Commonwealth of Virginia

Standards of Learning Assessment Program

Blueprint for the World History from 1000 a.d. to the Present/

World Geography Test

©1997 by the Commonwealth of Virginia Department of Education, James Monroe Building,

101 N. 14th Street, Richmond, Virginia, 23219. All rights reserved. Except as permitted by law, this material may not be reproduced or used in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying or recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system, without written permission from the copyright owner. Please contact the Commonwealth of Virginia Department of Education at (804) 225-2102, Division of Assessment and Reporting, to request written permission.

Standards of Learning (SOL) Test Blueprint

Introduction

What is a test blueprint?

A test blueprint is a guide for test construction and use. The Standards of Learning (SOL) test blueprints serve a number of purposes. One, they serve as a guide to test developers as they write test questions and construct the SOL tests. Two, they serve as a guide to educators, parents and students in that they show (a) the SOLs covered by the test and which, if any, have been excluded; (b) which SOLs are assigned to each reporting category; (c) the number of test items in each reporting category and on the total test; (d) general information about how the test questions were constructed; and (e) the materials that students are allowed to use while taking the test.

How is the test blueprint organized?

There is a blueprint for each test (e.g., grade 3 English, grade 5 mathematics, grade 8 science, U.S. History). Each blueprint contains the following information:

1. Test Development Guidelines: guidelines used by Harcourt Brace Educational Measurement and the members of the Content Review Committees in developing the SOL tests. This section contains three parts:

A. General Considerations — lists general considerations that were used in developing the test as well as considerations specific to a particular content area.

B. Item Format — lists information on how items for the test are constructed.

C. Ancillary Materials — lists any materials (e.g., calculators, rulers, protractors, compasses, dictionaries) that students are allowed to use while taking each test.

2. Blueprint Summary Table: a summary of the blueprint which displays the following information:

• reporting categories for each test;

• number of test items in each reporting category;

• Standards of Learning (SOLs) included in each reporting category. SOLs are identified by numbers and letters that correspond to the original SOL document (letters are assigned to the "bullets" in the original document);

• SOLs which are excluded from the SOL test;

• number of operational items on the test;

• number of field-test items on the test; and

• total number of items (operational and field-test items) on the test.

3. Expanded Blueprint: provides the same information as the Blueprint Summary Table except that the full text of each SOL is included. In addition, SOLs that are excluded from the test are categorized by the reason they were not included.

What is a reporting category?

Each test covers a number of SOLs. In the test blueprint, SOLs are grouped into categories that address related content or skills. These categories are labeled Reporting Categories. For example, a Reporting Category for the Grade 5 Mathematics test is "Computation and Estimation." Each of the SOLs in this reporting category addresses computation using addition, subtraction, multiplication, or division or require the student to estimate the answer to a problem. When the results of the SOL tests are reported, the scores will be presented in terms of scores for each Reporting Category and a total test score.

Are some SOLs assigned to more than one reporting category?

"Bullets" under a particular SOL are sometimes coded to different reporting categories. For example, the Science SOL 2.7a which deals with the effects that weather and seasonal changes have on the growth and behavior of living things is assigned to the reporting category "Life Processes and Living Systems" in the Grade 3 Science test. However, SOL 2.7b which deals with the effects of weather and seasonal changes on weathering and erosion of the land surface is assigned to the reporting category "Earth/Space Systems and Cycles." Each "bullet" is assigned to only one reporting category.

Why are some SOLs not tested on the SOL tests?

In some content areas, there are SOLs that do not lend themselves to multiple-choice testing. For example, in English, the oral language SOLs cannot be appropriately assessed in a multiple-choice format. In other cases, an SOL listed in one content area is covered by a similar SOL in another content area. For example, English SOL 4.9 which addresses the use of available technology to research a topic is covered by a similar SOL at grade 5 (Computer/Technology SOL C/T 5.3).

