I recently took an online history test with questions drawn from standardized tests for eighth-graders. I guess I did better than a lot of eighth-graders because I answered all the questions correctly but then I was a college history major many years ago and continue to be a voracious reader of history.

The most recent national scores for U.S. students on standardized history and civic tests come from the 2022 National Assessment of Educational Progress. These eighth-grade tests revealed a significant national decline in proficiency. In U.S. History the national average score dropped with only 13% of students performing at or above the proficient level, while 40% score below a basic level of proficiency. In civics only 22% of students achieved a proficient level, and 31% scored below a basic level of proficiency.

What are American scores so low? All American test scores have suffered what educators describe as a generation-long “learning recession,” with recent reading and math scores dropping across the majority of school districts. Experts attribute this decline to several factors, including pandemic related learning disruptions, chronic absenteeism, the rise of smart phones and shifts away from strict test-based accountability by school districts.

After pussy footing around the issue for far too long 44 states and the District of Columbia now have bans on smart phones in schools. Educators feel that their proliferation has contributed to a sharp decline in recreational reading among youth that negatively impacts vocabulary and reading comprehension.

COVID-19 caused significant disruptions, leading to a spike in chronic absenteeism. Public health experts and educators also agree that extended school closures during the pandemic resulted in severe, long lasting negative consequences for children and society. While the initial short-term closures in March 2020 were widely seen as a necessary precaution due to vast scientific uncertainty, a massive body of data demonstrates that keeping schools closed for prolonged periods caused deep academic, developmental and economic harm without significantly altering the spread of the virus.

When the “No Child Left Behind Act” was in effect schools had faced funding or administrative penalties for poor math and reading scores. Because of this instruction time for History and Civics severely reduced and, in some cases, entirely phased out. It is sad to note that instructional time for History and civics did not automatically increase after the “No Child Left Behind Act” expired.

What is the possible impact on society of low student proficiency in History and Civics? According to the Conference Board, an independent, nonpartisan and non-profit research organization, the long-term effect of neglecting American History and Civics education include a weakened democratic system, declining civic participation, increased political polarization, and a vulnerability to misinformation. Without a foundational understanding of democratic institutions, a society struggles to maintain the shared values necessary to sustain a constitutional republic.

Citizens who do not understand the structure of their government cannot maintain it. Neglecting Civics education leads to a lack of knowledge about checks and balances, the separation of powers and the role of the judiciary. Over time this ignorance can allow constitutional boundaries to erode because the public will be unable to recognize or check abuses of power.

Further, a lack of historical and civic knowledge generally correlates directly with lower engagement in the democratic process. This means lower voter turnout, particularly in state and local elections, reduced community volunteering and local civic engagement with fewer citizens running for office. We have the impact of this in Chautauqua County where the number of uncontested elections has increased.

Civics and American History education also provides a shared story and a common framework for understanding both our national struggles and our achievements. Without this shared foundation public discourse becomes more a war of words as we have often seen in our recent political life. Citizens lose the context needed for historical empathy, the process of trying to understand the actions, decisions and feelings of historic people from the past with their own specific historical context rather than judging them by modern moral or cultural standards which makes it more difficult for citizens to find common ground.

In recent years Russia, China, and Iran have been the primary nations that actively launch state-sponsored disinformation and influence programs on social media against the U.S. Civics education teaches critical thinking, media literacy, and how to evaluate sources of information. Without these skills, we can become highly susceptible to propaganda, conspiracy theories, and foreign disinformation designed to exploit social divisions and destabilize democratic norms.

Citizens cannot defend rights that they do not know they have. For example, a lack of education about the Bill of Rights means that individuals are less likely to recognize when their freedom of speech and due process protection against unlawful searches are being infringed upon, leading to a gradual loss of personal liberties.

While math and science are vital in today’s world and reading the preeminent path to all knowledge we forget at our nations and our own peril that an informed citizenry is vital to a republican form of government. We should always remember the admonition made by Benjamin Franklin at the conclusion of the Constitutional Convention in 1787. When asked by a citizen whether America was now a monarchy or a republic he replied: “A republic, if you can keep it!” He believed the endurance of American freedom depended entirely on the active vigilance, virtue, and participation of its citizens.

Thomas Kirkpatrick Sr. is a Silver Creek resident. Send comments to editorial@observertoday.com