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U.S. History2010NATIONAL ASSESSMENT OF EDUCATIONAL PROGRESS AT GRADES 4, 8 , AND 12
With highlighted results from the 2009 High School Transcript Study
U.S. Department of Education
NCES 2011468
I n s t i t u t e o f E d u c a t i o n S c i e n c e s
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Contents
1 Executive Summary
4 Introduction
7 Grade 4
21 Grade 8
36 Grade 12
49 High School Transcript
Study Results
52 Technical Notes
55 Appendix Tables
What Is Te Nations Report Card?
Te Nations Report Card inorms the public about the academic achieve-ment o elementary and secondary students in the United States. Reportcards communicate the fndings o the National Assessment o EducationalProgress (NAEP), a continuing and nationally representative measure oachievement in various subjects over time.
Since 1969, NAEP assessments have been conducted periodically in reading,
mathematics, science, writing, U.S. history, civics, geography, and othersubjects. NAEP collects and reports inormation on student perormance atthe national and state levels, making the assessment an integral part o ournations evaluation o the condition and progress o education. Only academicachievement data and related background inormation are collected. Teprivacy o individual students and their amilies is protected.
NAEP is a congressionally authorized project o the National Center orEducation Statistics (NCES) within the Institute o Education Sciences o theU.S. Department o Education. Te Commissioner o Education Statistics isresponsible or carrying out the NAEP project. Te National AssessmentGoverning Board oversees and sets policy or NAEP.
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Executive SummaryFor the 2010 National Assessment o Educational Progress (NAEP) in U.S. history,
students responded to questions designed to measure their knowledge o Americanhistory in the context o democracy, culture, technological and economic changes,
and Americas changing world role. Nationally representative samples o more than
7,000 ourth-graders, 11,000 eighth-graders, and 12,000 twelth-graders participated.
Lowest-perorming ourth-graders make greatest gainrom 1994Te average ourth-grade U.S. history score in 2010 washigher than in 1994 (fgureA). Some o the largest gainsrom 1994 to 2010 were made by the lowest-perorm-ing students with a 22-point increase at the 10thpercentile. Tere was no signicant change in theaverage score rom 2006 to 2010.
Average scores or eighth- andtwelth-graders increaserom 1994Te average eighth-grade U.S. history score in 2010 washigher than in previous assessment years (fgureB). Asat grade 4, scores also increased rom 1994 or lower-perorming eighth-graders. Te average twelth-gradeU.S. history score in 2010 was not signicantly difer-ent rom the score in 2006 but was higher than the scorein 1994.
Figure A. Trend in fourth-grade NAEP U.S. historyaverage scores and percentile scores
* Signicantly dierent (p< .05) rom 2010.
Figure B. Trend in eighth- and twelfth-grade NAEP U.S.history average scores
* Signicantly dierent (p< .05) rom 2010.
SOURCE: U.S. Department o Education, Institute o Education Sciences, National Center or Education Statistics, National Assessment o Educational Progress (NAEP), various years, 19942010 U.S. History Assessments.
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Percentages o ourth- andeighth-graders at or aboveBasic increase rom 1994
Te NAEPBasic level denotes partial mastery o the knowl-edge and skills undamental or procient work at eachgrade. Te percentage o ourth-graders at or above Basic didnot change signicantly rom 2006 to 2010 but was higherin 2010 than in 1994 (fgure C). Te percentage o eighth-graders at or aboveBasic in 2010 was higher than in previ-ous assessments, and the percentage o twelth-graders didnot change signicantly in comparison to earlier assessmentyears.
Figure C. Trend in fourth-, eighth-, and twelfth-grade NAEP U.S. history achievement-level results
% at Advanced
% at or above Profcient
% at or above
*Signicantly dierent (p< .05) rom 2010.
Less than one-quarter o studentsperorm at or above the Profcientlevel in 2010Te Profcient level represents solid academic perormance.
At grades 4 and 8, the percentages o students at or aboveProfcient in 2010 were not signicantly diferent rom thepercentages in 2006, but were higher than the percentagesin the rst assessment in 1994. At grade 12, the percentageo students at or above Profcient was not signicantlydiferent rom the percentages in previous assessment years.
No signifcant changes inpercentage o students atAdvanced
TeAdvancedlevel represents superior perormance.Tere were no signicant changes in the percentages oourth-, eighth-, and twelth-graders atAdvancedincomparison to 1994 or 2006.
Basic
Examples o knowledge and skills
demonstrated by students perorming
at each achievement level
Basic
Interpret a map about the colonial economy (grade 4).
Identiy a result o Native American-European interaction
(grade 8).
Understand the context o a womens movement document(grade 12).
Profcient
Understand that canals increased trade among states(grade 4).
Identiy a domestic impact o war ( grade 8).
Understand Missouri statehood in the context o
sectionalism (grade 12).
Advanced
Explain how machines and actories changed work
(grade 4).
Explain two dierences between plantations and small
arms in antebellum South (grade 8).
Evaluate Civil War arguments (grade 12).
SOURCE: U.S. Department o Education, Institute o Education Sciences, National Center or Education Statistics, National Assessment o Educational Progress (NAEP), various years, 19942010 U.S. History Assessments.
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Scores increase since 2006 orBlack and Hispanic eighth-graders
At grade 8, increases since 2006 or Black and Hispanic
students contributed to a narrowing o the score gapsbetween those groups and their White peers. Tere wereno signicant changes rom 2006 to 2010 in the averagescores or racial/ethnic groups at grades 4 and 12.
In comparison to 1994, scores were higher in 2010 orthose racial/ethnic groups with samples large enough toreport results at grades 4 and 8. At grade 12, scores orWhite, Hispanic, and Asian/Pacic Islander students werehigher in 2010 than in 1994.
Score or male eighth-gradersincreases since 2006Te average score or male students was higher in 2010
than in 2006 at grade 8, while there was no signicantchange or emale students. In comparison to 1994,average scores were higher in 2010 or male studentsat all three grades and or emale students atgrades 4 and 8.
Characteristic
Grade 4 Grade 8 Grade 12
Since 1994 Since 2006 Since 1994 Since 2006 Since 1994 Since 2006
Overall p t p p p t
Race/ethnicity
White p t p t p t
Black p t p p t t
Hispanic p t p p p t
Asian/Pacic Islander p t p t p t
Alaska NativeAmerican Indian/ t p t t t
Gender
Male p t p p p tFemale p t p t t t
Gaps
White Black Narrowed t Narrowed Narrowed t t
White Hispanic Narrowed t t Narrowed t t
Male Female t t Widened t t t
pIndicates the score was higher in 2010.
tIndicates no signicant change in the score or the gap in 2010. Reporting standards not met. Sample size insufcient to permit a reliable estimate.
U.S. HISTORY 2010U.S. HISTORY 2010
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IntroductionTe 2010 National Assessment o Educational Progress (NAEP) U.S. history assessment
measures how well ourth-, eighth-, and twelth-graders are learning American history, andwhether they can evaluate historical evidence and understand change and continuity over time.
Comparing the results rom the 2010 assessment to results rom previous years shows how
students knowledge and skills in U.S. history at these grade levels have progressed over time.
Te U.S. History Framework
The National Assessment Governing Board oversees thedevelopment o NAEP rameworks that describe the specic
knowledge and skills that should be assessed in each subject.
Frameworks incorporate ideas and input rom subject area
experts, school administrators, policymakers, parents, and
others. The U.S. History Framework for the 2010 National
Assessment of Educational Progress describes the types o
questions that should be included in the assessment and how
they should be designed and scored.
The U.S. history ramework species that the assessment
be organized around three major components: themes of
U.S. history, periods of U.S. history, and ways of knowing and
thinking about U.S. history. To reect developmental dier-
ences o students at each o the three grade levels assessed,
the proportion o the assessment devoted to each o the
historical themes, time periods, and ways o knowing and
thinking about U.S. history varies or each grade assessed.
The amount o assessment time devoted to the historical
themes and periods is presented in each o the grade sections
in this report on pages 14, 28, and 42.
Themes of U.S. history establish the context or the people,
events, ideas, movements, issues, and sources addressed in
each historical period. The ollowing our historical themesmake up the core structure o the U.S. history assessment or
each o the three grades assessed:
Democracy Change and Continuity in American
Democracy: Ideas, Institutions, Events, Key Figures,
and Controversies
This theme ocuses on the development o American
political democracy rom colonial times to the present and
includes basic principles and core civic ideas developed
through the American Revolution, the U.S. Constitution,
the Civil War, and the struggles over slavery and civil
rights.
