The Senate Education Committee tomorrow will host an informational hearing on a state statute requiring high school students to take a basic civics exam before graduating. A slate of experts will testify to the fact that the long-term success and future prosperity of our state and our country demand that students understand civics.

In 2016, the legislature and Gov. Mark Dayton approved a new law requiring students to pass a basic civics test. Since that time, the law has become the subject of increasing scrutiny and public concern due to a lack of accountability and insufficient reporting requirements.

Districts are not required to record a student’s score in his or her transcript, nor can a student be denied a diploma for failing to answer 30 out of 50 questions correctly. In addition, school districts are not required to keep records or report scores to the Minnesota Department of Education.

Committee Chair Sen. Carla Nelson (R-Rochester) will offer a remedy during the 2020 session by introducing a bill requiring school districts to report the percentage of graduates from the previous year who passed the required civics test. Students who do not pass the exam will not be precluded from graduating.

“This reporting will shine a light of accountability on schools and help administrators, legislators, and families determine what improvements need to be made to ensure graduates are prepared and ready for the responsibility of representative government,” said Sen. Nelson.

“It comes down to being consistent, effective and relevant in how we teach civics,” said Rep. Dean Urdahl, R-Acton Township, the chief author of civics legislation in the House and a former social studies teacher of 35 years in the New London-Spicer school district. “Students learn what they think is important. If students perceive civics to be of lesser importance than other subjects, they are less apt to make it a learning priority. Hence, there is a 75-percent lack of civics proficiency among Minnesota students, something we must improve.”

The civics exam uses 50 of the 100 questions on the United States Citizenship test, as chosen by The Learning Law and Democracy Foundation in consultation with Minnesota civics teachers. In order to pass, students must correctly answer at least 30 of the 50 questions correctly.