I n s t i t u t e o f E d u c a t i o n S c i e n c e s

U.S. Department of Education

NCES 2011–466

Civics 2010

NATIONAL ASSESSMENT OF EDUCATIONAL PROGRESS AT GRADES 4, 8, AND 12
	 	

	 	

	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	

	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	

	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	

	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	

	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	

	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	

	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	

	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	

	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	

	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	

	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		

	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Contents 

1 Executive Summary 

4 Introduction 

7 Grade 4 

20 Grade 8 

34 Grade 12 

47 Technical Notes 

49 Appendix Tables 

What Is The Nation’s Report CardTM? 

The Nation’s Report CardTM informs the public about the academic achievement of elementary and secondary students in the United States. Report 

cards communicate the findings of the National Assessment of Educational 

Progress (NAEP), a continuing and nationally representative measure of 

achievement in various subjects over time. 

Since 1969, NAEP assessments have been conducted periodically in reading, 

mathematics, science, writing, U.S. history, civics, geography, and other 

subjects. NAEP collects and reports information on student performance at 

the national and state levels, making the assessment an integral part of our 

nation’s evaluation of the condition and progress of education. Only academic 

achievement data and related background information are collected. The 

privacy of individual students and their families is protected. 

NAEP is a congressionally authorized project of the National Center for 

Education Statistics (NCES) within the Institute of Education Sciences of the 

U.S. Department of Education. The Commissioner of Education Statistics is 

responsible for carrying out the NAEP project. The National Assessment 

Governing Board oversees and sets policy for NAEP. 

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CIVICS 2010 

Scale score Scale score Scale score Scale score Scale score Scale score

’98 ’06 ’10 ’98 ’06 ’10 ’98 ’06 ’10

Year Year Year

Grade 4 Grade 8 Grade 12 

Executive Summary
� Nationally representative samples of about 7,100 fourth-graders, 9,600 eighth-graders, 

and 9,900 twelfth-graders participated in the 2010 National Assessment of Educational 

Progress (NAEP) in civics. At each grade, students responded to questions designed 

to measure the civics knowledge and skills that are critical to the responsibilities of 

citizenship in America’s constitutional democracy. Comparing the results from the 

2010 assessment to results from two previous assessment years shows how students’ 

knowledge and skills in civics have progressed over time. 

Students making progress in civics at grade 4 but not at grades 8 

and 12 

In comparison to earlier civics assessments in 1998 and 2006, the average score in 2010 was

• higher than the scores in both years at grade 4, 

• not significantly different from the score in either year at grade 8, and 

• lower than the score in 2006 but not significantly different from the score in 1998 at grade 12 (figure A). 

Figure A. Trend in fourth-, eighth-, and twelfth-grade NAEP civics average scores 

0

170

160

150

140

300

154* 157

150*

0

170

160

150

140

300

150 150 151

0

170

160

150

140

300

151* 148 150

* Significantly different (p < .05) from 2010. 

What are students studying in civics? 

88% of fourth-graders had teachers 

who reported emphasizing politics 

and government to a small extent or 

more in social studies classes in 2010. 

78% of eighth-graders reported 

studying about Congress in 2010. 

67% of twelfth-graders reported 

studying about the U.S. Constitution 

in 2010. 

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics, National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), 1998, 2006, and 2010 Civics Assessments. 

1 
THE NATION’S REPORT CARD 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Percentages of fourth-graders at 

or above Basic and Proficient levels 

increase 

The NAEP Basic level denotes partial mastery of the 

knowledge and skills fundamental for proficient work 

at each grade. Seventy-seven percent of fourth-graders, 

72 percent of eighth-graders, and 64 percent of twelfthgraders performed at or above the Basic level in civics in 

2010. The percentages of students at or above Basic in 

2010 were higher than in 2006 and 1998 at grade 4, but 

not significantly different from previous assessment years 

at grades 8 and 12. 

The Proficient level represents solid academic performance 

to which all students at each grade assessed should aspire. 

Students reaching this level have demonstrated competency over challenging subject matter. Twenty-seven 

percent of fourth-graders, 22 percent of eighth-graders, 

and 24 percent of twelfth-graders performed at or above 

the Proficient level in civics in 2010. The percentages of 

students at or above Proficient in 2010 were higher than 

in 2006 and 1998 at grade 4, not significantly different 

from the percentages in the previous assessment years at 

grade 8, and lower than 2006 at grade 12. 

No significant changes in 

percentages of students at Advanced

The Advanced level represents superior performance. Two 

percent of fourth-graders, 1 percent of eighth-graders, and 

4 percent of twelfth-graders performed at the Advanced 

level in civics in 2010. There were no significant changes in 

the percentages of fourth-, eighth-, and twelfth-graders at 

Advanced in comparison to previous assessment years. 

Examples of skills demonstrated 

by students performing at each 

achievement level 

Basic

• Recognize taxes as the main source of government funding 

(grade 4). 

• Identify a right protected by the First Amendment (grade 8). 

• Interpret a political cartoon (grade 12). 

Proficient

• Identify a purpose of the U.S. Constitution (grade 4). 

• Recognize a role performed by the Supreme Court (grade 8). 

• Define the term “melting pot” and argue if it applies to the 

U.S. (grade 12). 

Advanced

• Explain two ways countries can deal with shared problems 

(grade 4). 

• Name two actions citizens can take to encourage Congress 

to pass a law (grade 8). 

• Compare the citizenship requirements of the U.S. to other 

countries (grade 12). 

2 
Hispanic students make gains from 

1998 to 2010 at all three grades 

Average civics scores for Hispanic students were higher in 

2010 than in 2006 at grade 8, and higher than in 1998 at all 

three grades. Gains for Hispanic students contributed to a 

narrowing of the White – Hispanic score gap in comparison 

to the gaps in earlier assessment years for grades 8 and 12. 

At grade 4, the White – Hispanic gap in 2010 was not 

significantly different from the gap in 2006 but narrowed in 

comparison to 1998. 

Performance improves from 1998 

to 2010 for most racial/ethnic 

groups at grade 4 

Average scores were higher in 2010 than in 1998 for fourthgraders in all racial/ethnic groups with samples large 

enough to report results. Although not represented in the 

table below, the percentages of White, Black, Hispanic, and 

Asian/Pacific Islander students performing below the Basic 

level decreased from 1998 to 2010, and the percentages 

at Proficient increased. 

Female students score higher 

than male students at grade 4
�

The average score for female fourth-graders increased since 

2006, while there was no significant change in the score for 

male fourth-graders over the same period. In 2010, female 

students scored 7 points higher on average than male 

students at grade 4, which was larger than the 2-point score 

difference between the two groups in earlier assessment 

years. 

The average score for female twelfth-graders was lower in 

2010 than in 2006 and 1998, while there was no significant 

change in the score for male twelfth-graders in comparison 

to either year. There was no significant difference between 

the scores of female and male students in 2010 at grade 12 

or grade 8. 

Grade 4 Grade 8 Grade 12 

Characteristic Since 1998 Since 2006 Since 1998 Since 2006 Since 1998 Since 2006 

Overall p p t t t q

Race/ethnicity 

White p t t t t t

Black p t t t t t

Hispanic p t p p p t

Asian/Pacific Islander p t t t t t

American Indian/ 

Alaska Native ‡ t ‡ t ‡ t

Gender 

Male p t t t t t

Female p p t t q q

Gaps 

White – Black Narrowed t t t t t

White – Hispanic Narrowed t Narrowed Narrowed Narrowed Narrowed 

Female – Male Widened Widened t t t t

p Indicates the score was higher in 2010. 

qIndicates the score was lower in 2010. 

t Indicates no significant change in the score or the gap in 2010. 

‡ Reporting standards not met. Sample size insufficient to permit a reliable estimate. 

CIVICS 2010 3 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Introduction 

Responsible citizens of a constitutional democracy such as the United States should have 

adequate knowledge of the country’s principles and institutions, skills in applying this 

knowledge to civic life, and dispositions to protect individual rights and promote the common 

good. Civics instruction begins in grade school and continues into high school. The 2010 

National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) civics assessment measures how well 

fourth-, eighth-, and twelfth-graders are learning the knowledge and skills of democratic 

citizenship and government. Comparing the results from the 2010 assessment to results from 

previous assessments in 1998 and 2006 shows how students’ knowledge and skills in civics at 

these grade levels have progressed over time. 

The Civics Framework 

The National Assessment Governing Board oversees the 

development of NAEP frameworks that describe the specific 

knowledge and skills that should be assessed in each subject. 

Frameworks incorporate ideas and input from subject area 

experts, school administrators, policymakers, parents, and 

others. The Civics Framework for the 2010 National Assessment 

of Educational Progress describes the types of questions that 

should be included in the assessment and how they should be 

designed and scored. The 1998, 2006, and 2010 civics 

assessments were developed using the same framework. 

The civics framework specifies that the assessment questions 

address the following three interrelated components: knowledge, intellectual and participatory skills, and civic dispositions. Taken together, these components should form the 

essential elements of civic education in the United States. 

Each question in the assessment has both a knowledge and 

an intellectual skills component. A portion of the questions 

also measures participatory skills and/or civic dispositions. 

Civic Knowledge: It is important that all students have an 

opportunity to consider essential questions about government and civil society. Although there are various ways of 

phrasing these questions, the framework follows the National 

Standards for Civics and Government in organizing them in the 

following five major categories: 

I. What are civic life, politics, and government? 

II. What are the foundations of the American political 

system?
�

III. How does the government established by the 

Constitution embody the purposes, values, and principles of American democracy? 

IV. What is the relationship of the United States to other 

nations and to world affairs?
�

V. What are the roles of citizens in American democracy? 

Intellectual and Participatory Skills: If citizens are to exercise 

their rights and fulfill their responsibilities as members of 

self-governing communities, they not only need to acquire a 

body of knowledge about civic life, politics, and government, 

but also need to develop relevant intellectual and participatory skills. The intellectual skills essential for informed, 

effective, and responsible citizenship are categorized in the 

framework as identifying and describing; explaining and analyzing; and evaluating, taking, and defending positions on public 

issues. Participatory skills essential for informed, effective, 

and responsible citizenship are categorized as interacting, 

4 THE NATION’S REPORT CARD 
CIVICS 2010 5 

monitoring, and influencing. Since NAEP cannot directly assess 

civic participation, the framework specifies that assessment 

questions be designed to measure whether students can 

identify participatory skills, recognize their purpose, explain 

how to use them, or specify how best to achieve diverse 

results by using particular skills. 

Civic Dispositions: The third component of civic education 

refers to the private and public character traits essential to 

the preservation and improvement of American constitutional 

democracy. The framework specifies the following five civic 

dispositions that contribute to the political efficacy of the 

individual, the healthy functioning of the political system, a 

sense of dignity and worth, and the common good: 

• Becoming an independent member of society; 

• Respecting individual worth and human dignity; 

• Assuming the personal, political, and economic 

responsibilities of a citizen; 

• Participating in civic affairs in an informed, thoughtful, 

and effective manner; and 

• Promoting the healthy functioning of American 

constitutional democracy. 