Culture The Gathering and Interactions o Peoples,
Cultures, and Ideas
This theme ocuses on how dierent racial, ethnic, and
religious groups gathered and interacted in American
society, and the cultural traditions and heritage that devel-
oped as a result o this interaction.
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Technology Economic and Technological Changes and
Their Relationship to Society, Ideas, and the Environment
This theme ocuses on the transormation o the American
economy rom rural rontier to industrial superpower and
its impact on society, ideas, and the environment. It ad-
dresses the inuence o geography; the development o
business and labor; and the impact o science and technol-ogy, a market economy, and urbanization.
World Role The Changing Role o America in the World
This theme ocuses on the movement rom isolation to
worldwide responsibility. It addresses the evolution o
relationships between the United States and other nations,
including American oreign policy and the nations partici-
pation in world and regional wars, as well as the inuence
o geography, economic interests, and democratic ideals in
the role the United States plays in oreign aairs.
Periods of U.S. history establish a basic chronologicalstructure or organizing the experiences o people over time.
The ramework divides U.S. history into the ollowing eight
chronological periods:
Beginningsto1607
Colonization,Settlement,andCommunities(16071763)
TheRevolutionandtheNewNation(17631815)
ExpansionandReform(18011861)
CrisisoftheUnion:CivilWarandReconstruction
(18501877)
TheDevelopmentofModernAmerica(18651920)
ModernAmericaandtheWorldWars(19141945)
ContemporaryAmerica(1945tothepresent)
Ways of knowing and thinking about U.S. historyreer to the
cognitive skills required or historical study. The development
o the U.S. history assessment was guided by two overarching
ways o knowing and thinking about history.
Historical knowledge and perspective include the ollowing:
Knowingandunderstandingpeople,events,concepts,
and historical sources
Sequencingevents
Recognizingmultipleperspectivesandseeinganeraor
movement through the eyes o dierent groups
Historical analysis and interpretation include the ollowing:
Explainingissues
Identifyinghistoricalpatterns
Establishingcause-and-eectrelationships
Findingvaluestatements
Establishingsignicance
Applyinghistoricalknowledge
Weighingevidencetodrawsoundconclusions
Makingdefensiblegeneralizations
Renderinginsightfulaccountsofthepast
More detailed inormation about each o the three major
components o the assessment is provided in the U.S. history
ramework, which can be ound at http://www.nagb.org/
publications/rameworks/historyramework.pd.
Reporting NAEP ResultsTheresultsfromthe2010NAEPU.S.historyassessmentare
based on nationally representative samples o public and
nonpublicschoolstudentsatgrades4,8,and12(table 1).
Unlike NAEP assessments in other subjects such as reading,
mathematics, and science, the administration o the U.S.
history assessment was not designed to report results or
individual states or large urban districts.
Table 1. Number of participating schools and students in NAEP
U.S. history assessment, by grade: 2010
Grade Number of schools Number of students
Grade 4 510 7,000
Grade 8 480 11,800
Grade 12 500 12,400
NOTE: The number o schools is rounded to the nearest ten. The number o students is rounded to the nearest hundre
SOURCE: U.S. Department o Education, Institute o Education Sciences, National Center or Education Statistics, National Assessment o Educational Progress (NAEP), 2010 U.S. History Assessment.
U.S. HISTORY 2010
http://www.nagb.org/publications/frameworks/historyframework.pdfhttp://www.nagb.org/publications/frameworks/historyframework.pdfhttp://www.nagb.org/publications/frameworks/historyframework.pdfhttp://www.nagb.org/publications/frameworks/historyframework.pdf8/6/2019 US Department of Education (DoEd) NAEP History Test Results (2010)
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Scale scores
NAEP U.S. history results are reported as average scores on
a0500scaleoverallandforeachofthefourU.S.history
themes. Because the NAEP scales were derived indepen-
dently or each theme and or each grade, scores cannot be
compared across themes or across grades. NAEP scores
also cannot be compared across subjects.
In addition to reporting an overall U.S. history score or each
grade, scale scores are reported at ve percentiles to show
trendsinresultsforstudentsperformingatlower(10thand
25thpercentiles),middle(50thpercentile),andhigher(75th
and90thpercentiles)levels.
Achievement levels
Based on recommendations rom policymakers, educators,
and members o the general public, the Governing Board sets
specic achievement levels or each subject area and grade.
Achievement levels are perormance standards showingwhat students should know and be able to do. NAEP results
are reported as percentages o students perorming at or
above the Basic and Proficient levels and at theAdvanced level.
As provided by law, the National Center or Education
Statistics(NCES),uponreviewofcongressionallymandated
evaluations o NAEP, has determined that achievement levels
are to be used on a trial basis and should be interpreted with
caution. The NAEP achievement levels have been widely
used by national and state ofcials.
NAEP Achievement Levels
Basicdenotes partial mastery o prerequisite knowledge and
skills that are undamental or proicient work at each grade.
Proficientrepresents solid academic perormance. Students
reaching this level have demonstrated competency overchallenging subject matter.
Advanced represents superior perormance.
Interpreting the Results
Changes in perormance over time
Nationalresultsfromthe2010U.S.historyassessmentare
compared to results rom three earlier assessment years.
Changes in students perormance over time are summarized
bycomparingtheresultsin2010to2006andtotherst
assessment year, except when pointing out consistent pat-
terns across assessments.
NAEP reports results using widely accepted statistical
standards; ndings are reported based on statistical signi-
cancesetat.05withappropriateadjustmentsformultiple
comparisons(seetheTechnicalNotesformoreinformation)
Thesymbol(*)isusedintablesandgurestoindicatethat
an earlier years score or percentage is signicantly dierent
fromthe2010results.Onlythosedierencesthatarefound
to be statistically signicant are discussed as higher or lower.
The same standard applies when comparing the peror-
mance o one student group to another.
A signicant increase or decrease in scores rom one
assessment year to the next is reliable evidence that student
perormance has in act changed. However, NAEP is not
designed to identiy the causes o these changes. Further-
more, the many actors that may inuence average student
achievement scores also change over time. These include
educational policies and practices, available resources, and
the demographic characteristics o the student body.
Accommodations and exclusions in NAEP
It is important to assess all selected students rom the target
population,includingstudentswithdisabilities(SD)and
Englishlanguagelearners(ELL).Toaccomplishthisgoal,
many o the same testing accommodations allowed on state
testing(e.g.,extratestingtimeorindividualratherthangroup
administration)areprovidedforSDandELLstudentspartici-
pating in NAEP. Accommodations were rst made available
fortheU.S.historyassessmentin2001.Noaccommodations
wereprovidedinthe1994U.S.historyassessment.
Because providing accommodations represented a change in
testing conditions that could potentially aect the measure-
ment o changes over time, split national samples o students
wereassessedin2001onesamplepermittedaccommoda-
tions, and the other did not. Although the results or both
samples are presented in the tables and gures, the compari-
sonsto2001inthetextarebasedonjusttheaccommodated
samples.
Even with the availability o accommodations, some students
may still be excluded. See appendix tablesA-1 through A-3
or the percentages o students accommodated and excluded
at the national level. More inormation about NAEPs policy
on the inclusion o special-needs students is available athttp://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/about/inclusion.asp.
Explore Additional Results
Not all o the data rom the NAEP U.S. history assessment arepresented in this report. Additional results can be ound on theNations Report Card website at http://nationsreportcard.gov/
ushistory_2010 and in the NAEP Data Explorer at http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/naepdata/.
http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/about/inclusion.asphttp://nationsreportcard.gov/ushistory_2010http://nationsreportcard.gov/ushistory_2010http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/naepdata/http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/naepdata/http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/naepdata/http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/naepdata/http://nationsreportcard.gov/ushistory_2010http://nationsreportcard.gov/ushistory_2010http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/about/inclusion.asp8/6/2019 US Department of Education (DoEd) NAEP History Test Results (2010)
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GRADE4Lowest-perorming studentsmake greatest gains rom1994 to 2010Te average U.S. history score or the nations ourth-graders did not change
signifcantly since the last assessment in 2006; however, the score in 2010
was higher than in 1994. Te score or students at the 10th percentile
increased 22 points rom 1994 to 2010. Gains rom 1994 to 2010 or Black
and Hispanic students contributed to the narrowing o the gaps between
these groups and their White peers over this 16-year period.
