NATIONAL CENTER FOR EDUCATION STATISTICS

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

OFFICE OF EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH AND IMPROVEMENT CARD

REPORT

THE NA ION’S T 25TH ANNIVERSARY•1969–1994

NAEP 1994 Geography: A First Look

FINDINGS FROM THE NATIONAL ASSESSMENT OF EDUCATIONAL PROGRESS
Honorable William T. Randall, Chair

Commissioner of Education

State Department of Education

Denver, Colorado

Mary R. Blanton

Attorney

Salisbury, North Carolina

Honorable Evan Bayh

Governor of Indiana

Indianapolis, Indiana

Patsy Cavazos

Principal

W.G. Love Elementary School

Houston, Texas

Honorable Naomi K. Cohen

Former Representative

State of Connecticut

Hartford, Connecticut

Charlotte A. Crabtree

Professor of Education

University of California

Los Angeles, California

Catherine L. Davidson

Secondary Education Director

Central Kitsap School District

Silverdale, Washington

James E. Ellingson

Fourth-grade Teacher

Probstfield Elementary School

Moorhead, Minnesota

Chester E. Finn, Jr.

John M. Olin Fellow

Hudson Institute

Washington, DC

Mark D. Musick

President

Southern Regional Education Board

Atlanta, Georgia

Mitsugi Nakashima

Hawaii State Board of Education

Honolulu, Hawaii

Michael T. Nettles

Professor of Education & Public Policy

University of Michigan

Ann Arbor, Michigan

Honorable Edgar D. Ross

Attorney

Christiansted, St. Croix

U.S. Virgin Islands

Fannie N. Simmons

Mathematics Specialist

Midlands Improving Math & Science Hub

Columbia, South Carolina

Marilyn A. Whirry

Twelfth-grade English Teacher

Mira Costa High School

Manhattan Beach, California

Sharon P. Robinson (ex-officio)

Assistant Secretary

Office of Educational Research

 and Improvement

U.S. Department of Education

Washington, DC

Roy Truby

Executive Director, NAGB

Washington, DC

Michael J. Guerra

Executive Director

Secondary School Department

National Catholic Education Association

Washington, DC

William (Jerry) Hume

Chairman

Basic American, Inc.

San Francisco, California

Jan B. Loveless

Educational Consultant

Jan B. Loveless & Associates

Midland, Michigan

Marilyn McConachie

Local School Board Member

Glenbrook High Schools

Glenview, Illinois

Honorable Stephen E. Merrill

Governor of New Hampshire

Concord, New Hampshire

Jason Millman

Prof. of Educational Research Methodology

Cornell University

Ithaca, New York

Honorable Richard P. Mills

Commissioner of Education

New York State Department of Education

Albany, New York

William J. Moloney

Superintendent of Schools

Calvert County Public Schools

Prince Frederick, Maryland

What is The Nation’s Report Card?

THE NATION’S REPORT CARD, the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), is the only nationally representative and continuing

assessment of what America’s students know and can do in various subject areas. Since 1969, assessments have been conducted periodically in

reading, mathematics, science, writing, history/geography, and other fields. By making objective information on student performance available to

policymakers at the national, state, and local levels, NAEP is an integral part of our nation’s evaluation of the condition and progress of education.

Only information related to academic achievement is collected under this program. NAEP guarantees the privacy of individual students and their

families.

NAEP is a congressionally mandated project of the National Center for Education Statistics, the U.S. Department of Education. The

Commissioner of Education Statistics is responsible, by law, for carrying out the NAEP project through competitive awards to qualified organizations. NAEP reports directly to the Commissioner, who is also responsible for providing continuing reviews, including validation studies and

solicitation of public comment, on NAEP’s conduct and usefulness.

In 1988, Congress established the National Assessment Governing Board (NAGB) to formulate policy guidelines for NAEP. The Board is

responsible for selecting the subject areas to be assessed from among those included in the National Education Goals; for setting appropriate student

performance levels; for developing assessment objectives and test specifications through a national consensus approach; for designing the

assessment methodology; for developing guidelines for reporting and disseminating NAEP results; for developing standards and procedures for

interstate, regional, and national comparisons; for determining the appropriateness of test items and ensuring they are free from bias; and for taking

actions to improve the form and use of the National Assessment.

The National Assessment Governing Board
NATIONAL CENTER FOR EDUCATION STATISTICS

NAEP 1994 Geography: A First Look

Findings from the

National Assessment of Educational Progress

Paul L. Williams

Clyde M. Reese

Stephen Lazer

Sharif Shakrani

Office of Educational Research and Improvement

U.S. Department of Education

Prepared by Educational Testing Service under contract

with the National Center for Education Statistics

October 1995
U.S. Department of Education

Richard W. Riley

Secretary

Office of Educational Research and Improvement

Sharon P. Robinson

Assistant Secretary

National Center for Education Statistics

Jeanne E. Griffith

Acting Commissioner

Education Assessment Division

Gary W. Phillips

Associate Commissioner

October 1995

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and Improvement, by Educational Testing Service.

Educational Testing Service is an equal opportunity, affirmative action employer.

Educational Testing Service, ETS, and the ETS logo are registered trademarks of Educational Testing Service.
i

CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

The NAEP Geography National Sample . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

The NAEP Geography Framework . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

The NAEP Geography Scale . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Achievement Levels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Overview of this Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Cautions in Interpretations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

CHAPTER 2. A FIRST LOOK AT THE AVERAGE NAEP GEOGRAPHY

SCORES OF AMERICA’S STUDENTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Average Geography Scores for the Nation and by Region . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Average Geography Scores by Major Reporting Subgroups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Race/Ethnicity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Gender . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Parents’ Education Level . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Public and Nonpublic Schools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

CHAPTER 3. A FIRST LOOK AT ATTAINMENT OF

ACHIEVEMENT LEVELS BY AMERICA’S STUDENTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Achievement Level Results for the Nation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Achievement Level Results by Region . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Achievement Levels by Major Reporting Subgroups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Race/Ethnicity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Gender . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Parents’ Education Level . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Public and Nonpublic Schools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

APPENDICES

A. National Sample Descriptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

B. Sample NAEP 1994 Geography Questions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Grade 4 Exemplars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Grade 8 Exemplars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

Grade 12 Exemplars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53

C. Reporting Subgroup(s) Definitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69

TABLE OF CONTENTS
i i

FIGURES

Figure 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

NAEP Geography Assessment Framework Elements

Figure 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Achievement Level Policy Definitions

Figure 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Average NAEP Geography Scores by Grade and by Region

Figure 4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Geography Achievement Levels

Figure 5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Geography Achievement Level Illustration

Figure 6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Percent of Students At or Above the Geography

Achievement Levels by Grade and by Region
iii

TABLES

Table 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Distribution of Assessment Time Across Geography Content Areas, by Grade

Table 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Average Geography Scores by Region

Table 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Average Geography Scores by Race/Ethnicity

Table 4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Average Geography Scores by Gender

Table 5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Average Geography Scores by Parents’ Education Level

Table 6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Average Geography Scores by Type of School

Table 7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Geography Achievement Levels by Region

Table 8 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Geography Achievement Levels by Race/Ethnicity

Table 9 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Geography Achievement Levels by Gender

Table 10 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Geography Achievement Levels by Parents’ Education Level

Table 11 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Geography Achievement Levels by Type of School

Table A.1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Unweighted and Weighted Sample Sizes

by Grade for the NAEP 1994 Geography Assessment,

Public and Nonpublic Schools
i v

HIGHLIGHTS

The 1994 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) in geography continues a

25-year mandate to assess and report the educational progress of America’s students.

National results are provided that describe students’ geography achievement at grades 4, 8,

and 12 and within various subgroups of the general student population.

This report is a first look at the results of the NAEP 1994 geography assessment. It

presents national findings of students’ overall performance on the NAEP geography scale,

and summary data for the major demographic subpopulations in the nation. Results are

reported on a 500-point NAEP scale, used to show comparisons and trends over time, and

according to the achievement levels, which are in a developmental stage, established by the

National Assessment Governing Board (NAGB).

What’s New About This Assessment?

© The 1994 geography assessment is the first full-scale assessment of geography

conducted by NAEP. The test framework, adopted by NAGB after a national

consensus process, provides for an assessment of knowledge, understanding, and

applications in the major content areas of geography education.

© This assessment requires students not only to demonstrate factual knowledge but

also to think critically about geographic issues, such as the physical and human

processes that shape patterns of settlement and trade. About 60 percent of

assessment time was devoted to questions requiring short or extended written

answers, and the remainder to multiple-choice questions (see Appendix B). Some

questions require a student to draw inferences from the information provided. A

wide variety of maps and graphs are used to measure the ability of students to

interpret and analyze geographic materials.

How Did We Do as a Nation?

© The pattern of average scores by grade — fourth grade, 206; eighth grade, 260;

and twelfth grade, 285 — is typical of other subjects assessed by NAEP.

© As is typically the case in subjects assessed by NAEP, student performance varied

by region. Among high school seniors, for example, students in the Southeast had

lower average scores than did those in the other regions.
v

The results are reported according to the achievement levels established by the National

Assessment Governing Board. For each grade there are three performance standards:

Basic - partial mastery; Proficient - solid academic performance that demonstrates

competency in challenging subject matter; and Advanced - superior performance.

© 22 percent of fourth graders, 28 percent of eighth graders, and 27 percent of

twelfth graders reached the Proficient level.

© Across the three grades, about 70 percent of students attained at least the

Basic level.

© Two to four percent reached the Advanced level.

How Did the Various Subgroups of Students Differ?

Although subsequent reports will provide a context for understanding subgroup differences,

several differences are noted in this report:

Based on average scores:

© Consistent with findings in other subject areas assessed by NAEP, performance in

geography at all grades was higher for students whose parents had more

education.

© At all three grades, White and Asian students had significantly higher scores than

did Black and Hispanic students.

© Fourth-, eighth-, and twelfth-grade students attending nonpublic schools

displayed higher performance in geography than their counterparts attending

public schools.

© At grades 4, 8, and 12, males tended to have higher scores than females.

The differences in percentages of students reaching the Proficient level among various

subgroups of students (by race/ethnicity, parents’ education, type of school, and gender)

were generally similar to those observed with the average scores.
v i
1

The NAEP Geography

National Sample

The NAEP 1994 geography assessment was based on a

national probability sample of public and nonpublic

school students enrolled in grades 4, 8, and 12.

Approximately 5,500 fourth-grade students, 6,900

eighth-grade students, and 6,200 twelfth-grade students

participated in the assessment. Detailed information

about the student sample sizes is presented in Table A.1

in Appendix A. The national sample included students

attending domestic Department of Defense (DoD)

schools and Bureau of Indian Affairs schools.

The NAEP Geography Framework

The NAEP 1994 geography assessment was based on a

new blueprint, the Geography Framework for the 1994

National Assessment of Educational Progress.1

 It was

developed through a national consensus process

involving geographers and educators from around the

country.

The assessment, which covered both global and

United States topics, focused on three content areas in

geography that established a context for investigating

students’ knowledge of key aspects of geography.

1994 Assessment Framework

Three Content Areas

SPACE AND PLACE

Knowledge of geography related to particular places

on Earth, to spatial patterns on Earth’s surface, and to

physical and human processes that shape such patterns.

ENVIRONMENT AND SOCIETY

Knowledge of geography related to the interactions

between environment and society.

SPATIAL DYNAMICS AND CONNECTIONS

Knowledge of geography as it relates to spatial

connections among people, places and regions.

CHAPTER 1

Introduction

With the completion of its 1994 assessment program,

the National Assessment of Educational Progress

(NAEP) concluded its 25th year as the only nationally

representative and continuous assessment of what

America’s students know and can do in various subject

areas. In 1994, the NAEP program included geography

assessments that were administered to representative

samples of public and nonpublic school students at

grades 4, 8, and 12. This report is a first look into the

results of this assessment, providing summary data only

for the major demographic subpopulations in the

nation. The forthcoming NAEP 1994 Geography Report

Card will give more detailed information about the

results presented here. Perhaps more importantly, it will

provide a context for understanding the findings as they

relate to instructional content; instructional practices;

school and teacher characteristics; school conditions;

and student background, student activities, and home

environment.

The National Assessment of

Educational Progress (NAEP)

NAEP is a congressionally mandated survey

administered by the National Center for Education

Statistics (NCES), U.S. Department of Education. Since

1969, NAEP has reported on the educational

achievement of American students and provided

accurate and useful information to parents, educators,

and policymakers at the national, state, and local levels.

NAEP has become an integral part of our nation’s

evaluation of the condition and progress of education.

Since its beginning, NAEP assessments have been

conducted periodically in reading, mathematics,

science, writing, history, geography, and other fields.

The NAEP 1994 program included assessments in

reading, United States history, and geography. (Separate

samples were assessed for each subject.)
2

Table 1 shows the percentage of assessment time

to be devoted to each content area specified in the

framework. The percentages were constant across

the three grades. In addition to guiding assessment

construction, these percentages were used to weight the

content subscales in the calculation of the composite

geography scale used in this report. (A discussion of the

content area subscale results will be included in the

forthcoming NAEP 1994 Geography Report Card.)

Distribution of Assessment Time Across

Geography Content Areas, by Grade

Content Area Grades 4, 8, and 12

Space and Place 40%

Environment and Society 30%

Spatial Dynamics and Connections 30%

TABLE 1

Figure 1. NAEP Geography Assessment Framework Elements

Spatial Dynamics

and Connections

What factors stimulate

human migrations?

Explain the motivations

of modern-day Mexicans

and Cubans for immigrating to the United States.

Compare current settlement and employment

patterns of Cuban and

Mexican immigrants in

the United States.

