Last week’s report that test scores in civics and history are dropping should be concerning not just to teachers, but to all of us.

The National Assessment of Educational Progress — known as the “nation’s report card” — tested about 7,800 students across the country in civics, and 8,000 students in U.S. history between January and March 2022. The test had last been given in 2018.

On a point scale of 0 to 500, the average U.S. history score dropped 5 points to 258, continuing a downward trend that began in 2014. Just 13% of eighth graders scored at or above the proficient level. In civics, the average score dropped 2 points to 150 between 2018 and 2022. Just 22% of eighth graders scored at or above the proficient level.

Some point to the COVID-19 pandemic as a reason for the decrease in history and civics test scores, but the slide actually started in 2014 — well before the pandemic began. It’s more likely the decline in civics and history knowledge is the result of simple, old fashioned neglect. As the focus has turned to reading, math and, in many districts, STEM learning, history and civics is being left behind.

Those who cover government don’t need the NAEP to tell us that the nation’s collective knowledge and understanding of government, civics or history is decreasing. We see people struggling to understand how government is supposed to work, which branches of government are supposed to handle certain tasks and how past events tie into current events.

Most importantly, we see it in our elections. Candidates with depth are left by the wayside while candidates with few ideas, little substance and an ability to captivate the public’s attention for their outlandishness are becoming more and more successful. As our national civics knowledge decreases, our politics gets worse because fewer of our country’s youth realize the importance of making informed choices at the ballot box — or of voting at all.

The New York Board of Regents is in the midst of discussions to change the state’s graduation standards. We hope they are paying attention to the NAEP scores in civics and history and consider ways to boost those scores by requiring more civics education as a requirement for graduation.