The Nation’s Report Card: Civics 2010

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The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) has just released The Nation’s Report Card: Civics 2010. The 2010 civics report presents results for students from across the nation in grades 4, 8, and 12.

Major findings from the 2010 report include:

• The average score for fourth-graders was higher than in previous assessments in 2006 and 1998. The average score for eighth-graders in 2010 was not significantly different from either 2006 or 1998.

• At grade 12, the average score in 2010 was lower than in the 2006 assessment, but not significantly different from the average score in 1998.

• Average scores for Hispanic students in grade 8 were higher in 2010 than in 2006; average scores for Hispanic students at all three grade levels were higher than in 1998.

• Average scores for students eligible for either free or reduced price school lunch were higher in 2010 than in 2006 at both grades 4 and 8; additionally, a higher percentage of fourth-graders eligible for free lunch performed at or above Basic than in 2006.

• The average score for female fourth-graders increased since 2006; there were no significant changes in score for male fourth-graders since 2006.

• The percentage of twelfth-grade English language learners performing at or above Basic was lower in 2010 than in 2006, but not significantly different from the percentages in 1998.

The Nation’s Report Card: Civics 2010 is a product of the National Center for Education Statistics at the Institute of Education Sciences, part of the U.S. Department of Education