A Disappearing Act or Here to Stay?
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.