U.S. HISTORY 2010
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RADE
4
No signicant change in studentsperormance since 2006There was no signicant change rom 2006 to 2010 in the
average ourth-grade U.S. history score; however, the score
in 2010 was higher than the score in 1994 (fgure1). The
lowest-perorming students made the greatest gains rom
1994 to 2010 with a 22-point increase or students at the
10th percentile that was larger than the increases at the 25th,
50th, and 75th percentiles over the same period (fgure 2).
Although there was no signicant change rom 2006 to 2010
in the overall average score, there was an increase in the score
or students at the 50th percentile.
Figure 1. Trend in fourth-grade NAEP U.S. history average scores
*Signicantly dierent (p< .05) rom 2010.
Figure2. Trend in fourth-grade NAEP U.S. history percentile scores
*Signicantly dierent (p< .05) rom 2010.
Basic
*Signicantly dierent (p< .05) rom 2010.
SOURCE: U.S. Department o Education, Institute o Education Sciences, National Center or Education Statistics, National Assessment o Educational Progress (NAEP), various years, 19942010 U.S. History Assessments.
Percentages o students at oraboveBasic and Profcient increase
rom 1994Seventy-three percent o students perormed at or above the
Basic level in 2010, and 20 percent perormed at or above the
Profcient level (fgure 3). There were no signicant changes
in the percentages o students at or above Basic and Profcient
since 2006; however, both percentages were higher in 2010
than in 1994. Two percent o students perormed at the
Advanced level in 2010, which was not signicantly diferent
rom the percentages in earlier assessment years.
Figure 3. Trend in fourth-grade NAEP U.S. history achievement-level results
% at Advanced
% at or above Profcient% at or above
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Black and Hispanic students make greater gains rom rstassessment year than White studentsThere were no signicant changes rom
2006 to 2010 in average scores or any o
the ve racial/ethnic groups NAEP reports
on (fgure 4). However, scores in 2010
were higher than in 1994 or White, Black,
Hispanic, and Asian/Pacic Islander
students. The 22-point score gain rom
1994 to 2010 or Black students and the
23-point score gain or Hispanic students
were larger than the 9-point1
1 The score-point gain is based on the diference between theunrounded scores as opposed to the rounded scores shownin the gure.
gain made by
White students over the same period.
In 2010, both White and Asian/Pacic
Islander students scored higher on average
than Black, Hispanic, and American
Indian/Alaska Native students. The aver-
age scores o White and Asian/PacicIslander students were not signicantly
diferent rom each other.
Figure 4. Trend in fourth-grade NAEP U.S. history average scores, by race/ethnicity
Reporting standards not met. Sample size insufcient to permit a reliable estimate.
*Signicantly dierent (p< .05) rom 2010.
NOTE: Black includes Arican American, Hispanic includes Latino, and Pacic Islanderincludes Native Hawaiian. Race categories exclude Hispanic origin.
SOURCE: U.S. Department o Education, Institute o Education Sciences, National Center or Education Statistics, National Assessment o Educational Progress (NAEP), various years, 19942010 U.S. History Assessments.
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4
RADE
A closer look at the achievement-level
results rom 1994 to 2010 shows where
improvements were made or students
perorming at diferent levels. The
percentage o students perorming at
the Profcient level increased rom 1994
to 2010 or White students and did not
change signicantly or other racial/ethnic groups (fgure 5). The percent-
ages o students perorming at the Basic
level increased rom 1994 to 2010 or all
our racial/ethnic groups. There was no
signicant change in the percentage o
students atAdvanced or any o the
racial/ethnic groups.
Figure5. Trend in fourth-grade NAEP U.S. history achievement-level results, by selectedracial/ethnic groups
# Rounds to zero.
*Signicantly dierent (p< .05) rom 2010.1 Accommodations not permitted.
NOTE: Black includes Arican American, Hispanic includes Latino, and Pacic Islander includes Native Hawaiian. Race categories exclude Hispanic
origin. Detail may not sum to totals because o rounding.
Additional Results or
Student Groups
Achievement-level results and percentilescores provide additional insight into the
perormance o student groups. Seeappendix tables A-4 and A-5 or
additional ourth-grade results or thestudent groups highlighted in this section.Similar NAEP results or other student
groups can be ound in the NAEP DataExplorer at http://nces.ed.gov/
nationsreportcard/naepdata/.
No signifcant change since 2006 in the
percentage o students by race/ethnicity
The percentage o White students at grade 4 has decreased
rom 1994 to 2010, while the percentages o Hispanic studentsand Asian/Paciic Islander students have increased (table2).
There have been no signiicant changes in the proportion o
ourth-graders in the ive racial/ethnic groups rom 2006 to
2010.
Table 2. Percentage of students assessed in fourth-grade NAEPU.S. history, by race/ethnicity: Various years, 19942010
Race/ethnicity 19941 2001 2006 2010
White 72* 69* 56 56
Black 17 16 15 15
Hispanic 7* 12* 21 21
Asian/PacifcIslander 3* 3* 5 5
American Indian/Alaska Native 1 1 2 1
* Signicantly dierent (p < .05) rom 2010.1 Accommodations not permitted.
NOTE: Black includes Arican American, Hispanic includes Latino, and Pacic Islander includes Native Hawaiian. Race
categories exclude Hispanic origin. Detail may not sum to totals because results are not shown or students whose
race/ethnicity was unclassied.
SOURCE: U.S. Department o Education, Institute o Education Sciences, National Center or Education Statistics, National Assessment o Educational Progress (NAEP), various years, 19942010 U.S. History Assessments.
http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/naepdata/http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/naepdata/http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/naepdata/http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/naepdata/8/6/2019 US Department of Education (DoEd) NAEP History Test Results (2010)
13/66U.S. HISTORY 2010
SOURCE: U.S. Department o Education, Institute o Education Sciences, National Center or Education Statistics, National Assessment o Educational Progress (NAEP), various years, 19942010 U.S. History Assessments.
Black and Hispanic students narrow long-term gaps with White studentsIn 2010, White students scored 26 points higher on average
than Black students and 26 points higher than Hispanic
students (fgure 6). There were no signicant changes in the
gaps rom 2006 to 2010. However, larger gains rom 1994 to
2010 or Black and Hispanic students than or White stu-
dents contributed to the narrowing o both gaps over the
16-year period.
Figure 6. Trend in fourth-grade NAEP U.S. history average scores and score gaps, by selected racial/ethnic groups
*Signicantly dierent (p< .05) rom 2010.NOTE: Black includes Arican American, and Hispanic includes Latino. Race categories exclude Hispanic origin. Score gaps are calculated based on dierences
between unrounded average scores.
Narrowing the gaps: a closer look at lower-perorming Black andHispanic studentsScore gains rom 1994 to 2010 or Black and Hispanic students were made by lower-perorming students scoring
below the Basic achievement level. Black and Hispanic students at the 25th percentile scored at least 30 points2 higher
in 2010 than in 1994 as compared to a 12-point2
2 The score-point diference is based on the diference between the unrounded scores as opposed to the rounded scores shown in the appendix table.
increase or White students at the 25th percentile over the same
period (see appendix table A-5). Proles o lower-perorming Black and Hispanic students are presented below.
The score or Black students at the 25th percentile
increased rom 147 in 1994 to 176 in 2010. Among
Black students who scored below 176 in 2010,
58%weremaleand42%werefemale;
85%wereeligibleforfree/reduced-priceschool
lunch;
61%attendedschoolsincitylocations;and
31%wereidentiedasstudentswithdisabilities.
The score or Hispanic students at the 25th percentile
increased rom 145 in 1994 to 177 in 2010. Among
Hispanic students who scored below 177 in 2010,
52%weremaleand48%werefemale;
87%wereeligibleforfree/reduced-priceschool
lunch;
49%attendedschoolsincitylocations;and
64%wereidentiedasEnglishlanguagelearners.
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4
RADE
No signicant diference inperormance o male and emalestudentsAs in previous years, there was no signicant diference in
the average U.S. history scores or male and emale students
in 2010 (fgure 7). Average scores or both groups in 2010were not signicantly diferent rom the scores in 2006, but
were higher than the scores in 1994.
