Report Highlights



Results at a Glance

NAEP data provides a wealth of information about how the nation’s students are performing in various subjects and how that performance has changed over time. The overviews below present some of that data for U.S. history, geography, and civics.

About the Assessments

More than 29,000 eighth-graders across the country participated in the 2014 NAEP assessments in U.S. history, geography, and civics. Each student responded to multiple-choice and constructed-response (open-ended) questions in one of the three subjects.

U.S. HISTORY

U.S. history questions measured students’ knowledge of American history in the context of four major themes: Democracy, Culture, Technology, and World Role.
Target percentage distribution of assessment time in eighth-grade NAEP U.S. history, by theme: 2014
DemocracyCultureTechnologyWorld Role
30%30%20%20%

GEOGRAPHY

Geography questions measured the knowledge of geography in three content areas: Space and Place, Environment and Society, Spatial Dynamics and Connections.
Target percentage distribution of assessment time in eighth-grade NAEP geography, by content area: 2014
Space and PlaceEnvironment and SocietySpatial Dynamics and Connections
40%30%30%

CIVICS

Civics questions measured students’ knowledge and skills related to five essential content areas about government and society. Separate scales were not created for the knowledge components of the civics assessment.
Target percentage distribution of assessment time in eighth-grade NAEP civics, by content area: 2014
Define Civic Life, Politics, GovernmentFoundations of American Political SystemGovernment Embodiment of American DemocracyU.S. Relationship to Other NationsRoles of Citizens
15%25%25%15%20%
News Release 
Available Now:
Results from the 2014 U.S. History, Geography, and Civics Report

Vocabulary Results from the 2013 Reading Assessment
See More NAEP Results 

Teaching and Learning 
Explore information on the instructional factors related to student education in the following subject areas: