• Introduction
• Major Findings
• Results for Student Subgroups
• Teacher and Student Factors
• Sample U.S. History Questions and Student Responses

The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) is the nation's only ongoing representative sample survey of student achievement in core subject areas. Authorized by Congress, administered by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) in the U.S. Department of Education, and overseen by the National Assessment Governing Board (NAGB), NAEP regularly reports to the public on the educational progress of students in grades 4, 8, and 12.

In 2001, NAEP conducted a national U.S. history assessment of fourth-, eighth-, and twelfth-
grade students. The report summarized in this article presents the results of the NAEP 2001 U.S. History Assessment for the nation, along with several sample questions and student responses from the assessment. Results in 2001 are compared to results in 1994, the next most recent year in which NAEP conducted a U.S. history assessment and the only other assessment year in which the test questions were based on the current framework.

The NAEP U.S. history framework that describes the content for both the 1994 and 2001 assessments was developed through a national consensus process and adopted by NAGB. The framework identifies eight historical periods and four central themes that were the basis for developing the test questions. The four central themes are

1. Change and Continuity in American Democracy: Ideas, Institutions, Practices, and Controversies;
2. The Gathering and Interactions of Peoples, Cultures, and Ideas;
3. Economic and Technological Changes and Their Relation to Society, Ideas, and the Environment; and
4. The Changing Role of America in the World.

The complete framework is available at the NAGB Web Site at http://www.nagb.org.

Students' performance on the assessment is described in terms of average scores on a 0–500 scale and in terms of the percentage of students attaining three achievement levels: Basic, Proficient, and Advanced. The achievement levels are performance standards adopted by NAGB as part of its statutory responsibilities. They are collective judgments of what students should know and be able to do.

• Basic denotes partial mastery of prerequisite knowledge and skills that are fundamental for proficient work at each grade.
• Proficient represents solid academic performance for each grade assessed. Students reaching this level have demonstrated competency over challenging subject matter, including subject-matter knowledge, application of such knowledge to real-world situations, and analytical skills appropriate to the subject matter.
• Advanced signifies superior performance.

In addition to providing average scores and achievement-level performance in U.S. history for the nation's fourth-, eighth-, and twelfth-graders, the report provides results for subgroups of students at those grade levels defined by various background and contextual characteristics.

The results in this article are based on a national sample that included special-needs students; however, no testing accommodations were offered to these students. As a consequence, a small percentage of sampled students were excluded from the assessment because they could not be tested meaningfully without accommodations. No testing accommodations were offered in 1994 or 2001 so that results from the two assessment years could be compared. However, a second set of 2001 results is available that is based on a sample for which accommodations were provided. This second set of results is presented in the full report and on the NAEP Web Site at http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard. In addition, the percentage of students excluded from both samples is provided.

Results for the NAEP 2001 U.S. History Assessment show that the average scores of fourth- and eighth-grade students have improved since 1994 (figure A). The average score of twelfth-grade students, however, has not changed significantly.

The 2001 U.S. history assessment results show some changes since 1994 in the percentages of students at or above the NAEP achievement levels (figure B). At grade 4, the percentage of students performing at or above Basic increased between 1994 and 2001, although there were no changes in the percentages of students performing at or above Proficient and at Advanced. At grade 8, there were increases in the percentages of students at or above Basic and Proficient, as well as at Advanced. At grade 12, however, the percentages performing at or above each level in 2001 were not statistically different from 1994.

Looking at how scores changed across the performance distribution clarifies the source of the improvement in the average national score at grades 4 and 8. An examination of scores at different percentiles on the 0–500 U.S. history scale at each grade indicates whether or not the changes seen in the national average score results are reflected in the performance of lower-, middle-, and higher-performing students. The percentile indicates the percentage of students whose scores fell below a particular average score. In 2001, for example, 25 percent of fourth-graders scored at or below 186.

As shown in figure C, there were some changes between 1994 and 2001 at various points in the score distribution for fourth- and eighth-graders, but no significant changes for twelfth-graders. At grade 4, score increases between 1994 and 2001 at the 10th and 25th percentiles indicate an improvement for lower-performing students. At grade 8, increases were seen across a wider distribution, with improvements from 1994 to 2001 seen for both lower-performing students (25th percentile) and higher-performing students (75th and 90th percentiles). At grade 12, performance across the score distribution in 2001 was not statistically different from 1994—a finding that reflects the results seen in the overall national average score at this grade.

Figure A.—Average U.S. history scale scores, grades 4, 8, and 12: 1994 and 2001

Figure B.—Percentage of students within and at or above achievement levels, grades 4, 8, and 12: 1994 and 2001

Figure C.—Scale score percentiles, grades 4, 8, and 12: 1994 and 2001

In addition to reporting information on all students' performance on its assessments, NAEP also studies the performance of various subgroups of students. The U.S. history achievement of subgroups of students in 2001 reveals whether they have progressed since 1994, as well as how they performed in comparison to other subgroups in 2001.

When reading these subgroup results, it is important to keep in mind that there is no simple, cause-and-effect relationship between membership in a subgroup and achievement on NAEP. A complex mix of educational and socioeconomic factors may interact to affect student performance.

