply and request access.
In 2017, the NAEP assessment underwent a significant transition, marking the first year it was operationally administered as a digitally based assessment for grades 4 and 8. This transition has allowed NAEP to measure content knowledge in innovative ways, employ assistive technology to provide enhanced accommodations for students with disabilities, and gather new types of data that deepen our understanding of what students know and can do, including their utilization of new technologies (e.g., equation editor) to interact with the assessment items.
The released grade 4 process data encompass one test form (out of 50 possible form combinations) composed of two partially released blocks of cognitive items. Some items remain unreleased for reuse in future assessments. Both block- and form-level process data are included, and there are specific action-focused data on students’ key presses and use of an onscreen calculator and equation editor for select items. Like the grade 8 release, the grade 4 release includes the full suite of restricted-use response data product materials, process data files, released cognitive items, and survey questionnaire files.
The National Center for Special Education Research (NCSER) is encouraging researchers to propose exploration studies using these data under the FY 2023 Special Education Research Grants Program (84.324A). Research questions should center on test-taking behaviors and mathematics competencies for students with disabilities. Interested researchers are encouraged to learn more about the assessment and datasets, review frequently asked questions, and apply for a restricted-use license here. Additional resources, a summary table of response process data (useful for writing research proposals before access to the data can be obtained), and contact information for NCSER’s grant competition can be found here.
To get a general introduction to NAEP process data from the Center for Process Data’s Dr. Ruhan Circi, check out this video. A new webinar giving an overview of the newly released 2017 grade 4 NAEP mathematics process data can be found here. To stay informed on NAEP process data developments and NAEP research in general, sign up for our mailing list.