What to Think About the NAEP Civics Results

They might not be likely to try very hard, but it is still alarming that three out of every four 12th graders are unable to name a power of Congress, granted to them by the Constitution. Essentially, 75% of seniors might very unlikely be unable to discern whether a law passed or a declaration of war is Constitutional... Also, while it might be somewhat assuring that 4th graders have improved, it is only slightly...a couple of points. And while no change is better than negative change, less than half of 8th graders know the purpose of the Bill of Rights and only 1 in 10 have grade-appropriate knowledge of the checks-and-balances between the three branches of government. In an age where social media and 24 news broadcasting makes it possible for misinformation to be disseminated at the speed of light (ex. after the death of Osama bin Laden, someone made up a quotation, attributed to MLK Jr. and within minutes, it was trending and hundreds of thousands had retweeted the quote to their followers), it is troubling that soon to be eligible voters do not have the basic information that it takes to arm them in the intellectual environment we live in.

By the time they take the NAEP, high school seniors are well into their "senior slump". Teachers have a hard enough time getting them to do things that will count for their grade. When students are asked to take a test that not only won't count for their grade but for which no one will ever see their score (or even that of their school), they're not likely to try very hard.