Environment

and Society

What mineral resources are

often extracted by strip

mining?

Explain the effects of strip

mining and shaft mining on

the landscape.

How can both economic and

environmental interests be

reconciled in an area of strip

mining?

Space

and Place

Where is the world’s largest

tropical rain forest?

Why are tropical rain forests

located near the equator?

Support the conclusion that

tropical rain forests

promote wide species

variation.

Content Dimension

Cognitive

Dimension

Knowing

Understanding

Applying*

Note: Example questions are illustrative only, and are not meant to represent the full array of assessment content.

* Applying = A range of higher-order thinking skills.

In addition to defining the content of the

assessment, the NAEP 1994 Geography Framework

described the specific cognitive dimensions to be

measured. Each assessment task was designed to

measure either “knowledge,” “understanding,” or

“applying.” Again, the percentages of assessment time

devoted to these three cognitive dimensions were

established by the framework. The elements of the

geography assessment are illustrated in Figure 1.

The framework also incorporated the use of a wide

variety of stimulus material such as maps and diagrams.

These were used to measure students’ ability to

interpret and analyze geographic materials.

Finally, the framework indicated that at least 50

percent of testing time should be spent on constructedresponse questions that require students to write short

(one or two sentences) or extended (a paragraph or

more) answers. In the actual assessment, approximately

60 percent of assessment time was devoted to questions

of this type.

At each grade level assessed, the NAEP 1994

geography assessment consisted of a set of test booklets,

each containing student background questions and

cognitive tasks. The background sections asked students

to provide information about their characteristics,

classroom instruction, and motivation to complete the

assessment. The cognitive sections included stimulus

materials and associated tasks designed to assess

students’ geographic knowledge and skills. A complete

cognitive section for each of the three grade levels is

reproduced in Appendix B. Each section contains a

mixture of multiple-choice and constructed-response

questions. At each grade level, the assessment was

composed of six 25-minute blocks of cognitive

questions. At grades 8 and 12, these were supplemented

by one 50-minute block. Each assessed student

completed a booklet with either two 25-minute
3

blocks or one 50-minute block. The booklets were

distributed randomly to students and required about

one hour to complete.

The NAEP Geography Scale

Responses to the assessment tasks were analyzed to

determine the percentages of students who responded

correctly to each of the multiple-choice questions and

the percentages attaining each of the possible scores for

constructed-response questions. Item response theory

(IRT) methods were used to produce within-grade scales

that summarize results for each of the three content

areas. Each subscale for grade 4 was linked to the

corresponding subscale for grade 8. Likewise, each

subscale for grade 12 was linked to the corresponding

subscale for grade 8. Then, each linked subscale was

mapped onto a 0 to 500 scale. These separate subscales

were then weighted by the percentages shown in Table 1

to produce a composite NAEP geography scale, which is

used in Chapter 2 to present results.

Though NAEP scales appear similar across subjects

(e.g., all NAEP scales for the 1994 assessments range

from 0 to 500), the reader is cautioned against making

any comparisons among subjects. For each subject,

unique scales are developed to describe student

performance in the particular subject area.

Achievement Levels

In addition to summarizing results using the NAEP

geography scale, this report presents data using the

geography achievement levels authorized by the NAEP

legislation2

 and adopted by the National Assessment

Governing Board (NAGB). The achievement levels were

based on collective judgments — gathered from a

broadly representative panel of teachers, education

specialists, and members of the general public — about

what students should know and be able to do relative

to the body of content reflected in the NAEP assessment

framework. Three achievement levels were defined for

each of the grade levels assessed: Basic, Proficient, and

Advanced. The policy definitions of these achievement

levels are given in Figure 2. In reporting NAEP results,

however, there are effectively four achievement-level

categories: the percentages of students at or above

each of the levels and the percentage below the Basic

(lowest) level.

Figure 2. Achievement Level Policy Definitions

Basic This level denotes partial mastery of prerequisite knowledge and skills that are fundamental

for proficient work at each grade.

Proficient This level represents solid academic performance

for each grade assessed. Students reaching this

level have demonstrated competency over

challenging subject matter, including subjectmatter knowledge, application of such knowledge

to real world situations, and analytical skills

appropriate to the subject matter.

Advanced This level signifies superior performance.

It should be noted that the setting of achievement

levels on the national assessment is relatively new and

in transition. Some evaluations have concluded that

the percentages of students at certain levels may be

underestimated.3

 On the other hand, critiques of those

evaluations have found that such conclusions are not

supported by the weight of the empirical evidence.4

The student achievement levels in this report

have been developed carefully and responsibly,

and have been subject to refinements and revisions

in procedures as new technologies have become

available. Upon reviewing of the available information,

the Commissioner of NCES has judged that the

achievement levels have a developmental status.

However, the Commissioner and the National

Assessment Governing Board also believe that the

achievement levels are useful and valuable in reporting

on the educational achievement of students in the

United States.

Overview of this Report

The two remaining chapters of this report present

selected results in terms of NAEP geography scale and

student achievement levels, respectively. Within each of

these chapters, findings are presented for the nation, for

the regions, and for the major reporting subgroups

described below. More detailed descriptions of the

reporting subgroups are presented in Appendix C.

© Race/Ethnicity. Estimates are reported for students’

race/ethnicity (self-identified) using the following

mutually exclusive categories: White, Black,

Hispanic, Asian-American, Pacific Islander, and

American Indian (including Alaskan Native).

© Gender. Estimates are reported separately for males

and females.
4

© Parents’ Education Level. Estimates are reported

based on students’ reports of the highest level of

education attained by at least one of their parents:

did not finish high school, graduated from high

school, some education after high school, or

graduated from college.

© Public/Nonpublic Schools. Estimates are reported

for students attending public schools and nonpublic

schools, including Catholic and other nonpublic

schools.

This report examines and compares the geography

performance of groups of students defined by shared

demographic characteristics or responses to background

questions (for example, males compared to females). It

does not explore the relationships among combinations

of these groups (for example, White males compared to

Black males).

The means and percentages presented in the report

are estimates because they are based on samples rather

than the entire population(s). Consequently, the results

are subject to a measure of uncertainty, reflected in the

standard error of the estimate. Although standard errors

are not provided with the estimates presented in this

report, a full set of standard errors will be available in

the NAEP 1994 Geography Report Card.

The comparisons presented in the report are based

on statistical tests that consider both the magnitude of

the difference between the group means or percentages

and the standard errors of those statistics. Throughout

this report, differences between reporting groups are

defined as significant when they are significant from a

statistical perspective. This means that observed

differences are unlikely to be due to chance factors

associated with sampling variability. All differences

reported are statistically significant at the 0.05 level

with appropriate adjustments for multiple comparisons.

The term “significant,” therefore, is not intended to

imply a judgment about the absolute magnitude or

educational relevance of the differences. The term is

intended to identify statistically dependable population

differences as an aid in focusing subsequent dialogue

among policymakers, educators, and the public.

This report contains three appendices. Appendix A

provides information about sampling. Appendix B

contains sample assessment questions. Appendix C

includes descriptions of the reporting subgroups.

Detailed information about measurement methodology

and data analysis techniques will be available in the

forthcoming NAEP 1994 Geography Report Card and

the NAEP 1994 Technical Report.

Cautions in Interpretations

The reader is cautioned against making simple or

causal inferences related to the performance of various

subgroups of students or about the effectiveness of

public and nonpublic schools. Average performance

differences between two groups of students may be due

in part to socioeconomic and other factors. For example,

differences observed among racial/ethnic subgroups are

almost certainly associated with a broad range of

socioeconomic and educational factors not discussed in

this report and possibly not addressed by the NAEP

assessment program. Similarly, differences in

performance between public and nonpublic school

students may be better understood after accounting for

factors such as composition of the student body,

parents’ education levels, and parental interest.

Endnotes

1. Geography Framework for the 1994 National

Assessment of Educational Progress (Washington,

DC: National Assessment Governing Board, U.S.

Department of Education, Government Printing

Office).

2. P.L. 103-382. Improving America’s Schools Act of

1994.

3. Education Achievement Standards, NAGB’s Approach

Yields Misleading Interpretations, United States

General Accounting Office Report to Congressional

Requestors (Washington, DC: United States General

Accounting Office, June 1993.) GAO/PEMD-93-12

Educational Achievement Standards.

Setting Achievement Levels for the Nation, The

Second Report of the National Academy of Education

Panel on the Evaluation of the NAEP Trial State

Assessment, 1992 Trial State Assessment (Stanford,

CA: National Academy of Education, 1993.)

4. American College Testing, Technical report on setting

achievement levels on the 1992 National Assessment

of Educational Progress in mathematics, reading,

and writing (Washington, DC: National Assessment

Governing Board, 1993.)

Cizek, G., Reactions to National Academy of

Education Report (Washington, DC: National

Assessment Governing Board, 1993.)

Kane, M., Comments on the NAE evaluation of the

NAGB achievement levels (Washington, DC: National

Assessment Governing Board.)
5

CHAPTER 2

A First Look at the Average

NAEP Geography Scores of

America’s Students

This chapter reports the average geography scale

scores of students in grades 4, 8, and 12. Findings are

presented for the nation, by region, and for major

subgroups of students. (Appendix B contains sample

questions and question-level results from the NAEP

1994 geography assessment.) The differences in

assessment performance discussed in this chapter are

statistically significant. Other group and regional

differences in geography performance may exist, but

they are not statistically significant.

Average Geography Scores for the

Nation and by Region

Figure 3 and Table 2 present national and regional

estimates of the average scores of fourth, eighth, and

twelfth graders on the NAEP 1994 geography

assessment. Across the nation, the average scores were

206 for fourth-graders, 260 for eighth-graders, and 285

for twelfth-graders. Among the various regions of the

country, differences in NAEP geography scale scores

were observed. At the fourth-grade level, students in the

Central region outperformed those in the other three

regions. At grade 8, students in the Northeast and

Central regions had higher average scores than those in

the Southeast and West. Among high school seniors,

students in the Southeast had lower average scores than

did those in each of the other regions.

Figure 3. Average NAEP Geography Scores by Grade and by Region

290

280

270

260

250

240

230

220

210

200

190

 0

West

Grade 4

Grade 8

Grade 12

 SOURCE: National Center for Education Statistics, National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), 1994 Geography Assessment. 

285

278

289 286

260 268

255

205

206

284

266

203

Nation Northeast Southeast Central West

500

252

200

215
6

Average

Scale Score

Percentage

of Students

Grade 4

Nation 100 206

Region

Northeast 22 203

Southeast 23 200

Central 25 215

West 30 205

Grade 8

Nation 100 260

Region

Northeast 20 266

Southeast 25 252

Central 24 268

West 31 255

Grade 12

Nation 100 285

Region

Northeast 21 284

Southeast 23 278

Central 28 289

West 29 286

The NAEP Geography scale ranges from 0 to 500.

The standard errors for the national averages are between 0.7 and 1.2 scale score points. The standard errors

for the regional averages range from 1.1 to 3.2 scale score points.

Percentages may not total 100 due to rounding.

SOURCE: National Center for Education Statistics, National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), 1994

Geography Assessment.

Average Geography Scores by

Major Reporting Subgroups

Tables 3 through 6 present average geography scale

scores for major subgroups of the fourth-, eighth-, and

twelfth-grade student populations.

Race/Ethnicity. Table 3 presents average geography

scores for racial/ethnic subgroups. The 1994 geography

assessment, like NAEP assessments in other subject

areas, showed substantial variation in the average

performance among the different racial/ethnic

subgroups. At all three grades, White and Asian students

had significantly higher scores, on average, than did

Black and Hispanic students. In addition, at all three

grades the average scores of Hispanic students were

higher than those of Black students. At grade 4, White

and Asian students outperformed American Indian

students. In turn, American Indian students exhibited a

higher average proficiency than Black students. Finally

at grade 4, Pacific Islander students scored significantly

higher, on average, than Black and Hispanic students.

For the Pacific Islander and American Indian

student samples at grades 8 and 12, the nature of the

samples does not allow accurate determination of the

standard errors. For this reason, differences among

these samples and other racial/ethnic subgroups are

not discussed.

TABLE 2

Average

Scale Score

Percentage

of Students

Grade 4

Nation 100 206

Race/Ethnicity

White 69 218

Black 15 168

Hispanic 12 183

Asian 2 218

Pacific Islander 1 205

American Indian 1 193

Grade 8

Nation 100 260

Race/Ethnicity

White 69 270

Black 15 229

Hispanic 11 239

Asian 2 271

Pacific Islander 1 ! 252 !

American Indian 2 ! 248 !

Grade 12

Nation 100 285

Race/Ethnicity

White 74 291

Black 12 258

Hispanic 8 268

Asian 3 287

Pacific Islander 1 ! 282 !

American Indian 1 ! ***

The NAEP Geography scale ranges from 0 to 500.

The standard errors for the national averages are between 0.7 and 1.2 scale score points. The standard errors

for the race/ethnicity averages range from 0.8 to 8.5 scale score points.

Percentages may not total 100 due to rounding or, in the case of the race/ethnicity variable, because some

students categorized themselves as “other”.

! Interpret with caution any comparisons involving this statistic. The nature of the sample does not allow for

accurate determination of the variability of this value.

*** Sample size insufficient to permit a reliable estimate.

SOURCE: National Center for Education Statistics, National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), 1994

Geography Assessment.

Average Geography Scores

by Race/Ethnicity

Average Geography Scores

by Region

TABLE 3 CARD

REPORT

THE NA ION’S T

1994
 Geography Assessment

CARD

REPORT

THE NA ION’S T

1994
 Geography Assessment
7

Average

Scale Score

Percentage

of Students

Grade 4

Nation 100 206

Gender

Male 51 208

Female 49 203

Grade 8

Nation 100 260

Gender

Male 51 262

Female 49 258

Grade 12

Nation 100 285

Gender

Male 50 288

Female 50 281

The NAEP Geography scale ranges from 0 to 500.

