Students’ Mastery of NAEP History and Civics Mixed

Elementary and older students' knowledge of American history has improved in recent years, but while younger students also have made gains in civics, performance in that subject in the upper grades remains flat, test results released today show.

Fourth graders improved their scores in separate tests of both U.S. history and civics, according to the latest results of the National Assessment of Educational Progress, or NAEP .

The average score for 4th graders in civics climbed from 150 to 154, on a 300-point scale, from 1998 to 2006, when the latest test was administered. In history, students in that grade saw their average score rise from 208 to 211, on a 500-point scale, in the same time span. Both increases were deemed statistically significant improvements. Students at the lowest-performing level, rather than high achievers, accomplished the...