Colleges Get Failing Grades on Civics

[madmom]

On this day 97 years ago, the 17th Amendment was ratified, changing the way we elect senators. Not that many college students would know anything about it, either when they get to college or when they graduate.

For the past five years, the Intercollegiate Studies Institute has tried to measure how well colleges and universities do in giving their students a basic understanding of America's core history, key texts, and enduring political and economic institutions.

The results aren't pretty.

Half of the 14,000 incoming freshmen tested failed the 60-question multiple-choice test, getting just half the questions right. Worse, they barely know any more when they graduate, with seniors scoring 54 percent correct. No school, not even Harvard or Yale, got above a 69 percent average among seniors. Worse still, in some schools, students did worse coming out than going in.

http://www.aolnews.com/opinion/article/opinion-colleges-get-failing-grades-on-civics/19430737?icid=main|aim|dl1|link3|http%3A%2F%2Fwww.aolnews.com%2Fopinion%2Farticle%2Fopinion-colleges-get-failing-grades-on-civics%2F19430737

There's a sample quiz.....I got 7 out of 7:headbang:

[no_hypocrisy]

1. I tend to agree.

I really didn't understand and appreciate civics in my undergraduate and graduate programs. It wasn't until I was in law school taking constitutional law that it all fell into place. I can't help but wonder if the obfuscation in programs K-12 is intentional or civics just isn't "necessary" like English and Math.

[ThatsMyBarack]

2. Not my car!

My current Honda Civic is the third one I've ever owned!

Oh, wait...*College* Civics. Now I get it. My bad. ;)

[RaleighNCDUer]

6. I had two Civics, but only one when I was in college. nt

[demodonkey]

3. 7 out of 7 here, but ye gods I'd better score that high...

...after all the work for election integrity I've been doing the last 5 years and more!

Beyond that, my mother who is now 92 (and a stroke survivor) taught elementary school for about 40 years and she put a HIGH emphasis on civics. And of course she taught that to her own kids, and that is why she and I to this day enjoy sitting around together and watching Congress on C-Span more than any other show, LOL! ;-)

[rurallib]

4. I got 33 out of 33

here is the test:
http://www.americancivicliteracy.org/
The link is at the very bottom of the page.

[RaleighNCDUer]

8. 31 of 33 - 94%

missed a couple of the econ questions.

[Deep13]

5. 7 out of 7. nt

[sinkingfeeling]

7. 7 out of 7 as well.

[Norma Druid]

9. Civics and History - Current Education Higher Ups Just Don´t Care

Two days ago I reviewed my granddaughter´s syllabus for the 4th grade TCAP (Tennessee) high stakes testing. There is a small Social Studies section she is having trouble with. Yea, I can see why. The sections on math, science, and grammar are presented in large type with appropriate illustrations. The social studies section is at best typesize 8 to 10, printed on dark green paper. All other sections have pictures or diagrams. This one gives intricate instructions on how to read a map with no map to demonstrate on. Apparently parents are supposed to be alert and provide a map. The information the kids have to learn for the test is scattershot. For instance, there are 4 explorers (3 Spaniards plus Lewis & Clark), then a few scattered Great Americans, then a few scattered Great Tennesseans. There is a list of major rivers, NONE OF WHICH ARE IN TENNESSEE. The Mississippi runs on the state´s western boundary, sure, but that´s it. There is also a scattering of Native Americans - Olmecs, Aztecs, Mississippi Mound Builders, Cherokee, Creek, Chickasaw, and Shawnee. Note we have Aztecs with no mention of Cortez and Pizzaro with no mention of the Incas.
They did do a reasonable job on checks and balances, the branches of government, and how a bill becomes law. Information on the Bill of Rights is sketchy at best.
No wonder our kids say why do we have to learn this! It´s all disconnected and thrown at them as a ´have to´.

[backscatter712]

10. 33 out of 33...

Of course, I go to Colorado State, which was the second of the top ten schools for improving knowledge of civics, according to the article! :headbang:

[Hosnon]

11. 96.97% (32 out of 33).

I missed the last one (which should include the word "average" so as not to be ambiguous).