At the end of the blueprint for each test, the SOLs not tested are listed in "SOLs Excluded from Testing." In the expanded blueprint the SOLs excluded from testing are categorized by the reason they are not being tested.

Will all SOLs listed in the blueprint be assessed each time the SOL tests are given?

Due to the large number of SOLs in a content area for a grade span, every SOL will not be assessed on every SOL test form. By necessity, to keep the length of a test reasonable, each test will sample from the SOLs within a reporting category. However, every SOL is eligible for inclusion on each form of an SOL test.

World History from 1000 a.d. to the Present/World Geography

Test Development Guidelines

A. General Considerations

1. All items included in this test will address the knowledge and skills specified in the 1995 Virginia Standards of Learning in History and Social Science for World History from 1000 a.d. to the Present and certain SOLs from World Geography.

2. The items will be free of stereotyping or bias directed at a particular age, gender, economic status, racial, ethnic or religious group, or geographic region.

3. The test will be untimed.

4. There is no penalty for guessing. Students will be scored on the number of correct answers out of the total number of operational items on the test.

5. Where appropriate, "real-life" examples and situations that the student would likely encounter will be used to present data or ask questions.

6. Items will be grade-appropriate in terms of difficulty, interest, and reading level.

7. Information will be presented through written test and/or through visual material, such as graphs, charts, maps, cartoons, or other illustrations. More than one item may be linked to a piece of written test, or a graph, chart, map, cartoon, or other illustration.

8. When acronyms are used, both the complete name and the acronym will be given in most cases, for example, North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

B. Item Format

1. Each item will be a multiple-choice item containing four choices. Choices such as "None of the above", "All of the above", and "Not here" will not be used.

2. Answer choices will be arranged vertically beneath the item stems unless space considerations prevent such an arrangement.

3. Item stems will be in the form of questions or in the form of sentences that require completion.

4. Numerical answer choices, such as dates, will be arranged in ascending order.

5. Graphic displays, their corresponding questions, and response choices will appear on the same or facing pages.

6. Artwork accompanying items will be placed above the question unless, for clarity, the size or format of the artwork lends itself to another arrangement.

7. Negative words in the item stem (i.e., "not," "least," "except") will be emphasized by italics, boldface type, underlining, or capital letters.

C. Ancillary Materials

None

World History from 1000 a.d. to the Present/World Geography

Blueprint Summary Table

*These field-test items will not be used to compute students’ scores on the test.

Reporting Category: Late Medieval Europe: 1000 a.d. Through the Reformation

Number of Items: 8

Grade 9 SOLs in This Reporting Category:

9.1 The student will demonstrate an understanding of the state of the world about 1000 a.d. by summarizing

a) the institution of feudalism in Europe and the rise of towns and commerce;

b) the location and leadership of major Western European kingdoms;

c) the location and culture of the Byzantine and Muslim empires;

e) the role of the Roman Catholic Church in Europe; and

f) the conflict between Christian and Muslim cultures.

9.2 The student will analyze the patterns of social, economic, and political change and cultural achievement in the late Medieval period, including

a) the emergence of nation-states (Spain, France, England, Russia) and distinctive political developments in each;

b) conflicts among Eurasian powers including the Crusades, the Mongol conquests, and the expansion of the Ottoman Turks;

c) patterns of crisis and recovery including the Black Death; and

d) the preservation of Greek and Roman philosophy, medicine, and science.

9.3 The student will analyze the historical developments of the Renaissance, including

a) economic foundations of the Renaissance, including European interaction with Muslims, increased trade, role of the Medicis, and new economic practices;

b) the rise of Italian city-states;

c) artistic, literary, and intellectual creativity, including Leonardo DaVinci, Michelangelo, and Shakespeare, as contrasted with the Medieval period;

d) Machiavelli's theory of government as described in The Prince; and

e) differences between the Italian and the Northern Renaissance.