More detailed information about each of the three major 

components of the assessment is provided in the civics 

framework for 2010, which can be found at http://www.nagb 

.org/publications/frameworks/civicsframework.pdf. 

Reporting NAEP Results 

The results from the 2010 NAEP civics assessment are based 

on nationally representative samples of public and private 

school students at grades 4, 8, and 12 (table 1). Unlike NAEP 

assessments in other subjects such as reading, mathematics, 

and science, the civics assessment was not designed to report 

results for individual states or large urban districts. 

Table 1. Number of participating schools and students in NAEP civics 

assessment, by grade: 2010 

Grade Number of schools Number of students 

Grade 4 540 7,100 

Grade 8 470 9,600 

Grade 12 460 9,900 

Scale scores 

NAEP civics results are reported as average scores on a 

0–300 scale for each grade. Although the NAEP scale score 

ranges are identical for grades 4, 8, and 12, they were derived 

independently, and therefore scores cannot be compared 

across grades. For example, the average score of 167 for 

White students at grade 4 does not denote higher performance than the score of 160 for White students at grade 8. 

NAEP scores also cannot be compared across subjects. 

In addition to reporting an overall civics score for each grade, 

scale scores are reported at five percentiles to show trends 

in results for students performing at lower (10th and 25th 

percentiles), middle (50th percentile), and higher (75th and 

90th percentiles) levels. 

Achievement levels 

Based on recommendations from policymakers, educators, 

and members of the general public, the Governing Board sets 

specific achievement levels for each subject area and grade. 

Achievement levels are performance standards showing what 

students should know and be able to do. NAEP results are 

reported as percentages of students performing at or above 

the Basic and Proficient levels and at the Advanced level. 

As provided by law, the National Center for Education 

Statistics (NCES), upon review of congressionally mandated 

evaluations of NAEP, has determined that achievement levels 

are to be used on a trial basis and should be interpreted with 

caution. The NAEP achievement levels have been widely used 

by national and state officials. 

NAEP Achievement Levels 

Basic denotes partial mastery of prerequisite knowledge and 

skills that are fundamental for proficient work at each grade. 

Proficient represents solid academic performance. Students 

reaching this level have demonstrated competency over 

challenging subject matter. 

Advanced represents superior performance. 

NOTE: The number of schools is rounded to the nearest ten. The number of students is rounded to the nearest hundred. 

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics, National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), 2010 Civics Assessment. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
Interpreting the Results

Changes in performance over time

National results from the 2010 civics assessment are compared to results from two earlier assessment years. NAEP 

reports results using widely accepted statistical standards; 

findings are reported based on statistical significance set at 

.05 with appropriate adjustments for multiple comparisons 

(see the Technical Notes for more information). The symbol 

(*) is used in tables and figures to indicate that an earlier 

year’s score or percentage is significantly different from the 

2010 results. Only those differences that are found to be 

statistically significant are discussed as higher or lower. The 

same standard applies when comparing the performance of 

one student group to another.

A significant increase or decrease in scores from one 

assessment year to the next is reliable evidence that student 

performance has in fact changed. However, NAEP is not 

designed to identify the causes of these changes. Furthermore, the many factors that may influence average student 

achievement scores also change over time. These include 

educational policies and practices, available resources, and 

the demographic characteristics of the student body.

Accommodations and exclusions in NAEP

It is important to assess all selected students from the target 

population, including students with disabilities (SD) and 

English language learners (ELL). To accomplish this goal, 

many of the same testing accommodations allowed on state 

testing (e.g., extra testing time or individual rather than group 

administration) are provided for SD and ELL students participating in NAEP. Accommodations were first made available 

for the civics assessment in 1998.

Even with the availability of accommodations, some students 

may still be excluded. See appendix tables A-1 through A-3 

for the percentages of students accommodated and excluded 

at each of the three grades. More information about NAEP’s 

policy on the inclusion of special-needs students is available 

at http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/about/inclusion.asp.

6 THE NATION’S REPORT CARD 

Explore Additional Results

Not all of the data from the NAEP civics assessment are 

presented in this report. Additional results can be found on the 

Nation’s Report Card website at http://nationsreportcard.gov/

civics_2010 and in the NAEP Data Explorer at http://nces.ed

.gov/nationsreportcard/naepdata/.
GRADE 4

Fourth-graders’ performance 

improves since 2006

The average civics score for the nation’s fourth-graders was higher in 2010 

than in the last assessment in 2006. There were no significant changes in 

the White – Black and White – Hispanic score gaps from 2006 to 2010; 

however, gains for female students have resulted in an increase in the score 

difference between female and male students.

CIVICS 2010 7
0

170

160

150

140

300

Scale score

154* 157

150*

Year

’98 ’06 ’10

Figure 1. Trend in fourth-grade NAEP civics average scores

*Significantly different (p < .05) from 2010.

Figure 2. Trend in fourth-grade NAEP civics percentile scores

*Significantly different (p < .05) from 2010.

0

120

130

140

160

170

180

190

150

110

100

90

200

210

90th

10th

25th

50th

75th

111

102*

134*

128*

156 153*

175* 176

115

138

159

179

194 192 192

300

Scale score Percentile

Year

’98 ’06

% at Advanced

% at or above Proficient

% at or above Basic

’10

100

80

60

40

20

0

Percent

’10

77

2

’06

73*

1

’98

23*

69*

2

24* 27

Year

Fourth-graders post highest 

average score to date

Students’ performance on the NAEP civics assessment continued to improve in 2010 at grade 4. The average score for 

the nation’s fourth-graders was 3 points higher in 2010 than 

in 2006 and 7 points higher than in 1998 (figure 1).

Students at the 25th percentile posted a 4-point increase 

from 2006 to 2010, while any apparent increases at the 10th, 

50th, 75th, and 90th percentiles were not statistically significant (figure 2). In comparison to 1998, scores were higher in 

2010 for all but the highest performing students (those at the 

90th percentile).

Percentages of students at or above 

the Basic and Proficient levels 

increase

Seventy-seven percent of students performed at or above the 

Basic level in 2010, and 27 percent performed at or above the 

Proficient level (figure 3). Both percentages were higher in 

2010 than in the two earlier assessment years. The percentage of students at the Advanced level in 2010 was not significantly different from the percentages in 2006 and 1998.

Figure 3. Trend in fourth-grade NAEP civics achievement-level results

*Significantly different (p < .05) from 2010.

8 THE NATION’S REPORT CARD 

4

GRADE

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics, National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), 1998, 2006, and 2010 Civics Assessments.
No significant change in performance of racial/ethnic groups since 2006

There were no significant changes from 

2006 to 2010 in the average scores for 

any of the five racial/ethnic groups that 

NAEP reports on (figure 4). In comparison to 1998, the scores in 2010 were 

higher for White, Black, Hispanic, and 

Asian/Pacific Islander students.

A closer look at the achievement-level 

results from 1998 to 2010 shows where 

improvements were made at different 

levels. The percentages of students 

performing at the Proficient level were 

higher in 2010 than in 1998 for White, 

Black, Hispanic, and Asian/Pacific 

Islander students (figure 5). The 

percentages of Black and Hispanic 

students performing at the Basic level 

also increased over the same period. 

There were no significant changes in 

the percentage of students at Advanced

for any of the racial/ethnic groups.

In 2010, both White and Asian/Pacific 

Islander students scored higher on 

average than Black, Hispanic, and 

American Indian/Alaska Native students. The average scores of White 

and Asian/Pacific Islander students 

were not significantly different from 

each other.

Hispanic

Black

Asian/

Pacific Islander

White

American Indian/

Alaska Native

158*

’06 164

’98

’10 167

130*

’06 140

’98

’10 143

123*

’06 138

’98

’10 140

147*

’06 154

’98

’10 164

‡

’06

’98

’10

124

143

Year

0 110 120 130 140 150 160 170 300 180

Scale score

50 27*

52 32

2

2

2

22*

15

13 51 35

38* 7*

47 10

55* 1

43

38 50 #

#

12

34* 6*

45 10

60* #

45

42 48 #

#

10

46 19*

51 23

34* 2

25

18 45 3

1

34

1998

2006

2010

White

1998

2006

2010

Black

1998

2006

2010

Hispanic

1998

2006

2010

Asian/Pacific Islander

Below Basic Basic Proficient Advanced

100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0

Percent

10 20 30 40 100

Figure 4. Trend in fourth-grade NAEP civics average scores, by race/ethnicity

‡ Reporting standards not met. Sample size insufficient to permit a reliable estimate.

* Significantly different (p < .05) from 2010.

NOTE: Black includes African American, Hispanic includes Latino, and Pacific Islander includes Native Hawaiian. Race categories exclude 

Hispanic origin.

CIVICS 2010 9

4

GRADE

Additional Results for 

Student Groups

Achievement-level results and percentile 

scores provide additional insight into the 

performance of student groups. See 

appendix tables A-4 and A-5 for additional fourth-grade results for the student 

groups highlighted in this section. Similar 

NAEP results for other student groups can 

be found in the NAEP Data Explorer at http://

nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/naepdata/.

Figure 5. Trend in fourth-grade NAEP civics achievement-level results, by selected 

racial/ethnic groups

# Rounds to zero.

* Significantly different (p < .05) from 2010.

NOTE: Black includes African American, Hispanic includes Latino, and Pacific Islander includes Native Hawaiian. Race categories exclude Hispanic 

origin. Results are not shown for students whose race/ethnicity was American Indian/Alaska Native or unclassified. Detail may not sum to totals 

because of rounding.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics, National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), 1998, 2006, and 2010 Civics Assessments.
Score gap

0

140

150

160

300

170

180

130

120

110

143 140

130*

167 164

Scale score

158*

White

28* Black

25 24

’10

Year

’98 ’06

167 164

158*

White

Score gap

140

123*

138

35*

26 27

Hispanic

0

140

150

160

300

170

180

130

120

110

Scale score

’10

Year

Year

’98 ’06

10 THE NATION’S REPORT CARD

4

 

GRADE

No change in racial/ethnic gaps 

since 2006

In 2010, White students scored 24 points higher on average 

than Black students and 27 points higher than Hispanic 

students (figure 6). There was no significant change in either 

gap from 2006 to 2010. Both racial/ethnic gaps narrowed 

compared to 1998.

Figure 6. Trend in fourth-grade NAEP civics average scores and score gaps, by selected racial/ethnic groups

* Significantly different (p < .05) from 2010.

NOTE: Black includes African American, and Hispanic includes Latino. Race categories exclude Hispanic origin. Score gaps are calculated based on differences between unrounded average scores.

