Issues in Race/Ethnicity Identification Procedures in the National Assessment of Educational Progress, Part I: A Comparison of Observer Reports and Self-Identification. Research Report No. 87-19.

N

65

Academic Achievement; Achievement Rating; Black Achievement; Black Students; Elementary Secondary Education; Ethnicity; Grade 11; Grade 4; Grade 8; Hispanic Americans; Racial Identification; Secondary School Students; Self Evaluation (Individuals); White Students

In this investigation, the validity of observer reports versus student self-reports of race and ethnicity in the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) for ages 9, 13, and 17 years were evaluated. Data from seven surveys (1975-1984) were analyzed, with sample sizes ranging from 15,859 to 38,899. While the concordance between the two methods for both White and Black students was very high (95 percent or better), the two classifications gave very disparate results for the other four racial/ethnic groups. For example, observers undercounted self-identified Hispanic 17-year-olds by 25 percent to 48 percent. Language background was significantly more consistent with self-identification than with observer reports for 17-year-old Hispanic students, which showed that self-reports were more valid than observed ethnicity in this age group. However, the results for ages 9 and 13 years were less clear-cut. The implications of the findings for continuity of NAEP data sets and the validity of reported group achievement data for Hispanics are discussed. (Author)

1988

ED292848