And Others TITLE the Civics Report Card: Trends in Achievement from 1976 to 1988 at Ages 13 and 17; Achievement in 1988 at Grades 4, 8, and 12
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DOCUMENT RESUME ED 315 376 SO 020 796 AUTHOR Anderson, Lee; And Others TITLE The Civics Report Card: Trends in Achievement from 1976 to 1988 at Ages 13 and 17; Achievement in 1988 at Grades 4, 8, and 12. INSTITUTION Educational Testing Service, Princeton, N.J.; National Assessment of Educational Progress, Princeton, NJ. SPONS AGENCY National Center for Education Statistics (ED), Washington, DC.; Office of Educational Research and Improvement (ED), Washington, DC. REPORT NO ISBN-0-88685-098-3; NAEP-19-C-01 PUb DATE Apr 90 GRANT 008720335 NOTE 116p. AVAILABLE FROM National Assessment of Educational Progress, Educational Testing Service, Rosedale Road, Princeton, NJ 08541-0001. PUB TYPE Statistical Data (110) -- Reports Research /Technical (143) EDRS PRICE MF01/PC05 Plus Postage. DESCRIPTORS Academic Achievement; Achievement Rating; *Civics; Comparative Analysis; Comprehension; Elementary Secondary Education; Grade 4; Grade 8; Grade 12; Instruction; *Knowledge Level; *National Surveys; *Student Evaluation; Students; *Teaching Methods; Trend Analysis IDENTIFIERS National Assessment cf Educational Progress ABSTRACT This report summarizes findings from two national surveys of U.S. civics achievement conducted by the National Assessment of Educational Progress. Part 1 reports on a trend assessment of approximately 56,000 students at ages 13 and 17, carrie2 out during the 1975-76, 1981-82, and i.987-88 school years. Chapter 1 summarizes national trends, trends for demographic subpopulations, trends in students' ability to define democ':acy, and trends in students' ability to identify the value of multiple newspaper publishers. Part 2 reports on patterns of achievement of fourth-, eighth-, and twelft; -grade students in 1988. Chapter: Summarizes the levels of civics proficiency across the grades. Chapter 3 compares civics proficiency across subpopulac2:_cns defined by gender, race/ethnicity, region, and other characteristics. Chapter 4 explores students' performance in specific content areas such a?2-: democratic principles and the purpose of government.; political processes; and rights, responsibilities, and the law. :ha'2ter- F describes the amount of instruction students reprirted receivand :n civics, while chapter 6 discusses the topics studied and the instructional approaches used in thse classes. Appendices contain procedural information and tables of statistical data that supplement the information in the text. (:E.) ta THE NATION'S REPORTNov The CIVIC CARD Report Card TRENDS IN ACHIEVEMENT FROM 1976 TO 1988 AT AGES 13 AND 17 ACHIEVEMENT IN 1988 AT GRADES 4, 8 AND 12 U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Office 01 Educational Research andImprovement EDU TIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) his document has been reproducedas received from the person or organization originating it C' Minor changes have Peen made to improve reproduction quality Points 01 view or opinions stated in this docu- ment do not necessarily represent official OERI position or gottCy Prepared by EDUCATIONAL TESTING SERVICE under a grant from THE NATIONAL CENTER FOR EDUCATION STATISTICS OFFICE OF EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH AND IMPROVEMENT U S DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION What is The Nation's Report Card? rr la; NATI( )7\'S liNtliT CARD,the \atinnal .kssessment of Fatteationitl Progress INAPT) is the only nationally representative and continuing assessment of what Arnerica'!.; students know and can (10 In various su. ;vet areas. Since 1969, assessments have been conducted periodically- in eading, mathernat- ics, science, writing history geography, and other fields By making objective infornation on student performance avaiiahle to policvniakers at the national state, and local levels, \Aii is an integral part of mit nation s evaluation of the condition and progress of education. Only information related to ac.fleritic achievement is collected under this program.AEI' guarantees the privacy of individual students int, their families. \AEI' is a congressionally mandated project of the National (:enter for f:(Itication Statistics, the 1),..partment of Education. the Commissioner of Education Statistics is responsible, by law, for carrying 0111 the \AEI) project through t,topehtive awards to quithried organizations. \ALI) reports (1 irectiv to the Commissioner. %vim is also respri)sible for providing continuing reviews, including validation studies and solicitation of public comment, on \AEI) s