Figure7. Trend in fourth-grade NAEP U.S. history average scores,by gender
*Signicantly dierent (p< .05) rom 2010.
Although the overall average scores or male and emale
students did not difer signicantly in 2010, male students
scored 4 points higher than emale students in the democracy
theme and 6 points higher in the world role theme (fgure 8).
There were no signicant diferences in average scores or
male and emale students in either the culture or technology
themes.
Figure 8. Average scores in fourth-grade NAEP U.S. history, by themesof U.S. history and gender: 2010
SOURCE: U.S. Department o Education, Institute o Education Sciences, National Center or Education Statistics, National Assessment o Educational Progress (NAEP), various years, 19942010 U.S. History Assessments.
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Gains or some income levelsNAEP uses students eligibility or the National School Lunch
Program as an indicator o low income. Students rom lower-
income amilies are eligible or either ree or reduced-price
school lunches, while students rom higher-income amilies
are not (see the Technical Notes or eligibility criteria).
Because o the improved quality o the data on students
eligibility in more recent assessment years, results are only
compared back to 2006.
Students who are not eligible score higher on average on
NAEP assessments than those eligible or reduced-price
lunch, who in turn score higher than those eligible or ree
lunch. Average scores were higher in 2010 than in 2006 or
students who were eligible or ree school lunch and or those
who were not eligible (fgure 9). There was no signicant
change in the score or students who were eligible or re-
duced-price lunch.
Figure 9. Average scores in fourth-grade NAEP U.S. history, byeligibility for free or reduced-price school lunch: 2006and 2010
*Signicantly dierent (p< .05) rom 2010.
Forty-six percent o ourth-graders
eligible or the National School Lunch
Program
Forty percent o ourth-graders were eligible or ree lunch,
and 6 percent were eligible or reduced-price lunch in 2010
(table 3). There were no signiicant changes since 2006 in
the percentages o students based on their eligibility or the
school lunch program.
Table 3. Percentage of students assessed in fourth-grade NAEPU.S. history, by eligibility for free or reduced-price schoollunch: 2006 and 2010
Eligibility or school lunch 2006 2010
Eligible or ree lunch 37 40
Eligible or reduced-price lunch 8 6
Not eligible 48 47
Inormation not available 7 7
SOURCE: U.S. Department o Education, Institute o Education Sciences, National Center or Education Statistics, National Assessment o Educational Progress (NAEP), 2006 and 2010 U.S. History Assessments.
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4 THE NATIONS REPORT CARD
Assessment Content at Grade 4Because the assessment covered a range o topics and included more questions than any one student could answer,
each student took just a portion o the assessment. The 95 questions that made up the entire ourth-grade assess-
ment were divided into six sections, each containing a mixture o multiple-choice and constructed-response ques-
tions. Each student responded to questions in two 25-minute sections. The fgures below show the proportions o
the U.S. history assessment devoted to the our historical themes and the eight historical periods at grade 4.
25%Democracy
35%Culture
25%Technology
15%World Role
Beginnings
to 1607
20%
The Revolution
and the
New Nation
(17631815)
15%
Crisis of the Union:
Civil War and
Reconstruction
(18501877)
10%
Modern
America
and the
World Wars
(19141945)
5%
Colonization,
Settlement, and
Communities
(16071763)
15%
Expansion
and Reform
(18011861)
15%
The Development
of Modern
America
(18651920)
5%
Contemporary
America
(1945 to
the present)
15%
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U.S. History Achievement-Level Descriptions for Grade 4NAEP U.S. history achievement-level descriptions outline expectations o student perormance at each grade. The specic
descriptions o what ourth-graders should know and be able to do at the Basic, Profcient, andAdvanced levels in U.S.
history are presented below. NAEP achievement levels are cumulative; thereore, student perormance at the Profcient
level includes the competencies associated with the Basic level, and theAdvanced level includes the skills and knowledge
associated with both the Basic and the Profcient levels. The cut score indicating the lower end o the score range or each
level is noted in parentheses.
Basic (195)
Fourth-grade students perorming at
the Basic level should be able to iden-
tiy and describe a ew o the most
amiliar people, places, events, ideas,
and documents in American history.
They should be able to explain the
reasons or celebrating most national
holidays, have some amiliarity with
the geography o their own state andthe United States, and be able to
express in writing a ew ideas about a
amiliar theme in American history.
Profcient (243)
Fourth-grade students perorming at
the Profcient level should be able to
identiy, describe, and comment on
the signicance o many historical
people, places, ideas, events, and
documents. They should be able to
interpret inormation rom a variety o
sources, including texts, maps, pic-
tures, and timelines. They should beable to construct a simple timeline
rom data. These students should
recognize the role o invention and
technological change in history. They
should also recognize the ways in
which geographic and environmental
actors have inuenced lie and work.
Advanced (276)
Fourth-grade students perorming
at theAdvanced level should have a
beginning understanding o the rela-
tionships between people, places,
ideas, events, and documents. They
should know where to look or inor-
mation, including reerence books,
maps, local museums, interviews with
amily and neighbors, and othersources. They should be able to use
historical themes to organize and
interpret historical topics and to
incorporate insights rom beyond the
classroom into their understanding o
history. These students should under-
stand and be able to explain the role o
invention and technological change in
history. They should also understand
and be able to explain the ways in
which geographic and environmental
actors have inuenced lie and work.
U.S. HISTORY 2010
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SOURCE: U.S. Department o Education, Institute o Education Sciences, National Center or Education Statistics, National Assessment o Educational Progress (NAEP), 2010 U.S. History Assessment.
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What Fourth-Graders Know and Can Do in U.S. HistoryThe item map below is useul or understanding peror-
mance at diferent levels on the NAEP scale. The scale
scores on the let represent the scores or students who
were likely to get the items correct or complete. The cut
score at the low end o the range or each achievement
level is boxed. The descriptions o selected assessment
questions indicating what students need to do to answer
the question correctly are listed on the right, along with the
corresponding theme o U.S. history. For example, the map
on this page shows that ourth-graders perorming at
the Basic level with a score o 237 were likely to be able
to understand a purpose o the Bill o Rights. Students
perorming at the Profcient level with a score o 259 were
likely to be able to use a map to explain the purpose o the
Lewis and Clark expedition. Students perorming at the
Advanced level with a score o 308 were likely to be able
to explain how machines and actories altered the nature
o work or Americans.
GRADE 4 NAEP U.S. HISTORY ITEM MAP
Scale score Theme Question description
Advanced
500
//
417 Culture Give two reasons why people immigrate to the U.S.
317 Culture Explain the historical context o a slave letter
314 Culture Use a picture to describe Sioux lie (shown on page 18)
308 Technology Explain how machines and actories changed work
293 Democracy Identiy a photo o President Lincoln and give two reasons he was important
292 Democracy Enter events on a timeline (shown on page 17)
283 Culture Identiy a role o women during the American Revolution
276
Profcient
273 Technology Understand why cities grew in certain locations
270 World Role Identiy the role o an international organization
268 World Role Identiy the Cold War communist superpower
263 Technology Understand why Europeans sought new trade in the 1400s
259 Democracy Use a map to explain the purpose o the Lewis and Clark expedition
256 Technology Understand that canals increased trade among states (shown on page 19)
249 Culture Interpret a text about the Arican American experience
243
Basic
237 World Role Understand a purpose o the Bill o Rights (shown on page 20)
225 Democracy Identiy the change or Arican Americans ater the Civil War
217 Technology Interpret a map about the colonial economy
204 World Role Understand the purpose o a government poster
195
191 Technology Understand the importance o certain colonial jobs
178
//
0
Culture Identiy a civil rights goal
NOTE: Regular type denotes a constructed-response question. Italictype denotes a multiple-choice question. The position o a question on the scale represents the scale score attained by students who had a 65 percent probability osuccessully answering a constructed-response question, or a 74 percent probability o correctly answering a our-option multiple-choice question. For constructed-response questions, the question description represents studentsperormance rated as completely correct. Scale score ranges or U.S. history achievement levels are reerenced on the map.
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SOURCE: U.S. Department o Education, Institute o Education Sciences, National Center or Education Statistics, National Assessment o Educational Progress (NAEP), 2010 U.S. History Assessment.
U.S. History Teme: Democracy
Write the letter for each event listed below in the correct square on the time line.
