Florida Fails Its Students In Civic Knowledge!

July 25, 2003

Editor: News-Press
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Re: Guest Editorial


How are public schools doing preparing students for citizenship? Let's see . . .

Student performance in social Studies doesn’t even have to be "considered" by educators when promoting a student from one grade level to the next. Last session, to rectify this omission, SB2272 passed the Florida House and Senate Education committee without a dissenting vote, but died in the Senate Subcommittee for Appropriations (Lisa Carleton, Sarasota, chair). What's worse, the Senate fiscal impact analysis revealed that this legislative proposal would have cost the state nothing and school districts very little. Thus, this school year-as in the past-educators need only consider how a student is doing in math, reading, writing and science when promoting the child from one grade level to the next. Is it any wonder why historical understanding and civic knowledge have all but disappeared from the schedules of elementary and some middle school students?

Moreover, thanks to the last session, it may no longer be necessary for all students to even successfully complete American History or American Government when they graduate from high school. New language for the "accelerated option" three-year program now allows a student to use any social studies course sequence to meet the state’s requirement. Thus, Community Service, World Geography, the History of the Vietnam War, Psychology, Sociology and many other electives could be used to meet the three credits. Since virtually all districts had American Government and Economics as 12th grade courses that were required for all students in the past, many of this year's and future graduates may simply opt not to take either one. Algebra I now constitutes the only course all students must complete to receive a diploma. A recent memo from the Florida Department of Education states that the new early exit, college track: "requires higher-level math courses than are currently required." The legislature maintained the "two year foreign language requirement in the same subject" for those electing the college track and it likewise preserved the heavy intensive laboratory science component. What were decimated were the specific course requirements for social studies. Gone are the specific requirements that all students complete American History, American Government, World History and Economics. Even thirty years ago when the state required only two credits for graduation in social studies - the American History and American Government courses were requirements for everyone. As a Florida educator for over 30 years, I've never seen citizenship education in the state in such dismal disarray. Bear in mind that the state has never known to what degree its students understand the concepts and skills related to citizenship. The Florida Department of Education has been fighting against any assessment in these areas since 1974, despite repeated attempts by social studies professional organizations to hold our students accountable! Of the 67 school districts in Florida, only two (none in SW Florida) require any type of district-wide assessments in citizenship proficiency.

Despite a host of mandated "feel good" requirements which say, among other things, that all children in grades K-12 musts recite the Declaration of Independence for one week of the school year, Florida has remained in the ‘Dark Ages’ regarding what its students know in the vital area of citizenship. When the last Civic Education National Assessment for Educational Progress exam was available for small numbers of randomized Florida students, then state assessment chief Tom Fisher choose not even to allow schools the option of taking this test a voluntary basis! To repeat, it's inconceivable that educators don't even have to consider how a student is doing in history or geography when promoting them from one grade level to the next. Is the state doing enough to prepare the future students of Florida for the only role they will all have upon graduation - that of citizen? Obviously not!


Jack Bovee
319 Fifth Avenue
Lehigh Acres, Fl 33972