Table 2. Percentage of students assessed in fourth-grade 

NAEP civics, by race/ethnicity: 1998, 2006, and 2010

Race/ethnicity 1998 2006 2010

White 71* 56 56

Black 16 15 15

Hispanic 9* 20 21

Asian/Pacific 

  Islander 3* 5 5

American Indian/ 

  Alaska Native # 2 1

# Rounds to zero.

* Significantly different (p < .05) from 2010.

NOTE: Black includes African American, Hispanic includes Latino, and Pacific Islander includes Native Hawaiian. Race 

categories exclude Hispanic origin. Detail may not sum to totals because results are not shown for students whose 

race/ethnicity was unclassified.

No significant change since 2006 in 

students’ racial/ethnic composition

The proportion of fourth-graders in each of the five racial/

ethnic groups that NAEP reports on has remained relatively 

stable since 2006 (table 2). In comparison to the first 

assessment in 1998, however, the percentage of White 

students decreased from 71 to 56 percent, the percentage of 

Hispanic students increased from 9 to 21 percent, and the 

percentage of Asian/Pacific Islander students increased from 

3 to 5 percent.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics, National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), 1998, 2006, and 2010 Civics Assessments.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics, National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), 1998, 2006, and 2010 Civics Assessments.

150

160

170

300

180

140

130

Scale score

152

169 166* Not eligible

Eligible for reduced-price lunch

Eligible for free lunch

0

120

146*

141

137*

Year

’06 ’10

2* 2* 7

150

160

170

300

180

140

130

Scale score

153

149*

160

155*

151*

Female

Male

Score gap

0

120

153

Year

’98 ’06 ’10

CIVICS 2010 11

4

Recent gains for female students 

create gender gap

The average score for female students increased 5 points 

from 2006 to 2010, while there was no significant change in 

the score for male students over the same period (figure 7). 

The gain for female students contributed to a 7-point gender 

gap in 2010, whereas the apparent differences between male 

and female students in previous assessment years were not 

statistically significant.

Figure 7. Trend in fourth-grade NAEP civics average scores and 

score gaps, by gender

* Significantly different (p < .05) from 2010.

NOTE: Score gaps are calculated based on differences between unrounded average scores. The score differences 

between male and female students were not found to be statistically significant in 1998 and 2006.

Scores increase across income 

levels

NAEP uses students’ eligibility for the National School Lunch 

Program as an indicator of low income. Students from lowerincome families are eligible for either free or reduced-price 

school lunches, while students from higher-income families 

are not (see the Technical Notes for eligibility criteria).

Students who are not eligible typically score higher on average than those eligible for reduced-price lunch, who in turn 

score higher than those eligible for free lunch. The average 

scores for all three groups were higher in 2010 than in 2006 

(figure 8).

Figure 8. Average scores in fourth-grade NAEP civics, by eligibility for 

free or reduced-price school lunch: 2006 and 2010

* Significantly different (p < .05) from 2010.

Table 3. Percentage of students assessed in fourth-grade NAEP 

civics, by eligibility for free or reduced-price school lunch: 

2006 and 2010

Eligibility for school lunch 2006 2010

Eligible for free lunch 36 41

Eligible for reduced-price lunch 7 6

Not eligible 49 48

Information not available 7 5

NOTE: Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding.

Almost one-half of fourth-graders 

eligible for the National School Lunch 

Program

Forty-one percent of fourth-graders were eligible for free 

lunch, 6 percent were eligible for reduced-price lunch, and 

48 percent were not eligible for the lunch program in 2010 

(table 3). There were no significant changes since 2006 in 

the percentages of students based on their eligibility for the 

school lunch program.

GRADE
12 THE NATION’S REPORT CARD

4

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics, National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), 2010 Civics Assessment.

Not at all

Politics and

government

152

A small extent or more 158

Not at all

Foundations of

U.S. democracy

154

A small extent or more 158

Not at all

The U.S. Constitution

154

A small extent or more 158

Not at all

World affairs

157

A small extent or more 157

153

158

Not at all

Roles of citizens

in U.S. democracy

A small extent or more

0 110 120 130 140 150 160 300

Scale score

 

Teachers of over two-thirds of fourth-graders report at least some 

emphasis on civics topics

As part of the 2010 fourth-grade NAEP assessment, questionnaires were completed by the teachers of participating 

students. One of the questions asked teachers to report on 

the extent to which they emphasized certain topics as part 

of their social studies classes. Teachers selected one of four 

responses for each of the five topics related to civics: “not at 

all,” “small extent,” “moderate extent,” or “large extent.”

When the average scores for students whose teachers 

reported emphasizing each topic to a small, moderate, or 

large extent were combined and compared to the score for 

students whose teachers did not emphasize the topic at all, 

higher scores were associated with at least some emphasis 

for all but one of the topics (figure 9). For example, students 

whose teachers reported emphasizing politics and government to a small extent or more scored 6 points higher 

on average than students whose teachers reported not 

emphasizing the topic at all. The pattern was similar for 

topics related to the foundations of U.S. democracy, the 

U.S. Constitution, and the roles of citizens in U.S. democracy. 

Average scores did not differ significantly for students whose 

teachers reported emphasizing world affairs to a small extent 

or more and those whose teachers reported no emphasis on 

the topic at all.

Over two-thirds of fourth-graders had teachers who reported 

emphasizing each of the five civics topics to a small extent 

or more (table 4). With one exception, the percentages of 

students whose teachers reported emphasizing the topic to a 

small or moderate extent were higher than the percentages 

of students whose teachers reported not emphasizing it at all 

or doing so to a large extent. For the topic related to world 

affairs, the percentage of students whose teachers reported a 

small emphasis was higher than the percentage whose 

teachers reported not emphasizing it at all, which in turn was 

higher than the percentages of students whose teachers 

reported emphasizing it to a moderate or large extent.

Figure 9. Average scores in fourth-grade NAEP civics, by teachers’ 

responses to a question about the extent to which they have 

emphasized various topics in their social studies classes: 

2010

To what extent have you emphasized the following topics in your social studies class?

Table 4. Percentage of students assessed in fourth-grade NAEP 

civics, by the extent to which their teachers emphasized 

various topics in their social studies classes: 2010

Civics topics

Not at 

all

Small 

extent

Moderate 

extent

Large 

extent

Politics and government 12 46 35 7

Foundations of U.S. democracy 19 37 34 10

The U.S. Constitution 19 42 31 8

World affairs 30 49 17 4

Roles of citizens in U.S. democracy 12 43 34 11

Explore Additional Results

Results for other background questions from the fourth-grade 

student, teacher, and school questionnaires are available in the NAEP 

Data Explorer at http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/naepdata/.

GRADE
Assessment Content at Grade 4

To reflect developmental differences expected of students at varying grade levels, the 

proportion of the civics assessment devoted to each of the five knowledge components 

varies for each grade assessed as specified in the civics framework.

Because the assessment covered a range of topics 

and included more questions than any one student 

could answer, each student took just a portion of the 

assessment. The 91 questions that made up the entire 

fourth-grade assessment were divided into six sections, each containing a mixture of multiple-choice 

and constructed-response questions. Each student 

responded to questions in two 25-minute sections.

Knowledge Components

25% What are civic life, politics, and government?

These questions focus on comprehension of basic 

terminology and concepts of government.

20% What are the foundations of the American 

political system?

These questions focus on students’ understanding 

of American values and basic principles as expressed 

in core documents (e.g., the Declaration of 

Independence, the Bill of Rights).

15% How does the government established by the 

Constitution embody the purposes, values, and 

principles of American democracy?

These questions focus on understanding the 

meaning and importance of the U.S. Constitution, 

and the major responsibilities of state and local 

governments.

10% What is the relationship of the United States to 

other nations and to world affairs?

These questions focus on understanding the 

concept of nation, world affairs, conflict among 

nations, and the need for peaceful resolution among 

nations.

30% What are the roles of citizens in American democracy?

These questions focus on the basic meaning of 

U.S. citizenship, the rights and responsibilities of 

citizens, and the opportunities for civic participation.

CIVICS 2010 13
Civics Achievement-Level Descriptions for Grade 4

NAEP civics achievement-level descriptions outline expectations of student performance at each grade. The specific descriptions of what fourth-graders should know and be able to do at the Basic, Proficient, and Advanced levels in civics are presented 

below. NAEP achievement levels are cumulative; therefore, student performance at the Proficient level includes the competencies associated with the Basic level, and the Advanced level includes the skills and knowledge associated with both the Basic and 

the Proficient levels. The cut score indicating the lower end of the score range for each level is noted in the parentheses.

Basic (136)

Fourth-grade students performing at 

the Basic level should have some 

understanding of what government is 

and what it does, and they should be 

able to identify some things that government is not allowed to do. They 

should be able to explain purposes of 

rules in the school and the community 

and to describe what happens when 

people break laws. These students 

should understand how national holidays and symbols such as the flag, the 

Statue of Liberty, and the Fourth of July 

reflect shared American values, and 

they should be able to identify different 

types of diversity in American society. 

They should be able to describe ways 

to settle disagreements or conflicts 

peacefully. They should be able to 

name the president and their state 

governor and to identify rights and 

responsibilities of a citizen. They should 

know some ways that students can 

participate in governing their school 

and community, and they should be 

able to describe qualities of a good 

leader. Finally, these students should 

know that the world is divided into 

many countries.

Proficient (177)

Fourth-grade students performing at 

the Proficient level should have a good 

understanding of what the American 

Government does and of the reasons 

why it is not allowed to act in certain 

ways. They should be able to explain 

why we have laws. These students 

should be able to recognize diversity in 

American society and that Americans 

are united by shared beliefs and principles. They should know that the 

Constitution and the Declaration of 

Independence are founding documents 

of American democracy. They should 

be able to explain how people make 

decisions about the ways they live 

together in a democracy and how 

groups in schools and communities can 

manage conflict peacefully. They 

should know what it means to be a 

citizen of their state and the nation, and 

they should be able to distinguish 

between rights and responsibilities of 

citizens. They should understand why it 

is important for people to participate in 

governing their school and community. 

Finally, these students should be able 

to describe ways in which countries 

interact with one another.

Advanced (215)

Fourth-grade students performing at 

the Advanced level should understand 

and be able to explain some purposes 

of government. They should recognize 

differences between power and authority when given examples and should 

understand differences between 

limited and unlimited government. 

These students should be able to 

explain why it is important that citizens 

share a commitment to the values of 

American democracy, and they should 

be aware of the benefits and challenges 

of both unity and diversity in American 

society. They should be able to distinguish between services provided by 

local and state levels of government. 

These students should be able to 

describe how government can make it 

possible for people to accomplish goals 

they could not achieve alone. They 

should be able to identify ways in 

which citizens can keep track of their 

government’s actions and understand 

the connection between rights and 

responsibilities of a citizen. Finally, they 

should be able to explain how nations 

benefit when they resolve conflicts 

peacefully.

4

GRADE

14 THE NATION’S REPORT CARD 
4

GRADE

15

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics, National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), 2010 Civics Assessment. 

