Arizona requires High School students to pass Civics test given to immigrants.

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**Breotan**

If we demand people immigrating to this country to pass this test, why shouldn't we expect our own students to?

Bob Christie / Associated Press wrote:Arizona passes law requiring students to pass civics test

PHOENIX (AP) -- Arizona on Thursday became the first state in the nation to pass a law requiring high school students to pass a civics exam before graduation.

The swift action by the Arizona Legislature comes as states around the country take up similar measures. The proposal requires high school students to correctly answer 60 of 100 questions on the civics portion of the U.S. citizenship test.

The test is being pushed nationally by the Scottsdale-based Joe Foss Institute, which has set a goal of having all 50 states adopt it by 2017, the 230th anniversary of the U.S. Constitution. The institute says legislatures in 15 states are expected to consider it this year.

Critics questioned the message the bill sends at a time when Arizona is facing a deficit and education funding crisis.

Both the House and Senate quickly passed the bill at the beginning of the legislative session, and the newly elected Republican governor, Doug Ducey, has said he will sign it.

The North Dakota House of Representatives overwhelming approved the same measure Thursday, but Arizona's is expected to be the first pass a full Legislature.

Ducey called on the Legislature to make the civics test the first bill to hit his desk as governor. He said studies show that students don't know enough about basic government to grow into effective citizens.

"These are our children, and not long from now, it will be for them to vote on who sits in your chairs and who stands at this podium," Ducey said in his State of the state address Monday. "How can we expect them to protect the principles on which this country was founded, if we are not preparing them for that task right now?"

Republican Senate Majority Leader Steve Yarbrough, sponsoring the bill in his chamber, called the test a needed measure.

"Requiring that students pass this test is not by any means a silver bullet, but I think is a step, a small step forward," he said. "And I think we need to encourage the people of America to become more aware of the values of America."

The lone Democratic senator who opposed the bill on the education committee, David Bradley, said passing the test would do nothing to make good citizens. He said that despite the bill sponsors' promises, there is a cost to the state.

Bradley also said that "this is not the end-all be-all to citizenship and it doesn't get us any further down the road."

A high school government teacher, Joe Thomas of Mesa, said he was concerned that having students take a 100-question test would take up an entire class period and is not an effective way of getting students engaged in civics. He said the test is will require rote memorization rather than something that promotes critical thinking.

"The interest is promoting civics and we want to see students engaged," Thomas said. "I don't know if a test engages students."

I'll just leave this here:

**djones520**

Can't say I disagree with this.

**trexmeyer**

Have to say I applaud this decision.

**Hordini**

Good. I hope every state passes it.

**Co'tor Shas**

Not a bad idea. Kind of entertaining at the same time.

**hotsauceman1**

I have always had a problem with the civics test in general. it just seems kinda IDK useless. What we should do is test people on their english skill relative to how well they can function, what possible skills they have and toher such things. Not is they know what states the mississipi river passes threw.

**Nevelon**

I don't think it's too much to ask for students to pass. It's stuff that should be tought anyway.

**Mr Nobody**

When I took social studies in grade school, the teacher had us take the civics test to see how well we did. It was an educational experience.

**Kilkrazy**

In the UK we have citizenship classes. I don't think there is an exam as such.

What happens if you fail this test?

**Hordini**

Kilkrazy wrote:
In the UK we have citizenship classes. I don't think there is an exam as such.

What happens if you fail this test?

I assume you have to take it again if you want to become a citizen.

**Ahtman**

You can't know more until you pass the citizenship test.

I imagine it is like failing any class. One would have to retake it just as if they had failed Math, History, Science, English, ect. We had a a Government class in High School and I don't see this as radically different. Understanding how Government works and its history aren't horrible things to understand.

**Hordini**

Kilkrazy wrote:
In the UK we have citizenship classes. I don't think there is an exam as such.

What happens if you fail this test?

Oh, you meant high school students taking it, didn't you?

Yeah, they'd have to take it again until they passed if they wanted to graduate, just like any other test that is a graduation requirement.

**malfred**

Kilkrazy wrote:
In the UK we have citizenship classes. I don't think there is an exam as such.

What happens if you fail this test?

Whips and chains.

**Matt.Kingsley**

I remember doing the Australian one (well, the practice version, not the actual one) in my Year 11 Religion and Ethics class, not because we had to for the curriculum but because the teacher (who was great) wanted to see if we could pass it.

I'm happy to say myself and a good amount of the class passed (whether just or with flying colours) though some did fail (which didn't surprise me).

While some of the later questions are stuff you should know, most of the initial questions (and some of the later questions, too for that matter) seem unimportant in terms of someone having to know the answer.

Still, it's always funny to see someone fail a test based on stuff citizens (for whatever reason) are expected to know.

**Do_I_Not_Like_That**

This citizen test is a total nonsense, full distortions and falsehoods. I've been looking at the sample questions on the US customs website, and some of the bull is unbelievable.

Examples:

Q: When was the Declaration of Independence adopted? A: 4th July!!! It was the second of July!!

