This summer my husband and I found ourselves in the car gleefully shouting out answers to questions posed by a popular talk show host. His topic was a proposed bill which would require students to pass the same test that’s given to immigrants applying for US citizenship before they could receive a high school diploma. Some of the exam questions, which test knowledge of American history, government, and geography, were easier than others.
Civics in Our Schools
But the real take-home lesson of this mini-quiz was the timely reminder that being born on American soil doesn’t automatically give you an innate understanding of how US government works. A good civic education requires a strong factual foundation, along with the ability to analyze, question, and draw conclusions, similar skills used in math and science.
The Issue
Dr. Lucian Spataro is both a founding member, past CEO, and current board member of the Joe Foss Institute, a nonprofit organization established in 2001. On its website, the group describes itself as being dedicated to “creating informed, engaged citizens through civics education and awareness.” Dr. Spataro also serves on the board of the Civics Education Initiative (CEI), a 501(c) (4) that’s affiliated with the Joe Foss Institute. This initiative evolved when it became apparent to members of the Joe Foss Institute that civics education in schools was falling by the wayside. Certain subjects were no longer being emphasized on the tests that matter – that is, tests whose results are tied to school funding. “I personally see this as a problem,” says Dr. Spataro, reiterating the now-familiar adage, “If it’s not tested, it’s not taught.” He recalls that when he was a professor at the University of Arizona, students would constantly ask him if what he was teaching would be on the next test. “If I said yes, they’d pay attention. If I said no, they’d lean back and tune me out,” he laments.
CEI is concerned that civics education in schools is being increasingly sidelined by STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) subjects. STEM courses are both necessary and essential to a good education, says Dr. Spataro, whose educational background and PhD are in science, but not to the extent that other valuable subjects are boxed out of education. He would like to see civics courses taught with a renewed emphasis so that students really understand what they’re learning and why it’s of consequence. Tying a passing grade on a citizenship exam to graduation from high school is a good first step toward swinging the academic pendulum back to the middle where he feels it belongs.
For many educators this “quiet crisis” has been building for quite some time. The History and Social Studies teachers Dr. Spataro has talked to are often attracted to CEI’s approach because they’re finding it increasing more difficult to hold their students’ attention in class. Advocates for making the citizenship test mandatory describe it as more of a starting point than a final destination (similar to learning multiplication tables before moving on to more advanced math). Dr. Spataro agrees. “It’s a good first step that puts a stake in the ground and establishes a baseline of where kids are at.” He also makes sure to emphasize that CEI has nothing to do with politics, it’s a purely educational initiative. “This is content students have been taught for generations that covers only governmental processes…Our concern is that these disciplines have lost their luster.”
The Goal
So far nine states, Arizona, North and South Dakota, Tennessee, South Carolina, Idaho, Louisiana, Utah, and Wisconsin, have passed legislation requiring their high schoolers to pass the Citizenship Test to graduate. Twenty-six other states around the country are considering it as well. "Once states adopt the legislation, they can establish their own parameters as to how to administer the test and what constitutes a passing grade," Dr. Spataro notes. Since the test is already available it won’t require any extra work for teachers and administrators and, because it’s free, there will be no cost to the schools. The organization’s goal is to have all fifty states on board by September 17, 2017, the 230th anniversary of the signing of the Constitution.
Why it Matters
Civics and history are the underpinnings of our country, what it’s built on and how it continues to function successfully, Dr. Spataro says. Saluting the flag, reciting the Pledge of Allegiance, and reading and understanding documents such as the Bill of Rights and the US Constitution are something all young Americans should be able to do. Referencing studies which show that only a small percentage of today’s high schoolers are graduating with a proficiency in civics, he asks, “As an American high school graduate, shouldn’t you be able to pass the same test as an immigrant to the United States?”
CAN YOU PASS THE US CITIZENSHIP TEST?
Take the short quiz of ten multiple choice questions, the medium quiz of ten short answer and 15 multiple choice questions, or the full test of 40 multiple choice and 60 short answers. Your results will be graded immediately and the correct answers will be provided for any questions you get wrong. Good luck! www.joefossinstitute.org/citizenship-survey
Currently the US Citizenship test requires that those applying for citizenship answer six out of ten questions correctly. CEI has a similar threshold, saying students should be able to answer sixty out of one hundred multiple choice and short-answer questions to receive a passing grade. Examples of multiple choice test questions include: What is one thing Benjamin Franklin is famous for? to Who is in charge of the executive branch? to What is the name of the National Anthem? When asked if adding one more requirement to kids' plates would effect high school graduation rates, Dr. Spataro says, “I think this test will actually increase graduation rates. Kids will need to be more responsible and engaged about learning the material and as a result they’ll do better in school and be more excited about it.”
What’s the potential fallout of raising a generation that lacks basic knowledge about how our country and government are run? “If kids in high school now don’t know how a bill becomes a law, that’s scary,” Dr. Spataro says. It’s crucial that today’s students understand the process of how community issues can become bills and then laws so that they won’t be overwhelmed and intimidated about getting involved with causes they care about as adults.
According to Dr. Spataro, another issue all Americans should be concerned about is declining voter participation, which is at an all-time low in the United States. Young voting age citizens are simply not going to the polls at the same level as previous generations and the number of kids involved in student government and debate in schools has declined drastically. “We hope getting kids more civically engaged and aware of what’s going on around them will ignite voter interest and get more people out to vote,” he says.
A Family Challenge
Passing the citizenship test could be an exciting developmental milestone for today’s youth, one that marks a shift from adolescence to college or the working world, says Dr. Spataro, who believes that gaining an increased understanding of how our government works and the rights and responsibilities of adult Americans will instill a sense of pride and accomplishment in young people. When asked if civic education should be up to the schools or the family, he’s quite clear that it should be a mutual responsibility. If kids see their parents being aware of, and involved with, what’s happening in their towns, states, and nation then it’s likely they will be too. This dynamic also works in the reverse. If kids come home from school excited about the historically relevant things they’re learning about, their enthusiasm can be contagious. “It gives you all something to talk about around the dinner table,” he observes. In fact, Dr. Spataro suggests families advance this discussion a step further by taking the US Citizenship test together. “Taking this test as a family is likely to spark some interesting conversations,” he notes. “It will be interesting to see how well various family members do in comparison to each other!”
Sue Henninger is a contributing writer to Rochester & Genesee Valley Parent Magazine. Contact her at www.fingerlakeswriter.com
