NATIONAL CENTER FOR POLICY ANALYSIS
May 4, 2015

Just 23 percent of U.S. eighth-graders are “proficient” or above in knowledge of American civics, according to the “Nation’s Report Card,” released this week by the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). Only one-third know that “the United States government should be classified as a democracy.” For a nation governed by the people, for the people, this news is deeply troubling. Democracy takes work. It requires knowledge, interest and vigilance from its citizens to remain healthy. If less than a quarter of young people meet only baseline standards of proficiency, and two-thirds are unable to identify America as a democracy, the future looks bleak. But is it any wonder that U.S. students are struggling in social studies? The curriculum rarely engages them. A 2010 study from the University of Central Florida found 74 percent of middle school students dislike social studies class due to the emphasis on reading from the textbook, rote memorization and note taking. READ MORE