9.4 The student will analyze the historical developments of the Reformation, including

a) the effects of the theological, political, and economic differences that emerged during the Reformation, including the views and actions of Martin Luther, John Calvin, Henry VIII and the divorce issue;

b) the influence of religious conflicts on government actions, including the Edict of Nantes in France; and

c) the evolution of laws that reflect religious beliefs, cultural values, traditions, and philosophies, including the beginnings of religious toleration and the spread of democracy.

Reporting Category: Age of Discovery: Encountering Cultures in the Americas, Africa, Asia, and the Middle East

Number of Items: 8

Grade 9 SOLs in This Reporting Category:

9.1 The student will demonstrate an understanding of the state of the world about 1000 a.d. by summarizing

d) the location and culture of empires in India, China, Japan, sub-Saharan Africa, and Central America.

9.5 The student will analyze the impact of European expansion into the Americas, Africa, and Asia (16th through 19th centuries), in terms of

a) the roles of explorers/conquistadors;

b) migration, settlement patterns, and cultural diffusion;

c) the exchange of technology, ideas, and agricultural practices;

d) the trade in slaves, tobacco, rum, furs, and gold;

e) the introduction of new diseases;

f) the influence of Christianity;

g) economic and cultural transformations (e.g., plants like tobacco and corn became available in new places, arrival of the horse in the Americas, etc.);

h) competition for resources and the rise of mercantilism;

i) the commercial and maritime growth of European nations, including the emergence of money and banking, global economies, and market systems; and

j) social classes in the colonized areas.

9.6 The student will compare Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, and Hinduism, in terms of

a) major leaders and events;

b) sacred writings;

c) traditions, customs, and beliefs;

d) monotheistic versus polytheistic views;

e) geographic distribution at different times; and

f) political, social, and economic influences of each.

Reporting Category: 16th–19th Centuries: The Ages of Enlightenment, Absolutism, and Reason; the Industrial Revolution

Number of Items: 12

Grade 9 SOLs in This Reporting Category:

9.7 The student will analyze the scientific, political, and economic changes of the 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries (Age of Absolutism, the Enlightenment, and the Age of Reason), in terms of

a) the establishment of absolute monarchies by Louis XIV, Frederick the Great, and Peter the Great;

b) the Glorious Revolution in England and the French Revolution;

c) the ideas of significant people, including Hobbes, Locke, Montesquieu, Rousseau, and Jefferson;

d) how the political ideas of the Enlightenment and the ideas of religion affected the founders of the United States;

e) new scientific theories, including those of Newton, Kepler, Copernicus, Galileo, and others (e.g., Harvey, Franklin);

f) how technological changes brought about social, political, and cultural changes in Europe, Asia, and the Americas;

g) the flowering of the arts, philosophy, and literature (e.g., Voltaire, Diderot, Delacroix, Bach, and Mozart); and

h) the influence of religious beliefs on art, politics, science, and commerce.

9.8 The student will describe political developments in Europe in the 19th century, including

a) the Congress of Vienna;

b) expansion of democracy in Europe, including the effects of urbanization, revolutions of 1848, and British reform laws;

c) unification of Germany and the role of Bismarck; and

d) unification of Italy and the role of Garibaldi.

Reporting Category: 16th–19th Centuries: The Ages of Enlightenment, Absolutism, and Reason; the Industrial Revolution

Number of Items: 12

Grade 9 SOLs in This Reporting Category (continued):

9.9 The student will analyze and explain the effects of the Industrial Revolution, in terms of

a) the rise of industrial economies and their link to imperialism and colonialism;

b) how scientific and technological changes, including the inventions of Watt, Bessemer, and Whitney, brought about massive social and cultural change;

c) the emergence of capitalism and free enterprise as a dominant economic pattern;

d)

responses to capitalism including utopianism, socialism, and communism;

e) how the status of women and children reflected changes in society;

f) the evolution of work and labor, including the slave trade, mining and manufacturing, and the union movement;

g) applying economic reasoning and cost-benefit analysis to societal issues; and

h) the transformation of Asia and Africa by expanding European commercial power.