A Jamestown is founded.
B The United States Constitution is written.
C Christopher Columbus sails to the Americas.
D Abraham Lincoln announces the Emancipation Proclamation.
This sample constructedresponse question from the 2010
U.S. history assessment measures fourthgraders knowl
edge of the chronological sequence of four major events in
U.S. history. Responses to this question were rated using
four scoring levels.
Complete responses placed all four events in the
correct order as follows:
C A B D
Essential responses placed two or three events in
the correct order.
Partial responses placed one event in the correct order.
Inappropriate responses did not place any event in
the correct order.
Nineteen percent of fourthgraders responses to this
question received a Complete rating.
Percentage of fourth-grade students in each response category: 2010
Complete Essential Partial Inappropriate Omitted
19 27 23 27 4
The table below shows the percentage of fourthgraders
within each achievement level whose responses to this
question were rated as Complete. For example, 15 percent
of fourthgraders at the Basic level provided responses
rated as Complete.
Percentage of fourth-grade students responses rated as Completeat each achievement level: 2010
Overall Below Basic At Basic At Profcient At Advanced
19 4 15 46 Reporting standards not met. The number o students who answered this question and scored at the
Advanced level was insufcient to permit a reliable estimate.
Explore Additional Sample Questions
More questions rom the NAEP U.S. history assessment canbe ound in the Questions Tool at: http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/itmrlsx/landing.aspx..
U.S. HISTORY 2010
http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/itmrlsx/landing.aspxhttp://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/itmrlsx/landing.aspxhttp://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/itmrlsx/landing.aspxhttp://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/itmrlsx/landing.aspx8/6/2019 US Department of Education (DoEd) NAEP History Test Results (2010)
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U.S. History Teme: Culture
Historians use artwork as well as what
people wrote down to learn about the past.
The picture to the right was made in 1849.
It shows members o the Sioux tribe. Using
what you can see in the picture, describe
three ways the Sioux used natural resources
to meet their needs. Be specic.
COMPLETE RESPONSE:
This sample constructed-response question measures
ourth-graders ability to read a historical picture, as well
as their knowledge o how Native Americans o the nine-
teenth century lived of the land. Responses to this ques-
tion were rated using three levels. Spelling and grammar
were not considered in rating the responses.
Complete responses described three things visible in
the picture that show how the Sioux used natural
resources to meet their needs. Credited responses
included reerences to using branches to create stoves,
chopping wood to make res/keep warm, and using
water or cooking.
Partial responses described one or two things visible
in the picture that show how the Sioux used natural
resources to meet their needs.
Inappropriate responses did not describe anything
visible in the picture that shows how the Sioux used
natural resources to meet their needs.
The sample student response shown above was rated
Complete because it described three ways that the Sioux
used natural resources. Students received credit or using
the same natural resource more than once as long as it was
associated with diferent uses. As shown in the table below,
23 percent o ourth-graders responses to this question
received a Complete rating.
Percentage of fourth-grade students in each response category: 2010
Complete Partial Inappropriate Omitted
23 36 33 7
NOTE: Detail may not sum to totals because the percentage o responses rated as Of-task is not shown.
Of-task responses are those that do not provide any inormation related to the assessment task.
The ollowing table shows the percentage o ourth-graders
within each achievement level whose responses to this
question were rated as Complete. For example, among
ourth-graders perorming at the Basic level, 22 percent
provided responses rated as Complete.
Percentage of fourth-grade students responses rated as Completeat each achievement level: 2010
Overall Below Basic At Basic At Profcient At Advanced
23 3 22 49
Reporting standards not met. The number o students who answered this question and scored at the
Advancedlevel was insucient to permit a reliable estimate.
SOURCE: U.S. Department o Education, Institute o Education Sciences, National Center or Education Statistics, National Assessment o Educational Progress (NAEP), 2010 U.S. History Assessment.
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U.S. History Teme: echnology
Atlantic
Ocean
Lake Champlain
ChamplainCanal
Erie CanalLake
Ontario
PennsylvaniaCanal
Susquehanna R.
James andKanawha
Canal
JamesR.
KanawhaR.
LakeE
rie
Miamiand ErieCanal
MiamiR.
Wabashand
ErieCanal
Wabas
hR.
Illinois-
MichiganCanal
Mississip
piRi
ver
Ohi
oR.
PotomacR.
Lake
Mich
igan
LakeHuron
0 200 miles
0 2 00 k il om et er s
Scale
Ohio andErie Canal
Illi
nois
R.
AlbanyBuffalo
ToledoChicago
Cincinnati
Evansville
Ports-mouth
Cleveland
The map shows canals in the United States in the 1800s.
An important result o the building o canals in the
United States was that
A slavery spread to the western states
B people stopped building railroads
C more people traveled to Caliornia to arm
D trade increased among the states
This sample question is rom a set o items that measured
ourth-graders map-reading skills and their understanding
o the impact o canal building during the rst hal o the
nineteenth century. Forty-our percent o students knew
that the building o canals resulted in an increase o trade
among the states.
Percentage of fourth-grade students in each response category: 2010
Choice A Choice B Choice C Choice D Omitted
20 15 18 44 2
NOTE: Detail may not sum to totals because o rounding.
The table below shows the percentage o ourth-graders
within each achievement level who answered this question
correctly. For example, 43 percent o students at the Basic
level selected the correct answer choice.
Percentage of fourth-grade students responding correctly at eachachievement level: 2010
Overall Below Basic At Basic At Profcient At Advanced
44 26 43 69
Reporting standards not met. The number o students who answered this question and scored at the
Advancedlevel was insucient to permit a reliable estimate.
SOURCE: U.S. Department o Education, Institute o Education Sciences, National Center or Education Statistics, National Assessment o Educational Progress (NAEP), 2010 U.S. History Assessment.
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0 THE NATIONS REPORT CARD
U.S. History Teme: World Role
Aung San Suu Kyi lives in a country called
Myanmar (Burma). She has spent many years
trying to change her countrys government. Shespoke the words below in 1996.
Those ortunate enough to live in societies
where they are entitled to ull political rights
can reach out to help the less ortunate in other
parts o our troubled planet. Young women and
young men . . . might wish to cast their eyes
beyond their own rontiers. . . . Please use your
liberty to promote [help] ours.
What document helps to give Americans what
Aung San Suu Kyi wants her people to have?
A The Mayfower Compact
B The Gettysburg Address
C The Star-Spangled Banner
D The Bill o Rights
This sample question is part o a set o questions about
individual rights that Americans have historically enjoyed,
but that some people elsewhere in the world have not.
Fity-six percent o students knew that the Bill o Rights
gives Americans the rights that Aung San Suu Kyi wants
or her people.
Percentage of fourth-grade students in each response category: 2010
Choice A Choice B Choice C Choice D Omitted
13 9 19 56 3
The table below shows the percentage o ourth-graders
within each achievement level who answered this question
correctly. For example, 59 percent o students at the Basic
level selected the correct answer choice.
Percentage of fourth-grade students responding correctly at eachachievement level: 2010
Overall Below Basic At Basic At Profcient At Advanced
56 35 59 77
Reporting standards not met. The number o students who answered this question and scored at theAdvancedlevel was insucient to permit a reliable estimate.
SOURCE: U.S. Department o Education, Institute o Education Sciences, National Center or Education Statistics, National Assessment o Educational Progress (NAEP), 2010 U.S. History Assessment.
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GRADE8Eighth-graders post highestaverage score to dateTe average U.S. history score for the nations eighth-graders was higher
in 2010 than in previous assessment years. Gains from 2006 to 2010 for
Black and Hispanic students contributed to the narrowing of the score gaps
between these groups and their White peers. Increases were also seen since
2006 for students from both lower- and higher-income families.
U.S. HISTORY 2010
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% at Advanced
% at or above Profcient
% at or above
2 THE NATIONS REPORT CARD
Eighth-graders performanceimproves since 2006
The average score on the 2010 NAEP U.S. history assessment
at grade 8 was higher than the scores in the three earlier
assessment years (fgure 10). Eighth-graders scored 3 points
higher in 2010 than in 2006 and 6 points
3
higher than in 1994
3 The score-point diference is based on the diference between the unrounded scoresas opposed to the rounded scores shown in the gure.
