Why does the U.S. report different findings for the same subjects on different assessments?
While these different assessments may appear to have significant similarities, each was designed to serve a different purpose and each is based on a separate and unique framework and set of items. Thus, not surprisingly, there may be differences in results for a given year or in trend estimates among the studies, each giving a slightly different view into U.S. students’ performance in these subjects. Possible differences can stem from a number of sources. The goals of the assessments have some subtle but important distinctions in regard to U.S. curricula. For the international assessments, the groups of countries in the comparisons may be different. The students being studied may represent different grade or age groups. The reading, mathematics and science being assessed may be different in terms of content coverage and item format.
Related Questions
- Why does the United States report different findings for the same subjects from different international assessments?
- Can different subjects be added to the progress report, or a free form text field for data entry?
- Why does the U.S. report different findings for the same subjects on different assessments?
