• Journal of the Korean association of regional geographers
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• v.11 no.5
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• pp.474-487
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• 2005

This paper aims to provide empirical evidence required to describe the level of achievement by analyzing students' item response in NAEP implemented in the United States in 2001. The geography assessment in the NAEP is aimed to test students of 4th, 8th, and 12th grades, and consists of content dimension and cognitive dimension, The former includes 'space and place' 'environment and society' and 'spatial dynamics and connections,' and the latter includes 'knowing' 'understanding' and 'applying,' The level of achievement is defined as three levels for each grade: Basic, Proficient, and Advanced. In this paper, descriptions of achievement is derived inductively from an analysis of student's responses to the items which were selected by using item-mapping method. As a result, there is a great difference between the level of achievement derived empirically from students' response and the level of achievement designed principally suggested by the expert committee. The former could have a contribution to the improvement in geography curriculum.