Click here to download the report.

Civics top stories: Major findings about students' knowledge in civics in 2006.

• Fourth-grade average scores were higher in 2006 than in 1998, and lower-performing students made gains.
• Eighth-grade White and Hispanic students scored higher in 2006 than in 1998, but score gaps remained unchanged.
• Twelfth-grade performance remained stable since 1998, and score gaps by race/ethnicity persisted. 

Do you know: Find out how students answered specific questions on the civics assessment
by taking the following quiz.

Question 1: How many fourth-graders were able to identify an important reason to vote for President?
A) Almost one-quarter
B) Almost one-half
C) Almost three-quarters
D) Almost all

Question 2: How many fourth-graders were able to list at least one job of state government?
A) Almost one-quarter
B) Almost one-half
C) Almost three-quarters
D) Almost all

Question 3: What percentage of eighth-graders understood that, according to the Declaration of Independence, the most important purpose of government is to protect the rights of individuals?
A) About 55%
B) About 65%
C) About 75%
D) About 85%

Question 4: How many eighth-graders could identify the purpose of the United Nations?
A) About one-third
B) About one-half
C) About two-thirds
D) Almost all

Question 5: How many twelfth-graders knew what happens when state and national laws are in conflict?
A) Almost one-quarter
B) Almost one-half
C) Almost three-quarters
D) Almost all

Question 6: What percentage of twelfth-graders understood that, in setting foreign policy, Congress shares power with the President?
A) Almost 50%
B) Almost 60%
C) Almost 70%
D) Almost 80%

Answers: Question 1) B, Question 2) B, Question 3) D, Question 4) C, Question 5) B, and 
Question 6) A.

                                                                                     Click here to see more NAEP questions.

More about civics: Learn what the civics assessment measures.

A constitutional democracy, such as the United States of America, requires informed, effective, and responsible citizens for its maintenance and improvement. The NAEP civics assessment is designed to show how well American students at grades 4, 8, and 12 are being prepared for citizenship in our constitutional democracy.

                                                                     Click here to learn more about the civics assessment.