Scores at the 10th, 25th, and 50th percentiles were higher in
2010 than in 2006 while there were no signicant changes at
the 75th and 90th percentiles over the same period (fgure 11
In comparison to 1994, scores were higher in 2010 at all ve
percentiles.
Figure 10. Trend in eighth-grade NAEP U.S. history average scores
*Signicantly diferent (p< .05) rom 2010.
Figure 11. Trend in eighth-grade NAEP U.S. history percentile scores
*Signicantly diferent (p< .05) rom 2010.
Percentage of students at or above
Basic increasesSixty-nine percent o students perormed at or above the
Basic level in 2010, and 17 percent perormed at or above the
Profcient level (fgure 12). The percentage o students at or
above Basic was higher in 2010 than in earlier assessment
years. There was no signicant change in the percentage o
students at or above Profcient rom 2006 to 2010; however,
the percentage in 2010 was higher than in 1994. One percent
o students perormed at the Advanced level in 2010, which
was not signicantly diferent rom the percentages in 1994
or 2006.
Basic
Figure 12. Trend in eighth-grade NAEP U.S. history achievement-levelresults
*Signicantly diferent (p< .05) rom 2010.
SOURCE: U.S. Department o Education, Institute o Education Sciences, National Center or Education Statistics, National Assessment o Educational Pr ogress (NAEP), various years, 19942010 U.S. History A ssessments.
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Scores increase since2006 for Black andHispanic students
Average scores or Black and Hispanic
students increased rom 2006 to 2010
while there were no signicant changesin average scores or other racial/ethnic
groups over the same period (fgure 13).
Although not shown here, Black students
made gains since 2006 at the 10th, 25th,
75th, and 90th percentiles, and Hispanic
students made gains at the 25th percen-
tile (see appendix tableA-7). Scores
were higher in 2010 than in 1994 or all
ve racial/ethnic groups as were the
percentages o students at or above the
Basic level (see appendix tableA-6).
In 2010, the average scores or White
and Asian/Pacic Islander students
were not signicantly diferent rom each
other, and both were higher than the
scores or Black and Hispanic students.
There were no signicant diferences
in the average scores or American
Indian/Alaska Native students and other
racial/ethnic groups (see the section on
Interpreting Statistical Signicance in the
Technical Notes).
Figure 13. Trend in eighth-grade NAEP U.S. history average scores, by race/ethnicity
*Signicantly diferent (p< .05) rom 2010.NOTE: Black includes Arican American, Hispanic includes Latino, and Pacic Islander
includes Native Hawaiian. Race categories exclude Hispanic origin.
No signifcant change since 2006
in the percentage o students by
race/ethnicity
There have been no signiicant changes in the proportiono eighth-graders in the ive racial/ethnic groups rom 2006
to 2010 (table 4). In comparison to the irst assessmentyear in 1994, the percentage o White students at grade 8
has decreased while the percentage o H ispanic studentshas increased.
Table 4. Percentage of students assessed in eighth-grade NAEPU.S. history, by race/ethnicity: Various years, 19942010
Race/ethnicity 19941 2001 2006 2010
White 72* 70* 58 58
Black 16 15 16 15
Hispanic 8* 11* 19 20
Asian/PacifcIslander 3 4 4 4
American Indian/Alaska Native 1 1 2 1
* Signicantly diferent (p < .05) rom 2010.1Accommodations not permitted.NOTE: Black includes Arican American, Hispanic includes Latino, and Pacic Islander includes Native Hawaiian.
Race categories exclude Hispanic origin. Detail may not sum to totals because results are not shown or
students whose race/ethnicity was unclassied.
SOURCE: U.S. Department o Education, Institute o Education Sciences, Na tional Center or Education Statistics, National Assessment o Educational Progress (NAEP), various years, 19942010 U.S. History Assessments.
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8
Racial/ethnic gaps narrow since 2006
The 23-point score gap between White and Black students in
2010 was smaller than the gaps in 2006 and 1994 (fgure 14).
The 21-point gap between White and Hispanic students in
2010 was smaller than in 2006, but was not signicantly
diferent rom the gap in 1994.
Figure 14. Trend in eighth-grade NAEP U.S. history average scores and score gaps, by selected racial/ethnic groups
*Signicantly diferent (p< .05) rom 2010.NOTE: Black includes Arican American, and Hispanic includes Latino. Race categories exclude Hispanic origin. Score gaps are calculated based on
diferences between unrounded average scores.
Male students score higher thanfemale students in 2010
Male students scored 4 points higher on average than
emale students in 2010 (fgure 15). Although not shown
here, average scores were higher or male students than
emale students in the democracy, technology, and world
role themes. However, there was no signicant diference
in average scores or male and emale students in the
culture theme.
The overall score gap between the two groups in 2010
was not signicantly diferent rom the score gap in 2006;
however, it was larger than in 1994 when both groups
had an average score o 259 (note that the score-point
diferences between male and emale students were not
statistically signicant in 1994 and 2001). The averagescore or male students increased rom 2006 to 2010, while
there was no signicant change or emale students. Scores
or both groups were higher in 2010 than in 1994.
Figure 15. Trend in eighth-grade NAEP U.S. history average scoresand score gaps, by gender
# Rounds to zero.*Signicantly diferent (p< .05) rom 2010.NOTE: Score gaps are calculated based on diferences
between unrounded average scores. The score
diferences between male and emale students
were not ound to be statistically signicant in 1994
and 2001.
SOURCE: U.S. Department o Education, Institute o Education Sciences, National Center or Education Statistics, National Assessment o Educational Pr ogress (NAEP), various years, 19942010 U.S. History A ssessments.
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SOURCE: U.S. Department o Education, Institute o Education Sciences, National Center or Education Statistics, National Assessment o Educational Pr ogress (NAEP), various years, 19942010 U.S. History A ssessments.
A closer look at the achievement-level results by gender
shows where improvements were made or students
perorming at diferent levels. The percentage o students
perorming at the Profcient level increased rom 1994 to
2010 or male students but did not change signicantly or
emale students (fgure 16). The percentages o male and
emale students perorming at the Basic level were higher
in 2010 than in 2006 and 1994. There were no signicantchanges in the percentages o male and emale students
perorming at theAdvanced level.
Scores increase across income levels
Average U.S. history scores were higher in 2010 than in
2006 or students who were eligible or ree lunch, eligible
or reduced-price lunch, and not eligible or either (fgure 17).
Although not shown here, students eligible or ree lunch
had gains in scores at the 10th, 25th, 50th, 75th, and 90th
percentiles; students eligible or reduced-price lunch hadgains at the 75th and 90th percentiles; and students who
were not eligible had gains at the 10th and 25th percentiles
(see appendix table A-7).
In 2010, eighth-graders who were not eligible scored
14 points4 higher on average than those eligible or reduced-
price lunch, who in turn scored 11 points higher than those
eligible or ree lunch.
4 The score-point diference is based on the diference between the unroundedscores as opposed to the rounded scores shown in the gure.
Figure 16. Trend in eighth-grade NAEP U.S. history achievement-levelresults, by gender
*Signicantly diferent (p< .05) rom 2010.1 Accommodations not permitted.
Figure 17. Average scores in eighth-grade NAEP U.S. history, by eligibilityfor free or reduced-price school lunch: 2006 and 2010
*Signicantly diferent (p< .05) rom 2010.
No signifcant change in percentage o
students eligible or the National School
Lunch ProgramThirty-six percent o eighth-graders were eligible or reeschool lunch in 2010, and 7 percent were eligible or reduced-
price lunch (table 5). There were no signiicant changes since2006 in the percentages o students based on their eligibilityor the school lunch program.
Table 5. Percentage of students assessed in eighth-gradeNAEP U.S. history, by eligibility for free or reduced-price school lunch: 2006 and 2010
Eligibility or school lunch 2006 2010Eligible or ree lunch 32 36
Eligible or reduced-price lunch 7 7
Not eligible 55 52
Inormation not available 6 5
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SOURCE: U.S. Department o Education, Institute o Education Sciences, National Center or Education Statistics, National Assessment o Educational Pr ogress (NAEP), various years, 19942010 U.S. History A ssessments.
Higher levels of parental educationassociated with higher scores
Eighth-graders were asked to report the highest level
o education completed by each parent. Five response
optionsdid not nish high school, graduated rom high
school, some education ater high school, graduated romcollege, and I dont knowwere ofered. Results are
reported or the highest level o education or either parent.
