2010 Geography Specification

The mission of Geography education is to foster the development of citizens who can apply the knowledge and skills of geography in real-life situations. The 1994 NAEP assessment in Geography will examine students' ability to use a spatial perspective to understand the arrangement and interaction of people and places over Earth's surface.

The assessment will test students' knowledge of geography using a variety of stimulus materials, including text, graphics, data, maps, charts, photographs, and manipulable materials. Different response modes will be combined with all of the above stimuli in developing items. The response modes are single correct option multiple choice items; written open-ended exercises, both short answer and extended response; production exercises, such as adding information to printed maps, designing and drawing different types of maps, and charting or graphing data; and a combination of a written response and a production item. The following pages present detailed specifications for the overall assessment and for the exercises (items).

Download a PDF of the specifications
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