Patriot's Day Guest Editorial

April 25, 2005

Re: Guest Editorial or Article

Sadly, most of the nation’s newspapers (Education Week included) seemingly ignored an important event that recently involved several of the nation’s noted historians, key Congressional leaders and educators. The National Council for History Education brought these groups together in the nation’s capitol last week to commemorate both “Patriot’s Day” and to call for a national campaign to “Make History Stronger in Our Schools”. That this is needed, no one denies. Kathleen Manzo’s recent article (“Social Studies Losing Out to Reading, Math,” March 15, 2005) accurately described the deplorable state that the subject has come to in the nation’s schools. She cited a litany of problems in the teaching of History, Civics and Social Studies in states such as California, Maryland, Florida, and Illinois.

But it’s worse than this. Knowledge of economics and geography is equally deplorable. Several international surveys now indicate that American young adults possess less knowledge requisite for U.S. citizenship than even their peers from around the world! A Roper Survey for National Geographic conducted in nine countries in 2002, for example, showed American students coming in last in knowing the correct size of our population, identifying which nation gave sanctuary to the Taliban and Osama bin Laden, and even the ability to identify our nation on a world map! Not surprisingly, noted historian David McCullough recently stated that nothing less than “national security” is at stake due to this rising tide of historical and civic ignorance.

Those assembled in the nation’s capitol for “Patriot’s Day” last week put forth a powerful argument for the revitalization of American History. Senator Lamar Alexander has repeatedly stated that based upon National Assessment for Education Progress (N.A.E.P.) results for all academic subjects, “American history is our students worst subject”.

It’s interesting to note that during the confirmation hearing for Margaret Spellings, not a single question was directed to her as to what plans she has for how the Department of Education might reverse this trend. One legislative proposal filed by Senators Alexander and Kennedy to coincide with “Patriot’s Day” -- Senate bill 860 -- may offer a solution. Aimed at the elimination of ‘second-class status” on N.A.E.P. for History and Civics, it would authorize Spelling to spend $5 million to hold up to 10 states accountable for how well they prepare students in History and Civics. Comparisons of states to one another and to a national average have been done for many years in the areas of Math, Reading, Writing and Science at grades four and eight, but these have never occurred in History or Civics. The federal Department of Education actually spends more money annually to collect comparable state data on the extent of teenage drinking, smoking and drug use than that being proposed by S860! This is the second time the bill has been filed by the senators. In the 108th Congress the measure (S2721) never even came up for a vote. Nor was there much of a cry amongst History or Civics educators that it do so. Surprisingly, it was strongly advocated by social studies educators. These folks, perhaps more familiar with the realities of K-12 public education, realize that until you begin to hold some states accountable, History and Civics will continue to lose valuable time and resources. The old adage, “What gets tested is what gets taught,” holds true today more than ever before. I might add, however, “This only happens if you’re keeping score.” In the case of History and Civics, no one is.

It’s easily argued that when states are not held accountable to a national standard, they need mot worry or do much to improve. Take Florida, for example. Governor Jeb Bush and leading legislators serve as commissioners to the Education Commission of the States. One of the main missions of this group is to improve civic education programs. As a result, a subsidiary of this group - the National Center for Learning and Citizenship (NCLC) - has been formed to carry out this mission and to serve as a repository for civics educators. Perhaps not surprisingly, NCLC argues for increased assessment of civic knowledge by local school districts or by the state. It is mute on the idea of granting Civics parity -- by comparing states’ performance in this subject -- with other subjects on N.A.E.P. As a result, Florida politicians who serve on the Education Commission of the States need not worry about how Florida will compare to other states or to a national average. Incredulously, in recent years Governor Bush and these same legislative leaders have signed into law proposals eliminating American History and American Government as required high school courses for all students. Moreover, despite support from the Florida League of Women Voters and from social studies teachers, the legislature has for three years refused to pass a bill which would require districts to take student performance in history/civics/social studies into consideration when children are promoted from one grade to the next. Nor should it be any surprise that none of these subjects are part of the state’s assessment program.

What is surprising is the near total silence on the subject of revitalizing the upcoming 2006 N.A.E.P assessments in U.S. History and Civics by nationally renowned educators – even those with a strong affinity for the civic mission of our schools! Chester Finn and Diane Ravitch, both well known for their heated editorials attacking “social studies” as the primary culprit for today’s decline of historical and civic knowledge, have never argued for a revitalized N.A.E.P similar to that proposed by former Secretary of Education Lamar Alexander. They argue for, among other things, increased history training opportunities for teachers. They miss the fact that by never holding states accountable, nothing will ever change! What many seem to forget is that Congress has appropriated almost $400 million in the last few years for training teachers in the areas of history and civics. While appreciative of this, I’m amazed that Congress has yet to authorize a paltry $5 million to find out how well the states seem to be living up to their civic responsibilities. When 2006 passes, the opportunity to do this again won’t come around in the N.A.G.B. schedule until 2012 (Civics). The next U.S. History assessment isn’t listed on their current schedule, and can be presumed to come until after 2012.

Equally surprising is the lack of Op-Ed articles from leading national educators decrying the proposal by the National Assessment Governing Board (N.A.G.B.) to possibly eliminate future 12th grade assessments in U.S. History, Civics and Geography. These provide our only window on how well we’ve prepared voting age students in these vital subjects. President Bush, who unfortunately once endorsed a delay in the 2001 Civics assessment so resources might be reallocated to Reading and Math, endorsed this new 12th grade plan some time ago. He did so in order that N.A.G.B. could use their resources to consider initiating for the first time statewide comparisons in Reading and Math at grade 12.

If there is a trend, it is the movement to postpone, eliminate or eviscerate any attempt to hold states and students accountable in these vital subjects. There is a dire need to restore History and Civics to their rightful place in public education. In the rush to do so, however, let’s not lose sight of the important need to hold a few states accountable for what our students have learned! Until this happens, things will only get worse!


Jack Bovee
Legislative Chair, Florida Council for the Social Studies

The writer is a 32-year social studies educator, a former elementary school principal, and now the coordinator for K-12 Social Studies in Collier County, Fla.