WASHINGTON -- Two-thirds of high school seniors -- many old enough to vote in next year's elections -- have a basic understanding of how American government works, but more may lack the civics education to cast informed votes, a survey suggests.
The results of the 1998 national test of government and civics education show that just 26 percent of 12th graders scored well enough to demonstrate a good understanding of how governments work and the ability to apply what they have learned to concrete situations."What these young voters know and don't know about civics and government will have an impact on all of us," said Diane Ravitch, a prominent education researcher and former Bush administration education official who sits on the board that oversees the tests. "We cannot be content when so many young voters are so poorly prepared."
Education Secretary Richard Riley said results could improve as more schools focus on civics instruction and special projects such as field trips to city council meetings.
The test, called the National Assessment of Educational Progress, is administered by a nationwide group established by Congress. The exams are given a nationwide sample of children in three grade levels in core subjects such as math and reading. Occasionally, other subjects such as the arts and civics are tested.
The last civics test was given in 1988, but cannot be compared with this one because of major content changes. The new civics test -- which differed by grade level -- was given in 1998 to nationally representative samples totaling 22,000 fourth, eighth and 12th graders in public and private schools.
According to test givers, an eighth-grade child at the basic level is supposed to identify the basics of how American democracy works and know that the ideas come from the Bill of Rights, the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution.
The 12th graders should show they can understand -- as well as identify -- those fundamentals. Younger children, 4th graders, were asked more rudimentary questions such as why we have laws and what happens when people break them.
Like the high school seniors, about one-third of fourth graders and eighth graders performed below basic levels, meaning there are serious gaps in their knowledge and abilities.
Among the test findings were that fewer than half of 12th graders knew the president and the State Department have more authority over foreign policy than Congress or the courts; 36 percent knew the Supreme Court used the Constitution's 14th Amendment to invalidate state laws that segregate public schools; only 9 percent could list two ways democratic society benefits from the active participation of its citizens.
In eighth-grade testing, 81 percent identified Martin Luther King as someone concerned about the injustice of segregation laws. Only 6 percent could describe two ways countries benefit from having a constitution.
At the fourth-grade level, 74 percent knew that in the United States, laws must be applied to everyone equally, but just 15 percent could name two services the government pays for with taxes.
States and school districts lack sufficient requirements for civics education, said Charles N. Quigley, executive director of the Center for Civic Education, a Calabasas, Calif., group that promotes civics courses in schools.
"The vast majority (of students) are either not being taught civics and government at all or they are being taught too little, too late, and inadequately," Quigley said. "Under these conditions, you can hardly expect them to do well on such a test."
The questions were multiple-choice or open-ended and written by the Educational Testing Service, best known for writing and administering standardized college entrance exams.
The test is generally the only way to compare student progress nationwide.