US Students' Knowledge of American History and Civics Reaches Record Lows

Eighth grade students in the US have seen a slight decline in their history and civics test scores, with an increasing number of children lacking a basic understanding of either subject, according to the National Assessment of Educational Progress. The results reflect the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic that shuttered schools across the country. Nearly one-third of eighth grade students cannot describe the structure or function of government, and many US schools aren't doing enough to reverse the trend, history and civics educators say.