Information About the 2005 Mathematics Assessment

The NAEP mathematics assessment presents a broad view of what America’s students know and can do in mathematics. The 2005 mathematics framework for grade 12 introduced changes from the previous framework in order to reflect adjustments in curricular emphases and to ensure an appropriate balance of content. See below for a summary of the changes to the framework. Consequently, the twelfth-grade results in 2005 cannot be compared to previous assessments in mathematics. There were, however, some questions from the 2000 assessment that fit the requirements in the new framework and were used again in 2005. A special analysis was performed by the Human Resources Research Organization to see how students' performance on this set of items differed between the two years. To download a copy of this analysis (135K PDF), visit the Human Resources Research Organization website.

The assessment was developed and reviewed by a committee of mathematics and measurement experts to capture the goals of the mathematics framework. The National Assessment Governing Board, through a comprehensive national process involving mathematics teachers, researchers, measurement experts, policymakers, and members of the general public, created the framework, which describes the goals of the assessment and the kinds of exercises it should feature. The Mathematics Development Committee was instrumental in the development of the assessment.

The assessment consisted of both multiple-choice and constructed-response questions. At grade 12 questions were based on the following four content areas: number properties and operations, measurement and geometry, data analysis and probability, and algebra. Read a description of each of the mathematics content areas on the NAEP website. Find out more about what the mathematics assessment measures.

Students in more than 17,600 schools participated in the 2005 mathematics assessment. The  assessment was administered from January to early April 2005 to approximately 172,000 students at grade 4; 162,000 students at grade 8; and 9,000 students at grade 12. Both national and state results are available for grades 4 and 8. Results are available for grade 12 at the national level only. Learn more about who took the assessment, including the school and student participation rates and the percentage of students with disabilities and/or English language learners excluded from the assessment.