A r c h i v e d  I n f o r m a t i o n

     FOR RELEASE                                       Contact: David Thomas      June 18, 1996                                              (202) 401-1576

"I'm encouraged by these findings that show many of our students have a basic understanding of geography," Riley said. "It indicates that they're ready for more challenging course work and the higher standards for learning that are required for world class competition."

The Center for Education Statistics' 1994 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) Geography Report Card, confirms initial findings issued last October. The findings indicate that in grades 4, 8 and 12, roughly 70 percent of students were at or above the basic level.

Three achievement levels -- basic, proficient, and advanced -- were used for each grade assessed and reflected what students should know and be able to do. At grade 4, for example, 79 percent of the students could identify the water cycle from an illustration; 80 percent of 8th graders knew where to locate information in an atlas; and 91 percent of seniors could use a map to identify an area of earthquake activity.

The achievement levels are set by the National Assessment Governing Board (NAGB).

The results show that home support enhanced student achievement. Students performed better if they discussed their studies at home on a regular basis, if their homes contained literacy materials, and if television viewing were held to a minimum.

At all three grades, students who reported discussing their studies on a regular basis at home scored higher that those who reported never or hardly ever discussing them. At grades 8 and 12, students who reported discussing their studies at home on a daily basis attained higher average scores than those who discussed them only once or twice a month.

Also, the more types of literacy materials in the home, the higher were average geography scores. Literacy materials included encyclopedias, regularly received magazines and newspapers, and more than 25 books in the home. And students who watched six or more hours of television per day scored lower, on average, than those who reported less frequent viewing.

Classroom instructional materials and practices were also related to performance in grades 4 and 8. Students who reported use of maps and globes once or twice a week outperformed those who reported never using them. Students who reported sometimes doing projects related to geography had higher average scores than those who reported never doing them. And there was also a positive relationship between performance and use of films, videos, and filmstrips in the classroom.

Among other findings in the final geography report card:

• across all grades, students who did more homework had higher average scores than those who did less;

• students whose parents had more education scored higher;

• students in 4th grade who had spent more class time on social studies, and 8th graders who had taken a course in geography since 6th grade or a course in earth science, performed better in geography than their counterparts; and

• students who reported geography was their favorite subject scored higher, on average, than students who preferred other subjects.

The framework on which the NAEP test was based was developed by NAGB through a national consensus process. It measures students' performance in knowing, understanding and applying knowledge in three content areas: space and place; environment and society; and spatial dynamics and connections.

About 60 percent of the response time was devoted to answering items in which students must construct a response instead of selecting an answer from the traditional multiple choice format.

NAEP has monitored trends in academic achievement since the 1970s and is the only continuing, nationally representative assessment of academic performance.

Single copies of the NAEP geography report are available while they last from the National Library of Education at 1-800-424-1616.