This document explains the major features of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) in a non-technical manner. It highlights the history and development of NAEP, how the data are collected, scored, and analyzed, and how the results are reported. This introductory guide to NAEP is designed to meet the information needs of teachers, parents, and other members of the general public about the nation's premier assessment of what America's elementary and secondary students know and can do.