What Fourth-Graders Know and Can Do in Civics

The item map below is useful for understanding performance 

at different levels on the NAEP scale. The scale scores on the 

left represent the scores for students who were likely to get 

the items correct or complete. The cut score at the low end of 

the range for each achievement level is boxed. The descriptions of selected assessment questions indicating what 

students need to do to answer the question correctly are 

listed on the right.

For example, the map on this page shows that fourthgraders performing at the Basic level with a score of 163 

were likely to be able to identify taxes as the main source of 

government funding. Students performing at the Proficient

level with a score of 194 were likely to be able to identify an 

idea from the Declaration of Independence. Students at the 

Advanced level with a score of 240 were likely to be able to 

explain the meaning of the Martin Luther King, Jr. “I Have a 

Dream” speech.

GRADE 4 NAEP CIVICS ITEM MAP

Scale	score	 Question	description

Advanced

300

//

257 Name two rights of U.S. citizens and explain why they are important (shown on pages 18 and 19)

256 Explain two ways countries can deal with shared problems

240 Explain the meaning of the Martin Luther King, Jr. “I Have a Dream” speech

227 Identify	a	responsibility	of	U.S.	citizens

215 Identify	the	appropriate	official	to	contact	to	solve	a	problem

215

Proficient

214 Recognize	different	types	of	governments

207 Give an example of how to help one’s country and explain why it is important

194 Identify	an	idea	from	the	Declaration	of	Independence	(shown on page 17)

188 Evaluate	the	concept	of	democracy	presented	in	an	article

187 Understand	the	meaning	of	‘’majority	decides”	in	a	classroom	context

181 Identify	a	purpose	of	the	U.S.	Constitution

179 Recognize	why	the	U.S.	Constitution	limits	the	powers	of	government		

178 Identify	a	way	to	express	an	opinion	on	public	policy	issue

177

Basic

174 Identify	the	method	used	to	select	public	office	holders

170 Recognize	examples	of	civic	participation

168 Identify	local	government	as	the	provider	of	drinking	water	(shown on page 16)

163 Recognize	taxes	as	the	main	source	of	government	funding

155 Identify	a	function	of	the	military

155 Identify	an	example	of	a	person	using	power	without	having	the	right	to

148 Identify	rules	for	a	park

138 Recognize	the	meaning	of	a	national	symbol

137 Identify	a	rule	that	is	unfair

136

126 Identify	a	civic	responsibility

84 Identify	a	reason	to	obey	a	law

71

//

0

Identify	the	President	of	the	United	States

NOTE: Regular type denotes a constructed-response question. Italic type denotes a multiple-choice question. The position of a question on the scale represents the scale score attained by students who had a 65 percent probability of successfully answering 

a constructed-response question, or a 74 percent probability of correctly answering a four-option multiple-choice question. For constructed-response questions, the question description represents students’ performance rated as completely correct. Scale 

score ranges for civics achievement levels are referenced on the map.

CIVICS 2010
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics, National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), 2010 Civics Assessment.

Civics Knowledge Component: How does the government established by 

the Constitution embody the purposes, values, and principles of 

American democracy?

Which of the following is most likely 

responsible for making sure that your 

community has safe drinking water?

A The fire department

B The county hospital

C The attorney general

D The local government

This sample question from the 2010 fourth-grade civics 

assessment measures students’ knowledge of the responsibilities and services provided by the government. Sixty-six 

percent of fourth-graders were able to identify the correct 

response to the question regarding the role of local government in providing safe drinking water for citizens.

Percentage	of	fourth-grade	students	in	each	response	category:	2010

Choice	A Choice	B Choice	C Choice	D Omitted

6 13 14 66 1

The table below shows the percentage of fourth-graders 

within each achievement level who answered this question 

correctly. For example, 67 percent of fourth-graders at the 

Basic level selected the correct answer choice.

Percentage	of	fourth-grade	students	responding	correctly	at	each	

achievement	level:	2010

Overall Below	Basic At	Basic At	Proficient At	Advanced

66 46 67 80 ‡

‡ Reporting standards not met. Sample size insufficient to permit a reliable estimate.

Explore Additional Sample Questions

More questions from the NAEP civics assessment can be found in 

the Questions Tool at http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/itmrlsx/

landing.aspx.

4

GRADE

16 THE NATION’S REPORT CARD 
4

GRADE

17

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics, National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), 2010 Civics Assessment.

Civics Knowledge Component: What are the foundations of the 

American political system? 

The paragraph below is a summary of 

the introduction to the Declaration of 

Independence.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, 

that all people are created equal; that they are 

given certain rights that cannot be taken away; 

that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit 

of happiness. That to protect these rights, 

governments are created that get their powers 

from the consent of the governed. . . .

Which of the following ideas is in the summary 

of the Declaration of Independence?

A People in the United States should have 

some control over the government.

B Kings can rule in the United States, as 

long as they are fair to people.

C The smartest people should control the 

government of the United States.

D Everyone in the United States should try 

to be elected to the government.

This sample question is from a set of items that measures 

fourth-graders’ knowledge of the Declaration of Independence. Fifty-two percent of fourth-graders were able to 

correctly identify the main idea in the summary of the 

introduction to the Declaration of Independence.

Percentage	of	fourth-grade	students	in	each	response	category:	2010

Choice	A Choice	B Choice	C Choice	D Omitted

52 11 10 27 1

NOTE: Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding.

The table below shows the percentage of fourth-graders 

within each achievement level who answered this question 

correctly. For example, 49 percent of fourth-graders at the 

Basic level selected the correct answer choice.

Percentage	of	fourth-grade	students	responding	correctly	at	each	

achievement	level:	2010

Overall Below	Basic At	Basic At	Proficient At	Advanced

52 35 49 73 ‡

‡ Reporting standards not met. Sample size insufficient to permit a reliable estimate.

CIVICS 2010
4

GRADE

18

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics, National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), 2010 Civics Assessment.

Civics Knowledge Component: What are the roles of citizens in American 

democracy?

Your class at school has a new student from a country that has laws that are very different from those in the 

United States. Your teacher has asked you to help your new classmate learn about important rights that belong 

to citizens of the United States.

Write down TWO important rights that people have in the United States that you think your new classmate 

should know about. Then tell why it is important to have each of these rights.

Right 1:

It is important to have this right because

Right 2:

It is important to have this right because

Right 1:

It is important to have this right because

Right 2:

It is important to have this right because

COMPLETE RESPONSE: ACCEPTABLE RESPONSE:

This sample constructed-response question measures 

fourth-graders’ knowledge of the roles of citizens in American 

democracy. Successful responses demonstrated an understanding of the rights of citizens of the United States and 

knowledge of why those rights are valued among Americans. 

Responses to this question were rated using four levels. 

Spelling and grammar were not considered in rating responses to the question.

Complete responses provided two rights of American 

citizens with two explanations for why the rights are 

important. Credited responses included examples such as 

the right to a trial and the right to freedom of religion.

Acceptable responses provided one or two rights of 

Americans with one explanation.

Partial responses provided one or two rights with no 

explanations.

Unacceptable responses provided no rights or 

explanations.

The first sample student response on the left was rated 

“Complete,” because it provided two rights of citizens in the 

United States and an explanation for why each right was 

important. The Constitution contains several passages and 

Amendments describing ways U.S. citizens cannot be denied 

the right to vote. The response describes that while at one 

time certain people could not vote, they now have a right to 

vote and to express their opinions by casting votes in open 

elections. In addition, the response describes that people 

have the right to peaceably assemble; this right is important 

THE NATION’S REPORT CARD 
4 

GRADE 

CIVICS 2010 19 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	

 

 

 

 

 

	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	

	 	 	 	

	 	

because it allows collective action and protest, which is 

necessary in a democracy. Six percent of fourth-graders’ 

responses to this question received a “Complete” rating. 

The second sample student response on the right was rated 

“Acceptable” because it provided one right of citizens in the 

United States and explained why that right was important. 

Credit was given for the first part of the response under 

“Right 1” and the corresponding explanation, because the 

explanation recognizes the fact that it is the right of the 

people to express their views on how they are governed. No 

credit was given for the second part of the response under 

“Right 2” because while laws are necessary for a civil society, 

they do not constitute a “right” of citizens of the United 

States. Fourteen percent of fourth-graders’ responses to this 

question received an “Acceptable” rating. 

Percentage of fourth-grade students in each response category: 2010 

Complete Acceptable Partial Unacceptable Omitted 

6 14 8 68 3

NOTE: Detail may not sum to totals because the percentage of responses rated as “Off-task” is not shown. Off-task 

responses are those that do not provide any information related to the assessment task. 

The table below shows the percentage of fourth-graders 

within each achievement-level interval whose responses 

to this question were rated as “Complete.” For example, 

2 percent of fourth-graders at the Basic level provided 

responses rated as “Complete.” 

Percentage of fourth-grade students’ responses rated as “Complete” 

at each achievement level: 2010 

Overall Below Basic At Basic At Proficient At Advanced 

6 # 2 15 ‡

# Rounds to zero. 

‡ Reporting standards not met. Sample size insufficient to permit a reliable estimate. 

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics, National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), 2010 Civics Assessment. 
20 THE NATION’S REPORT CARD 

GRADE8

No significant change in 

eighth-graders’ performance 

The average civics score in 2010 for the nation’s eighth-graders was not 

significantly different from the scores in previous assessment years. However, 

the score for Hispanic students did increase since 2006, contributing to a 

narrowing of the White – Hispanic score gap. Scores also increased from 

2006 to 2010 for students from both lower- and higher-income families. 

 

 
CIVICS 2010 21 

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics, National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), 1998, 2006, and 2010 Civics Assessments. 

GRADE

Figure 10. Trend in eighth-grade NAEP civics average scores 

Scale score

300

170

160

150 150 151

150

140

0

’98 ’06 ’10

Year

Figure 11. Trend in eighth-grade NAEP civics percentile scores 

Scale score Percentile

300

210

200 192 191 191

190 90th

180 175 175 175

75th

170

160 155 153 154

50th

150

140

131 128 128 130 25th

120

110 106 103 102 10th

100

90

0

’98 ’06 ’10

Year

No significant change in eighth-grade 

score 

The average score on the NAEP civics assessment in 2010 at 

grade 8 was not significantly different from the scores on 

previous assessments in 2006 and 1998 (figure 10). There 

were also no significant changes in scores at the 10th, 25th, 

50th, 75th, and 90th percentiles in comparison to the previous 

years (figure 11). 

About one-fifth of students perform 

at or above Proficient

Seventy-two percent of students performed at or above the 

Basic level in 2010, and 22 percent performed at or above the 

Proficient level (figure 12). There were no significant changes 

in the percentages of students performing at or above Basic, 

at or above Proficient, or at Advanced in comparison to the 

previous years. 

