The Nation’s Report Card: Geography 2001

National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP)

Features of the 2001 Geography Assessment

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Office of Educational Research and Improvement, National Center for Education Statistics,
National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), 1994 and 2001 Geography Assessments.
Content of the 2001 Geography Assessment
Percentage of Test Questions by Geography Content Area: 2001

SOURCE: National Assessment Governing Board, Geography Framework for the 1994 and 2001 National Assessment of Educational Progress.
Results Reported from the 2001 Geography Assessment
National Scale Score Results Across Years

Significantly different from 1994.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Office of
Educational Research and Improvement, National
Center for Education Statistics, National Assessment
of Educational Progress (NAEP), 1994 and 2001
Geography Assessments.
National Percentiles Scores Across Years

Significantly different from 1994.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Office of Educational Research and Improvement, National Center for Education Statistics,
National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), 1994 and 2001 Geography Assessments.
National Achievement-Level Results Across Years: Grade 4

Significantly different from 1994.

NOTE: Percentages within each geography achievement level may not add to 100, or to the exact percentages at or above achievement levels due to rounding.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Office of Educational Research and Improvement, National Center for Education Statistics,
National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), 1994 and 2001 Geography Assessments.
National Achievement-Level Results Across Years: Grade 8

Significantly different from 1994.

NOTE: Percentages within each geography achievement level may not add to 100, or to the exact percentages at or above achievement levels due to rounding.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Office of Educational Research and Improvement, National Center for Education Statistics,
National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), 1994 and 2001 Geography Assessments.
National Achievement-Level Results Across Years: Grade 12

Significantly different from 1994.

NOTE: Percentages within each geography achievement level may not add to 100, or to the exact percentages at or above achievement levels due to rounding.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Office of Educational Research and Improvement, National Center for Education Statistics,
National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), 1994 and 2001 Geography Assessments.
Average Scale Scores Across Years by Gender

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Office of Educational Research and Improvement, National Center for Education Statistics,
National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), 1994 and 2001 Geography Assessments.
Average Scale Scores by Parents’ Highest Education Level and Type of School, Grade 8: 2001

* Nonpublic is significantly different from public.

† Score for each level of parent education is significantly higher than the score for lower levels.
— Sample size is insufficient to permit a reliable estimate.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Office of Educational Research and Improvement, National Center for Education Statistics,
National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), 2001 Geography Assessment.
Average Scale Scores by Parents’ Highest Education Level and Type of School, Grade 12: 2001

* Nonpublic is significantly different from public.

† Score for each level of parent education is significantly higher than the score for lower levels.
— Sample size is insufficient to permit a reliable estimate.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Office of Educational Research and Improvement, National Center for Education Statistics,
National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), 2001 Geography Assessment.
Average Scale Scores Across Years by Race/Ethnicity

Significantly different from 1994.

NOTE: Sample size was insufficient to permit a reliable estimate for American Indian students in grade 12 in 1994.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Office of Educational Research and Improvement, National Center for Education Statistics,
National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), 1994 and 2001 Geography Assessments.
Racial/Ethnic Gaps in Average Scale Scores Across Years

Significantly different from 1994.

Score differences are calculated based on differences between unrounded average scale scores.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Office of Educational Research and Improvement, National Center for Education Statistics,
National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), 1994 and 2001 Geography Assessments.
Grade 4 Sample Questions: Multiple-choice

SOURCE: U.S.
Department of
Education, Office of
Educational Research
and Improvement,
National Center for
Education Statistics,
National Assessment
of Educational
Progress (NAEP), 2001
Geography
Assessment.
Grades 4 and 8 Sample Questions: Multiple-choice

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Office of Educational Research and Improvement, National Center for Education Statistics,
National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), 2001 Geography Assessment.
Grades 8 and 12 Sample Question: Short constructed-response

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Office of Educational Research and Improvement, National Center for Education Statistics,
National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), 2001 Geography Assessment.
Grades 8 and 12 Sample Question: Complete Response

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Office of Educational Research and Improvement, National Center for Education Statistics,
National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), 2001 Geography Assessment.
Grade 12 Sample Question: Extended Constructed-Response

SOURCE: U.S. Department of

Education, Office of Educational
Research and Improvement, National
Center for Education Statistics,
National Assessment of Educational
Progress (NAEP), 2001 Geography
Assessment.
Results by Teacher Undergraduate/Graduate Major or Minor/Special Emphasis, Grades 4 and 8: 2001

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Office of Educational Research and Improvement, National Center for Education Statistics,
National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), 2001 Geography Assessment.
Results by Teacher Preparedness in Geography, Grades 4 and 8: 1994 and 2001

Significantly different from 1994.

NOTE: Percentages may not add to 100 due to rounding.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Office of Educational Research and Improvement, National Center for Education Statistics,
National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), 1994 and 2001 Geography Assessments.
Results by Frequency of Geography Course Taking Since Sixth Grade, Grade 8: 2001

† Significantly different from average scores of students who took fewer years.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Office of Educational Research and Improvement, National Center for Education Statistics, National
Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), 2001 Geography Assessment.
Results by Students’ Reports on Grades Geography Taken Since Ninth Grade, Grade 12: 1994 and 2001

† Significantly different from average scores of students who took three or four years.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Office of Educational Research and Improvement, National Center for Education Statistics, National
Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), 2001 Geography Assessment.
Results by Students Reports of Study Skills and Topics Once or Twice a Week, Grade 8: 1994 and 2001

Significantly different from 1994.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Office of Educational Research and Improvement, National Center for Education Statistics,
National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), 1994 and 2001 Geography Assessments.
End Slide