Education Week - May 17, 2023 - 9

History Achievement Falls to 1990s Levels on NAEP;
Civics Scores Take First-Ever Dive
Eighth graders' scores in U.S. history and civics dropped
on the test known as the " Nation's Report Card "
By Sarah Schwartz
Eighth graders' scores in U.S. history
and civics dropped on the test
known as the " Nation's Report
Card " -a decline that brings student
achievement in these subjects back
down to 1990s levels.
The new results on the National
Assessment of Educational Progress
mark the first time that 8th grade civics
scores decreased significantly in
the test's nearly 25-year history, and
a continuation of a yearslong downward
trend in U.S. history performance.
More students are now scoring
at the lowest level in both subjects.
" What we've learned in these subjects
is part of the fabric of who we
are as Americans. They are essential
subjects, " said Peggy Carr, the commissioner
of the National Center for
Education Statistics, in a briefing with
reporters. " They are a critical part of a
well-rounded education.
If we can agree that it's important
that students know the history of this
great country, how we got here, and
how they can engage in a democratic
process, then these results I'm about
to share with you are concerning, " she
said.
Students took the tests in spring
2022. The results are among the first
national data on students' social studies
achievement since the pandemic
began.
NAEP scores from the 2022 administration
in reading and math were released
last year, and also showed steep
declines in student achievement.
" The latest data from the National
Assessment of Educational Progress
further affirms the profound impact
the pandemic had on student learning
in subjects beyond math and reading, "
U.S. Department of Education
Secretary Miguel Cardona said in a
statement.
" It tells us that now is not the time
for politicians to try to extract doubledigit
cuts to education funding, nor is it
the time to limit what students learn in
U.S. history and civics classes, " he said.
" We need to provide every student
with rich opportunities to learn about
America's history and understand the
U.S. Constitution and how our system
of government works. Banning history
books and censoring educators from
teaching these important subjects does
our students a disservice and will move
America in the wrong direction. "
Since 2021, 44 states have introduced
bills or other measures that
restrict how teachers can discuss race
and gender in the classroom; 18 have
imposed them.
These two factors-the effect of the
pandemic on schools, and this contentious
national landscape-are affecting
students, said Kerry Sautner, the chief
learning officer for the nonpartisan
National Constitution Center, which
which provides resources and lessons
for teaching about the Constitution.
Great civics education isn't just
memorizing facts, Sautner said, but
building skills that allow students to
discuss, debate, and build consensus.
" We lost multiple years of that process
around how kids are working
with each other, " she said.
As kids have come back to school
buildings over the past two years, the
political environment has only grown
more charged, she added. " They're
either engaging in conversations that
aren't healthy ... or, what we're starting
to hear now from last year [from
teachers], is that they're pulling back
from those dialogues. "
More scoring at lowest level
The two NAEP tests measure both
students' content-area knowledge
and their understanding of subjectspecific
skills, such as historical analysis
or civic participation.
The U.S. history test covers key
names, dates, and places, but also
measures students' knowledge of historical
ideas, movements, and use of
primary sources. In civics, students
are assessed on knowledge and intellectual
and participatory skills, such
as taking and defending positions on
civic issues. A nationally representative
sample of 8,000 students took the history
test, and 7,800 took the civics test.
In U.S. history, the average 8th
grade score dropped five points since
2018-continuing a downward trend
that began in 2014. Civics scores
dipped two points, the first decline
since the test began in 1998.
U.S. history scores declined for
Black, Hispanic, and white students,
as well as students of two or more
races. Score declines in civics followed
similar patterns by racial group, but the
results were not statistically significant.
Some students' scores didn't fall,
though. In civics, the scores of higherachieving
students-those who scored
at the 75th or 90th percentiles-held
steady, while lower-performing students'
scores declined. In history, only
students at the 90th percentile didn't
perform worse. All other students'
scores declined.
The distribution of scores changed,
too, with more students in both subjects
scoring " below basic " -the lowest
level on the NAEP.
To score " proficient " on NAEP, students
need to meet a high bar, mastering
challenging subject matter, said
Carr. A sample civics question that
most proficient students answered correctly
asked test takers to interpret data
on electoral college results to identify
which candidate won an election.
Still, she said, the percentage of students
meeting proficiency standards
in history and civics are " woefully
low " compared to other subjects.
Meeting the " basic " standard, in
comparison, represents partial mastery
of skills and knowledge. A sample
civics question on the rule of law,
which most students at the basic level
answered correctly, sets up the following
scenario:
During lunchtime at a middle
school, the students are allowed to use
certain parts of the building or are allowed
to go to the playground. If students
finish lunch early, some go outside,
some remain in the cafeteria, and
some go to their lockers in the hallways
near the classrooms. Some teachers
complain that large groups of students
are hanging out in the hallways outside
of the classrooms and disrupting
classes still going on.
Students were asked to create a rule
that would be fair to the students and
the teachers, and explain how it was
fair to both groups.
Another question that most students
at the basic level answered correctly,
this one from the U.S. history
test, asked students to identify why
proponents of the 18th Amendment,
which prohibited the sale of alcohol,
supported its passage.
'Coursetaking matters'
The NAEP also tracks how many
students take classes on U.S. history
and civics-subjects that not all 8th
graders study in dedicated courses.
The survey found that fewer students
are taking U.S. history classes now
than in 2018.
Of the students who took the tests,
68 percent said they had taken a class
focused mainly on U.S. history by
the 8th grade, a significant decrease
from 72 percent in 2018. Forty-nine
percent said they had taken a course
focused mainly on civics, which represents
no significant change from
four years prior.
" Coursetaking matters, " Carr
said. " We're seeing that particularly
for U.S. history. Students who are
taking these courses, wholly or in
partial context ... do better on these
assessments. "
These NAEP survey results also
show other connections. Students
who take civics courses, specifically,
are more likely to say that they feel
like they can effect change in their
communities, and that they understand
the importance of participating
in the political process.
In both civics and U.S. history,
most 8th graders reported taking a
class that was either dedicated to
the subject or included the subject
as part of a broader course of study,
Carr said.
Still, Sautner of the Constitution
Center noted that only seven states
Achievement-level results in 8th-grade NAEP civics and U.S. history:
1994, 2018, and 2022
NAEP civics
20
21
21
48
48
4
31
2
2022
Below basic
NAEP U.S. history
13
13
14
201
Basic
Pro
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Education Week - May 17, 2023

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