Social Studies

Do You Know as Much as an 8th Grader About Civics? Quiz Yourself

By Marina Whiteleather — May 09, 2023 1 min read
Messed up puzzle pieces of an American flag on a dark blue background
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

Recently released results on the National Assessment of Educational Progress test—also known as the “Nation’s Report Card”—mark the first time that 8th grade civics scores declined in nearly 25 years.

EdWeek Staff Writer Sarah Schwartz noted in a recent article covering the results, History Achievement Falls to 1990s Levels on NAEP; Civics Scores Take First-Ever Dive, that the findings are the first national data on students’ social studies achievement since the pandemic began.

A follow-up article, Understanding the Sharp Drop in History and Civics NAEP Scores: 4 Things to Know, Schwartz unpacks the context: how these scores compare to declines in other subjects, the decades-long marginalization of the subject, and ongoing challenges of carving out intentional instructional time for civics education.

Below are some questions included in the recent NAEP test on civics. Test your knowledge and see how your results compare to the grade 8 students who took the test in spring 2022.

Then check out our other coverage of civics education, including our award-winning Citizen Z project.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics, National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), 2022 Civics & U.S. History Assessments at Grade 8.

Related Tags:

Events

This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
College & Workforce Readiness Webinar
Smarter Tools, Stronger Outcomes: Empowering CTE Educators With Future-Ready Solutions
Open doors to meaningful, hands-on careers with research-backed insights, ideas, and examples of successful CTE programs.
Content provided by Pearson
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Reading & Literacy Webinar
Improve Reading Comprehension: Three Tools for Working Memory Challenges
Discover three working memory workarounds to help your students improve reading comprehension and empower them on their reading journey.
Content provided by Solution Tree
Recruitment & Retention Webinar EdRecruiter 2026 Survey Results: How School Districts are Finding and Keeping Talent
Discover the latest K-12 hiring trends from EdWeek’s nationwide survey of job seekers and district HR professionals.

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

Social Studies Why Some Civics Educators Are Afraid to Teach Their Subject
"They just don’t know in this new environment what they can and can’t say," said one civics education expert.
4 min read
Students listen to social studies teacher Ella Pillitteri during a seventh grade civics class at A.D. Henderson School in Boca Raton, Fla., on April 16, 2024.
Students listen to social studies teacher Ella Pillitteri during a 7th grade civics class at A.D. Henderson School in Boca Raton, Fla., on April 16, 2024. Civics teachers say they are struggling not to run into controversy when teaching core topics like the separation of powers as President Trump's administration continues to push constitutional boundaries.
Rebecca Blackwell/AP
Social Studies Reported Essay Students Have Questions About Our Democracy. Is Civics Class Up to the Task?
How today’s messy political realities are crashing against traditional civics education.
10 min read
The outside world seeps into a civics classroom.
Islenia Mil for Education Week
Social Studies Opinion What Should Civics Instruction Look Like?
States should take four policy actions for a rigorous approach to civics in the classroom, an educator explains.
6 min read
The United States Capitol building as a bookcase filled with red, white, and blue policy books in a Washington DC landscape.
Luca D'Urbino for Education Week
Social Studies A Hands-On Lesson in Civics Sees Surging Student Interest in the Age of Trump
The American Civil Liberties Union sees interest spike in its student advocacy institute, while conservative groups have their own programs.
10 min read
This summer, the ACLU expanded to three weeklong sessions of 300 students each, with participants coming from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and, for the first time, Guam. Maddie Clements, 16, a rising junior at West Creek High School in Clarksville, Tenn. (center, ink hair) listens during Anu Joshi’s immigration rights keynote which packed an auditorium at American University.
This summer, the ACLU expanded to three weeklong sessions of 300 students each, with participants coming from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and, for the first time, Guam. Maddie Clements, 16, a rising junior at West Creek High School in Clarksville, Tenn. (center, with pink and purple hair), listens during Anu Joshi's immigration rights keynote.
Melissa Lyttle for Education Week