At grade 4, both male and female students had higher average scores in 2001 than in 1994, while at grade 8 only males showed a statistically significant gain in 2001 over 1994. At grade 12, neither male nor female students showed a significant change from 1994 to 2001. At all three grades in 2001, there was no statistically significant difference between the performance of males and females.

Comparing the 1994 and 2001 achievement-level results for males and females shows that at grades 4 and 12 there have been no statistically significant increases or decreases since 1994. At grade 8, however, the percentages of male students at or above Basic and at or above Proficient were higher in 2001 than in 1994.

A comparison of the differences in the percentages of male and female students at or above the Basic and Proficient levels in 2001 shows no significant differences at grade 4, a higher percentage of males than females at or above Proficient at grade 8, and a higher percentage of males than females at or above Basic at grade 12.

Students who took the NAEP U.S. history assessment were asked to indicate which of the following racial/ethnic subgroups best described them: White, Black, Hispanic, Asian/Pacific Islander, or American Indian (including Alaska Native). Average U.S. history scores were reported for students in these subgroups at grades 4, 8, and 12 in 1994 and 2001.

At grade 4, both White and Black students had higher average scores in 2001 than in 1994, while apparent gains for other groups of students were not statistically significant. At grade 8, White students scored higher in 2001 than in 1994, and at grade 12, Hispanic students had higher average scores than in 1994.

The 2001 results show a continuing pattern of average score differences between the racial/ethnic subgroups. At all three grades, White students had higher average scores than their Black, Hispanic, and American Indian peers; and Asian/Pacific Islander students had higher average scores than Black and Hispanic students. White fourth-grade students also had higher average scores than Asian/Pacific Islander fourth-graders.

Average score differences in 1994 and 2001 between White students and Black students and between White students and Hispanic students are presented in figure D. Results from the 2001 U.S. history assessment reflect a narrowing of the score gap between White students and Black students at grade 4, and between White students and Hispanic students at grade 12.

While there have been some gains in U.S. history achievement levels since 1994 at grades 4 and 8, not all racial/ethnic subgroups have improved their achievement-level results. At grade 4, both White students and Black students had higher percentages at or above Basic in 2001 compared to 1994. At grade 8, White students were the only group to show any improvement, with an increase in the percentage at or above Proficient. At grade 12, none of the apparent changes in the percentages of students at or above any of the U.S. history achievement levels from 1994 to 2001 were statistically significant.

Comparing the subgroups' performance in 2001 shows higher percentages of White and Asian/Pacific Islander students than of Black and Hispanic students at or above the Basic and Proficient levels at all three grades.

Schools that participate in NAEP assessments are classified as either public or nonpublic. Looking at students' performance within school type indicates that fourth- and eighth-grade public school students' average scores were higher in 2001 than in 1994.

In 2001, as in 1994, fourth-, eighth-, and twelfth-graders attending nonpublic schools had higher scores, on average, than their peers attending public schools. Readers should, however, avoid making assumptions about the comparative quality of instruction in public and nonpublic schools when reading this information. Socioeconomic and sociological factors that may affect student performance should be considered before interpreting these results. Additional information about the performance of students by type of school can be found in the full report, as well as on the NAEP Web Site at http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard.

Achievement-level results for students attending public and nonpublic schools indicate that a higher percentage of eighth-grade public school students reached the Proficient level in 2001 than in 1994. Comparing student performance by school type in 2001 shows that higher percentages of nonpublic school students than of public school students were at or above the Basic and Proficient achievement levels. At grade 8, there was also a higher percentage of students at the Advanced achievement level in nonpublic schools than in public schools.

Figure D.—Score differences by race/ethnicity, grades 4, 8, and 12: 1994 and 2001

Students who participated in the NAEP 2001 U.S. History Assessment and their teachers answered questions related to their background and their experiences at school. The responses were used to investigate whether relationships exist between these factors and students' performance on the U.S. history assessment. While some of the findings may suggest positive or negative relationships between performance and particular factors, it is important to note that these relationships are not necessarily causal: there are many factors that may play a role in students' U.S. history performance.

Using computers to enhance learning has been an important challenge for educators in all content areas. Students who participated in the NAEP 2001 U.S. History Assessment were asked various questions about the ways in which they used computers at school in their history and social studies classes.

About one-quarter of fourth-graders who participated in the 2001 U.S. history assessment said that they use computers at school for social studies at least once every few weeks. This proportion increased to about one-third at grades 8 and 12.

General computer use. How does the way in which students use computers relate to performance on NAEP? Figure E presents average U.S. history scores for students at grades 4, 8, and 12 by their reports on how frequently they used computers. This question asked students about their use of computers in general for history or social studies, not about any particular type of computer use. The results indicate a negative relationship between more frequent general use of computers in a social studies or history class and students' performance on the U.S. history assessment. At all three grades, students who reported daily general use had lower average scores than did those who reported less frequent general use.

