New York Times: Failing Grades on Civics Exam Called a 'Crisis'

First, a hat tip to the Jack Miller Center for Teaching America's Founding Principles and History. Its web site features a link to a New York Times piece published on May 4 on the sad state of civics education:

Fewer than half of American eighth graders knew the purpose of the Bill of Rights on the most recent national civics examination, and only one in 10 demonstrated acceptable knowledge of the checks and balances among the legislative, executive and judicial branches, according to test results released on Wednesday.

At the same time, three-quarters of high school seniors who took the test, the National Assessment of Educational Progress, were unable to demonstrate skills like identifying the effect of United States foreign policy on other nations or naming a power granted to Congress by the Constitution.

Go to this link for the full text of the article.

Former U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor has released a statement. Go to this link at the National Assessment Governing Board's web site.