Examining Student Engagement and Motivation in Grade 12 NAEP Mathematics Assessment

• In Event: Achievement and Course Taking From the High School Transcript Study: Engagement, Charter Schools, and the Socioeconomic Status Measure in NAEP

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to assess the degree of student engagement and motivation on grade 12 NAEP mathematics assessment using SAT and ACT scores collected by NAEP as part of the High School Transcript Study. We assume that given the high-stakes nature of the SAT and ACT, students who choose to take these tests are fully engaged and demonstrate their knowledge to the best of their ability. As our measure we utilized the discrepancy between twelfth-graders’ actual and expected NAEP scores given their performance on the SAT and ACT. We examined this discrepancy to assess the level of engagement/motivation by gender, race/ethnicity, and school type. We also explored the relationship between discrepancy scores and student-reported motivation and effort.

Authors

• Burhan Ogut, American Institutes for Research

• Ebony L. Walton, AIR/Optimal Solutions Group

• Enis Dogan, Achieve, Inc.

• William Tirre, National Center for Education Statistics