About Us

Goals
Collaborators
Background Overview
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Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

• What is NARAP?
• What are NARAP's goals?
• What is the Definition Panel?
• Who can I contact for more information?

NARAP is a collaboration of the projects the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) has funded to conduct research and development on accessible reading assessments. These projects are:

Partnership for Accessible Reading Assessment (PARA). This project is a consortium of the National Center on Educational Outcomes (NCEO), the Center for Research on Evaluation, Standards, and Student Testing (CRESST), and Westat, Inc.

Designing Accessible Reading Assessments (DARA). This project is based at the Educational Testing Service (ETS).

Technology Assisted Reading Assessment (TARA) is co-led by Educational Testing Service and the National Center on Educational Outcomes, with support from the Center for Applied Special Technology.

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Four research and development goals guide the work of the NARAP projects:

1. Formulate a definition of the construct of "reading proficiency."
2. Conduct a program of research on the assessment of reading proficiency.
3. Develop research-based principles and guidelines for accessible reading assessments.
4. Develop and field-test instruments or methods for assessing reading proficiency.

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The Definition Panel is a group of people with extensive expertise who will assist in defining the construct of "reading proficiency." Members of the Definition Panel include experts in reading, cognitive science, and disability groups.

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You may contact NARAP by e-mail at narap@umn.edu.

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