IDENTIFIERS *Linkage; *National Assessment of Educational Progress; State Reading Assessments

The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) measures the educational achievement of nationally representative samples of students in grades 4, 8, and 12. Local educational agencies tend to view the NAEP as a benchmark to which the educational achievement of their students can be compared. In particular, state departments of education wish to compare their assessments to the NAEP. The complex design of the NAEP renders simple comparisons problematic at best. A linear projection-plus-variation method is used to translate student state assessment scores onto the NAEP scale. The accuracy of this method is estimated through repeated half-sampling. A brief description of the 1998 NAEP reading assessment for grades 4 and 8 is discussed. Results from one of the six states in the current linkage study and recommendations for establishing a successful linkage are also presented. (Contains 2 tables and 12 references.) (Author/SLD) Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document