Students who reported higher levels o parental education
scored higher on average in 2010 than those who reported
lower levels (fgure 18). For example, students whose
parents graduated rom college had higher scores than
those whose parents had some education ater high
school, who in turn scored higher than those whose
parents highest level o education was high school.
The average score or students whose parents did not
nish high school was higher in 2010 than in 2006, while
there were no signicant changes in the average scores
or students reporting higher levels o parental education
over the same period. Scores were higher in 2010 than
in 1994 or students indicating each o the our levels o
parental education.
Figure 18. Trend in eighth-grade NAEP U.S. history average scores,by highest level of parental education
*Signicantly diferent (p< .05) rom 2010.
Additional Results or Student Groups
Achievement-level results and percentile scores provideadditional insight into the perormance o student groups.
See appendix tables A-6 and A-7 or additional eighth-grade results or the student groups highlighted in this
section. Similar NAEP results or other student groups canbe ound in the NAEP Data Explorer at http://nces.ed.gov/
nationsreportcard/naepdata/.
Almost one-hal o eighth-graders reportparents completed college
In 2010, orty-eight percent o eighth-graders reported at least
one parent graduated rom college (table 6). There were no
signiicant changes rom 2006 to 2010 in the percentages o
students who reported diferent levels o parental education;however, there was an increase rom 1994 to 2010 in thepercentage o students whose parents graduated rom college,
and a corresponding decrease in the percentage whose parentshighest level o education was high school.
Table 6. Percentage of students assessed in eighth-gradeNAEP U.S. history, by highest level of parentaleducation: Various years, 19942010
Parental education level 19941 2001 2006 2010
Did not fnish high school 7 8 8 8
Graduated rom high school 23* 19 19 17
Some education ater high school 19 18 18 17
Graduated rom college 42* 46 46 48
Dont know 9 10 10 10
* Signicantly diferent (p< .05) rom 2010.1 Accommodations not permitted.
NOTE: Detail may not sum to totals because o rounding.
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http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/naepdata/http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/naepdata/http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/naepdata/http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/naepdata/8/6/2019 US Department of Education (DoEd) NAEP History Test Results (2010)
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Majority of eighth-graders report taking U.S. history
As part o the eighth-grade student questionnaire, students
were asked whether or not they were currently taking a
U.S. history course. Students who responded yes scored
higher on average in 2010 than those who indicated no
(fgure 19). Eighty-our percent o students reported taking
U.S. history in eighth grade in 2010.
Eighth-graders were also asked how much since the beginning
o middle school or junior high school they had studied the
our periods o U.S. history: beore 1815, between 1815 and
1865, between 1865 and 1945, and rom 1945 to the present.
Students selected rom one o three responses: not at all,
some, or a lot. The data or the two categories indicating
some or a lot o study were combined so that results
could be reported or those students who reported at least
some study and those who reported none at all. In 2010,
more than one-hal o eighth-graders reported at least some
study o each o the our periods (table 7). There were nosignicant changes rom 2006 to 2010 in the percentages o
students who reported at least some study o each o the our
periods o U.S. history. The largest percentage o students
reported studying the period beore 1815, and the smallest
percentage reported studying the period rom 1945 to the
present.
Figure 19. Percentage of students and average scores in eighth-gradeNAEP U.S. history, by students responses to a questionabout whether or not they were currently taking a coursein U.S. history: 2010
Table 7. Percentage of students assessed in eighth-grade NAEP U.S.history, by the extent to which they studied various periods ofU.S. history since middle or junior high school: 2006 and 2010
Period o U.S. historyNot at all At least some
2006 2010 2006 2010
Beore 1815 10 11 90 89
1815 to 1865 17 18 83 82
1865 to 1945 26 27 74 73
1945 to present 38 37 62 63
Explore Additional Results
Results or other background questions rom the eighth-gradestudent, teacher, and school questionnaires are available in theNAEP Data Explorer at http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/
naepdata/.
SOURCE: U.S. Department o Education, Institute o Education Sciences, National Center or Education Statistics, National Assessment o Educational Pr ogress (NAEP), 2006 and 2010 U.S. History Asses sments.
http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/naepdata/http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/naepdata/http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/naepdata/http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/naepdata/8/6/2019 US Department of Education (DoEd) NAEP History Test Results (2010)
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Assessment Content at Grade 8The 166 questions that made up the entire eighth-grade assessment were divided into 10 sections, each containing
a mixture o multiple-choice and constructed-response questions. Each student responded to questions in two
25-minute sections. The gures below show the proportions o the U.S. history assessment devoted to the our
historical themes and the eight historical periods at grade 8.
20%Technology
20%World Role 30%
Democracy
30%Culture
8 THE NATIONS REPORT CARD
Beginnings
to 1607
5%
The Revolution
and the
New Nation
(17631815)
20%
Crisis of the Union:
Civil War and
Reconstruction
(18501877)
20%
Modern
America
and the
World Wars
(19141945)
10%
Colonization,
Settlement, and
Communities
(16071763)
10%
Expansion
and Reform
(18011861)
15%
The Development
of Modern America
(18651920)
10%
Contemporary
America
(1945 to
the present)
10%
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U.S. History Achievement-Level Descriptions for Grade 8NAEP U.S. history achievement-level descriptions outline certain expectations o student perormance. The specic descriptions
o what eighth-graders should know and be able to do at the Basic, Profcient, andAdvanced levels in U.S. history are presented
below. NAEP achievement levels are cumulative; thereore, student perormance at the Profcient level includes the competencies
associated with the Basic level, and theAdvanced level includes the skills and knowledge associated with both the Basic and the
Profcient levels. The cut score indicating the lower end o the score range or each level is noted in parentheses.
Basic (252)
Eighth-grade students perorming at
the Basic level should be able to identiy
and place in context a range o historical
people, places, events, ideas, and
documents. They should be able to
distinguish between primary and sec-
ondary sources. They should have a
beginning understanding o the diversity
o the American people and the ways
in which people rom a wide varietyo national and cultural heritages have
become part o a single nation. Eighth-
grade students at the Basic level should
also have a beginning understanding
o the undamental political ideas and
institutions o American lie and their
historical origins. They should be able
to explain the signicance o some
major historical events.
Profcient (294)
Eighth-grade students perorming at the
Profcient level should be able to explain
the signicance o people, places,
events, ideas, and documents, and to
recognize the connection between
people and events within historical
contexts. They should understand and
be able to explain the opportunities,
perspectives, and challenges associated
with a diverse cultural population. Theyshould incorporate geographic, techno-
logical, and other considerations in their
understanding o events and should
have knowledge o signicant political
ideas and institutions. They should be
able to communicate ideas about
historical themes while citing evidence
rom primary and secondary sources
to support their conclusions.
Advanced (327)
Eighth-grade students perorming at th
Advanced level should recognize signi-
cant themes and movements in history
and begin to understand particular
events in light o these themes and
movements. They should have an
awareness o continuity and change
over time and be able to draw relevant
analogies between past events and
present-day situations. They should beable to rame questions about historical
topics and use multiple sources to
develop historical generalizations and
interpretations. They should be able
to explain the importance o historical
themes, including some awareness
o their political, social, and economic
dimensions.
8/6/2019 US Department of Education (DoEd) NAEP History Test Results (2010)
32/660 THE NATIONS REPORT CARD
What Eighth-Graders Know and Can Do in U.S. HistoryThe item map below illustrates the range o U.S. history
knowledge and skills demonstrated by eighth-graders. The
scale scores on the let represent the scores or students
who were likely to get the items correct or complete. The
cut score at the low end o the range or each achievement
level is boxed. The descriptions o selected assessmentquestions indicating what students need to do to answer the
question correctly, along with the corresponding themes o
U.S. history, are listed on the right. For example, the map on
this page shows that eighth-graders perorming at the Basic
level with a score o 274 were likely to be able to use a map
to help identiy a cause o war. Students at the Profcient
level with a score o 307 were likely to be able to identiy an
advantage held by American orces during the Revolution.
Students perorming at theAdvanced level with a score o342 were likely to be able to identiy and explain civil rights
issues.
