National/International Assessment Family Resources

National and International assessments are administered in an effort to compare student achievement both within and outside U.S. borders. They are not administered every year nor at every school, so participation varies student to student. Currently, the state of Maine participates in one national assessment (NAEP) and three additional international assessments (PIRLS, PISA, and TIMSS). Please use the links below to navigate across the page and learn more about each of these assessments.

 

NAEP

PIRLS

PISA

TIMSS

 

NAEP

The NAEP is a nationally representative assessment which acts as a snapshot of what students in the United States know and can do in various subject areas. It most frequently assesses mathematics and reading. Other subjects, such as civics, science, technology and engineering literacy, U.S. history and writing are assessed periodically. Additionally, the National Indian Education Study (NIES) is conducted to evaluate status of education for American Indian and Alaska Native students.

Students also participate in short questionnaires designed to collect information about the students opportunities for learning in the classroom and outside of the classroom. Check out this infographic more general information on the NAEP. To explore the NAEP assessment test yourself on NAEP sample questions.  Explore the student questionnaires on the Nation’s Report Card website.  

Policymakers, researchers, and educators use NAEP results to inform educational improvements for states, various student groups, and for the nation. NAEP results help parents, media, and the general public monitor educational progress in their states and areas of the country. NAEP results also assist states can help with identifying and monitoring efforts to increase student achievement.  NAEP is one tool that is used to ensure that students have equal opportunities to succeed.  

 

PIRLS

PIRLS is an international assessment designed to measure reading achievement at the fourth-grade level. It is based on a framework that covers major reading purposes: for literary experience, to acquire and use information, and to search for information online. By participating in PIRLS, the U.S. is able to study how our policies impact outcomes and to compare the reading achievement of our fourth-graders to their peers in over 40 countries. Check out this infographic for more general information on PIRLS.

Click this link to experience the PIRLS assessment; click here to view questionnaires from previous PIRLS.  

PIRLS collects information about students’ reading achievement.  The assessment also uses a questionnaire to collect information on how education systems provide educational opportunities to their students and the factors that influence how students use these opportunities. 

 

PISA

PISA is a system of international assessments, coordinated by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), that measures 15-year-old students’ reading, mathematics, and science literacy. In addition to the core assessments, education systems may participate in optional assessments such as financial literacy and problem solving. PISA emphasizes functional skills that students have acquired as they near the end of compulsory schooling.

The assessment is designed to help school leaders from across the world understand their 15-year old students' abilities to think critically and apply their knowledge creatively in new situations. Check out this infographic for more general information on PISA. Sample PISA questions are available online or in a brochure. Questionnaires are provided with the PISA assessments and available for review on the National Center for Education Statistics website.  

 

TIMSS

TIMSS provides reliable and timely data on the mathematics and science achievement of U.S. students in grades 4, 8 and in the final year of high school compared to that of students in other countries and jurisdictions. The assessment is designed to simulate real world and laboratory situations where students can integrate and apply skills and knowledge to solve mathematics problems and conduct scientific experiments or investigations. Results from these assessments are used by researchers and policymakers to provide information for improving educational outcomes from both an individual education system and international perspective. About half of the items used in the TIMSS assessment are released to the public after each round of testing. Educators can use these mathematics and science items in numerous ways. TIMSS also uses questionnaires to collect important information about the students’ contexts for learning mathematics and science.  The questionnaires help to examine important issues about the implementation of educational policies and practices. Check out this infographic for more general information on TIMSS.