Most Students Lack Civics Proficiency on NAEP

Erik W. Robelen
"Most Students Lack Civics Proficiency on NAEP"
Education Week
May 5, 2011
URL: http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2011/05/04/30naep.h30.html?tkn=VUVFLpCWdxp1nD%2BV5AIau%2FyLMr0JVXaHoiI%2B&cmp=clp-edweek

Summary: Many high school seniors may be old enough to vote, but just one quarter of them demonstrate at least a “proficient” level of civics knowledge and skills, based on the latest results from a prominent national exam. One area of growth highlighted in the new report is the improvement over time for Hispanic students. In fact, the achievement gap between Hispanic and non-Hispanic whites was narrower than in both 2006 and 1998, though it was still sizable, at 23 points on the NAEP scale, which runs from zero to 300. By far, studying other nations’ governments (47 percent) and international organizations such as the United Nations (43 percent) were the two content areas that the smallest proportion of seniors said they studied.
Charles N. Quigley, the executive director of the nonprofit Center for Civic Education said he was deeply troubled that so many seniors are apparently not spending time on those content areas.
Intended audience: All readers
Key points: 1. Mr. Quigley said he was especially alarmed to see so many seniors performing poorly on the national exam.
2. When asked more specifically about particular topics they had studied during the current school year, fewer said they had been taught about the Constitution than previously.
Relevance: The reason for students' lacking civics proficiency may be that the lessons are not attracting to them. I was wondering how these lessons are taught.