The standard errors for the national averages are between 0.7 and 1.2 scale score points. The standard

errors for the gender averages range from 0.8 to 1.4 scale score points.

SOURCE: National Center for Education Statistics, National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), 1994

Geography Assessment.

Average Geography Scores

by Gender

TABLE 4 CARD

REPORT

THE NA ION’S T

1994
 Geography Assessment

Parents’ Education Level. As shown in Table 5, the

NAEP 1994 geography results reveal a strong positive

relationship between levels of parental education

and student achievement. It should be noted that at

grade 4 — and, to a lesser extent, grade 8 — substantial

numbers of students do not know how much education

their parents received. Furthermore, the accuracy

of student-reported data is open to some question.1

These caveats notwithstanding, the relationship

between parental education and student performance

remains striking.

Average

Scale Score

Percentage

of Students

Grade 4

Nation 100 206

Parents’ Education Level

Graduated College 42 216

Some Education After High School 7 216

Graduated High School 12 197

Did Not Finish High School 4 186

I Don’t Know 34 197

Grade 8

Nation 100 260

Parents’ Education Level

Graduated College 42 272

Some Education After High School 19 265

Graduated High School 22 250

Did Not Finish High School 7 238

I Don’t Know 10 234

Grade 12

Nation 100 285

Parents’ Education Level

Graduated College 44 294

Some Education After High School 25 286

Graduated High School 22 274

Did Not Finish High School 7 263

I Don’t Know 3 257

The NAEP Geography scale ranges from 0 to 500.

The standard errors for the national averages are between 0.7 and 1.2 scale score points. The standard errors

for the parents’ education level averages range from 0.9 to 3.7 scale score points.

Percentages may not total 100 due to rounding.

SOURCE: National Center for Education Statistics, National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), 1994

Geography Assessment.

CARD

REPORT

THE NA ION’S T

1994
 Geography Assessment

Average Geography Scores

by Parents’ Education Level

TABLE 5

At all grades, groups of students reporting given

levels of parental education had significantly higher

scores than all groups reporting lower levels of

education. So, for example, students who reported that

at least one parent had graduated from college displayed

higher average scores than those who reported that at

least one parent had some education after high school.

The latter group in turn outperformed those who

reported that at least one parent had graduated from

high school. The sole exception to this pattern was at

grade 4, where there was no statistically significant

difference between students reporting that at least one

parent was a college graduate and those reporting that

at least one parent had received some education beyond

high school.

Gender. As can be seen in Table 4, the differences in

average geography scores between males and females

are fairly consistent. At all three grades, males had

significantly higher scores, on average, than did females.
8

Public and Nonpublic Schools. Table 6 shows the

NAEP 1994 geography results for students in public and

nonpublic schools. As was the case in the NAEP 1994

reading and United States history assessments, students

attending nonpublic schools (either Catholic schools

or other nonpublic schools) had significantly

higher average scores than did students attending

public schools.

Average

Scale Score

Percentage

of Students

TABLE 6 CARD

REPORT

THE NA ION’S T

1994
 Geography Assessment

Average Geography Scores

by Type of School

Endnotes

1. Looker, E.D., “Accuracy of proxy reports of parental

status characteristics,” in Sociology of Education,

62(4), pp. 257-276, 1989.

Grade 4

Nation 100 206

Type of School

Public Schools 90 204

All Nonpublic Schools 10 221

Catholic Schools 6 222

Other Nonpublic Schools 4 220

Grade 8

Nation 100 260

Type of School

Public Schools 90 258

All Nonpublic Schools 10 276

Catholic Schools 6 276

Other Nonpublic Schools 4 276

Grade 12

Nation 100 285

Type of School

Public Schools 89 283

All Nonpublic Schools 11 294

Catholic Schools 6 291

Other Nonpublic Schools 4 298

The NAEP Geography scale ranges from 0 to 500.

The standard errors for the national averages are between 0.7 and 1.2 scale score points. The standard

errors for the type of school averages range from 0.8 to 3.8 scale score points.

The percentages of students in the two types of nonpublic schools may not total the percent in all nonpublic

schools due to rounding.

SOURCE: National Center for Education Statistics, National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), 1994

Geography Assessment.

As was noted in Chapter 1, the reader is cautioned

against using these data to make simplistic inferences

about the relative effectiveness of public and nonpublic

schools. Average performance differences between the

two types of schools are in part related to socioeconomic

factors and sociological factors, such as levels of

parental education. To get a clearer picture of the

differences between public and nonpublic schools, more

in-depth analyses must be undertaken.
9

CHAPTER 3

A First Look at Attainment

of Achievement Levels by

America’s Students

The percentages of students who attained each of the

achievement levels in the NAEP 1994 geography

assessment are presented in this chapter. Results are

displayed for the nation, for region, and for the major

subgroups.

The National Education Statistics Act of 1994

requires that the National Assessment Governing Board

develop “appropriate student performance levels” for

reporting NAEP results. The NAEP law requires that

these levels be “used on a developmental basis until the

Commissioner of Education Statistics determines . . .

that such levels are reasonable, valid, and informative

to the public.” It requires the Commissioner and

the Board to make clear the developmental status of

such levels.

The student achievement levels in this report have

been developed and adopted by the National Assessment

Governing Board, NAEP’s independent policy-making

body, with contributions from a wide variety of

educators, business and government leaders, and

interested citizens. These levels of student achievement

have been established to help Americans answer two

questions that are important to parents and to all

citizens in the communities and nation in which we

live. These questions are: “What should students know

and be able to do as they progress and graduate from

school?” and “How good is good enough in terms of

student achievement on NAEP?” Answering these

questions obviously involves judgements. The National

Assessment Governing Board is not suggesting that

there is a single answer to these questions. Rather, the

Board is trying to put forward reasonable judgements

that can inform citizens across America — information

they can use to answer these questions in their own

schools and communities.

Developing carefully considered judgements about

“what students should know and be able to do” and

“how good is good enough” is both difficult and

controversial. The Governing Board believes that these

questions are so important that answers must be sought

in an informed, responsible way. The process is subject

to revision and refinement as appropriate.

The student achievement levels in this report

approved by the Governing Board are the result of many

hours of work. The levels are based on preliminary

descriptions developed as part of the national consensus

process to determine the assessment design and

content. The Board’s contractor, American College

Testing (ACT), which has extensive experience in

standard-setting in many fields, designed the

achievement level-setting process. This process

was reviewed by scores of individuals, including

policymakers, professional organizations, teachers,

parents, and other members of the general public. To

develop the levels, ACT convened a cross-section of

educators and interested citizens from across the nation

and asked them to recommend what students should

know and be able to do in geography. Prior to adopting

these levels of student achievement, the Board engaged

a large number of persons to comment on the

recommended levels and to review the results.

The result of the achievement level setting process

is a set of achievement level descriptions, a set of

achievement level cutpoints on the 500-point NAEP

scale, and exemplar items. The cutpoints are minimum

scores that define basic, proficient, and advanced

performance at grades 4, 8, and 12. At present,

evaluations conducted on the level setting process and

critiques of these evaluations have provided mixed

reviews. Therefore, both the Governing Board and the

Commissioner of Education Statistics regard the

achievement levels as developmental; they should not

be interpreted as statistically conclusive. Because these

levels are still considered developmental, the reader

of this report is advised to consider that status when

interpreting the results. The reader should recognize

that the results are based on the judgements of panels,

approved by the Governing Board, of what advanced,

proficient, and basic students should know and be able

to do in each subject assessed, as well as on their

judgements regarding what percent of students at the

borderline for each level should answer each test item

correctly. The latter information is used in translating

the achievement level descriptions into cutpoints on

the NAEP scale. NCES uses these levels in reporting

NAEP results, but it does not currently adjudicate

the reliability or validity of these achievement levels.

Rather they are reported directly as adopted by the

Governing Board.

The National Assessment Governing Board urges all

who are concerned about “what students should know

and be able to do” and “how good is good enough” to

read and interpret these performance levels recognizing

that this is a developing, judgmental process and is

subject to various interpretations. The decision to
1 0

include the levels in NAEP reports is an attempt to

make the assessment results more useful for parents,

educators, and policymakers by providing performance

standards against which to measure educational

progress.

As explained in Chapter 1, three achievement

levels — Basic, Proficient, and Advanced — have been

established by the National Assessment Governing

Board (NAGB) for reporting NAEP results. The Basic

level denotes partial mastery of the knowledge and skills

that are fundamental for proficient work at a given

grade. The Proficient level represents solid academic

performance. Students reaching this level demonstrate

competency with a range of challenging subject matter.

The Advanced level signifies superior performance at a

given grade.

Specific definitions of the three levels of geography

achievement for each of the three grades are presented

in Figure 4. For each grade, the definitions are

cumulative from Basic through Advanced. In other

words, students performing at the Proficient level also

display the competencies associated with the Basic

level; and students performing at the Advanced level

demonstrate skills and knowledge associated with both

preceding levels.

As part of the development of the achievement

levels, NAGB also selected student responses that, in the

judgement of the panelists, illustrated the levels.

Figure 5 presents an eighth-grade question and three

student responses corresponding to the three

achievement levels. Accompanying the question is a

table that presents two types of percentages: (1) the

overall percentage of students within a grade who

successfully answered the question, and (2) the

percentages of students within each of the achievement

level intervals — Basic, Proficient, and Advanced —

who answered the question successfully. For the

question presented in Figure 5, 41 percent of all eighth

graders provided answers rated “Essential” or better as

described in the scoring rubric. For those eighth

graders who scored within the Basic and Proficient

achievement level intervals, 39 and 78 percent,

respectively, provided answers rated as “Essential” or

better. The vast majority of eighth graders (92 percent)

who scored within the Advanced achievement level

interval provided such answers. The standard errors

associated with each percentage are also included in the

table. (Appendix B contains additional sample questions

from the NAEP 1994 geography assessment.)

Figure 4. Geography Achievement Levels

GRADE 4

Basic Students should be able to use words or diagrams to define basic geographic vocabulary; identify personal behaviors and

(187) perspectives related to the environment and describe some environmental and cultural issues in their community; use visual

and technological tools to access information; identify major geographic features on maps and globes; be able to read and draw

simple maps, map keys and legends; demonstrate how people depend upon, use, and adapt to the environment; and give

examples of the movement of people, goods, services, and ideas from one place to another. In addition to demonstrating an

understanding of how individuals are alike and different, they should demonstrate a knowledge of the ways people depend on

each other.

Proficient Students should be able to use fundamental geographic knowledge and vocabulary to identify basic geographic patterns and

(240) processes; describe an environmental or cultural issue from more than one perspective; and read and interpret information

from visual and technological tools such as photographs, maps and globes, aerial photography, and satellite images. They

should be able to use number and letter grids to plot specific locations; understand relative location terms; and sketch simple

maps and describe and/or draw landscapes they have observed or studied. Proficient students should be able to illustrate how

people depend upon, adapt to, and modify the environment, describe and/or illustrate geographic aspects of a region using

fundamental geographic vocabulary and give reasons for current human migration; discuss the impact a location has upon

cultural similarities and differences; and be able to demonstrate how an event in one location can have an impact upon

another location.

Advanced Students should be able to use basic geographic knowledge and vocabulary to describe global patterns and processes; describe

(276) ways individuals can protect and enhance environmental quality; describe how modifications to the environment may have a

variety of consequences; explain differing perspectives that apply to local environmental or cultural issues; and demonstrate an

understanding of forces that result in migration, changing demographics, and boundary changes. They should be able to solve

simple problems by applying information learned through working with visual and technological tools such as aerial and other

photographs, maps and globes, atlases, news media, and computers. They should be able to construct models and sketch and

label maps of their own state, the United States, and the world; use them to describe and compare differences, similarities, and

patterns of change in landscapes; and be able to predict the impact a change in one location can have on another. They should

be able to analyze the ways individuals and groups interact.
1 1

Figure 4. Geography Achievement Levels (continued)

GRADE 8

Basic Students should possess fundamental knowledge and vocabulary of concepts relating to patterns, relationships, distance,

(242) direction, scale, boundary, site, and situation; solve fundamental locational questions using latitude and longitude; interpret

simple map scales; identify continents and their physical features, oceans, and various countries and cities; respond accurately

to descriptive questions using information obtained by use of visual and technological tools such as geographic models and/or

translate that information into words; explain differences between maps and globes; and find a wide range of information using

an atlas or almanac. Students should be able to recognize and illustrate the relationships that exist between humans and their

environments, and provide evidence showing how physical habitat can influence human activity. They should be able to define

a region and identify its distinguishing characteristics. Finally, they should be able to demonstrate how the interaction that

takes place between and among regions is related to the movement of people, goods, services, and ideas.

Proficient Students should possess a fundamental geographic vocabulary; understand geography’s analytical concepts; solve locational

(282) questions requiring integration of information from two or more sources, such as atlases or globes; compare information

presented at different scales; identify a wide variety of physical and cultural features and describe regional patterns. Students

should be able to respond accurately to interpretive questions using geography’s visual and technological tools and translate

that information into patterns; identify differences in map projections and select proper projections for various purposes; and

develop a case study working with geography’s analytical concepts. In addition, students should be able to describe the physical

and cultural characteristics of places; explain how places change due to human activity; explain and illustrate how the concept

of regions can be used as a strategy for organizing and understanding Earth’s surface. Students should be able to analyze and

interpret data bases and case studies as well as use information from maps to describe the role that regions play in influencing

trade and migration patterns and cultural and political interaction.

