This report will describe trends in levels of history knowledge for eleventh graders between 1986 and 1988 about the people, events and documents of various times, as well as students' understanding of the economic, social, cultural and political context that represent the canvas of our country's history and that influence our lives today. In addition, the report will contain cross-sectional information about the proficiency levels of fourth-, eighth-, and twelfth-grade students regarding both their knowledge and understanding of chronology and of historical events and how these compare for a variety of subpopulations. It will also contain information about the relationships between proficiency levels and various instructional approaches used by teachers, types of course work, topics of study, and demographic factors. The intended audiences are the general public, teachers, and particularly those persons involved in reforms of history curriculum.
