Assessment and Geography Education

Assessments in education have been characterized by the proverb “can’t live with them, can’t live without them.” However, assessments are integral to education as is pedagogy. Without a standard measurement of learning, there is no way to know the effectiveness of instruction. An effective measurement of student knowledge and skills is essential in the educative process to demonstrate learning. In the United States, the role of assessment in geography has gained in importance with the inception of the Advanced Placement Human Geography program and state-level high stakes testing. At the same time, the elimination of the National Assessment of Educational Progress Geography exam has affected geography education. This chapter examines the history, functions, and diversity of assessments in geography and points toward future directions.