Figure 12. Trend in eighth-grade NAEP civics achievement-level 

results 

Percent

100

80 1 2 2

60

22 22 22

40

% at Advanced 20 % at or above Proficient 

70 70 72 % at or above Basic 0

’98 ’06 ’10

Year

C­al01­g8

8
22 THE NATION’S REPORT CARD 

Hispanic students make 

gains 

The average score in 2010 for Hispanic 1 students was 5 points higher than in 

2006 and 10 points higher than in 1998 

(figure 13). Although not shown here, 

Hispanic students made gains since 

2006 at the 25th and 75th percentiles 

(see appendix table A-7). There were no 

significant changes in the average scores 

for any of the other four racial/ethnic 

groups in comparison to either 2006 or 

1998. 

In 2010, both White and Asian/Pacific 

Islander students scored higher on 

average than Black and Hispanic students. Other apparent differences in 

scores between racial/ethnic groups 

were not statistically significant (see the 

section on Interpreting Statistical 

Significance in the Technical Notes). 

1 The score-point difference is based on the difference 

between the unrounded scores as opposed to the rounded 

scores shown in the figure. 

Figure 13. Trend in eighth-grade NAEP civics average scores, by race/ethnicity 

Year

’98 158 

’06 161 White 

’10 160 

’98 131 

’06 133 Black 

’10 135 

’98 127* 

’06 131* Hispanic 

’10 137 

’98 151 Asian/ ’06 154 Pacific Islander ’10 158 

’98 ‡ American Indian/ ’06 127 Alaska Native ’10 136 

0 110 120 130 140 150 160 170 180 300

Scale score

‡ Reporting standards not met. Sample size insufficient to permit a reliable estimate. 

* Significantly different (p < .05) from 2010. 

NOTE: Black includes African American, Hispanic includes Latino, and Pacific Islander includes Native Hawaiian. Race 

categories exclude Hispanic origin. 

Table 5. Percentage of students assessed in eighth-grade 

NAEP civics, by race/ethnicity: 1998, 2006, and 2010 

Race/ethnicity 1998 2006 2010 

White 70* 60 59 

Black 15 15 14 

Hispanic 10* 18 20 

Asian/Pacific    Islander 3* 4 5 

American Indian/ 

Alaska Native 1 2 1 

* Significantly different (p < .05) from 2010. 

NOTE: Black includes African American, Hispanic includes Latino, and Pacific Islander inc ul des Nat vi e Hawaiian. Race 

categories exclude H si pan c i origin. Detail may not sum to totals because results are not shown for students whose 

race/ethnicity was unclassified. 

No significant change since 2006 in 

students’ racial/ethnic composition 

The proportion of eighth-graders in each of the five racial/ 

ethnic groups that NAEP reports on has remained relatively 

stable since 2006 (table 5). In comparison to the first 

assessment in 1998, however, the percentage of White students 

decreased from 70 to 59 percent, the percentage of Hispanic 

students increased from 10 to 20 percent, and the percentage 

of Asian/Pacific Islander students increased from 

3 to 5 percent. 

 

 

GRADE

8

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics, National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), 1998, 2006, and 2010 Civics Assessments. 
CIVICS 2010 23 

8

GRADE

 

White – Hispanic gap 

narrows 

The 23-point gap in civics scores in 

2010 between White and Hispanic 

students was narrower than the gaps in 

both 2006 and 1998 (figure 14). The 

25-point gap between White and Black 

students in 2010 was not statistically 

different from the score gap in either 

2006 or 1998. 

Figure 14. Trend in eighth-grade NAEP civics average scores and score gaps, by selected racial/ 

0 ethnic groups 

Scale score	 Scale score

300 300

180 180

170 170 161 160 161 158 160 158 160 White 160 White

150 150 28 Score gap Score gap 25 23 26 29*

140 140 31*

Hispanic Black

130 135 137 133 130 131 131*

127* 120 120

110 110

0 0

’98 ’06 ’10 ’98 ’06 ’10

Year	 Year

* Significantly different (p < .05) from 2010.

NOTE: Black includes African American, and Hispanic includes Latino. Race categories exclude Hispanic origin. Score gaps are calculated based on differences 

between unrounded average scores.
�

No significant difference 

between male and female 

student performance 

The average scores for male and female 

students did not differ significantly from 

each other in 2010 (figure 15). There 

was no significant change in the score 

for either male or female students in 

comparison to earlier assessment years. 

Figure 15. Trend in eighth-grade NAEP civics average scores and score gaps, by gender 

150 Score gap Scale score 23 29*

300 140 31*

Hispanic

180 137 130

131*

120170 127*

110160 152 151 152

Female 1500 Male

’98 ’06 ’10 148 149 150

140 Year

130

4 2 2 Score gap

120

0

’98 ’06 ’10

Year

NOTE: Score gaps are calculated based on differences between unrounded average scores. 

Additional Results for Student Groups 

Achievement-level results and percentile scores provide additional insight into the performance of student groups. See appendix tables A-6 and A-7 for additional eighth-grade 

results for the student groups highlighted in this section. Similar NAEP results for other 

student groups can be found in the NAEP Data Explorer at http://nces.ed.gov/ 

nationsreportcard/naepdata/. 

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics, National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), 1998, 2006, and 2010 Civics Assessments. 
Scores increase across income levels 

Average civics scores were higher in 2010 than in 2006 

for eighth-graders who were eligible for free lunch and for 

reduced-price lunch, and for students who were not eligible 

(figure 16). Increases for all three groups, however, did not 

result in a significant increase in the overall average score at 

grade 8. Such a pattern results from an increase from 2006 to 

2010 only in the percentage of students eligible for free lunch, 

and these students typically score lower on average than 

students in other family income levels. 

In 2010, eighth-graders who were not eligible scored 

15 points higher on average than those eligible for reducedprice lunch, who in turn scored 15 points higher than those 

eligible for free lunch. 

Figure 16. Average scores in eighth-grade NAEP civics, by eligibility 

for free or reduced-price school lunch: 2006 and 2010 

* Significantly different (p < .05) from 2010. 

Table 6. Percentage of students assessed in eighth-grade NAEP 

civics, by eligibility for free or reduced-price school lunch: 

2006 and 2010 

Eligibility for school lunch 2006 2010 

Eligible for free lunch 31* 36 

Eligible for reduced-price lunch 7 7 

Not eligible 55 52 

Information not available 7 6 

* Significantly different (p < .05) from 2010. 

NOTE: Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding. 

Percentage of students eligible for free 

school lunch increases 

The percentage of students eligible for free school lunch 

increased from 31 percent in 2006 to 36 percent in 2010 

24 THE NATION’S REPORT CARD 

(table 6). There were no other significant changes in the 

ir eligibility for the 

school lunch program. 

percentages of students based on the

GRADE

8

 

     

     

     

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Scale score

300

180

170

148

142*

133 130*

Not eligible

163 160*

160

150 Eligible for reduced­price lunch

140

Eligible for free lunch 130

120

0

’06 ’10

Year

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics, National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), 2006 and 2010 Civics Assessments. 
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics, National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), 2006 and 2010 Civics Assessments. 

Higher levels of parental education 

associated with higher scores 

Eighth-graders were asked to report the highest level of education completed by each parent. Five response options—did not 

finish high school, graduated from high school, some education 

after high school, graduated from college, and “I don’t know”— 

were offered. Results are reported for the highest level of 

education for either parent. Because the wording of the question was different in 1998, results are only reported for 2006 

and 2010. 

Scores in 2010 were higher for students who reported higher 

levels of parental education than for those who reported lower 

levels (figure 17). For example, students whose parents 

graduated from college scored higher on average than those 

whose parents had some education after high school, who in 

turn scored higher than those whose parents’ highest level of 

education was high school. There were no significant changes 

from 2006 to 2010 in the average scores for students reporting 

different levels of parental education. 

Figure 17. Average scores in eighth-grade NAEP civics, by highest 

level of parental education: 2006 and 2010 

NOTE: Results are not shown for students who reported that they did not know the highest education level 

for either of their parents. 

Table 7. Percentage of students assessed in eighth-grade NAEP 

civics, by highest level of parental education: 2006 and 2010 

Parental education level 2006 2010 

Did not finish high school 8 7 

Graduated from high school 18 17 

Some education after high school 17 16 

Graduated from college 47 49 

Don’t know 10 10 

NOTE: Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding. 

About one-half of eighth-graders 

report parents completed college 

In 2010, forty-nine percent of eighth-graders reported at 

least one parent graduated from college (table 7). There 

were no significant changes from 2006 to 2010 in the 

percentages of students who reported different levels of 

parental education. 

140

150

160

300

170

130

120

Scale score

155

162 162

Graduated from college

Some education after high school

Did not finish high school

0

110

153

140 139

134

129

Year

’06 ’10

Graduated from high school

25 

GRADE

8

CIVICS 2010 
Percentage

of students

Yes 85 155	 

No 8 152	 

Majority of students study civics in grade 8

As part of the student questionnaire, students were asked if they 

learned about civics in eighth grade. Students responded either 

“yes,” “no,” or “I don’t know.” Eighty-five percent of students 

reported learning about civics in eighth grade in 2010 (figure 

18). There was no significant difference in the average scores in 

2010 for students who reported that they did study civics and 

those who reported they did not. 

Figure 18. Percentage of students and average scores in eighth-grade 

NAEP civics, by students’ responses to a question about 

whether or not they learned about civics or government in 

eighth grade: 2010 

In grade 8, did you learn about civics or government?

0 110 120 130 140 150 160 170 180 300

Scale score

NOTE: Detail may not sum to totals because results are not shown for students whose response to the question 

was “I don’t know.” 

Students were also asked if they studied certain topics specifically related to civics during the school year. In 2010, more than 

one-half of students reported studying seven of the nine topics 

presented, including: the congress; the president and the 

cabinet; state and local government; the U.S. Constitution; the 

court system; how laws are made; and political parties, elections, and voting (table 8). Less than one-half reported studying 

international organizations and other countries’ governments in 

2010. 

Because the same question was asked of eighth-graders 

assessed in 1998 and 2006, the percentages can be compared 

over time. The percentage of students who reported studying 

international organizations in 2010 was higher than the percentage in 2006 but was not significantly different from the percentage in 1998. The percentages of students who studied the 

president and cabinet, court system, and political parties did not 

change significantly from 2006 to 2010 but were higher in 2010 

than in 1998. 

Table 8. Percentage of students assessed in eighth-grade NAEP civics, by student-reported 

civics topics studied during the school year: 1998, 2006, and 2010 

Civics topics studied during the school year	 1998 2006 2010 

U.S. Constitution 79 82 82 

Congress 75 78 78 

President and cabinet 55* 60 62 

How laws are made 67 69 70 

Court system 60* 64 64 

Political parties, elections, and voting 69* 74 75 

State and local government 67 68 70 

Other countries’ governments 40 39 40 

International organizations (such as the United Nations) 33 29* 33 

* Significantly different (p < .05) from 2010. 