Advanced Students should have a command of extensive geographic knowledge, analytical concepts, and vocabulary; be able to analyze

(315) spatial phenomena using a variety of sources with information presented at a variety of scales and show relationships between

them; and use case studies for spatial analysis and to develop maps and other graphics. Students should be able to identify

patterns of climate, vegetation, and population across Earth’s surface and interpret relationships between and among these

patterns, and use one category of a map or aerial photograph to predict other features of a place such as vegetation based on

climate or population density based on topographic features. Students should also be able to relate the concept of region to

specific places and explain how regions change over time due to a variety of factors. They should be able to profile a region of

their own design using geographic concepts, tools, and skills.

GRADE 12

Basic Students should possess a knowledge of concepts and terms commonly used in physical and human geography as well as skills

(270) enabling them to employ applicable units of measurement and scale when solving simple locational problems using maps and

globes. They should be able to read maps; provide examples of plains, plateaus, hills, and mountains; and locate continents,

major bodies of water, and selected countries and cities. They should be able to interpret geographic data and use visual and

technological tools such as charts, tables, cartograms, and graphs; know the nature of and be able to identify several basic

types of map projections; understand the basic physical structure of the planet; explain and apply concepts such as continental

drift and plate tectonics; and describe geography’s analytical concepts using case studies. Students should have a comprehensive understanding of spatial relationships including the ability to recognize patterns that exist across Earth in terms of

phenomena, including climate regions, time zones, population distributions, availability of resources, vegetation zones, and

transportation and communication networks. They should be able to develop data bases about specific places and provide a

simple analysis about their importance.

Proficient Students should have an extensive understanding and knowledge of the concepts and terminology of physical and human

(305) geography. They should be able to use geographic concepts to analyze spatial phenomena and to discuss economic, political

and social factors that define and interpret space. They should be able to do this through the interpretation of maps and other

visual and technological tools, through the analysis of case studies, the utilization of data bases, and the selection of appropriate research materials. Students should be able to design their own maps based on descriptive data; describe the physical and

cultural attributes of major world regions; relate the spatial distribution of population to economic and environmental factors;

report both historical and contemporary events within a geographic framework using tools such as special purpose maps, and

primary and secondary source materials.

Advanced Students should possess a comprehensive understanding of geographic knowledge and concepts; apply this knowledge to

(339) case studies; formulate hypotheses and test geographic models that demonstrate complex relationships between physical

and human phenomena; apply a wide range of map skills; develop maps using fundamental cartographic principles including

translating narratives about places and events into graphic representations, and use other visual and technological tools to

perform locational analysis and interpret spatial relationships. Students should also be able to undertake sophisticated analysis

from aerial photographs or satellite imagery and other visuals. Advanced students should be able to develop criteria assessing

issues relating to human spatial organization and environmental stability and, through research skills and the application of

critical thinking strategies, identify alternative solutions. They should be able to compile data bases from disparate pieces of

information and from these data develop generalizations and speculations about outcomes when data change.
1 2

After we anchored our ships in the ocean and went ashore to explore, we

marched west. The forest was so thick we could only travel three miles in

the first two days. Then we came to the mountains and climbed to the top.

A rushing river flowed west out of the mountains. We continued to march

two miles west and came down out of the mountains. Two miles further we

came to the coast. It was obvious that the area we were exploring was an

isthmus.

In the box below, draw a map of the region described above. Be sure to

include all of the geographical elements mentioned in the description. Include

a scale to indicate distances.

Figure 5. Geography Achievement Level Illustration – Grade 8 Exercise

A Complete response includes an accurate map in which at least four elements are correctly

placed. The response must be an isthmus and have direction of travel and river correctly indicated.

An Essential response includes a map in which three elements are correctly placed. The response

may be a peninsula or an island.

A Partial response includes a map in which at least two elements are correctly placed.

Percentage “Essential” or Better within

Grade 8 Achievement Level Intervals

Overall Percentage Basic Proficient Advanced

 Essential or Better 242-281* 282-314* 315 and above*

41 (1.3) 39 (2.4) 78 (3.4) 92 (4.8)

* NAEP geography composite scale range.

The percentage of students below Basic who successfully answered the question is not included in the

table. However, these students are included in the overall percentage.

The standard errors of the estimated percentages appear in parentheses. It can be said with 95 percent

certainty that for each population of interest, the value for the whole population is within plus or minus

two standard errors of the estimate for the sample.


1 5

Advanced - Grade 8

Figure 5. Geography Achievement Level Illustration – Grade 8 Exercise (continued)
1 6

Achievement Level Results

for the Nation

The percentages of students performing at or above the

three achievement levels are shown in Table 7. At all

three grades, at least 70 percent of students were able to

reach the Basic level. However, a far smaller proportion

of students — roughly one-quarter — were able to

reach the Proficient level that signifies solid

performance. Among high school seniors, 27 percent

were classified as Proficient or Advanced. At grades 4

and 8, the percentages of students reaching the

Proficient level were 22 and 28, respectively. Finally, 3

percent of fourth graders, 4 percent of eighth graders,

and 2 percent of twelfth graders reached the Advanced

level. (Note that the percentage of students below Basic

is 100 percent minus the percentage at or above Basic.)

Grade 4

Nation 100 3 22 70 30

Region

Northeast 22 3 22 67 33

Southeast 23 2 17 64 36

Central 25 4 28 78 22

West 30 3 21 70 30

Grade 8

Nation 100 4 28 71 29

Region

Northeast 20 6 33 76 24

Southeast 25 3 21 62 38

Central 24 6 36 80 20

West 31 3 23 67 33

Grade 12

Nation 100 2 27 70 30

Region

Northeast 21 2 25 69 31

Southeast 23 1 20 60 40

Central 28 2 32 75 25

West 29 2 29 72 28

TABLE 7

Geography Achievement Levels

by Region

At or Above

Advanced

At or Above

Proficient

At or Above

Basic Below Basic

Percentage of Students

CARD

REPORT

THE NA ION’S T

1994
 Geography Assessment

Percentage

of All Students

The standard errors for the (a) Advanced Level, national percentages range from 0.4 to 0.5; (b) Proficient Level, national percentages range from 1.0 to 1.2; and

(c) Basic Level, national percentages range from 0.9 to 1.1

The standard errors for the (a) Advanced Level, regional percentages range from 0.5 to 1.3; (b) Proficient Level, regional percentages range from 1.3 to 3.3; and

(c) Basic Level, regional percentages range from 1.5 to 2.7.

Percentages of students in the region may not total 100 due to rounding.

SOURCE: National Center for Education Statistics, National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), 1994 Geography Assessment.
1 7

Figure 6. Percent of Students At or Above the

Geography Achievement Levels

by Grade and by Region

Proficient

Basic

Advanced

100

90

80

70

60

50

40

30

20

10

0

West

Proficient

Basic

Advanced

NE — Northeast SE — Southeast

2 2 1 2

70

60

75

72

27

2

69

25 29

32

Nation NE SE Central West

Nation NE SE Central West

20

SOURCE: National Center for Education Statistics, 

National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), 

1994 Geography Assessment. PERCENTAGE 100

90

80

70

60

50

40

30

20

10

0

PERCENTAGE

67

80

62

71

28

76

33

21

36

23

4 6 3

3 6

Proficient

Basic

Advanced

Nation NE SE Central West

100

90

80

70

60

50

40

30

20

10

0

PERCENTAGE

2 3

78

64 70

70

21

3 3

67

22 22

17

4

28

Achievement Level Results by Region

Table 7 and Figure 6 show the regional percentages

of students scoring at or above each geography

achievement level. There were few statistically

significant differences among regions at the fourth

grade level. The percentages of students at or above the

Basic and Proficient levels were significantly higher for

the Central region compared to the Southeast region.

Also at grade 4, the percentage of students at or above

the Basic level was higher for the Central region than

the Northeast.

Eighth graders in the Northeast and Central

regions were more likely to perform at or above the

Basic level as well as Proficient level than were students

in the Southeast and West regions. Also, eighth-grade

students in the Central region were more likely to

score at the Advanced level than were students in the

Southeast region.

At grade 12, students in the Southeast were less

likely to be at or above the Basic level than were those

in the other three regions. Also, high school seniors in

the Southeast were less likely to be at or above the

Proficient level than were students in the West and

Central regions.
1 8

Achievement Levels by Major

Reporting Subgroups

Tables 8 through 11 present the percentages of students

in various subgroups scoring at or above each of the

three achievement levels. Again, the discussion of the

findings is limited to statistically significant differences

between subgroups.

Race/Ethnicity. The achievement levels that students in

particular racial/ethnic subgroups attained are shown in

Table 8. As in other NAEP assessments, there were

substantial subgroup differences. At grade 4, White

students were more likely to attain each of the three

achievement levels than were Black and Hispanic

students. Further, White students had a higher

probability of reaching the Basic or Proficient levels

than did American Indian students. Asian students were

Grade 4

Nation 100 3 22 70 30

Race/Ethnicity

White 69 4 29 81 19

Black 15 0 3 34 66

Hispanic 12 1 10 49 51

Asian 2 5 32 79 21

Pacific Islander 1 1 17 70 30

American Indian 1 0 9 62 38

Grade 8

Nation 100 4 28 71 29

Race/Ethnicity

White 69 5 36 82 18

Black 15 0 5 34 66

Hispanic 11 1 10 50 50

Asian 2 8 40 79 21

Pacific Islander 1 ! 3 ! 15 ! 63 ! 37 !

American Indian 2 ! 2 ! 15 ! 59 ! 41 !

Grade 12

Nation 100 2 27 70 30

Race/Ethnicity

White 74 2 33 78 22

Black 12 0 5 32 68

Hispanic 8 0 10 48 52

Asian 3 3 32 69 31

Pacific Islander 1 ! 1 ! 19 ! 69 ! 31 !

American Indian 1 ! *** *** *** ***

TABLE 8

Geography Achievement Levels

by Race/Ethnicity

At or Above

Advanced

At or Above

Proficient

At or Above

Basic Below Basic

Percentage of Students

CARD

REPORT

THE NA ION’S T

1994
 Geography Assessment

Percentage

of All Students

The standard errors for the (a) Advanced Level, national percentages range from 0.4 to 0.5; (b) Proficient Level, national percentages range from 1.0 to 1.2; and (c)

Basic Level, national percentages range from 0.9 to 1.1

The standard error for the (a) Advanced Level, race/ethnicity percentages range from 0.2 to 3.6; (b) Proficient Level, race/ethnicity percentages range from 1.3 to

3.3; and (c) Basic Level, race/ethnicity percentages range from 1.5 to 2.7.

! Interpret with caution any comparisons involving this statistic. The nature of the sample does not allow for accurate determination of the variability of this value.

Percentages may not total 100 due to rounding or, in the case of the race/ethnicity variable, because some students categorized themselves as "other".

The estimates of population percentages reported as zero (and standard errors reported as 0.0) are actually non-zero but rounded to zero when reporting to the

nearest integer (or nearest tenth in the case of the standard errors).

*** Sample size insufficient to permit a reliable estimate.

SOURCE: National Center for Education Statistics, National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), 1994 Geography Assessment.
1 9

more likely than Black and Hispanic students to

perform at or above the Proficient and Basic levels and

more likely than American Indian students to be at or

above the Proficient level. The percentage of Pacific

Islander students who were classified at or above the

Basic level was significantly higher than that of Black

and Hispanic students. Finally, Hispanic and American

Indian students were more likely to perform at or above

the Basic level than were their Black counterparts.

The pattern evidenced at grade 4 was repeated at

grade 8. However, at grade 12 there were fewer

significant differences across the racial/ethnic

subgroups than there were at the other grades. No

significant differences among racial/ethnic subgroups

were detected for the percentage of students reaching

the Advanced level. White and Asian students were more

likely than Black and Hispanic students to reach the

Basic and Proficient levels. Finally, Hispanic students

were more likely than Black students to score at or

above the Basic level.

As was mentioned in Chapter 2, the nature of the

eighth and twelfth grade Pacific Islander and American

Indian student samples does not allow accurate

determination of the standard errors. For this reason,

differences among these samples and other racial/ethnic

subgroups are not discussed.

When considering these data, readers should keep in

mind the cautions about interpreting group differences

that are discussed in Chapter 1. A further reason for

caution is that while the percentages of White students

scoring at the Advanced level are larger (in a statistically

significant sense) than the percentages of Black

students or Hispanic students (at grades 4 and 8), the

practical importance of these differences may be limited

by the small numbers of students reaching the

Advanced level.

Gender. Table 9 presents achievement level results for

males and females. At grades 4 and 8 males were more

likely than females to score at or above the Proficient

level and at the Advanced level. At grade 12, males were

more likely than females to score at or above the Basic

level and at or above the Proficient level.

Grade 4

Nation 100 3 22 70 30

Gender

Male 51 4 26 71 29

Female 49 2 19 68 32

Grade 8

Nation 100 4 28 71 29

Gender

Male 51 5 30 72 28

Female 49 3 25 69 31

Grade 12

Nation 100 2 27 70 30

Gender

Male 50 2 32 73 27

Female 50 1 22 67 33

TABLE 9

Geography Achievement Levels

by Gender

At or Above

Advanced

At or Above

Proficient

At or Above

Basic Below Basic

Percentage of Students

CARD

REPORT

THE NA ION’S T

1994
 Geography Assessment

Percentage

of All Students

The standard errors for the (a) Advanced Level, national percentages range from 0.4 to 0.5; (b) Proficient Level, national percentages range from 1.0 to 1.2; and

(c) Basic Level, national percentages range from 0.9 to 1.1

The standard errors for the (a) Advanced Level, gender percentages range from 0.4 to 0.7; (b) Proficient Level, gender percentages range from 1.1 to 1.7; and

(c) Basic Level, gender percentages range from 1.1 to 1.4.