Reporting Category: 20th Century: World Conflicts

Number of Items: 10

Grade 9 SOLs in This Reporting Category:

9.6 The student will compare Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, and Hinduism, in terms of

g) long-standing religious conflicts and recent manifestations (e.g., Ireland, Middle East conflict, Bosnia, etc.).

9.10 The student will analyze major historical events of the 20th century, in terms of

a) causes and effects of World War I and World War II;

b) the Russian Revolution;

c) the rise, aggression, and human costs of totalitarian regimes in the Soviet Union, Germany, Italy, and Japan;

d) the political, social, and economic impact of worldwide depression in the 1930’s;

e) the Nazi Holocaust and other examples of genocide;

f) new technologies, including atomic power, and their influence on the patterns of conflict;

g) economic and military power shifts since 1945, including the rise of Germany and Japan as economic powers;

h) revolutionary movements in Asia and their leaders, including Mao Zedong and Ho Chi Minh;

i) how African and Asian countries achieved independence from European colonial rule, including India under Gandhi and Kenya under Kenyatta and how they have fared under self-rule;

j) regional and political conflicts including Korea and Vietnam; and

k) the beginning and end of the Cold War and the collapse of the Soviet Union.

Reporting Category: History Skills

Number of Items: 7

Grade 9 SOLs in This Reporting Category:

9.11 The student will demonstrate skills in historical research and geographical analysis by

a) identifying, analyzing, and interpreting primary and secondary sources and artifacts;

b) validating sources as to their authenticity, authority, credibility, and possible bias;

c) comparing trends in global population distribution since the 10th century;

d) constructing various time lines of key events, periods, and personalities since the 10th century;

e) identifying and analyzing major shifts in national political boundaries in Europe since 1815; and

f) identifying the distribution of major religious cultures in the contemporary world.

Reporting Category: Geography Skills

Number of Items: 6

Grade 10 SOLs in This Reporting Category:

10.1 The student will use maps, globes, photographs, and pictures to analyze the physical and human landscapes of the world in order to

e) identify regional climatic patterns and weather phenomena and relate them to events in the contemporary world.

10.7 The student will locate and identify by name the major countries in each region and the world’s major rivers, mountain ranges, and surrounding bodies of water.

10.15 The student will apply geography to interpret the past, understand the present, and plan for the future by

a) using a variety of maps, charts, and documents to explain historical migration of people, expansion and disintegration of empires, and the growth of economic systems; and

b) relating current events to the physical and human characteristics of places and regions.

Reporting Category: Geography Knowledge and Concepts

Number of Items: 12

Grade 10 SOLs in This Reporting Category:

10.3 The student will explain how

d) technological advances have led to increasing interaction among regions.

10.8 The student will identify natural hazards, describe their characteristics, explain their impact on human and physical systems, and assess efforts to manage their consequences in developed and less developed regions.

10.9 The student will identify natural, human, and capital resources, describe their distribution, and explain their significance, in terms of location of contemporary and selected historical economic and land-use regions.

10.11 The student will analyze the regional development of Asia, Africa, the Middle East, Latin America, and the Caribbean, in terms of physical, economic, and cultural characteristics and historical evolution from 1000 a.d. to the present.

10.12 The student will analyze the patterns and networks of economic interdependence, with emphasis on formation of multinational economic unions, international trade, and the theory of competitive advantage, in terms of job specialization, competition for resources, and access to labor, technology, transportation, and communications.

10.13 The student will distinguish between developed and developing countries and relate the level of economic development to the quality of life.

10.14 The student will analyze the forces of conflict and cooperation as they influence

a) the way in which the world is divided among independent countries and dependencies;

b) disputes over borders, resources, and settlement areas;

c) the historic and future ability of nations to survive and prosper; and

d) the role of multinational organizations.