Kansas may require high school students pass a civics test to graduate

A new bill may require all Kansas high school students to pass a civics test similar to a United States naturalization exam in order to graduate with a high school diploma.

The bill, introduced in the Kansas Legislature’s House Committee on Education Tuesday afternoon, would require all students who enroll in ninth grade after July 1, 2020 to take an exam that is “substantially similar” to the questions the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services asks applicants for U.S. citizenship. Students would be able to take the test multiple times until they pass.

If the bill were enacted, students could start requesting to take the exam in the 7th grade. Accommodations would be made for students in special education.

Proponents say the bill would ultimately improve civic engagement and understanding.

In 2019, the Annenberg Civics Survey, conducted by an institute at the University of Pennsylvania to understand U.S. citizens’ knowledge of the Constitution, found that only about two in five Americans were able to name all three branches of government. More than a third of the survey’s participants could not name any of the rights protected by the First Amendment.

“At the end of the day, we all have an understanding that we can do better on this issue,” said State Rep. Steve Huebert, a Valley Center Republican and chair of the committee.

Those in favor of the bill include Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt, who said the test encompasses information every U.S. citizen should know whether they are a natural born citizen or an immigrant.

“Surely we can set an expectation that if we’re privileged to be born here, we ought to at least, in this minimal way, be able satisfy the requirements as someone who chooses to come,” Schmidt said.

But opponents say the bill is unnecessary, since high school students are already required to take three classes about U.S. history and government. School districts individually can decide how to teach courses on U.S. government, but each class is required to follow standards set by the Kansas State Department of Education.

John Allison, the superintendent for Olathe schools, wrote on behalf of the Olathe Public Schools and Blue Valley Schools that the bill would “create an additional barrier to high school graduation” and create a “greater emphasis on the test instead of the learning experience.”

Leah Fliter, an advocacy and outreach specialist from the Kansas Association of School Boards, told the house committee the bill is “unnecessary, duplicative and intrudes on the State Board of Education’s constitutional authority over public schools.”

Kansas State Board of Education members say civics is already sufficiently covered in high school education in its standards. Jim Porter, the Board’s legislative liaison, said the Board would work with legislators to determine if a test should also be mandatory.

“We certainly want our students to be confident citizens,” Porter said.

This story was originally published February 11, 2020 at 5:10 PM.