SOURCE: National Center for Education Statistics, National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), 1994 Geography Assessment.
2 0

Parents’ Education Level. As shown in Table 10,

parental education and student achievement are

positively related. This mirrors the average proficiency

results discussed in the previous chapter. At all three

grades, students who reported that at least one parent

had graduated from college were more likely to reach

the Advanced level than were those reporting that their

parents had a high school or lower level of education.

Also at grade 8, students who reported that at least one

parent had graduated from college were more likely to

reach the Advanced level than those reporting that their

parents had some education after high school.

At the Proficient and Basic levels, the patterns were

similar. At grade 4, students who reported that at least

one parent graduated from college or had some

education after high school were more likely to be at or

above the Basic and Proficient levels than those

reporting that their parents had a high school or lower

level of education. At grades 8 and 12, students

reporting that their parents had achieved a given level of

education were more likely than those reporting lower

levels of parental education to reach one of the three

achievement ranges. For example, at grade 12, students

who reported that at least one parent graduated from

college were more likely to score at or above the Basic

and Proficient levels than were students who reported

that at least one parent had achieved some education

after high school. The latter group was more likely to

score at or above the Basic and Proficient levels than

were students who reported at least one parent

graduated from high school; they, in turn, showed

higher achievement than those who reported that

neither parent had finished high school. The exception

to this rule was at grade 8, where there were no

significant differences in the percentage of students at

or above the Basic level who reported that at least one

parent graduated from college and those who reported

at least one parent had some education after high

school.

It should be noted that one-third of fourth graders

and one-tenth of eighth graders did not know their

parents’ level of education. Also, as was noted

previously, the accuracy of student self-reported data

may be open to some question. Nonetheless, the positive

relationship between parental education and

achievement in geography remains striking.
2 1

Grade 4

Nation 100 3 22 70 30

Parents’ Education Level

Graduated College 42 5 31 78 22

Some Education After High School 7 3 30 80 20

Graduated High School 12 1 15 63 37

Did Not Finish High School 4 0 8 52 48

I Don’t Know 34 1 14 63 37

Grade 8

Nation 100 4 28 71 29

Parents’ Education Level

Graduated College 42 7 41 82 18

Some Education After High School 19 3 29 79 21

Graduated High School 22 1 15 62 38

Did Not Finish High School 7 1 8 47 53

I Don’t Know 10 1 8 44 56

Grade 12

Nation 100 2 27 70 30

Parents’ Education Level

Graduated College 44 3 40 81 19

Some Education AfterHigh School 25 1 24 75 25

Graduated High School 22 0 14 56 44

Did Not Finish High School 7 0 7 41 59

I Don’t Know 3 0 7 36 64

Geography Achievement Levels

by Parents’ Education Level

At or Above

Advanced

At or Above

Proficient

At or Above

Basic Below Basic

Percentage of Students

CARD

REPORT

THE NA ION’S T

1994
 Geography Assessment

Percentage

of All Students

The standard errors for the (a) Advanced Level, national percentages range from 0.4 to 0.5; (b) Proficient Level, national percentages range from 1.0 to 1.2; and (c) Basic Level,

national percentages range from 0.9 to 1.1

The standard error for the (a) Advanced Level, parents’ education level percentages range from 0.3 to 1.4; (b) Proficient Level, parents’ education level percentages range from 1.1 to

3.4; and (c) Basic Level, parents’ education level percentages range from 1.1 to 5.2.

The estimates of population percentages reported as zero (and standard errors reported as 0.0) are actually non-zero but rounded to zero when reporting to the nearest integer (or

nearest tenth in the case of the standard errors).

Percentages of students in the subgroups may not total 100 due to rounding.

SOURCE: National Center for Education Statistics, National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), 1994 Geography Assessment.

TABLE 10
2 2

Grade 4

Nation 100 3 22 70 30

Type of School

Public Schools 90 3 21 68 32

All Nonpublic Schools 10 5 30 84 16

Catholic Schools 6 5 30 85 15

Other Nonpublic Schools 4 4 30 82 18

Grade 8

Nation 100 4 28 71 29

Type of School

Public Schools 90 4 26 69 31

All Nonpublic Schools 10 8 44 87 13

Catholic Schools 6 8 44 89 11

Other Nonpublic Schools 4 7 45 86 14

Grade 12

Nation 100 2 27 70 30

Type of School

Public Schools 89 1 26 68 32

All Nonpublic Schools 11 3 36 83 17

Catholic Schools 6 1 33 80 20

Other Nonpublic Schools 4 5 40 87 13

TABLE 11

Geography Achievement Levels

by Type of School

At or Above

Advanced

At or Above

Proficient

At or Above

Basic Below Basic

Percentage of Students

CARD

REPORT

THE NA ION’S T

1994
 Geography Assessment

Percentage

of All Students

The standard errors for the (a) Advanced Level, national percentages range from 0.4 to 0.5; (b) Proficient level, national percentages range from 1.0 to 1.2; and

(c) Basic Level, national percentages range from 0.9 to 1.1

The standard error for the (a) Advanced Level, type of school percentages range from 0.4 to 2.0; (b) Proficient level, type of school percentages range from 1.0 to 4.8;

and (c) Basic Level, type of school percentages range from 1.0 to 3.9.

The percentages of students in the two types of nonpublic schools may not total the percent in all nonpublic schools due to rounding.

SOURCE: National Center for Education Statistics, National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), 1994 Geography Assessment.

Public and Nonpublic Schools. Achievement level

results for students in public and nonpublic schools are

shown in Table 11. At all grades, nonpublic school

students were significantly more likely than their public

school counterparts to perform at or above both the

Basic and Proficient levels. At the eighth grade,

nonpublic school students were also more likely to

perform at the Advanced level.

As was noted in Chapter 1, the reader is cautioned

against making simplistic inferences about the relative

effectiveness of public and nonpublic schools from these

data. Achievement level differences between the two

types of schools are in part related to socioeconomic

factors and sociological factors, such as levels of

parental education. To get a clearer picture of the

differences between public and nonpublic schools, more

in-depth analyses are needed.
2 3

APPENDIX A

National Sample Descriptions

The national and regional results presented in this

report are based on nationally representative probability

samples of fourth-, eighth-, and twelfth-grade students.

The samples were selected using a multistage design

involving the sampling of students from selected

schools within selected geographic areas across the

country. The sample design had the following stages:

1) selection of geographic areas (counties or groups

of counties)

2) selection of schools (both public and nonpublic)

within the selected areas

3) selection of students within selected schools

Weighted Sample Size

(and Percent of Total)

Unweighted Sample Size

(and Percent of Total)

Unweighted and Weighted Sample Sizes by Grade for the

NAEP1994 Geography Assessment,

Public and Nonpublic Schools

TABLE A.1

CARD

REPORT

THE NA ION’S T

1994
 Geography Assessment

Grade 4

Nation 5,507 (100.0%) 3,530,816 (100.0%)

Region

Northeast 1,362 ( 24.7%) 767,700 ( 21.7%)

Southeast 1,445 ( 26.2%) 813,351 ( 23.0%)

Central 1,216 ( 22.1%) 899,746 ( 25.5%)

West 1,484 ( 26.9%) 1,050,018 ( 29.7%)

Grade 8

Nation 6,878 (100.0%) 3,447,145 (100.0%)

Region

Northeast 1,289 ( 18.7%) 694,286 ( 20.1%)

Southeast 2,075 ( 30.2%) 865,529 ( 25.1%)

Central 1,444 ( 21.0%) 830,366 ( 24.1%)

West 2,070 ( 30.1%) 1,056,963 ( 30.7%)

Grade 12

Nation 6,234 (100.0%) 2,542,314 (100.0%)

Region

Northeast 1,407 ( 22.6%) 543,540 ( 21.4%)

Southeast 1,729 ( 27.7%) 572,658 ( 22.5%)

Central 1,275 ( 20.5%) 700,601 ( 27.6%)

West 1,823 ( 29.2%) 725,515 ( 28.5%)

Percentages may not total 100 percent due to rounding.

SOURCE: National Center for Education Statistics, National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), 1994 Geography Assessment.

Each selected school that participated in the

assessment, and each student assessed, represents a

portion of the population of interest. To make valid

inferences from the student samples to the respective

populations from which they were drawn, sampling

weights are needed. Sampling weights are required to

account for disproportionate representation due to

oversampling of students attending schools with a high

concentration of Black and/or Hispanic students, and

due to oversampling of students from nonpublic

schools. Lower sampling rates for very small schools

must also be accounted for with the sampling weights.

The national sample includes students attending

domestic Department of Defense schools and Bureau of

Indian Affairs schools. (Students attending overseas

Department of Defense schools and schools in United

States territories were not sampled.)

Table A.1 summarizes the weighted and unweighted

student sample sizes for the NAEP geography

assessment. The numbers reported include both public

and nonpublic school students.
2 4
2 5

APPENDIX B

Sample NAEP 1994

Geography Questions

The following appendix presents a sample cognitive

section for each of the three grades assessed in the

NAEP 1994 geography assessment. The sections contain

a mixture of multiple-choice and constructed-response

questions. The questions comprising the sample

sections represent broad coverage of the three content

areas that define the NAEP geography assessment.

The three cognitive sections that were selected for

inclusion in this report are intended to give the reader a

sense of the geography assessment. Given the breadth

and depth of the content covered, no sampling of

questions can adequately represent all the skills and

content areas measured in the full assessment. The

NAEP Geography Framework better describes the

characteristics of the assessment as whole.

For each of the multiple-choice questions contained in

Appendix B, the correct response is indicated. Also, the

percentage of students who correctly answered the

question is provided. For each of the constructedresponse questions, a summary of the scoring guide

accompanies the question.

Accompanying the questions are tables that present two

types of percentages: (1) the overall percentage of

students within a grade who successfully answered the

question, and (2) the percentages of students within

each of the achievement level intervals — Basic,

Proficient, and Advanced — who successfully answered

the question. For the questions in the grade 4 and

12 blocks, the percentages for students within the

Advanced achievement level interval are not presented,

however, because of small sample sizes. The percentages

of students below Basic who successfully answered the

questions are not included in the tables. However, these

students are included in the overall percentages.

Please note that the format and size of some

questions has been revised from the original student

booklets to facilitate presentation in this report.
2 6
2 7

GRADE 4

The following block of 15 questions was administered at grade 4. Students were given

25 minutes to complete the block.

The format of the questions was revised slightly to facilitate presentation in this report. For the

multiple-choice questions, the correct answer is indicated (©). For constructed-response

questions, an abbreviated version of the scoring rubric is presented after the question.

The table following each question presents two types of percentages: (1) the overall percentage

of fourth-graders who successfully answered the question, and (2) the percentages of students

within each of the achievement level intervals — Basic, Proficient, and Advanced — who

successfully answered the question. The percentages for students within the Advanced

achievement level interval are not presented, however, because of small sample sizes.

1. Tom is able to wear lightweight clothing all year round. He probably

lives near the

A Arctic Circle

 B British Isles

 C South Pole

©D Equator

* NAEP geography composite scale range. **Sample size insufficient to permit reliable estimate.

The standard errors of the estimated percentages appear in parentheses. It can be said with 95 percent

certainty that for each population of interest, the value for the whole population is within plus or minus

two standard errors of the estimate for the sample.

Percentage Correct within

Grade 4 Achievement Level Intervals

Overall Percentage Basic Proficient Advanced

Correct 187-239* 240-275* 277 and above*

67 (1.3) 75 (1.8) 94 (1.9) **
2 8

2. Look at the elevation profile of South Asia. Which country has the lowest

average elevation?

 A Pakistan

©B India

 C Nepal

 D Bhutan

* NAEP geography composite scale range. **Sample size insufficient to permit reliable estimate.

The standard errors of the estimated percentages appear in parentheses. It can be said with 95 percent

certainty that for each population of interest, the value for the whole population is within plus or minus

two standard errors of the estimate for the sample.

Percentage Correct within

Grade 4 Achievement Level Intervals

Overall Percentage Basic Proficient Advanced

Correct 187-239* 240-275* 276 and above*

81 (1.2) 85 (1.5) 94 (2.3) **
2 9

3. Many people migrate from one country to another. What is an important

reason why many of these people want to leave their countries?

_______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

What is an important reason why people might choose to move to the

United States?

_______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

A Complete response correctly identifies a reason for migration and a reason for choosing to

move to the United States.

A Partial response identifies either a reason for migration or a reason for choosing to move to

the United States.

* NAEP geography composite scale range. **Sample size insufficient to permit reliable estimate.

The standard errors of the estimated percentages appear in parentheses. It can be said with 95 percent

certainty that for each population of interest, the value for the whole population is within plus or minus

two standard errors of the estimate for the sample.

Percentage “Complete” within

Grade 4 Achievement Level Intervals

Overall Percentage Basic Proficient Advanced

Complete 187-239* 240-275* 276 and above*

14 (1.1) 13 (1.7) 29 (2.7) **
3 0

Questions 4-5 refer to the map of Milltown below.

4. If Central Bridge is closed for repairs, what will happen in Milltown?

 A Traffic will move faster.

©B Upper Bridge will have more traffic.

 C Central Avenue will have more traffic.

 D The shopping center will close down.

* NAEP geography composite scale range. **Sample size insufficient to permit reliable estimate.

The standard errors of the estimated percentages appear in parentheses. It can be said with 95 percent

certainty that for each population of interest, the value for the whole population is within plus or minus

two standard errors of the estimate for the sample.