GRADE 8 NAEP U.S. HISTORY ITEM MAP
Scale score Theme Question description
Advanced
500
//
411 Culture Interpret a graph and explain immigration patterns
350 Democracy Identiy and explain the purpose o President Nixons resignation
343 Culture Explain two diferences between plantations and small arms in antebellum South (shown on pages 32 and 33)
342 Democracy Identiy and explain civil rights issues
336 Technology Interpret data and explain an impact o arm technology
332 Technology Identiy a goal o the labor movement circa 1900
327
Profcient
322 Technology Explain changes in colonial slave practices
310 Culture Identiy a domestic impact o war
307 World Role Identiy an advantage held by American orces during the American Revolution (shown on page 35)
302 Technology Identiy products shipped along the triangular trade route
301 Democracy Understand what right is protected by the First Amendment
299 World Role Explain a post-war oreign policy goal
294
Basic
292 Technology Understand why the apprenticeship system declined in 1800s
285 Democracy Identiy the purpose o Three-Fiths Compromise (shown on page 31)
281 Culture Identiy a result o Native American-European interaction
274 World Role Use a map and identiy a cause o war
265 Technology Understand an impact o the invention o barbed wire (shown on page 34)
252
251 Technology Interpret a simple political cartoon
250 World Role Understand the purpose o a wartime poster
219
//
0
Culture Understand the purpose o Progressive Era photos
NOTE: Regular type denotes a constructed-response question. Italictype denotes a multiple-choice question. The position o a question on the scale represents the scale score attained by students who had a 65 percent probability osuccessully answering a constructed-response question, or a 74 percent probability o correctly answering a our-option multiple-choice question. For constructed-response questions, the question description represents studentsperormance rated as completely correct. Scale score ranges or U.S. history achievement levels are reerenced on the map.
SOURCE: U.S. Department o Education, Institute o Education Sciences, National Center or Education Statistics, National Assessment o Educational Progress (NAEP), 2010 U.S. History Assessment.
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U.S. History Teme: Democracy
At the 1787 Constitutional
Convention, northern and southern
delegates debated whether or not slaves
would be counted as part o the states
population. Disagreement over this
question led to bitter tensions among
delegates.
To resolve the question reerred to in the
passage, delegates agreed to
A include all male slaves in population
totals
B include no slaves in population totals
C count each slave as three-fths o a
person in population totals
D count slaves in the southern states but
not in the northern states
This sample question rom the eighth-grade U.S. history
assessment is rom a set o items about the Three-Fiths
Compromise. Fity-nine percent o eighth-graders were able
to identiy that the Three-Fiths Compromise resolved the
issue at the Constitutional Convention o how to account or
slaves when determining state populations.
Percentage of eighth-grade students in each response category: 2010
Choice A Choice B Choice C Choice D Omitted
15 16 59 9 #
# Rounds to zero.NOTE: Detail may not sum to totals because o rounding.
The table below shows the percentage o eighth-graders
within each achievement level who answered this question
correctly. For example, 65 percent o students perorming at
the Basic level selected the correct answer choice.
Percentage of eighth-grade students responding correctly at each
achievement level: 2010
Overall Below Basic At Basic At Profcient At Advanced
59 34 65 85
Reporting standards not met. The number o students who answered this question and scored at the Advanced levelwas insucient to permit a reliable estimate.
SOURCE: U.S. Department o Education, Institute o Education Sciences, National Center or Education Statistics, National Assessment o Educational Progress (NAEP), 2010 U.S. History Assessment.
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8
THE NATIONS REPORT CARD
U.S. History Teme: Culture
Courtesy o Library o Congress, #LC-USZ62-76385
The picture above shows arming on a Georgia cotton plantation beore the Civil War. Using your
knowledge o history and evidence rom the picture, explain two important dierences between arming
on large plantations and arming on small arms in the South beore the Civil War.
COMPLETE RESPONSE:
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SOURCE: U.S. Department o Education, Institute o Education Sciences, National Center or Education Statistics, National Assessment o Educational Progress (NAEP), 2010 U.S. History Assessment.
This sample constructed-response question (shown on the
previous page) measures eighth-graders understanding o
diferences between plantation and non-plantation agricul-
ture in the antebellum South. Students could use the picture
or clues or draw completely on their outside knowledge.
Responses to this question were rated using three scoring
levels. Spelling and grammar were not considered in rating
students responses.
Complete responses provided two diferences (or two
accurate acts related to diferences) between arming
on cotton plantations and small arms. Responses rated
Complete did not need to make a direct comparison.
Credit was given or responses such as those indicating
(1) cotton plantations grew a product or sale or export
that yielded prots, while small armers oten engaged in
subsistence arming; (2) plantations had large numbers o
slaves, while small armers provided their own labor or
had only a small number o slaves; or (3) large cotton
plantations had overseers to manage slaves, while smallarmers worked directly with slaves.
Partial responses provided one diference, or one accu-
rate act related to a diference, between arming on
cotton plantations and small arms, but did not need to
make a direct comparison.
Inappropriate responses did not provide a diference, or
accurate act related to a diference, between arming on
cotton plantations and small arms.
The student response shown on the previous page was rated
Complete because it provided two accurate examples o
how plantations difered rom small arms: plantations
greater reliance on slave labor and their superior nancial
resources. Six percent o eighth-graders responses to this
question received a Complete rating.
Percentage of eighth-grade students in each response category: 2010Complete Partial Inappropriate Omitted
6 32 55 6
NOTE: Detail may not sum to totals because the percentage o responses rated as Of-task is not shown. Of-taskresponses are those that do not provide any inormation related to the assessment task.
The ollowing table shows the percentage o eighth-graders
within each achievement level whose responses to this
question were rated Complete. For example, among stu-
dents perorming at the Basic level, 5 percent provided re-
sponses rated as Complete.
Percentage of eighth-grade students responses rated as Complete
at each achievement level: 2010Overall Below Basic At Basic At Profcient At Advanced
6 1 5 18
Reporting standards not met. The number o students who answered this question and scored at the Advanced levelwas insucient to permit a reliable estimate.
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8
U.S. History Teme: echnology
THE NATIONS REPORT CARD
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The invention shown in the advertisement
contributed to the
A end o the era o the open-range cattle
industry
B end o the expansion o railroads
C Northern victory in the Civil War
D
growth o the West Coast populationand Caliornia statehood
This sample question is rom a set o items reerring to an
advertisement on the introduction o the barbed wire ence,
a seemingly innocuous event with proound consequences.
Seventy-one percent o eighth-graders were able to under-
stand the advertisement and identiy that the invention o
barbed wire contributed to the end o the open-range cattle
arming on the Western Plains.
Percentage of eighth-grade students in each response category: 2010
Choice A Choice B Choice C Choice D Omitted
71 5 7 17 1
NOTE: Detail may not sum to totals because o rounding.
The table below shows the percentage o eighth-graders
within each achievement level who answered this question
correctly. For example, 79 percent o students at the Basic
level selected the correct answer choice.
Percentage of eighth-grade students responding correctly at eachachievement level: 2010
Overall Below Basic At Basic At Profcient At Advanced
71 44 79 91
Reporting standards not met. The number o students who answered this question and scored at the Advancedlevelwas insucient to permit a reliable estimate.
SOURCE: U.S. Department o Education, Institute o Education Sciences, National Center or Education Statistics, National Assessment o Educational Progress (NAEP), 2010 U.S. History Assessment.
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U.S. History Teme: World Role
Identify one important advantage that the American forces had over the
British forces in the American Revolution.
COMPLETE RESPONSE:
SOURCE: U.S. Department o Education, Institute o Education Sciences, National Center or Education Statistics, National Assessment o Educational Progress (NAEP), 2010 U.S. History Assessment.
This sample constructed-response question measures
eighth-graders understanding o some o the actors
that enabled the American colonies to deeat the more
experienced British military in the American Revolution.
Responses to this question were rated using three scoring
levels. Spelling and grammar were not considered in rating
responses to the question.
Complete responses identied one important advan-
tage the American colonial orces had. Credit was given
to responses that identied some o the ollowing
advantages: colonists did not have to transport supplies
across the ocean; they ought on amiliar territory/
terrain; they ought to protect their homes, land, and
reedom; Americans had more at stake than British
soldiers, many o whom were orced to serve.
Partial responses identied an advantage, but not an
important one, or the response identied an advantage
that was vague or contained important inaccuracies.
Inappropriate responses did not identiy any important
advantages the American colonial orces had.
The sample response shown above was rated Complete.
Though only required to provide one adv