NAEP Research Study

Educational Technologies Study – for 4th and 8th Grade Students.

Earn On-Site Incentives for Completing this One-session Study!

4th Grade Students and Parents receive a total of $120 for a 60min session.

8th Grade Students and Parents receive a total of $160 for a 90min session.

Limited seats available.

Participation in only 1 session is needed for incentives.

Part of these cash incentives are a thank you for the time spent bringing your child to and from the interview site.

What is this study about?

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), part of the U.S. Department of Education, is conducting research sessions with students currently in grades 4 and 8 about new test questions for the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). The questions we are testing focus on Reading or Mathematics and will be part of a digitally-based test. NCES needs to know whether the questions on the test are clear. Students’ input will help NCES improve the test so that future students will understand it better.

Session Information

We are scheduling participants for 90 minute in person sessions between Thursday August 25th, 2022 and Monday September 12th, 2022 at the EurekaFacts Testing Location in Rockville, MD. Your child only needs to attend one session.

Students must be entering into or recently finished 4th or 8th grade.

The study will happen at the EurekaFacts In-Person Testing Location Located at: 51 Monroe St PE02, Rockville, MD 20850

These are the testing dates and time for 4th Graders

Friday, August 26th 5:00pm-6:00pm

Tuesday, August 30th 5:00pm-6:00pm

Wednesday, September 7th 5:00pm-6:00pm

Thursday, September 8th 5:00pm-6:00pm

Saturday, September 10th 1:00pm-2:00pm

Saturday, September 10th 2:45pm-3:45pm

These are the testing dates and time for 8th Graders

Monday, August 29th 5:00pm-6:30pm

Wednesday, August 31st 5:00pm-6:30pm

Thursday, September 1st 5:00pm-6:30pm

Friday, September 9th 5:00pm-6:30pm

Saturday, September 10th 10:00am-11:30am

Saturday, September 10th 4:15pm-4:45pm

Frequently Asked Questions

What will my child be asked to do?

The expectations for participants in this study are outlined as follows:

Each participant will answer Reading or Mathematics survey items, during which an interviewer will ask questions about their experience with the survey questions.
Specific knowledge other than grade-level Reading or Mathematics is not required, and participants’ responses will not be graded.
Students’ individual performance is not being evaluated as a part of this study.
Your child’s answers will not be disclosed to their school and will not be linked to any personally identifiable information (PII), such as the school’s name.

The tryout group sessions will explore how students work through Reading or Mathematics test questions on a tablet computer. We want to ensure that the questions are clear and understandable to a broad range of students.

EurekaFacts staff may record video and screen activity for analysis and take notes about students’ reactions to these questions. After completing the questions, interviewers will ask follow-up questions about students’ experience with the questions. Student feedback and responses will be used to revise and refine the questions. Students will be able to participate at a time of their choosing.

Students’ individual performance is not being evaluated as part of this study. Specific knowledge beyond grade-level Reading or Mathematics is not required, and students’ responses will not be graded. This study is being done to determine how their questions work and to gather information to make them better.

Are there benefits to being in this research study?

Students will have an opportunity to interact with Reading or Mathematics survey content, which may help prepare them for similar questions they see in future assessments

What are the risks?

There are no anticipated risks associated with participation in this study component other than a small degree of discomfort students might feel when responding to questions about the task during the interview.

How will my child’s data be used?

Data will be used for research to inform question development. Your child will be assigned a unique student identifier (ID) and at no time will their name be linked to any of their answers. The study will not retain any PII. Prior to the start of the study, students will be notified that their participation is voluntary and that the information they provide may be used only for statistical purposes and may not be disclosed, or used, in identifiable form for any other purpose except as required by law (20 U.S.C. §9573 and 6 U.S.C. §151).

Video of your child’s interview with the survey questions will be recorded for note taking and analysis purposes. Following the completion of analysis, if you do not give consent to retain your child’s video on this form, that video will be removed from the files, and anonymous transcriptions will be retained beyond the end of the project for possible future use in other studies.

Anonymized data (e.g., typed responses and patterns of interactions with descriptions of the problems) may be used in future research studies; this de-identified data will be accessible only within EurekaFacts and will not be shared with outside entities. Research findings may also be shared at educational conferences and in academic publications; however, your child will not be individually identified.

How will my child’s data be maintained?

Data will be accessible only to project staff and will be kept confidential and securely stored on Educational Testing Service (ETS) encrypted, password-protected computers and servers and/or secure, locked filing cabinets for up to 5 years, in accordance with an ETS policy for auditing purposes.

What are my child’s rights and what else should I know as the parent or legal guardian of a research study participant?

Your child’s participation in this research study is completely voluntary, and your child has the right to withdraw from this study at any time or to end early if they wish with the knowledge that if they withdraw early, they forgo payment (unless withdrawal is due to an internet connectivity issue). All information gathered from your child up to the point of withdrawal will be deleted. Your child may choose not to take part in this research study at all, and your child also has the right to refuse to answer any questions that make them uncomfortable. You and your child also have the right to know specifically how your child’s data will be used.

At the beginning of the study, you will be asked to show a photo ID prior to your child’s participation to confirm that you are the parent or legal guardian.

Because we care about student privacy, we will assign each student a unique student identifier. Student names will not be linked to their answers.

Will my child receive a payment?

4th grade children and parents who participate in the session will receive a total incentive of $120.00 for a 60min session.

8th grade children and parents who participate in the session will receive a total incentive of $160.00 for a 90min session.

Part of these cash incentives are a thank you for the time spent bringing your child to and from the interview site.

Who can answer questions about the study?

Esther Cortez is coordinating this study at EurekaFacts on behalf of NCES. If you have any questions, please call 240-403-1650 or email participate@eurekafacts.com.