Q: Why did the colonists fight the British? A: High taxation, British Army staying in their homes, lack of self-government! Again, a load of bull. There were no taxis because the automobile hadn't even been invented. Americans charged British troops extortionate rates for soldiers, which nearly bankrupted the army, and as for self-government, they had virtual representation

Q: There were 13 original states. Name three. A: Delaware was not an original

state!!

My old university lecturer will back me up on this

(he specialises in colonial American history)

I could go on, but if even the Americans don't know their own history, what chance has your average immigrant got?

**streamdragon**

As someone working for the federal government, I approve my birth state's move. More people need to know how their government actually functions.

**timetowaste85**

If you fail it, it's clear that they report your sorry ass to the worst location on the planet.

Also, I only knew a few of those questions in the video. I'd be going to the worst country on the planet.

That's like France or something, right? If Captain America hates them, I'll follow his lead.

**Kanluwen**

Nevelon wrote:
I don't think it's too much to ask for students to pass. It's stuff that should be tought anyway.

Speaking of things that should be taught...

I'm not sure I approve of this. It's a great idea in concept, but from what I've seen the required material for high schoolers since I graduated is piling up with useless crap that they "have to know" which has no real value.

**Frazzled**

Agree completely. Students should take a mandatory government and civics class along with a class in macro economics and a semester on business.
These are important for every citizen.

**kingbobb**

Why don't we start by making our elected officials have to take it before we allow them to take office?

This is another typical meaningless gesture from a government desperate to look like they do something. All it does is create one more standardized test that students will spend two weeks studying for to memorize answers long enough to pass the test, and forget 90% of the material three weeks later. If we really want to create students with a firm understanding of our government, make taking and passing a Government class the requirement. Give students a whole term/year of required study to really master the ideas and concepts that go into government, and give them a chance to study more than just our own form.

But this would require more funding, which our governments are afraid to commit to. So instead we see these empty gestures that allow our elected officials to pat themselves on the back and pretend they actually do something productive.

**SlaveToDorkness**

hotsauceman1 wrote:
What we should do is test people on their English skill

hotsauceman1 wrote:
Not is they know what states the mississipi river passes threw.

The irony it BURNS!

I think it's a good thing. It is things that a kid should know when he graduates and if they don't it's better that it's found out while they're still in school. The amount of people out there voting that cannot name the three branches of the federal government is chilling.

**reds8n**

Kilkrazy wrote:

What happens if you fail this test?

Koch brothers give you $8M and have a proposition you might be interested in.

**Nostromodamus**

I had to do it for reals back in 2008. It's boringly easy and they don't even ask you all the questions that they provide for study. Even the original 13 colonies question, if you get more than half it's a pass.

**Jihadin**

Think you need to watch Watter World.
There are some....dumb individuals

**Nevelon**

Kanluwen wrote:
Nevelon wrote:
I don't think it's too much to ask for students to pass. It's stuff that should be tought anyway.

Speaking of things that should be taught...

I'm not sure I approve of this. It's a great idea in concept, but from what I've seen the required material for high schoolers since I graduated is piling up with useless crap that they "have to know" which has no real value.

Somewhere there is a line between setting goals of what should be taught and micro-manageing and overloading our teachers. I know it’s a huge issue here in New York. Arbitrary metrics, mandates from on high, just so politicians can look like they are doing something, etc.

So while in theory I don’t like the government mucking around and making the teacher’s life harder, I do firmly believe that the basics of government and civics should be taught. A few years ago I took a version of the test, one of those web-ones, to see how I’d do. Even many years out of high school, I only missed a few questions, and I’m crappy with names/dates.

If we aren’t teaching our children the fundamentals of out government, then what are we teaching them?

**nkelsch**

When I was in Highschool in the mid-90s, I had to take a citizenship test to be eligible for a Maryland diploma.

They stopped doing it in MD, because the basic curriculim for the state taught both US history (9th grade) and US government (10th Grade) and they felt the citizenship test was redundant and wasteful. As long as you passed those two classes, you were 'good enuff'.

If the teachers are teaching the curriculum and kids are passing, you shouldn't need a citizenship test. If you still need one then either the teachers are not teaching correctly and passing the failing kids, or the kids are failing and not graduating.

**Jihadin**

Revision history

IMO might as well teach them the good and the bad so history doesn't have a repeat eh

**Carlson793**

If we require prospective American citizens to have an understanding of U.S. history and government, it's only right we expect the same understanding by all citizens. It's just a logical step in the suppression of heresy

**cincydooley**

Frazzled wrote:
Agree completely. Students should take a mandatory government and civics class along with a class in macro economics and a semester on business.
These are important for every citizen.

Interestingly this actually was required in Ohio to graduate up until, I think, 2002.

We were required to take government, economics, and public speaking as a part of the requirements. All classes with functional use in the "real world."

How far we've fallen in a short 12 years.

**Tannhauser42**

A good idea in theory, and one I support, but what will it really accomplish apart from just being patriotic political grandstanding? Public schools do need to be placing more emphasis on teaching what is actually needed for being productive in the "real world." Will this really help with that?