Specific computer use. It should be noted that relatively few students reported using a computer at school for history or social studies: 74 percent of fourth-graders, 64 percent of eighth-graders, and 42 percent of twelfth-graders said that they never or hardly ever used a computer in school to study these subjects. An additional 27 percent of twelfth-graders reported not having studied history during the twelfth grade. As shown on the following page, frequent users also tended to score lowest; however, the results presented below suggest that how the technology is used may matter.

While Figure E presents results that suggest a negative relationship between frequent general use of computers in history or social studies classes and students' performance, figures F and G indicate a positive relationship at grades 8 and 12 when computers are used for specific activities in such classes. Figure F shows that both eighth- and twelfth-graders who used computers to a great extent for research projects by using CDs or the Internet scored higher, on average, than those who did so to a lesser extent. Figure G indicates a similar positive relationship: eighth- and twelfth-
graders who used computers to write reports had higher average scores than their peers who did not.

It should be noted that a relationship between computer use and average U.S. history scores cannot, without further investigation, be interpreted causally. Certain types of computer use may support student learning; however, the relationship may also be due to the background and other characteristics of students who are asked to use computers in these ways.

Are certain instructional activities associated with performance on the NAEP 2001 U.S. History Assessment? To explore this question, the report presents the average scores of fourth-, eighth-, and twelfth-graders by the frequency of certain instructional activities.

At grade 4, a large majority of students had teachers who reported having them read from a textbook on a daily or weekly basis. Reading from a textbook daily was associated with higher scores on the assessment than was doing so weekly or monthly.

At grade 8, students whose teachers reported using primary historical documents—such as letters, diaries, or essays written by historical figures—once or twice per week had higher scores than those whose teachers reported doing so less frequently or never.

At grade 12, students who reported never reading extra material—such as biographies or historical stories—scored lower than their peers who reported doing so a few times per year or more often.

Figure E.—Average scores by frequency of computer use in social studies or history class, grades 4, 8, and 12: 2001

Figure F.—Average scores by time spent using a CD or the Internet for research projects, grades 8 and 12: 2001

Figure G.—Average scores by time spent using the computer to write reports, grades 8 and 12: 2001

A better understanding of students' performance on the NAEP 2001 U.S. History Assessment can be gained by examining sample test questions and students' responses to them. The questions shown here—one multiple-choice and one constructed-response question for each grade—were used in the 2001 U.S. history assessment. (Additional sample questions can be viewed on the NAEP Web Site at http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard.) The historical theme and historical period being assessed are identified for each sample question.

The tables that accompany the sample questions show two types of percentages: the overall percentage of students who answered the question successfully and the percentage of students in each achievement-level interval who answered successfully.* For the multiple-choice questions shown, the oval corresponding to the correct multiple-choice response is filled in. For the constructed-response questions, sample student responses are presented along with a brief description of how the response was scored. Because it was a timed test of history knowledge and skills, scoring was based solely on content—students may have made minor spelling and grammatical errors that would not have affected their score.

The following multiple-choice question asked fourth-grade students about the purpose of an artifact widely used in everyday life during the 19th century.

Historical theme assessed in this question: Economic and Technological Changes and Their Relation to Society, Ideas, and the Environment

Historical period assessed in this question: Expansion and Reform (1801 to 1861)

The following extended constructed-response question asked the student to demonstrate an understanding of how American Indians met basic needs before contact with Europeans and, in addition, to compare the way of life of an American Indian group hundreds of years ago and that of the student's family today. Responses to the question were scored according to a four-level guide as "Complete," "Essential," "Partial," or "Inappropriate."

Historical theme assessed in this question: The Gathering and Interactions of Peoples, Cultures, and Ideas

Historical period assessed in this question: Three Worlds and Their Meeting in the Americas (Beginnings to 1607)

The following multiple-choice question asked students about the major reason for the colonial American discontent with Great Britain that sparked the formation of the Continental Congress and the consequent Revolution.

Historical theme assessed in this question: Change and Continuity in American Democracy: Ideas, Institutions, Practices, and Controversies

Historical period assessed in this question: The Revolution and the New Nation (1763 to 1815)

The following short constructed-response question asked students about one of the most important technological developments affecting 19th-century agriculture. Responses to the question were scored according to a three-level guide as "Appropriate," "Partial," or "Inappropriate."

Historical theme assessed in this question: Economic and Technological Changes and Their Relation to Society, Ideas, and the Environment

Historical period assessed in this question: The Development of Modern America (1865 to 1920)

The following multiple-choice question asked students to demonstrate an understanding of the goals of one of the most important reform eras in U.S. history.

Historical theme assessed in this question: Change and Continuity in American Democracy: Ideas, Institutions, Practices, and Controversies

Historical period assessed in this question: The Development of Modern America (1865 to 1920)

The following extended constructed-response question asked students to both identify advantages held by the South during the Civil War and explain how those advantages aided the Southern war effort. Students had to provide not only factual information, but also a reasonable argument relating that information to the course of the Civil War. Responses to the question were scored according to a four-level guide as "Complete," "Essential," "Partial," or "Unsatisfactory."

Historical theme assessed in this question: Change and Continuity in American Democracy: Ideas, Institutions, Practices, and Controversies

Historical period assessed in this question: Crisis of the Union: Civil War and Reconstruction (1850 to 1877)