Explore Additional 

Results 

Results for other background 

questions from the eighth-grade 

student, teacher, and school 

questionnaires are available in 

the NAEP Data Explorer at http:// 

nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/ 

naepdata/. 

 

           

   

     

       

     

   

           

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

26 THE NATION’S REPORT CARD 

8

GRADE

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics, National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), 1998, 2006, and 2010 Civics Assessments. 
Assessment Content at Grade 8 

The distribution of questions among the five knowledge components reflects the different 

developmental emphases across grade levels as specified in the civics framework. 

The 152 questions that made up the entire eighthgrade assessment were divided into eight sections, 

each containing a mixture of multiple-choice and 

constructed-response questions. Each student 

responded to questions in two 25-minute sections. 

Knowledge Components 

15% What are civic life, politics, and government? 

These questions focus on understanding why government 

and politics are necessary and what purpose they serve, 

the fundamental nature of constitutions, and identifying 

alternative ways of organizing governments. 

25% What are the foundations of the American political 

system? 

These questions focus on students’ understanding of 

American constitutional government and distinctive 

characteristics of American society and American 

political culture (e.g., religious freedom, individualism). 

25% How does the government established by the 

Constitution embody the purposes, values, and 

principles of American democracy? 

These questions focus on understanding the major 

responsibilities and organization of the national 

government, the role and function of state and local 

governments, and the role of the law in the American 

constitutional system. 

15% What is the relationship of the United States to other 

nations and to world affairs? 

These questions focus on understanding how the 

world is organized politically and how nations 

influence one another in world affairs. 

20% What are the roles of citizens in American democracy? 

These questions focus on the meaning of citizenship 

and ask students to evaluate, take, and defend positions 

on the fundamental rights and responsibilities of citizens. 

Questions in this area also explore the relationship 

between civic participation and the preservation and 

improvement of American democracy. 

CIVICS 2010 27 
Civics Achievement-Level Descriptions for Grade 8 

NAEP civics achievement-level descriptions outline certain expectations of student performance. The specific descriptions 

of what eighth-graders should know and be able to do at the Basic, Proficient, and Advanced levels in civics are presented 

below. NAEP achievement levels are cumulative; therefore, student performance at the Proficient level includes the competencies associated with the Basic level, and the Advanced level includes the skills and knowledge associated with both the 

Basic and the Proficient levels. The cut score indicating the lower end of the score range for each level is noted in the 

parentheses. 

Basic (134) 

Eighth-grade students performing at the 

Basic level should have some understanding of competing ideas about 

purposes of government, and they 

should be able to describe advantages 

of limited government. They should be 

able to define what is meant by government, constitution, the rule of law, and 

politics. These students should be able 

to identify fundamental principles and 

values of American democracy, such as 

federalism, the separation of powers, 

checks and balances, government by the 

consent of the governed, and individual 

rights. They should understand that the 

Declaration of Independence and the 

U.S. Constitution, including the Bill of 

Rights and other amendments, are 

sources of these ideas. These students 

should be able to explain why it is 

important that citizens share the values 

and principles expressed in the nation’s 

core documents, and they should understand functions of elections, political 

parties, and interest groups in a democratic society. They should know that 

American citizenship is attained by birth 

or through naturalization. They should 

be able to identify personal, political, 

and economic rights of Americans and 

should understand the responsibilities 

that these rights imply. Finally, these 

students should be able to describe 

purposes of international organizations 

to which the United States belongs. 

Proficient (178) 

28 

Eighth-grade students performing at the 

Proficient level should have a good 

understanding of purposes that government should serve, and they should be 

able to explain why government should 

serve those purposes. These students 

should understand differences between 

government and civil society, and they 

should be able to explain the importance of the rule of law. They should be 

able to point out ways in which ideals 

expressed in the nation’s core documents differ from reality and identify 

ways in which these differences continue to be addressed. They should be 

able to explain how and why legislative, 

executive, and judicial powers are 

separate, shared, and limited in the 

American constitutional government, 

and they should understand how and 

why powers are divided and shared 

between the national and state governments. They should be able to discuss 

ways that citizens can use the political 

process to influence government. These 

students should be able to provide 

simple interpretations of nontext-based 

information such as maps, charts, 

tables, graphs, and cartoons. Finally, 

these students should be able to describe events in the United States that 

have influenced other nations, as well as 

events in other nations that have affected American policy. 

Advanced (213) 

THE NATION’S REPORT CARD 

Eighth-grade students performing at the 

Advanced level should have a developed 

understanding of why civil society plays 

a key role in maintaining a limited 

government and the importance of the 

rule of law in civil society and government. These students should be able to 

take positions on issues in which fundamental values are in conflict (liberty and 

equality, individual rights and the 

common good, and majority rule and 

minority rights, for example) and they 

should be able to defend their positions. 

They should be able to evaluate results 

of past efforts to address discrepancies 

between American ideals and national 

reality and to explain how citizens can 

monitor and influence local, state, and 

national government. These students 

should understand how laws can 

achieve purposes of American constitutional government, such as promoting 

the common good and protecting rights 

of individuals. They should understand 

how civic dispositions such as civility, 

tolerance, and respect for law promote 

the healthy functioning of American 

constitutional democracy. Finally, these 

students should understand the impact 

of American democracy on other countries, as well as the impact of other 

countries on American politics and 

society. 

GRADE 

8 
8

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics, National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), 2010 Civics Assessment.

CIVICS 2010 29

What Eighth-Graders Know and Can Do in Civics

The	item	map	below	illustrates	the	range	of	civics	knowledge	

demonstrated	by	eighth-graders.	The	scale	scores	on	the	left	

represent	the	scores	for	students	who	were	likely	to	get	the	

items	correct	or	complete.	The	cut	score	at	the	low	end	of	the	

range	for	each	achievement	level	is	boxed.	The	descriptions	of	

selected	assessment	questions	indicating	what	students	need	

to	do	to	answer	the	question	correctly	are	listed	on	the	right.

For	example,	the	map	on	this	page	shows	that	eighth-graders	

performing	at	the	Basic	level	with	a	score	of	158	were	likely	to	

be	able	to	identify	purposes	of	specific	nongovernmental	

organizations.	Students	performing	at	the	Proficient	level	with	

a	score	of	198	were	likely	to	be	able	to	recognize	a	role	performed	by	the	Supreme	Court.	Students	at	the	Advanced	level	

with	a	score	of	249	were	likely	to	be	able	to	name	two	actions	

citizens	can	take	to	encourage	Congress	to	pass	a	law.

GRADE 8 NAEP CIVICS ITEM MAP

Scale	score	 Question	description

Advanced

300

//

292 Analyze	a	graph	showing	voting	participation	over	time	and	suggest	ways	to	improve	it

266 Identify	a	limit	on	the	power	of	the	United	Nations

249 Name	two	actions	citizens	can	take	to	encourage	Congress	to	pass	a	law

240 Give	two	examples	of	how	the	media	influences	politics	and	democracy

230 Fill	in	the	chart	to	show	checks	on	powers	of	branches	of	government	(shown on pages 32 and 33)

213

Proficient

212 Identify	a	reason	to	join	a	political	party

205 Give	two	examples	of	the	effects	of	the	women’s	rights	movement

198 Recognize	a	role	performed	by	the	Supreme	Court

193 Identify	an	action	the	U.S.	can	do	to	influence	other	countries	in	a	foreign	policy	issue	

191 Analyze	text	and	explain	George	Washington’s	concern	about	government

186 Understand	impeachment	of	the	President	

183 Analyze	the	message	in	a	political	cartoon (shown on page 31)

183 Recognize	that	leaders	in	power	benefit	from	unlimited	government

178

Basic

175 Understand	how	state	governments	are	established

172 Interpret	a	graph	to	draw	an	inference	about	voting	behavior

168 Recognize	that	the	U.S.	Constitution	proclaims	that	government	is	based	on	the	people’s	consent

168 Identify	the	type	of	government	from	the	description	of	its	characteristics

158 Identify	the	purposes	of	specific	nongovernmental	organizations

156 Identify	a	reason	why	a	poll	tax	violates	democratic	ideals

144 Identify	a	right	protected	by	the	First	Amendment

141 Identify	a	cause	of	conflict	between	two	countries (shown on page 30)

134

124 Analyze	a	quotation	to	determine	a	role	performed	by	civic	associations	in	the	U.S.

121 Identify	types	of	actions	taken	by	courts

111

//

0

Analyze	a	document	to	determine	the	role	performed	by	government

NOTE: Regular type denotes a constructed-response question. Italic type denotes a multiple-choice question. The position of a question on the scale represents the scale score attained by students who had a 65 percent probability of successfully 

answering a constructed-response question, or a 74 percent probability of correctly answering a four-option multiple-choice question. For constructed-response questions, the question description represents students’ performance rated as completely 

correct. Scale score ranges for civics achievement levels are referenced on the map. 

GRADE
30

8

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics, National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), 2010 Civics Assessment.

THE NATION’S REPORT CARD 

Civics Knowledge Component: What is the relationship of the 

United States to other nations and to world affairs?

Which of the following would most likely 

cause a conflict between two countries?

A Raising income taxes

B Increasing welfare benefits

C Limiting the terms served by elected 

officials

D Violating an existing trade agreement

This	sample	question	from	the	2010	eighth-grade	civics	

assessment	measures	students’	knowledge	of	international	

relations.	Seventy-seven	percent	of	eighth-graders	were	able	

to	correctly	identify	what	would	most	likely	cause	a	conflict	

between	two	countries.

Percentage	of	eighth-grade	students	in	each	response	category:	2010

Choice	A Choice	B Choice	C Choice	D Omitted

12 5 5 77 #

# Rounds to zero.

NOTE: Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding.

The	table	below	shows	the	percentage	of	eighth-graders	

within	each	achievement	level	who	answered	this	question	

correctly.	For	example,	84	percent	of	eighth-graders	at	the	

Basic	level	selected	the	correct	answer	choice.

Percentage	of	eighth-grade	students	responding	correctly	at	each	

achievement	level:	2010

Overall Below	Basic At	Basic At	Proficient At	Advanced

77 45 84 98 ‡

‡ Reporting standards not met. Sample size insufficient to permit a reliable estimate.

GRADE
8

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics, National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), 2010 Civics Assessment.

© Tribune Media Services Inc. All Rights Reserved. 

Used with permission

CIVICS 2010

Civics Knowledge Component: What are civic life, politics, and 

government?

The main message of the cartoon is that

A there should be less federal regulation 

of small businesses

B small businesses should merge into 

corporations to have more power

C small businesses rely too much on 

government money

D poor urban planning makes small 

businesses fail

31

This	sample	question	measures	students’	ability	to	analyze		

a	political	cartoon.	Fifty-two	percent	of	eighth-graders	were	

able	to	correctly	identify	the	main	message	of	the	political	

cartoon.

