National Center for Education Statistics
June 21, 2002
The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) recently released the results of its 2001 geography assessment in grades 4, 8 and 12. These are national data only-geography isn't tested at the state level-and the only previous results they can be compared with come from 1994. The good news is that 4th and 8th grade scores are up during that seven-year period. (12th grade is essentially unchanged.) The bad news is that all the gains occurred at the lower levels of performance; there was no change in the proportion of youngsters scoring at/above the "proficient" level-and those scores remain very weak: 21 percent in grade 4, 30 percent in grade 8, 25 percent in grade 12. This means, for example, that, while three-quarters of 8th graders know that Florida is a peninsula, just 22 percent were able to give two reasons why tropical deforestation has been occurring. (60 percent gave at least one reason-in response to a question asking for two.) In other words, in a pattern consistent with NAEP results for many years across many subjects, U.S. kids aren't doing badly at the rudimentary levels but their performance tails off as the content (or mode of response) grows more sophisticated. This 180-page report contains many breakouts by gender, race, region, etc. and a lot more sample questions. You can find it on the web at http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/geography/results/. Or order a hard copy by phoning 877-433-7827 and asking for report # NCES 2002-484.