Percentage Correct within

Grade 4 Achievement Level Intervals

Overall Percentage Basic Proficient Advanced

Correct 187-239* 240-275* 276 and above*

57 (1.3) 58 (1.9) 86 (2.1) **
3 1

5. If Central Bridge is closed for repairs, what will probably happen to the

steel mill workers who live on Avenue B?

©A They will have to drive farther to work.

 B They will lose their jobs because the mill will close.

 C They will get to work faster.

 D They will have to move south of the river.

*

 NAEP geography composite scale range. ** Sample size insufficient to permit reliable estimate.

The standard errors of the estimated percentages appear in parentheses. It can be said with 95 percent

certainty that for each population of interest, the value for the whole population is within plus or minus

two standard errors of the estimate for the sample.

Questions 6-7 refer to the following chart.

6. The situation shown in the chart will probably lead to

©A trade among all three countries

 B trade only between countries A and B

 C trade only between countries B and C

 D a decision by each country to produce all nine goods listed

* NAEP geography composite scale range. **Sample size insufficient to permit reliable estimate.

The standard errors of the estimated percentages appear in parentheses. It can be said with 95 percent

certainty that for each population of interest, the value for the whole population is within plus or minus

two standard errors of the estimate for the sample.

Percentage Correct within

Grade 4 Achievement Level Intervals

Overall Percentage Basic Proficient Advanced

Correct 187-239* 240-275* 276 and above*

63 (1.1) 67 (2.3) 89 (2.3) **

Percentage Correct within

Grade 4 Achievement Level Intervals

Overall Percentage Basic Proficient Advanced

Correct 187-239* 240-275* 276 and above*

37 (1.6) 35 (2.7) 62 (3.8) **
3 2

7. Is the United States most likely country A, B, or C?

Give one reason why.

_______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

A Complete response correctly identifies country C and gives one appropriate reason why.

A Partial response correctly identifies C but gives either no reason why, or an inappropriate

reason for the choice.

* NAEP geography composite scale range. **Sample size insufficient to permit reliable estimate.

The standard errors of the estimated percentages appear in parentheses. It can be said with 95 percent

certainty that for each population of interest, the value for the whole population is within plus or minus

two standard errors of the estimate for the sample.

Percentage “Complete” within

Grade 4 Achievement Level Intervals

Overall Percentage Basic Proficient Advanced

Complete 187-239* 240-275* 276 and above*

9 (0.8) 6 (1.2) 23 (3.3) **

3 4

9. Explain how the activity shown in the picture might harm the people who

live in the area.

_______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

Complete a. Pollution must be obvious or strongly implied and tied to some specific

health problem (i.e., damaged lungs, difficult to breathe, death)

or b. a specific health problem such as those listed above without linking it

to pollution

or c. safety issue (e.g., explosive, flammable, evacuated)

* NAEP geography composite scale range. **Sample size insufficient to permit reliable estimate.

The standard errors of the estimated percentages appear in parentheses. It can be said with 95 percent

certainty that for each population of interest, the value for the whole population is within plus or minus

two standard errors of the estimate for the sample.

10. Explain how the activity shown in the picture might help people who

live in the area.

_______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

A Complete response identifies one benefit of this activity.

* NAEP geography composite scale range. **Sample size insufficient to permit reliable estimate.

The standard errors of the estimated percentages appear in parentheses. It can be said with 95 percent

certainty that for each population of interest, the value for the whole population is within plus or minus

two standard errors of the estimate for the sample.

Percentage “Complete” within

Grade 4 Achievement Level Intervals

Overall Percentage Basic Proficient Advanced

Complete 187-239* 240-275* 276 and above*

32 (1.4) 35 (2.1) 43 (4.1) **

Percentage “Complete” within

Grade 4 Achievement Level Intervals

Overall Percentage Basic Proficient Advanced

Complete 187-239* 240-275* 276 and above*

33 (1.6) 35 (2.6) 41 (4.0) **
3 5

WAYS TO GET RID OF WASTE

• Dumping far out in the ocean

• Burning

• Recycling

• Burying in landfills

11. From the list above, select one method of getting rid of waste and identify

one advantage and one disadvantage of this method.

Method of waste disposal: __________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

Advantage: ______________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

Disadvantage:____________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

A Complete response accurately describes an advantage and disadvantage of one method of

waste disposal. Explanations should be both specific to that method and geographically logical.

A Partial response describes either an advantage or a disadvantage. If present, the other

description is incorrect or trivial, as in, “dumping waste in oceans has no effect on us,” or “it

takes a long time to dump waste in oceans”.

* NAEP geography composite scale range. **Sample size insufficient to permit reliable estimate.

The standard errors of the estimated percentages appear in parentheses. It can be said with 95 percent

certainty that for each population of interest, the value for the whole population is within plus or minus

two standard errors of the estimate for the sample.

Percentage “Complete” within

Grade 4 Achievement Level Intervals

Overall Percentage Basic Proficient Advanced

Complete 187-239* 240-275* 276 and above*

11 (0.9) 8 (1.3) 28 (3.2) **
3 6

Questions 12-13 are based on the highway map below.

12. The map shows that one part of the country has more major highways than

the other part of the country. Why is this?

©A There are more people and cities in the eastern part of the country.

 B It is easier to build highways in the eastern part of the country.

 C Cars are not an important form of transportation in the western part of the country.

 D States are larger in the western part of the country.

* NAEP geography composite scale range. **Sample size insufficient to permit reliable estimate.

The standard errors of the estimated percentages appear in parentheses. It can be said with 95 percent

certainty that for each population of interest, the value for the whole population is within plus or minus

two standard errors of the estimate for the sample.

Percentage Correct within

Grade 4 Achievement Level Intervals

Overall Percentage Basic Proficient Advanced

Correct 187-239* 240-275* 276 and above*

59 (1.5) 62 (1.9) 77 (3.0) **
3 7

13. To drive from Los Angeles to Salt Lake City in the most direct way, one

would travel

 A southeast

 B southwest

©C northeast

 D northwest

* NAEP geography composite scale range. **Sample size insufficient to permit reliable estimate.

The standard errors of the estimated percentages appear in parentheses. It can be said with 95 percent

certainty that for each population of interest, the value for the whole population is within plus or minus

two standard errors of the estimate for the sample.

14. Describe two important effects that a major oil spill in an ocean can have on

the environment or on people’s lives.

_______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

A Complete response describes two effects of an oil spill in a distant place. Effects described

may be environmental (for example, pollutes beaches, pollutes air, kills living organisms),

economic (for example, ruins fishing industry, ruins tourist industry), or political (for example,

causes disputes over who is responsible for cleanup).

A Partial response mentions that an oil spill affects the environment or the economy, or has

some other effect, but does not explain how.

* NAEP geography composite scale range. **Sample size insufficient to permit reliable estimate.

The standard errors of the estimated percentages appear in parentheses. It can be said with 95 percent

certainty that for each population of interest, the value for the whole population is within plus or minus

two standard errors of the estimate for the sample.

Percentage Correct within

Grade 4 Achievement Level Intervals

Overall Percentage Basic Proficient Advanced

Correct 187-239* 240-275* 276 and above*

61 (1.3) 63 (2.0) 84 (2.7) **

Percentage “Complete” within

Grade 4 Achievement Level Intervals

Overall Percentage Basic Proficient Advanced

Complete 187-239* 240-275* 276 and above*

13 (1.0) 12 (1.7) 28 (3.3) **
3 8

15. Many children all over the world know what rock-and-roll music is. What has

made this possible?

 A Most children study foreign languages in school.

 B Books about rock and roll are now available to all students.

 C Most schools now teach students about different kinds of music.

©D Communications systems like television and radio have helped the music spread.

* NAEP geography composite scale range. **Sample size insufficient to permit reliable estimate.

The standard errors of the estimated percentages appear in parentheses. It can be said with 95 percent

certainty that for each population of interest, the value for the whole population is within plus or minus two

standard errors of the estimate for the sample.

Percentage Correct within

Grade 4 Achievement Level Intervals

Overall Percentage Basic Proficient Advanced

Correct 187-239* 240-275* 276 and above*

70 (1.2) 77 (1.8) 92 (1.9) **
3 9

GRADE 8

The following block of 16 questions was an overlap block administered at grades 8 and 12.

Students were given 25 minutes to complete the block.

The format of the questions was revised slightly to facilitate presentation in this report. For the

multiple-choice questions, the correct answer is indicated (©). For constructed-response

questions, an abbreviated version of the scoring rubric is presented after the question.

The tables following each question present two types of percentages: (1) the overall percentage

of eighth-graders who successfully answered the question, and (2) the percentages of students

within each of the achievement level intervals — Basic, Proficient, and Advanced — who

successfully answered the question.

1. Of the following, which group would most likely be located on level land?

 A Hydroelectric plant, national park, reservoir

 B Orchard, coffee plantation, mine

 C Amusement park, ski resort, quarry

©D Railroad, city, airport

* NAEP geography composite scale range.

The standard errors of the estimated percentages appear in parentheses. It can be said with 95 percent

certainty that for each population of interest, the value for the whole population is within plus or minus

two standard errors of the estimate for the sample.

Percentage Correct within

Grade 8 Achievement Level Intervals

Overall Percentage Basic Proficient Advanced

 Correct 242-281* 282-314* 315 and above*

75 (0.9) 77 (2.0) 91 (1.5) 92 (4.0)

4 1

Questions 3-4 are based on the map below showing the distribution of earthquake epicenters around the

world between 1961 and 1967.

3. Between 1961 and 1967, the area that had the most earthquakes was the

 A Mediterranean basin

 B mid-Atlantic Ocean

 C Caribbean Sea

©D Pacific Ocean rim

* NAEP geography composite scale range.

The standard errors of the estimated percentages appear in parentheses. It can be said with 95 percent

certainty that for each population of interest, the value for the whole population is within plus or minus

two standard errors of the estimate for the sample.

Percentage Correct within

Grade 8 Achievement Level Intervals

Overall Percentage Basic Proficient Advanced

 Correct 242-281* 282-314* 315 and above*

84 (0.7) 90 (1.8) 96 (1.6) 98 (1.5)
4 2

4. What is responsible for the pattern of earthquake activity shown on the

map?

 A Volcanic eruptions

 B The weight of ocean water pressing on the land

 C Hurricanes and cyclones

©D The movement of tectonic plates

* NAEP geography composite scale range.

The standard errors of the estimated percentages appear in parentheses. It can be said with 95 percent

certainty that for each population of interest, the value for the whole population is within plus or minus

two standard errors of the estimate for the sample.

Question 5 is based on the map below.

Percentage Correct within

Grade 8 Achievement Level Intervals

Overall Percentage Basic Proficient Advanced

 Correct 242-281* 282-314* 315 and above*

69 (1.4) 74 (2.7) 92 (1.4) 99 (3.5)
4 3

5. Look at the map on the preceding page, which shows three possible routes

for a railroad line that will be built to connect Red City with Bluetown.

Which route would be the least expensive to construct?

_______________________________________________________________

Give two reasons why the route you chose would be the least expensive.

1 ______________________________________________________________

2 ______________________________________________________________

A Complete response indicates that C is the least expensive route to construct. It gives two

reasons why that may relate to A and B.

A Partial response indicates that C is the least expensive route to construct and gives

one reason.

* NAEP geography composite scale range.

The standard errors of the estimated percentages appear in parentheses. It can be said with 95 percent

certainty that for each population of interest, the value for the whole population is within plus or minus

two standard errors of the estimate for the sample.

Percentage “Complete” within

Grade 8 Achievement Level Intervals

Overall Percentage Basic Proficient Advanced

 Complete 242-281* 282-314* 315 and above*

36 (1.5) 36 (2.3) 62 (3.3) 80 (7.9)
4 4

6. People from many different countries live in New York City. Children speaking

many different languages attend its public schools. This is mainly because

New York City

 A has an efficient transportation system

 B has a higher wage rate than other United States cities

©C is a port of entry for people from other parts of the world

 D is the site of the United Nations headquarters

* NAEP geography composite scale range.

The standard errors of the estimated percentages appear in parentheses. It can be said with 95 percent

certainty that for each population of interest, the value for the whole population is within plus or minus

two standard errors of the estimate for the sample.

7. In the mid-nineteenth century, before railroads were constructed, people in

the United States transported commercial materials, such as timber and

coal, over long distances primarily by means of

©A rivers and canals

 B turnpikes and freeways

 C pack horses and mule trains

 D ox carts and Conestoga wagons

* NAEP geography composite scale range.

The standard errors of the estimated percentages appear in parentheses. It can be said with 95 percent

certainty that for each population of interest, the value for the whole population is within plus or minus

two standard errors of the estimate for the sample.

Percentage Correct within

Grade 8 Achievement Level Intervals

Overall Percentage Basic Proficient Advanced

 Correct 242-281* 282-314* 315 and above*

70 (1.4) 74 (2.9) 87 (3.2) 99 (1.4)

Percentage Correct within

Grade 8 Achievement Level Intervals

Overall Percentage Basic Proficient Advanced

 Correct 242-281* 282-314* 315 and above*

56 (1.8) 58 (2.6) 67 (3.5) 75 (7.7)
4 5

8. The major areas of wheat production in the world are the central United

States and Canada, Ukraine, south central Australia, and the pampas of

Argentina. What is the characteristic shared by these areas that explains

their role in wheat production?

 A All have rainy, damp climates.

 B All are near sea coasts.

©C All are plains.

 D All are in highland regions.

* NAEP geography composite scale range.

The standard errors of the estimated percentages appear in parentheses. It can be said with 95 percent

certainty that for each population of interest, the value for the whole population is within plus or minus

two standard errors of the estimate for the sample.

