IMPROVING TABULAR DISPLAYS, WITH NAEP TABLES AS EXAMPLES AND INSPIRATIONS

The modern world is rich with data; an inability to effectively utiliz e these data is a real handicap. One common mode of data communication is the printed data table. In this article we provide four guidelines the use of which can make cables more effective and evocative data di splays. We use the National Assessment of Educational Progress both to provide inspiration for the development of these guidelines and to il lustrate their operation. We also discuss a theoretical structure to a id in the development cf test items to tap students' proficiency in ex tracting information from tables.