Technology and Engineering Literacy
There was an increase in average overall TEL score for eighth-graders in 2018 compared to 2014.
What Questions Are on the Test
The NAEP TEL framework defines content areas and levels of complexity for questions on NAEP. Using the dashboard below, explore sample questions from recent TEL assessments by subject, content area, and range of difficulty. Sample Questions are sourced from the NAEP Questions Tool, a database which houses over 3,000 assessment questions. See also sample TEL tasks and a TEL overview Click to open pdf. (PDF, 2 pages).
Video Gallery: TEL Content, Tutorials, Tasks
How Results Are Reported
Academic achievement in mathematics is presented in two ways on The Nation's Report Card: scale scores and NAEP achievement levels.
- Scale scores represent how students performed on the technology and engineering literacy assessment. Scores are aggregated and reported for diverse student groups for the nation, states, and districts.
- NAEP achievement levels are performance standards that describe what students should know and be able to do.
Results are reported as percentages of students performing at or above three NAEP achievement levels (NAEP Basic, NAEP Proficient, and NAEP Advanced). Students performing at or above the NAEP Proficient level on NAEP assessments demonstrate solid academic performance and competency over challenging subject matter. It should be noted that the NAEP Proficient achievement level does not represent grade level proficiency as determined by other assessment standards (e.g., state or district assessments).
Item maps illustrate how specific TEL knowledge and skills correspond to different NAEP achievement levels. Item maps answer the question, "What does it mean for students to be at NAEP Basic, NAEP Proficient, or NAEP Advanced in terms of what they know and can do?"
Last updated 08 October 2025 (DS)