Percentage Correct within

Grade 8 Achievement Level Intervals

Overall Percentage Basic Proficient Advanced

 Correct 242-281* 282-314* 315 and above*

52 (1.5) 48 (2.9) 81 (2.9) 95 (3.4)
4 6

 9. What is the dominant trend shown in the graph?

_______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

Give two major reasons for the trend shown.

_______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

A Complete response identifies the major trend in the graph and provides two appropriate

reasons to explain this.

A Partial response identifies the major trend in the graph but gives either no reason, or only

one reason to explain this. Or, the response provides two appropriate reasons, but fails to

identify the trend.

* NAEP geography composite scale range.

The standard errors of the estimated percentages appear in parentheses. It can be said with 95 percent

certainty that for each population of interest, the value for the whole population is within plus or minus

two standard errors of the estimate for the sample.

Percentage “Complete” within

Grade 8 Achievement Level Intervals

Overall Percentage Basic Proficient Advanced

 Complete 242-281* 282-314* 315 and above*

9 (0.8) 3 (1.0) 22 (2.3) 49 (10.7)
4 7

10. Fossil fuels such as oil and coal are formed from

©A geological processes that transform organic materials

 B the rapid decay of animal bones

 C organic processes that lead to the fossilization of animal tissue

 D artificial processes used to treat and reuse garbage

* NAEP geography composite scale range.

The standard errors of the estimated percentages appear in parentheses. It can be said with 95 percent

certainty that for each population of interest, the value for the whole population is within plus or minus

two standard errors of the estimate for the sample.

Percentage Correct within

Grade 8 Achievement Level Intervals

Overall Percentage Basic Proficient Advanced

 Correct 242-281* 282-314* 315 and above*

45 (1.3) 44 (2.4) 60 (3.2) 79 (7.8)
4 8

11. After we anchored our ships in the ocean and went ashore to explore, we

marched west. The forest was so thick we could only travel three miles in

the first two days. Then we came to the mountains and climbed to the top.

A rushing river flowed west out of the mountains. We continued to march

two miles west and came down out of the mountains. Two miles further we

came to the coast. It was obvious that the area we were exploring was an

isthmus.

In the box below, draw a map of the region described above. Be sure to

include all of the geographical elements mentioned in the description. Include

a scale to indicate distances.

 

A Complete response includes an accurate map in which at least four elements are correctly

placed. The response must be an isthmus and have direction of travel and river correctly

indicated.

An Essential response includes a map in which three elements are correctly placed. The

response may be a peninsula or an island.

A Partial response includes a map in which at least two elements are correctly placed.

* NAEP geography composite scale range.

The standard errors of the estimated percentages appear in parentheses. It can be said with 95 percent

certainty that for each population of interest, the value for the whole population is within plus or minus

two standard errors of the estimate for the sample.

Percentage “Essential” or Better within

Grade 8 Achievement Level Intervals

Overall Percentage Basic Proficient Advanced

Essential or Better 242-281* 282-314* 315 and above*

41 (1.3) 39 (2.4) 78 (3.4) 92 (4.8)
4 9

12. An example of diffusion is that crops that were once grown mostly in North

and South America are

©A now grown all over the world

 B now grown only in areas where productivity is high

 C now grown only in the Northern Hemisphere

 D no longer grown there

* NAEP geography composite scale range.

The standard errors of the estimated percentages appear in parentheses. It can be said with 95 percent

certainty that for each population of interest, the value for the whole population is within plus or minus

two standard errors of the estimate for the sample.

Percentage Correct within

Grade 8 Achievement Level Intervals

Overall Percentage Basic Proficient Advanced

 Correct 242-281* 282-314* 315 and above*

51 (1.3) 51 (2.3) 55 (2.6) 69 (9.0)
5 0

 

13. Environmental issues are viewed differently by people in different

circumstances. Explain how the artist makes this point in the cartoon.

_______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

A Complete response discusses environmental issue, tension (implied or stated between the 2

worlds), hypocrisy (not absolutely necessary if tension is clearly discussed), and two different

viewpoints (developed vs developing). The discussion must be at the national level.

An Essential response mentions two different views (developed vs developing) and refers to

trees and car pollution. An appreciation of tension may or may not be present. Or, the response

implies or states the hypocrisy that exists and talks about the tree or the car.

A Partial response mentions that the cartoon discusses environmental issues or gives one

viewpoint.

* NAEP geography composite scale range.

The standard errors of the estimated percentages appear in parentheses. It can be said with 95 percent

certainty that for each population of interest, the value for the whole population is within plus or minus

two standard errors of the estimate for the sample.

Percentage “Essential” or Better within

Grade 8 Achievement Level Intervals

Overall Percentage Basic Proficient Advanced

 Essential or Better 242-281* 282-314* 315 and above*

24 (1.2) 21 (2.3) 46 (3.6) 71 (9.1)
5 1

14. In the United States, most of the fertile soils of the Midwest were derived

from

©A glaciers

 B volcanic activity

 C decaying organic matter

 D eroded sandstone

* NAEP geography composite scale range.

The standard errors of the estimated percentages appear in parentheses. It can be said with 95 percent

certainty that for each population of interest, the value for the whole population is within plus or minus

two standard errors of the estimate for the sample.

15. Under which of the following circumstances would you be most likely to

find snow in equatorial regions?

 A In areas below sea level

 B In areas at high latitudes

©C In areas at high elevations

 D In winter

* NAEP geography composite scale range.

The standard errors of the estimated percentages appear in parentheses. It can be said with 95 percent

certainty that for each population of interest, the value for the whole population is within plus or minus

two standard errors of the estimate for the sample.

Percentage Correct within

Grade 8 Achievement Level Intervals

Overall Percentage Basic Proficient Advanced

 Correct 242-281* 282-314* 315 and above*

51 (1.3) 52 (2.1) 75 (2.6) 89 (4.9)

Percentage Correct within

Grade 8 Achievement Level Intervals

Overall Percentage Basic Proficient Advanced

 Correct 242-281* 282-314* 315 and above*

21 (1.2) 19 (2.4) 25 (3.3) 47 (11.2)
5 2

AVERAGE ANNUAL PRECIPITATION FOR LAKESIDE

Season Average Inches Percent of Total

Spring 5.0 25

Summer 7.0 35

Fall 4.0 20

Winter 4.0 20

Total 20.0 100

16. Use the information in the table above to construct a pie chart on the figure

below. Be sure to label all information. You may use your ruler to draw the

chart.

A Complete response correctly charts the percentage of rainfall of the four seasons on the

circle and correctly labels the segments (the minimum correct labels are the four seasons).

A Partial response correctly charts the percentage of rainfall of one to three seasons or divides

the chart up correctly but does not label by season or labels by inches only.

* NAEP geography composite scale range.

The standard errors of the estimated percentages appear in parentheses. It can be said with 95 percent

certainty that for each population of interest, the value for the whole population is within plus or minus

two standard errors of the estimate for the sample.

Percentage “Complete” within

Grade 8 Achievement Level Intervals

Overall Percentage Basic Proficient Advanced

 Complete 242-281* 282-314* 315 and above*

45 (1.5) 42 (2.7) 72 (3.3) 87 (7.3)
5 3

GRADE 12

The following block of 17 questions was administered at grade 12. Students were given

25 minutes to complete the block.

The format of the questions was revised slightly to facilitate presentation in this report. For the

multiple-choice questions, the correct answer is indicated (©). For constructed-response

questions, an abbreviated version of the scoring rubric is presented after the question.

The tables following each question present two types of percentages: (1) the overall percentage

of twelfth-graders who successfully answered the question, and (2) tthe percentages of students

within each of the achievement level intervals — Basic, Proficient, and Advanced — who

successfully answered the question.. For many of the questions, the percentages for students

within the Advanced achievement level interval are not presented, however, because of small

sample sizes.

1. Which of the following is most likely to be found in the central business

district of a city?

 A Automobile dealerships

 B A steel mill

©C An office tower

 D Single-family homes

* NAEP geography composite scale range. **Sample size insufficient to permit reliable estimate.

The standard errors of the estimated percentages appear in parentheses. It can be said with 95 percent

certainty that for each population of interest, the value for the whole population is within plus or minus

two standard errors of the estimate for the sample.

Percentage Correct within

Grade 12 Achievement Level Intervals

Overall Percentage Basic Proficient Advanced

Correct 270-304* 305-338* 339 and above*

78 (1.1) 82 (1.8) 93 (2.6) **
5 4

2. The four locations indicated on the map above are

 A capitals of highly industrialized nations

 B the world’s four most densely populated cities

 C areas of highest elevation

©D religious centers

* NAEP geography composite scale range. **Sample size insufficient to permit reliable estimate.

The standard errors of the estimated percentages appear in parentheses. It can be said with 95 percent

certainty that for each population of interest, the value for the whole population is within plus or minus

two standard errors of the estimate for the sample.

Percentage Correct within

Grade 12 Achievement Level Intervals

Overall Percentage Basic Proficient Advanced

 Correct 270-304* 305-338* 339 and above*

76 (1.2) 79 (2.1) 96 (1.5) **
5 5

3. On the map above, the shaded countries represent the membership of the

©A Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC)

 B World Health Organization (WHO)

 C North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)

 D British Commonwealth of Nations

* NAEP geography composite scale range. **Sample size insufficient to permit reliable estimate.

The standard errors of the estimated percentages appear in parentheses. It can be said with 95 percent

certainty that for each population of interest, the value for the whole population is within plus or minus

two standard errors of the estimate for the sample.

Percentage Correct within

Grade 12 Achievement Level Intervals

Overall Percentage Basic Proficient Advanced

Correct 270-304* 305-338* 339 and above*

65 (1.4) 66 (2.2) 84 (2.1) **
5 6

Mexico City is an example of runaway urban growth. Every day an estimated

average of 1,700 people move there from villages in the countryside. In

addition, more than 1,000 babies are born in the city daily. Some geographers

think that as many as 50 million people will live there by the year 2000.

Thousands of families survive on the equivalent of a few dollars a day, and

most members of these families have no prospects for steady jobs or much

improvement in the physical quality of their lives. However, regardless of

the hardship and the poverty, people continue to pour into Mexico City.

4. Give two reasons why people continue to move to Mexico City despite the

difficult living conditions.

_______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

A Complete response gives two reasons why people continue to move to Mexico City.

The idea must be conveyed that more opportunities not guarantees are available.

A Partial response gives one reason that explains why people continue to move to

Mexico City.

* NAEP geography composite scale range. **Sample size insufficient to permit reliable estimate.

The standard errors of the estimated percentages appear in parentheses. It can be said with 95 percent

certainty that for each population of interest, the value for the whole population is within plus or minus

two standard errors of the estimate for the sample.

Percentage “Complete” within

Grade 12 Achievement Level Intervals

Overall Percentage Basic Proficient Advanced

 Complete 270-304* 305-338* 339 and above*

16 (0.9) 12 (1.4) 34 (3.2) **
5 7

For Question 5, write your answer on the map below.

5. Write the number of each of the following physical features in the correct

location on the map.

1 Pyrenees Mountains

2 The Japanese Archipelago

3 Mediterranean Sea

4 Persian Gulf

A Complete response correctly labels all four features on the map.

An Essential response correctly labels three features on the map.

A Partial response correctly labels one to two features on the map.

* NAEP geography composite scale range. **Sample size insufficient to permit reliable estimate.

The standard errors of the estimated percentages appear in parentheses. It can be said with 95 percent

certainty that for each population of interest, the value for the whole population is within plus or minus

two standard errors of the estimate for the sample.

Percentage “Essential“ or Better within

Grade 12 Achievement Level Intervals

Overall Percentage Basic Proficient Advanced

Essential or Better 270-304* 305-338* 339 and above*

23 (1.4) 18 (2.0) 50 (3.7) **
5 8

A dense canopy of interlaced broad-leafed trees blocks the sun and shades

the forest floor all year in this sparsely populated area. Shallow-rooted

trees that rise 150 feet or more have broad trunks with support roots above

ground. Rain occurs every day and the forest floor is always damp and dark.

6. What would the vegetation in this region be called? Name a country where

this region might be located.

_______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

A Complete response identifies the vegetation as tropical rain forest, and gives a possible

location.

A Partial response correctly identifies either the vegetation (rainforest) or a location, but not

both.

* NAEP geography composite scale range. **Sample size insufficient to permit reliable estimate.

The standard errors of the estimated percentages appear in parentheses. It can be said with 95 percent

certainty that for each population of interest, the value for the whole population is within plus or minus

two standard errors of the estimate for the sample.

Percentage “Complete” within

Grade 12 Achievement Level Intervals

Overall Percentage Basic Proficient Advanced

 Complete 270-304* 305-338* 339 and above*

36 (1.6) 34 (2.2) 66 (3.6) **
5 9

Questions 7-8 are based on the following tables.

POPULATION OF STATE X

Year Total Population Urban Rural

1850 92,600 7% 93%

1860 378,000 21% 79%

1870 560,200 37% 63%

1880 864,700 42% 58%

1890 1,213,400 49% 51%

1900 1,485,100 52% 48%

1910 2,377,500 62% 38%

1920 3,426,900 68% 32%

1930 5,677,300 73% 27%

1940 6,907,400 71% 29%

1950 10,586,200 81% 19%

1960 15,717,200 86% 14%

1970 19,953,100 91% 9%

1980 23,668,600 91% 9%

PEOPLE WHO MOVED TO STATE X

Number of People

Years Moving into State

1870 - 1880 129,600

1880 - 1890 214,200

1890 - 1900 172,700

1900 - 1910 694,100

1910 - 1920 804,100

1920 - 1930 1,695,200

1930 - 1940 974,600

1940 - 1950 2,399,100

1950 - 1960 2,788,000

1960 - 1970 1,528,000

1970 - 1980 1,462,000
6 0

7. During which ten-year period did the percentage of people living in urban

areas increase the most?

