New Results Show Eighth-Graders' Knowledge of U.S. History, Geography, and Civics

Nationally, eighth graders' average scores on the NAEP U.S. history, geography, and civics assessments showed no significant change in 2014, compared to 2010—the last assessment year. However, several student groups have made gains. In 2014, eighteen percent of eighth-graders performed at or above the Proficient level in U.S. history, 27 percent performed at or above the Proficient level in geography, and 23 percent performed at or above the Proficient level in civics. Students performing at or above the Proficient level on NAEP assessments demonstrate solid academic performance and competency over challenging subject matter.

This interactive report presents average score and achievement level results of the nation's eighth-grade students by gender, race/ethnicity, parental education levels, and other student groups. The report also describes classroom practices and students' attitudes regarding these subjects, and features sample questions and student performance on those questions. Below is an overview of the results and the assessment content for the 2014 U.S. history, geography, and civics assessments. 

• Report Highlights
• Results at a Glance
• About the Assessments

See

     What the NAEP Civics Assessment Measures and How Students Perform

 

For a fascinating discussionof the Civics test.