Can you pass the US citizenship test from Arizona government schools?
Posted by DarthDilbert at 7/12/2009 08:53:00 PM
You know those groan-inducing spots on late-night television when the typical person-on-the-street can't identify the vice president?
That's akin to what happened to the state's education system Tuesday, with the issuance of a new report that found only 3.5 percent of traditional public high school students would be able to pass a U.S. citizenship test— bombing out on questions such as who was America's first president, who wrote the Declaration of Independence and what do we call the first 10 amendments to the Constitution.
There's little room to be smug from the charter school or private school arenas. While they both did better, they still did poorly, with only 7 percent and 14 percent of those students passing the test, respectively, according to a survey by the Goldwater Institute, a conservative think tank.
"I was dismayed and shocked at just how poorly the kids did," said Matthew Ladner, vice president of research. "When 74 percent [of children in government schools] can't tell you that George Washington was the first president of the U.S., that's really disturbing."
Here are the questions (highlight for answer):
1. What is the supreme law of the land?
Answer: The Constitution. Correct - 29.5 percent
2. What do we call the first 10 amendments to the Constitution?
Answer: The Bill of Rights. Correct - 25 percent
3. What are the two parts of the U.S. Congress?
Answer: The Senate and the House. Correct - 23 percent
4. How many justices are on the Supreme Court?
Answer: Nine. Correct - 9.4 percent
5. Who wrote the Declaration of Independence?
Answer: Thomas Jefferson. Correct - 25.3 percent
6. What ocean is on the East Coast of the United States?
Answer: Atlantic. Correct - 58.8 percent
7. What are the two major political parties in the United States?
Answer: Democratic and Republican. Correct - 49.6 percent
8. We elect a U.S. senator for how many years?
Answer: Six. Correct - 14.5 percent
9. Who was the first president?
Answer: Washington. Correct - 26.5 percent
10. Who is in charge of the executive branch?
Answer: The president. Correct - 26 percent
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Arizona Daily Star
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