When it comes to history, geography and civics, most eighth-graders from around the country aren't mastering the subjects, according to the results of a national test released Wednesday.
The National Assessment of Education Progress - also known as the Nation's Report Card - gauges students' knowledge of several different subjects. The results released Wednesday are from a 2014 history, geography and civics test given to roughly 29,000 eighth-graders.
The 2014 results show that 27 percent of eighth-grade students performed at or above proficient in geography, 23 percent scored at or above proficient in civics and only 18 percent did so in U.S. history. Among those students, a small percentage —3 percent or less — scored at the advanced level in any subject
"Geography, U.S. history and civics are core academic subjects that must be a priority. They represent knowledge and skills that are fundamental to a healthy democracy," said Terry Mazany, chairman of the National Assessment Governing Board, which oversees NAEP. "The lack of knowledge on the part of America's students is unacceptable, and the lack of growth must be addressed. As a country, we must do better."
One of the bright spots in these reports is the increase in performance among Hispanic students, whose scores in 2014 across all three subjects are higher than the scores seen in each subject's first assessment year. White students are the only other racial/ethnic group with this improvement trend.
Here are some of tests sample questions.
The Supreme Court's 1803 decision in Marbury v. Madison established the court's power to:
A. Impeach a president
B. Decide whether a federal law is constitutional
C. Resolve conflicts between states
D. Resolve conflicts between the president and Congress