conduct and usefulness In 1988, Congress created the Natimal Assessment Governing hoard 1""1 to formulate policy guidelines for \AEI). The hoard is I osprinsible for selecting the subject areas to be assessed. which may include adding to those specified h Cungress identifying appropriate achievement goals for' each age and grade: developing assessment objectives, developing lest specifications; designing the assessment methodology: developing guidelines and standards for data analysis and for reporting and disseminating results: developing standards and procedures for interstate, regional, and national comparisons: im- proving the foam and use of the National Assessment: and ensuring that all items selected for use in the Nalinnal .Nssessment are 1.11'0' 1.1'0111 racial. 11111(11Al, gr11(11'1'. or regional bias. The National Assessment Govern;ng Board 1)r. I:tipster I,. I Ir.. (11;lierrn. %Ir. 11110)Ilia Clirterp %Ir. %lark 1111%i1i. 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Mal tin I .J.; I I '.111111SI i I '11.10 \ .1..1 if ' `..I( I ,1nr II, IIitI bI 1,411 71 ( 111ln,1tlt;tl,;:In \ 11r .-1 .1. %Inset' 11111(11(rI11110' Sall! 4 g11111(1'111(111 :.t I 1 Ir 11(r I ( !III`, I Id I .1,1. .11., \ I.1 VII Itl I 1(1 II t',.% , THE HATI S REPORTCARD NW, The Civics Report Card TRENDS IN ACHIEVEMENT FROM 1976 TO 1988 AT AGES 13 AND 17 ACHIEVEMENT IN 1988 AT GRADES 4, 8, AND 12 Lee Anderson Lynn B. Jenkins James Leming Walter B. MacDonald Ina V.S. Mullis Mary Jane Turner Judith S. Wooster APRIL 1990 THE NATIONAL ASSESSMENT OF EDUCATIONAL PROGRESS Prepared by EDUCATIONAL TESTING SERVICE under a grant from THE NATIONAL CENTER FOR EDUCATION STATISTICS OFFICE OF EDUCATIONAL RESLARCH AND IMPROVEMENT U S DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION U.S. Department of Education Latiro F. Cavazos Secretary Office of Educational Research and Improvement Christopher T. Cross Assistant Secretary National Center for Education Statistics Emerson J. Elliott Acting Commissioner 1,Ver illustration reprodovtl ft permission of the artist. coinrright Richard Ft.n 19.76 I his rrport Nn 14-( 01 cart Inv ordered boom the National Assessment of F. dot ational Progress I Altll alma& tenting Serve -e Rosedale, Road Prow elm "'dew lel nes 004541 -(6)01 Llhra IA litif iortgress t'ataltrg t and %wafter 90-6t170$ ISM% 0 attba5 0913 3 the contents of thts booklet were developed andel a gram ft ant the Ilettartirtent of tAlocatton liowever those contents uo no rim-pv.811 h represent the policy of the Ikepartment of Education and you should not assume endorsement fn %hr federal government 1 he work upon which this publication se batted was performed pursuant to Cram No 0004720335 of the t Alice of Lthicatiunal Research and Improvement Lducational Testing tienitee to an equal opportunity 'affirmative arson employer FILItsc.dreanial Train); .Sert..cr. FIN, and *)are reordered trademarks of 1.4-Iticational 'testing Servo r Knowledge will- forever govern ignorance; and a peopte whomean tobe theirown governors must armthemselves with thepower knowledge gives. games gvicurison, 1822 CONTENTS Overview 6 Highlights from the NAEP Civics Trend Assessments, 1976 to 1988: Ages 13 and 17 .. .. Highlights from the 1988 NAEP Civics Assessment: Grades 4, 8, and 12 8 Performance Results 8 Instructional Findings 9 A Note on Interpretations 10 PART II:Trends in Achievement at Ages 13 and 17. 1976 to 1988 11 Chapter One: Trends in Civics Proficiency 12 National Trends 13 Trends for Demographic Subpopulations 14 Trends in Students' Ability to Define Democracy 18 Trends in Students' Ability to Identify the Value of Multiple Newspaper Publishers 20 Summary 23 PART Patterns of Achievement at Grades 4, 8, and 12, 1988 25 Chapter Two: Levels of Cities Proficiency Across, the Grades 27 Levels of Civics Proficiency for the Nation 29 Summary 40 Chapter Three: Civics Proficient)/ Across Subpopulations Average Civics Proficiency fur the Nation and Demographic Subopulations 42 Levels of Civics Proficiency for Demographic Sulipopulations 43 Average Civics Proficiency by Home and School Factors 52 Summary 55 Chapter Four: Students' Knowledge and Understanding of Ur.ited States Government and Politics iF Democratic Principles and the Purpose of Government 57 Structures and Functions of Political Institutions Political Processes 64 Rights, Responsibilities, and the Law 65 Content-Area knowledge Across the Grades 66 Summary 67 Chapter Five: Amount of Civics Instruction and Course laking 68 Frequency of Social Studies Instruction: Grade 4 69 Exposure to American Government or CIics Instruction: Grade 8 71 Amount of American Government or Civics !nstruction: Grade I2 72 Time Spent on Homework: Grade 12.