©A 1860-1870

 B 1890-1900

 C 1930-1940

 D 1960-1970

* NAEP geography composite scale range. **Sample size insufficient to permit reliable estimate.

The standard errors of the estimated percentages appear in parentheses. It can be said with 95 percent

certainty that for each population of interest, the value for the whole population is within plus or minus

two standard errors of the estimate for the sample.

8. Which ten-year period showed both a decrease in the number of people

moving into State X and an increase in the percentage of people living in

rural areas?

 A 1890-1900

©B 1930-1940

 C 1960-1970

 D 1970-1980

* NAEP geography composite scale range. **Sample size insufficient to permit reliable estimate.

The standard errors of the estimated percentages appear in parentheses. It can be said with 95 percent

certainty that for each population of interest, the value for the whole population is within plus or minus

two standard errors of the estimate for the sample.

Percentage Correct within

Grade 12 Achievement Level Intervals

Overall Percentage Basic Proficient Advanced

 Correct 270-304* 305-338* 339 and above*

65 (1.3) 67 (2.0) 86 (2.5) **

Percentage Correct within

Grade 12 Achievement Level Intervals

Overall Percentage Basic Proficient Advanced

 Correct 270-304* 305-338* 339 and above*

60 (1.5) 60 (3.0) 82 (3.1) **
6 1

9. Maddieville is building a new shopping center. There is a disagreement in

the city council over whether to build the shopping center at site A or at site

B on the map.

As a resident of the city who would like to shop at the new shopping center,

write a letter to the mayor in support of either site A or site B. Give three

reasons why the site you support is better than the other site.

_______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

A Complete response chooses a site and gives three reasons for the choice.

An Essential response chooses a site and supports the choice with two reasons.

A Partial response chooses a site and supports the choice with one reason.

* NAEP geography composite scale range. **Sample size insufficient to permit reliable estimate.

The standard errors of the estimated percentages appear in parentheses. It can be said with 95 percent

certainty that for each population of interest, the value for the whole population is within plus or minus

two standard errors of the estimate for the sample.

Percentage “Essential“ or Better within

Grade 12 Achievement Level Intervals

Overall Percentage Basic Proficient Advanced

 Essential or Better 270-304* 305-338* 339 and above*

55 (1.5) 57 (2.7) 76 (2.8) **
6 2

10. Which of the following methods provides the most accurate and effective

visual evidence for determining the extent of desertification in a region?

 A Contour maps

 B Long-range weather forecasts

©C Satellite imagery

 D Seismic readings

* NAEP geography composite scale range. **Sample size insufficient to permit reliable estimate.

The standard errors of the estimated percentages appear in parentheses. It can be said with 95 percent

certainty that for each population of interest, the value for the whole population is within plus or minus

two standard errors of the estimate for the sample.

11. Which of the following countries has the largest volume and value of trade

with the United States?

 A Japan

 B Great Britain

©C Canada

 D Germany

* NAEP geography composite scale range. **Sample size insufficient to permit reliable estimate.

The standard errors of the estimated percentages appear in parentheses. It can be said with 95 percent

certainty that for each population of interest, the value for the whole population is within plus or minus

two standard errors of the estimate for the sample.

Percentage Correct within

Grade 12 Achievement Level Intervals

Overall Percentage Basic Proficient Advanced

 Correct 270-304* 305-338* 339 and above*

38 (1.3) 39 (2.4) 47 (3.0) **

Percentage Correct within

Grade 12 Achievement Level Intervals

Overall Percentage Basic Proficient Advanced

 Correct 270-304* 305-338* 339 and above*

10 (1.0) 9 (1.6) 9 (2.3) **
6 3

12. Many people in the Caribbean region are of West African descent. Which of

the following is the best explanation for this?

 A Rapid urbanization

©B The use of slaves in plantation agriculture

 C Religious persecution in the countries of origin

 D Economic opportunity in the Caribbean region

* NAEP geography composite scale range. **Sample size insufficient to permit reliable estimate.

The standard errors of the estimated percentages appear in parentheses. It can be said with 95 percent

certainty that for each population of interest, the value for the whole population is within plus or minus

two standard errors of the estimate for the sample.

13. Which of the following has most affected the development of suburbs in

the United States in the last 50 years?

©A Automobiles

 B Computers

 C Electricity

 D High-speed rail transportation

* NAEP geography composite scale range. **Sample size insufficient to permit reliable estimate.

The standard errors of the estimated percentages appear in parentheses. It can be said with 95 percent

certainty that for each population of interest, the value for the whole population is within plus or minus

two standard errors of the estimate for the sample.

Percentage Correct within

Grade 12 Achievement Level Intervals

Overall Percentage Basic Proficient Advanced

Correct 270-304* 305-338* 339 and above*

47 (1.4) 42 (2.4) 78 (3.6) **

Percentage Correct within

Grade 12 Achievement Level Intervals

Overall Percentage Basic Proficient Advanced

 Correct 270-304* 305-338* 339 and above*

53 (1.8) 49 (2.3) 71 (3.4) **

6 5

14. Which of the following statements most accurately describes Country A?

©A It is dependent on raw material exports.

 B It probably has a high literacy rate.

 C It has a predominantly urban population.

 D It will experience slow population growth.

* NAEP geography composite scale range. **Sample size insufficient to permit reliable estimate.

The standard errors of the estimated percentages appear in parentheses. It can be said with 95 percent

certainty that for each population of interest, the value for the whole population is within plus or minus

two standard errors of the estimate for the sample.

15. Which of the following statements most accurately describes Country B?

 A It has few medical facilities.

©B It is industrialized.

 C Its primary imports are manufactured goods.

 D Its population is primarily employed in agriculture.

* NAEP geography composite scale range. **Sample size insufficient to permit reliable estimate.

The standard errors of the estimated percentages appear in parentheses. It can be said with 95 percent

certainty that for each population of interest, the value for the whole population is within plus or minus

two standard errors of the estimate for the sample.

Percentage Correct within

Grade 12 Achievement Level Intervals

Overall Percentage Basic Proficient Advanced

 Correct 270-304* 305-338* 339 and above*

53 (1.4) 52 (2.2) 78 (2.4) **

Percentage Correct within

Grade 12 Achievement Level Intervals

Overall Percentage Basic Proficient Advanced

 Correct 270-304* 305-338* 339 and above*

67 (1.4) 68 (2.3) 88 (2.4) **
6 6

16. Country B is most likely

 A Botswana

 B India

 C Ireland

©D Japan

* NAEP geography composite scale range. **Sample size insufficient to permit reliable estimate.

The standard errors of the estimated percentages appear in parentheses. It can be said with 95 percent

certainty that for each population of interest, the value for the whole population is within plus or minus

two standard errors of the estimate for the sample.

Percentage Correct within

Grade 12 Achievement Level Intervals

Overall Percentage Basic Proficient Advanced

 Correct 270-304* 305-338* 339 and above*

61 (1.4) 61 (2.3) 80 (2.5) **
6 7

17. The graph shows a prediction made in 1970 of levels of hydrocarbons in

the atmosphere. Describe the pattern indicated by the graph.

_______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

Explain two factors that could account for the pattern shown.

_______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

A Complete response identifies the pattern and explains two factors, one linked to a decrease

in hydrocarbon emissions and one to an increase in hydrocarbon emissions.

An Essential response identifies the pattern and explains one factor that is linked to either a

decrease or an increase in hydrocarbon emissions.

A Partial response identifies the pattern or explains one factor that is linked to a decrease or

an increase in hydrocarbon emissions or explains one or two factors that are not linked.

* NAEP geography composite scale range. **Sample size insufficient to permit reliable estimate.

The standard errors of the estimated percentages appear in parentheses. It can be said with 95 percent

certainty that for each population of interest, the value for the whole population is within plus or minus

two standard errors of the estimate for the sample.

Percentage “Essential“ or Better within

Grade 12 Achievement Level Intervals

Overall Percentage Basic Proficient Advanced

 Essential or Better 270-304* 305-338* 339 and above*

9 (1.0) 7 (1.5) 19 (2.3) **
6 8
6 9

Parents’ Education Level. Results are presented by the

student’s report of the extent of schooling for each of

their parents — did not finish high school, graduated

from high school, some education after high school,

graduated from college, or did not know. The response

indicating the higher level of education was selected

for reporting. Note that a substantial percentage of

fourth-grade students did not know their parents’

education level.

Public/Nonpublic School. Results are reported by the

type of school that the student attends — public or

nonpublic school. Nonpublic schools include Catholic

and other nonpublic schools. Bureau of Indian Affairs

(BIA) schools and domestic Department of Defense

(DoD) schools were not classified in either the public

or nonpublic categories. Results for the BIA and

DoD schools are included, however, in the overall

national results.

Region. Results are reported for four regions of the

nation: Northeast, Southeast, Central and West. States

included in each region are shown in the following

figure. All 50 states and the District of Columbia

are listed.

Reporting Subgroup(s) Definitions

Findings from the NAEP 1994 geography assessment

are presented for groups of students that are defined

by shared characteristics. Data are reported for

subpopulations only where sufficient numbers of

students and adequate school representation are

present. However, data for all students, regardless of

whether their subgroup was reported separately,

were included in computing overall national and

regional results.

The reporting subgroups presented in this report

include: race/ethnicity, gender, parents’ education level,

public/nonpublic school, and region. Definitions of

these subgroups are provided below.

Race/Ethnicity. Results are presented for students of

different racial/ethnic groups based on the students’

self-identification of their race/ethnicity according to

the following mutually exclusive categories: White,

Black, Hispanic, Asian, Pacific Islander, and American

Indian (including Alaskan Native).

Gender. Results are reported separately for males

and females.

APPENDIX C

NORTHEAST

Connecticut

Delaware

District of Columbia

Maine

Maryland

Massachusetts

New Hampshire

New Jersey

New York

Pennsylvania

Rhode Island

Vermont

Virginia*

SOUTHEAST

Alabama

Arkansas

Florida

Georgia

Kentucky

Louisiana

Mississippi

North Carolina

South Carolina

Tennessee

Virginia*

West Virginia

CENTRAL

Illinois

Indiana

Iowa

Kansas

Michigan

Minnesota

Missouri

Nebraska

North Dakota

Ohio

South Dakota

Wisconsin

WEST

Alaska

Arizona

California

Colorado

Hawaii

Idaho

Montana

Nevada

New Mexico

Oklahoma

Oregon

Texas

Utah

Washington

Wyoming

* Note that the part of Virginia that is included in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area is included in the Northeast region;

the remainder of the state is included in the Southeast region.
7 0

NAEP’S 1994 geography assessment was a collaborative

effort among staff from the National Center for

Education Statistics (NCES), the National Assessment

Governing Board (NAGB), Educational Testing Service

(ETS), Westat, and National Computer Systems (NCS).

The program benefited from the contributions of

hundreds of individuals at the state and local levels —

Governors, Chief State School Officers, State and

District Test Directors, State Coordinators, and district

administrators — who tirelessly provided their wisdom,

experience, and hard work. Most importantly, NAEP is

grateful to students and school staff who made the

assessment possible.

The assessment was funded through NCES, in the Office

of Educational Research and Improvement of the U.S.

Department of Education. The staff — particularly

Jeanne Griffith, Gary Phillips, Steve Gorman, Susan

Ahmed, Peggy Carr, Sharif Shakrani, Arnold Goldstein,

Sahar Akhtar, and Maureen Treacy, — worked closely

and collegially with ETS, Westat, and NCS staff and

played a crucial role in all aspects of the program. The

1994 NAEP assessment and reports also benefited from

the consistent support and guidance of Emerson Elliott,

past commissioner of NCES. The members of the

National Assessment Governing Board (NAGB) and the

NAGB staff provided invaluable advice and guidance

throughout. NAEP also owes a debt of gratitude to the

numerous panelists and consultants who provided their

expertise and worked so conscientiously on developing

the assessment.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The NAEP project at ETS is directed by Paul Williams

and resides in the Center for the Assessment of

Educational Progress (CAEP) managed by Archie

Lapointe and Paul Williams. Steve Lazer managed test

development activities, and Alexandra Beatty and Hilary

Persky worked with the geography Item Development

committee to develop the assessment instruments.

Christine O’Sullivan coordinated the geography scoring

efforts and contributed to the reporting of results. Jules

Goodison managed the operational aspects together

with John Olson, and sampling and data collection

activities were carried out by Westat under the direction

of Rene Slobasky, Nancy Caldwell, and Keith Rust.

Printing, distribution, scoring, and processing activities

were conducted by NCS, under the supervision of Judy

Moyer, Brad Thayer, Mathilde Kennel, Linda Reynolds,

and Barbara Price.

Statistical and psychometric activities for the

assessments were led by Frank Jenkins under the

direction of Eugene Johnson, John Mazzeo, and Jim

Carlson. Ed Kulick, assisted by Yim Fai Fong and Steve

Wang, performed the geography analyses. Karen Miller

and John Mazzeo contributed substantially to report

design activities. Mary Michaels directed the report

production aspects, with coordination assistance from

Sharon Davis-Johnson. Loretta Casalaina, Diane

Guthrie, Joe Kolodey, Carol Errickson, and Sheri Barnes

provided further report design and composition

assistance. Beverly Cisney and Alice Kass provided the

excellent desktop publishing skills essential to the

project. Many thanks are provided to the numerous

reviewers, internal to ETS and NCES as well as external.

The comments and critical feedback provided by the

following reviewers are reflected in the final version of

this report: Robert Boruch, Mary Lyn Bourque, Roger

Downs, Robert Dulli, Larry Feinberg, Sally Kilgore,

Lanny Proffer, and Barbara Winston.
UNITED STATES

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

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