National Assessment of Educational Progress

Southern Maryland Christian Academy was selected to represent private schools across the nation by participating in the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) on November 5, 2019.  NAEP is the largest nationally represented and continuing assessment of what students in public and private schools know and can do in various subjects in grades 4, 8, and 12.  It is administered by the National Center for Education Statistics, within the U.S. Department of Education. NAEP is different from state and school assessments because it provides a common measure of student achievement across the country. The results are released as the Nation’s Report Card, which provides information about student achievement to educators, parents, policymakers, and the public.

Twenty-one students who are currently thirteen years old took an assessment in reading or math and completed a survey about their educational experiences.  They received community service certificates for their efforts.  Eighth grader Kiersten Coleman said, “It felt good to do something for the nation while I was still at school.”

Not every private school is invited to participate.  Since approximately 9% of the nation’s students attend non-public schools, it is important to draw attention to what these schools are doing well and not let that go overlooked.  An example of this data is shown on the NAEP website for 2013: “The average for private schools was significantly higher than the average for public schools for grade 8 reading.”  SMCA’s eighth graders last participated in NAEP in 2011.  While our school will not get individual results, it’s a good feeling to know that our students will be part of the upcoming Nation’s Report Card.

-Mrs. Thompson, Dean of Students