Percentage	of	eighth-grade	students	in	each	response	category:	2010

Choice	A Choice	B Choice	C Choice	D Omitted

52 14 19 14 #

# Rounds to zero.

NOTE: Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding.

The	table	below	shows	the	percentage	of	eighth-graders	

within	each	achievement	level	who	answered	this	question	

correctly.	For	example,	49	percent	of	eighth-graders	at	the	

Basic	level	selected	the	correct	answer	choice.

Percentage	of	eighth-grade	students	responding	correctly	at	each	

achievement	level:	2010

Overall Below	Basic At	Basic At	Proficient At	Advanced

52 30 49 85 ‡

‡ Reporting standards not met. Sample size insufficient to permit a reliable estimate.

GRADE
32

8

COMPLETE RESPONSE:

ACCEPTABLE RESPONSE:

THE NATION’S REPORT CARD 

Civics Knowledge Component: How does the government established 

by the Constitution embody the purposes, values, and principles of 

American democracy?

The chart below shows how each of the three separate branches of the federal government can limit the 

powers of the other two. Complete the chart by filling in each of the empty boxes. The completed chart 

should have one power for each branch of government and one way in which that branch’s power is 

checked by another branch.

GRADE
8

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics, National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), 2010 Civics Assessment.

CIVICS 2010

This	constructed-response	sample	question	(shown	on	the	

previous	page)	measures	eighth-grade	students’	knowledge	

of	the	system	of	checks	and	balances	in	the	federal	government.	Successful	responses	demonstrated	knowledge	of	how	

the	Constitution	divides	various	powers	among	the	three	

branches	of	government.	Responses	to	this	question	were	

rated	using	four	scoring	levels.	Spelling	and	grammar	were	

not	considered	in	rating	responses	to	the	question.

Complete	responses	provided	correct	information	

in	all	four	parts	of	the	chart.

Acceptable	responses	provided	correct	information	

in	three	parts	of	the	chart.

Partial	responses	provided	correct	information	in	

one	or	two	parts	of	the	chart.

Unacceptable	responses	did	not	provide	correct	

information	in	any	part	of	the	chart.

The	first	sample	student	response	shown	on	the	previous	page	

was	rated	“Complete”	because	it	provided	correct	information	

in	all	four	parts	of	the	chart.	The	statement	“President	can	veto”	

under	the	category	of	limits	of	power	to	the	legislative	branch	

was	credited	because	it	refers	to	an	action	of	the	executive	

branch.	The	statement	for	the	category	of	executive	power,	

“Enforces	laws,”	refers	to	a	power	the	president	has	after	a	bill	

has	been	made	into	law.	The	statement	for	limits	on	the	executive	branch	“Legislature	can	override	Presidential	veto”	was	

credited	as	a	reference	to	the	power	Congress	has	to	reverse		

a	presidential	veto	of	a	bill	with	a	majority	vote	of	two-thirds		

in	both	houses	of	Congress.	The	statement	“Decides	if	laws		

are	constitutional	or	not”	for	the	power	of	the	judicial	branch	

refers	to	the	power	of	the	Supreme	Court	to	rule	on	the	constitutionality	of	laws	that	are	challenged	in	judicial	disputes.		

Seven	percent	of	eighth-graders’	responses	to	this	question	

received	a	“Complete”	rating.

33

The	second	sample	student	response	was	rated	“Acceptable”	

because	it	provided	correct	information	for	three	of	the	four	

parts	of	the	chart.	The	statement	“may	veto	laws”	under	the	

category	of	limits	of	power	to	the	legislative	branch	was	

credited	because	it	refers	to	an	action	of	the	executive	branch.	

The	statement	for	the	category	of	executive	power,	“approves	

laws,”	was	interpreted	to	refer	to	the	power	the	president	has	

in	signing	a	bill.	The	statement	for	limits	on	the	executive	

branch	“may	be	taken	out	of	office”	was	credited	as	a	reference	to	the	power	Congress	has	to	impeach	the	president.	

The	response	did	not	receive	credit	for	the	statement	“thinks	

of	laws”	as	a	power	of	the	judicial	branch.	Ten	percent	of	

eighth-graders’	responses	to	this	question	received	an		

“Acceptable”	rating.

Percentage	of	eighth-grade	students	in	each	response	category:	2010

Complete Acceptable Partial Unacceptable Omitted

7 10 43 26 12

NOTE: Detail may not sum to totals because the percentage of responses rated as “Off-task” is not shown. Off-task responses 

are those that do not provide any information related to the assessment task.

The	table	below	shows	the	percentage	of	eighth-graders	

within	each	achievement-level	interval	whose	responses		

to	this	question	were	rated	as	“Complete.”	For	example,		

3	percent	of	eighth-graders	at	the	Basic	level	provided	

responses	rated	as	“Complete.”

Percentage	of	eighth-grade	students’	responses	rated	as	“Complete”	

at	each	achievement	level:	2010

Overall Below	Basic At	Basic At	Proficient At	Advanced

7 # 3 23 ‡

# Rounds to zero.

‡ Reporting standards not met. Sample size insufficient to permit a reliable estimate.

GRADE
Twelfth-graders’ performance 

declines since 2006

The average civics score in 2010 for the nation’s twelfth-graders was lower than 

the score in 2006 but not significantly different from the score in 1998. Average 

scores decreased for female students but showed no significant change for male 

students. The score gap between White and Hispanic students narrowed in 

comparison to previous assessment years.

GRADE12

34 THE NATION’S REPORT CARD 
0

170

160

150

140

300

Scale score

151* 148 150

Year

’98 ’06 ’10

Figure 19. Trend in twelfth-grade NAEP civics average scores Drop in twelfth-grade score since 2006

* Significantly different (p < .05) from 2010.

Students’ performance on the NAEP civics assessment 

declined from 2006 to 2010 at grade 12. Although the average 

score for the nation’s twelfth-graders in 2010 was 3 points 

lower than in 2006, it was not significantly different from the 

score in 1998 (figure 19).

Students at the 75th percentile scored lower in 2010 than in 

both earlier assessment years, while any apparent changes at 

the 10th, 25th, 50th, and 90th percentiles were not statistically 

significant (figure 20).

Figure 20. Trend in twelfth-grade NAEP civics percentile scores

* Significantly different (p < .05) from 2010.

Percentage of students at or above 

Proficient decreases since 2006

Sixty-four percent of students performed at or above the Basic 

level in 2010, and 24 percent performed at or above the 

Proficient level (figure 21). The percentage of students at or 

above Proficient in 2010 was lower than in 2006 but not 

significantly different from the percentage in 1998. The 

percentages of students at or above Basic and at Advanced 

were not significantly different from the percentages in 2006 

or 1998.

Figure 21. Trend in twelfth-grade NAEP civics achievement-level results

* Significantly different (p < .05) from 2010.

100

80

60

40

20

0

Percent

’10

64

4

’06

66

5

’98

26

65

4

Year

27* 24

% at Advanced

% at or above Proficient

0 % at or above Basic

120

130

140

160

170

180

190

150

110

100

90

200

210

90th

10th

25th

50th

75th

103 104

128 128

154 153

175* 176*

101

126

152

173

190 194

300

Scale score Percentile

Year

’98 ’06 ’10

192

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics, National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), 1998, 2006, and 2010 Civics Assessments.

CIVICS 2010 35

12

GRADE
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics, National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), 1998, 2006, and 2010 Civics Assessments.

No significant change in 

performance of racial/

ethnic groups since 2006

Although there were no significant changes 

in the average scores for any of the five 

racial/ethnic groups from 2006 to 2010, 

the score for Hispanic students was higher 

in 2010 than in 1998 (figure 22).

In 2010, both White and Asian/Pacific 

Islander students scored higher on average 

than Black and Hispanic students. The 

average scores of White and Asian/Pacific 

Islander students did not differ significantly 

from each other.

Figure 22. Trend in twelfth-grade NAEP civics average scores, by race/ethnicity

‡ Reporting standards not met. Sample size insufficient to permit a reliable estimate.

* Significantly different (p < .05) from 2010.

NOTE: Black includes African American, Hispanic includes Latino, and Pacific Islander includes Native Hawaiian. Race 

categories exclude Hispanic origin.

Hispanic

Black

Asian/

Pacific Islander

White

American Indian/

Alaska Native

157

’06 158

’98

’10 156

130

’06 131

’98

’10 127

132*

’06 134

’98

’10 137

149

’06 155

’98

’10 153

‡

’06

’98

’10

131

134

Year

0 110 120 130 140 150 160 170 300 180

Scale score

’06 131

’10 134

Table 9. Percentage of students assessed in twelfth-grade 

NAEP civics, by race/ethnicity: 1998, 2006, and 2010

Race/ethnicity 1998 2006 2010

White 72* 66 62

Black 14 13 14

Hispanic 10* 13 16

Asian/Pacific

  Islander 4* 6 6

American Indian/

  Alaska Native # 1 1

* Significantly different (p < .05) from 2010.

NOTE: Black includes African American, Hispanic includes Latino, and Pacific Islander includes Native Hawaiian. Race 

categories exclude Hispanic origin. Detail may not sum to totals because results are not shown for students whose 

race/ethnicity was unclassified.

# Rounds to zero.

No significant change since 2006 in 

students’ racial/ethnic composition

36 THE NATION’S REPORT CARD 

12

GRADE

The proportion of twelfth-graders in each of the five racial/

ethnic groups that NAEP reports on has not changed significantly since 2006 (table 9). In comparison to the first 

assessment in 1998, however, the percentage of White students 

decreased from 72 to 62 percent, the percentage of Hispanic 

students increased from 10 to 16 percent, and the percentage of 

Asian/Pacific Islander students increased from 4 to 6 percent.
White – Hispanic gap 

narrows

Although the average score for White 

students did not change significantly, the 

increase in the score for Hispanic 

students from 1998 to 2010 led to a 

narrowing of the score gap between the 

two groups (figure 23). The 19-point gap 

in civics in 2010 between White and 

Hispanic students was smaller than the 

gaps in both 2006 and 1998. The 

29-point gap between White and Black 

students in 2010 was not statistically 

different from the score gap in either 

2006 or 1998.

Score gap

0

140

150

160

300

170

180

130

120

110

127 130 131

156 158

Scale score

157

White

156 158 157

White

Black

27 28 29

Score gap

137

132* 134

25* 24* 19

Hispanic

0

140

150

160

300

170

180

130

120

110

Scale score

’10

’10

Year

’98 ’06

Year

’98 ’06

Score gap

0

140

130

120

110

127 130 131

156 158 157

White

Black

27 

29

Score gap

137

132* 134

25* 24* 19

Hispanic

0

140

150

160

300

170

180

130

120

110

Scale score

’10

’10

Year

’98 ’06

Year

’98 ’06

3 2 #

150

160

170

300

180

140

130

Scale score

148 148

148

152* 152*

Female

Male

Score gap

0

120

150

Year

’98 ’06 ’10

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics, National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), 1998, 2006, and 2010 Civics Assessments.

