Dr. Kriss Kemp-Graham Attends NAEP Seminar

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The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) is the largest continuing and nationally representative assessment of what America’s students know and can do in core subjects. NAEP is congressionally mandated and was first administered in 1969 to measure student achievement nationally. This year’s seminar took place on May 27-29 in Arlington, Va., where Texas A&M University-Commerce’s Assistant Professor of Educational Leadership, Dr. Kriss Kemp-Graham, was in attendance.

“Attendance at this seminar provided me with the inside track in understanding how the data is collected, how to correctly analyze the data and how a researcher not associated with the United States Department of Education can gain access to this restricted data to engage in different levels of statistical analysis to answer research-specific questions not reported on by the USDOE,” said Dr. Kemp-Graham. “These databases are untapped gold mines that we can explore via research to uncover an exorbitant amount of information about the nation’s students, schools and best practices that has not been widely researched and published. I am excited about this opportunity! In this instance, everything that glitters in these databases is an educational researcher’s gold!”

Dr. Kemp-Graham was also selected as one of 12 applicants nationwide to attend a three-day advanced studies seminar in June 1-3 in Arlington, Va., hosted by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) in the US Department of Education to learn how to use the National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP) High School Transcript Study (HSTS) database for education research and policy analysis.

“We are very proud of Dr. Kemp-Graham and her research utilizing national education databases,” said Dr. Chuck Holt, interim department head for the Department of Educational Leadership.

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) is the primary federal entity for collecting and analyzing data related to education, with The National Assessment of Educational Progress falling within its domain. NAEP provides results on subject-matter achievement, instructional experiences and school environment for populations of students and groups within those populations.

“Being selected to attend a National Center for Education Statistics seminar is a privilege not too many educational professionals enjoy. With the privilege of gaining information on issues and factors that impact our school-age population, comes the responsibility to educate others. I am confident that Dr. Kemp-Graham will share the knowledge gained with her colleagues,” said Dr. Maximino Plata, director of the Office of Research in Education & Human Services.