American Students and the Decline in History
Generations of Citizens are Ignorant of Basic Civics and US History
One of the popular songs equated with the 1978 spoof of American college life, Animal House, was Sam Cooke’s “Wonderful Life,” which starts out, “Don’t know much about history…” As humorous as the song was, it underlines an on-going problem within every level of American education regarding the teaching of history. Every few years new studies highlight the dearth of history knowledge as well as civics and education. The problems begin in elementary and middle school levels, and are seldom corrected in the high school years.
Recent Studies on History and Civics Knowledge
In a November 25, 2007 Washington Post story, Naomi Wolf presented the bleak facts: “…only 47 percent of high school seniors have mastered a minimum level of U.S. history and civics, while only 14 percent performed at or above the ‘proficient’ level…” (“Hey, Young Americans, Here’s a Text for You”). She further writes that middle school students in most states are not even required to take classes in civics and government.
Newsweek’s poll of American’s knowledge of history and civics, reported in the September 4, 2007 edition (“Dunce-Cap Nation”) concluded that, “Our understanding of broader global affairs and history is sketchy at best.” The national “What You Need to Know Poll” also documented significant deficiencies in geography.
More recently, a January 26th, 2009 piece in the NBC Los Angeles News highlighted a study conducted by the Intercollegiate Studies Institute on American History and government. The article quotes Josiah Bunting, Chairman of the ISI’s National Civic Literacy Board who remarked, “There is an epidemic of economic, political, and historical ignorance in our country.” (“Study: Americans Don’t Know Much About History: There’s an epidemic of historical and political arrogance, says report”).
Reassessing Educational Priorities
The 2001 No Child Left Behind Act established a criteria of measurement that has caused states to devise assessment methodologies that rely on standardized tests. This holds true for assessing history, government, and civics studies as well. Yet, ironically, most of the independent studies cited in articles and scholarly essays decrying the dearth of history education also base their findings on standardized assessment vehicles.
In most cases, these assessments take the form of quiz type questions. They don’t measure the understanding of concepts. In essence, if American students cannot master historical facts, despite the teaching-to-the-test methodologies employed to satisfy state standardized tests, how can they be expected to grasp the concepts that are determined by those facts? Students that cannot state how many justices serve on the Supreme Court cannot possibly relate the overall significance of the high court, particularly in terms of context in American History.
Reforming History and Civics Education
Teachers can teach civics and American History within the currently established curricula throughout the various local systems. However, state and local school systems need, ultimately, to reassert their traditional right over education and lobby to end federal NCLB mandates. The ensuing task of reintroducing meaningful history education will be immense, but the future of American democracy, resting in the next generations, may depend on the effort.
The late Senator Claiborne Pell, long identified with American education, once stated that, “The strength of the United States is not the gold at Fort Knox or the weapons of mass destruction that we have, but the sum total of the education and the character of our people.” Until Americans realize the futility of NCLB as it affects history and civics education, Newsweek and other similar publications will continue to publish the results of polls that show how little Americans really know about their past history.
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