Figure 23. Trend in twelfth-grade NAEP civics average scores and score gaps, by selected racial/

ethnic groups

* Significantly different (p < .05) from 2010.

NOTE: Black includes African American, and Hispanic includes Latino. Race categories exclude Hispanic origin. Score gaps are calculated based on differences 

between unrounded average scores.

Average score for female 

students declines

The average score for female students 

decreased 3 points2

 from 2006 to 2010, 

while there was no significant change in 

the score for male students over the 

same period (figure 24). Although not 

shown here, the scores for female 

students decreased at the 75th and 90th 

percentiles since 2006 (see appendix 

table A-9). The average scores for male 

and female students did not differ 

significantly from each other in 2010.

2 The score-point difference is based on the difference 

between the unrounded scores as opposed to the 

rounded scores shown in the figure.

Figure 24. Trend in twelfth-grade NAEP civics 

average scores and score gaps, by 

gender

# Rounds to zero.

* Significantly different (p < .05) from 2010.

NOTE: Score gaps are calculated based on differences between unrounded 

average scores. The score differences between male and female students 

were not found to be statistically significant in 2006 and 2010.

Additional Results for 

Student Groups

Achievement-level results and percentile scores provide additional insight 

into the performance of student groups. 

See appendix tables A-8 and A-9 for 

additional twelfth-grade results for the 

student groups highlighted in this 

section. Similar NAEP results for other 

student groups can be found in the 

NAEP Data Explorer at http://nces.ed

.gov/nationsreportcard/naepdata/.

CIVICS 2010 37

12

GRADE
27 7 1

#

65

60 32 8

48 39 12

49 37 12

34 43 20

37 44 17 3

23 38* 30

25 42 6

8

27

2006

2010

Did not finish

high school

Graduated from

high school

2006

2010

2006

2010

2006

2010

Some education 

after high school

Graduated from 

college

1

1

3

Below Basic Basic Proficient Advanced

100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0

Percent

10 20 30 40 100

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics, National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), 2006 and 2010 Civics Assessments.

140

150

160

300

170

130

120

Scale score

147

158

162

Graduated from college

Some education after high school

Did not finish high school

0

110

150

138 137

128 126

Year

’06 ’10

Graduated from high school

No significant changes in scores by level of parental education

There were no significant changes from 2006 to 2010 in the 

average scores for students reporting different levels of 

parental education (figure 25). Scores in 2010 were higher for 

students who reported higher levels of parental education 

than for those who reported lower levels. For example, 

students who reported at least one parent graduated from 

college scored higher on average than those whose parents 

had some education after high school, who in turn scored 

higher than those whose parents’ highest level of education 

was high school.

A closer look at the achievement-level results by level of 

parental education shows an increase in the percentage at 

Basic from 2006 to 2010 for students whose parents graduated from college (figure 26). There were no significant 

changes in the percentages of students below Basic, at 

Proficient, or at Advanced for any of the groups.

Figure 25. Average scores in twelfth-grade 

NAEP civics, by highest level of 

parental education: 2006 and 2010

NOTE: Results are not shown for students who reported that they did not 

know the highest education level for either of their parents.

Figure 26. Achievement-level results in twelfth-grade NAEP civics, by highest level of 

parental education: 2006 and 2010

# Rounds to zero.

* Significantly different (p < .05) from 2010.

NOTE: Results are not shown for students who reported that they did not know the highest education level for either of their parents. Detail may 

not sum to totals because of rounding.

Table 10. Percentage of students assessed in twelfth-grade NAEP 

civics, by highest level of parental education: 2006 and 2010

Parentaleducation level 2006 2010

Did not finish high school 7 8

Graduated from high school 19 18

Someeducation after high school 22 23

Graduated from college 49 49

Don’tknow 2 3

NOTE: Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding.

About one-half of twelfth-graders 

report parents completed college

In 2010, forty-nine percent of twelfth-graders reported at 

least one parent graduated from college (table 10). There 

were no significant changes from 2006 to 2010 in the 

percentages of students who reported different levels of 

parental education.

38 THE NATION’S REPORT CARD 

12

GRADE
Almost all twelfth-graders study 

civics in high school

As part of the twelfth-grade student questionnaire, students 

were asked to indicate whether or not they studied civics or 

government in high school (grades 9, 10, 11, and 12). Ninetyseven percent of students reported studying civics or government in high school (figure 27). Students who reported studying 

civics or government in at least one of the four grades scored 

15 points3

 higher on average than students who did not. 

3 The score-point difference is based on the difference between the unrounded 

scores as opposed to the rounded scores shown in the figure.

Figure 27. Percentage of students and average scores in twelfthgrade NAEP civics, by students’ responses to a question 

about whether or not they studied civics or government 

in high school: 2010

Have you studied civics or government in high school?

Percentage of students studying the 

U.S. Constitution decreases since 2006

Students were also asked if they studied certain topics 

specifically related to civics during the school year. Students 

responded either “yes,” “no,” or “I don’t know.” In 2010, more than 

one-half of students reported studying seven of the nine topics 

presented, including: the congress; the president and the cabinet; 

state and local government; the U.S. Constitution; the court 

system; how laws are made; and political parties, elections, and 

voting (table 11). Less than one-half reported studying international organizations and other countries’ governments in 2010.

Because the same question was asked of twelfth-graders 

assessed in 1998 and 2006, the percentages can be compared 

over time. The percentage of students who reported studying the 

president and cabinet did not change significantly from 2006 to 

2010 but was lower in 2010 than in 1998. The percentage of 

students who reported studying the U.S. Constitution in 2010 

was lower than the percentage in 2006 but was not significantly 

different from the percentage in 1998.

Table 11. Percentage of students assessed in twelfth-grade NAEP civics, by student-reported 

civics topics studied during the school year: 1998, 2006, and 2010

Civicstopicsstudied during theschool year 1998 2006 2010

U.S. Constitution 71 72* 67

Congress 71 69 66

President and cabinet 63* 61 59

How laws are made 64 64 61

Courtsystem 64 63 61

Political parties,elections, and voting 70 70 68

State and local government 69 69 68

Othercountries’ governments 48 46 47

Internationalorganizations(such asthe United Nations) 45 43 43

* Significantly different (p < .05) from 2010. 

Explore Additional Results

Results for other background questions 

from the twelfth-grade student and school 

questionnaires are available in the NAEP 

Data Explorer at http://nces.ed.gov/

nationsreportcard/naepdata/.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics, National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), 1998, 2006, and 2010 Civics Assessments.

149

133

0 110 120 130 140 150 160 170 300 180

Scale score

Yes

No

Percentage

of students

97

3

CIVICS 2010 39

12

GRADE
Assessment Content at Grade 12 

Each question in the NAEP civics assessment measures students’ civic knowledge in one 

of five areas. Guidelines for the proportion of the assessment covering each area are 

provided in the framework for each grade assessed. 

The 153 questions that made up the entire twelfthgrade assessment were divided into eight sections, 

each containing a mixture of multiple-choice and 

constructed-response questions. Each student 

responded to questions in two 25-minute sections.	�

Knowledge Components 

10%	� What are civic life, politics, and government? 

These questions focus on understanding why government 

and politics are necessary and articulating what purpose 

they serve, the nature and purpose of constitutions, and 

understanding alternative ways constitutional governments function. 

20%	� What are the foundations of the American political 

system? 

These questions focus on students’ understanding of 

American constitutional government and its history as 

well as the distinctive characteristics of American society 

and American political culture (e.g., religious freedom, 

individualism) that are linked to American constitutional 

democracy. 

25%	� How does the government established by the 

Constitution embody the purposes, values, and 

principles of American democracy? 

These questions focus on understanding the specific 

responsibilities and organization of the national 

government, the role and function of state and local 

governments, and the role of the law in the American 

constitutional system. 

20%	� What is the relationship of the United States to other 

nations and to world affairs? 

These questions focus on understanding how the world is 

organized politically and nations influence one another in 

world affairs. The questions focus on understanding 

specific, historical, and contemporary foreign policy 

decisions. 

25%	� What are the roles of citizens in American democracy? 

These questions focus on the meaning of citizenship and 

ask students to evaluate, take, and defend positions on 

specific rights and responsibilities of citizens. Questions in 

this area also explore the complexity of the relationship 

between civic participation and the preservation and 

improvement of American democracy. 

40 THE NATION’S REPORT CARD 
Civics Achievement-Level Descriptions for Grade 12 

NAEP civics achievement-level descriptions outline the expectations for student performance at each grade. The specific 

descriptions of what twelfth-graders should know and be able to do at the Basic, Proficient, and Advanced levels in civics are 

presented below. NAEP achievement levels are cumulative; therefore, student performance at the Proficient level includes 

the competencies associated with the Basic level, and the Advanced level includes the skills and knowledge associated with 

both the Basic and the Proficient levels. The cut score indicating the lower end of the score range for each level is noted in 

the parentheses. 

Basic (139) 

Twelfth-grade students performing at the 

Basic level should have an understanding 

of what is meant by civil society, constitutional government, and politics. They 

should know that constitutional governments can take different forms, and they 

should understand the fundamental 

principles of American constitutional 

government. These students should be 

able to explain ways that political parties, 

interest groups, and the media contribute 

to elections, and they should be able to 

point out sources of information about 

public policy issues. They should understand that both power and rights must be 

limited in a free society. They should be 

able to identify those traits that make 

people responsible citizens, and they 

should be able to describe forms of 

political participation available in a democracy and recognize reasons that such 

participation is important. These students 

should be able to provide simple interpretations of nontext-based information such 

as maps, charts, tables, graphs, and 

cartoons. Finally, they should be familiar 

with international issues that affect the 

United States. 

Proficient (174) 

Twelfth-grade students performing at the 

Proficient level should have a good understanding of how constitutions can limit the 

power of government and support the rule 

of law. They should be able to distinguish 

between parliamentary systems of government and those based on separate and 

shared powers, and they should be able to 

describe the structure and functions of 

American government. These students 

should be able to identify issues in which 

fundamental democratic values and 

principles are in conflict—liberty and 

equality, individual rights and the common 

good, and majority rule and minority 

rights, for example—and they should be 

able to take and defend positions on these 

issues. They should be able to evaluate 

ways that law protects individual rights 

and promotes the common good in 

American society. They should understand how the application of fundamental 

principles of American constitutional 

41 

democracy has expanded participation in 

public life, and they should be able to 

explain how citizens can work individually 

and collectively to monitor and influence 

public policy. These students should 

understand the importance and means of 

participation in political life at the national, 

state, and local levels. They should be able 

to evaluate contributions made by political 

parties, interest groups, and the media to 

the development of public policy, and they 

should be able to explain how public 

service and political leadership contribute 

to American democracy. They should 

understand how American foreign policy 

is made and carried out, and they should 

be able to evaluate the performance of 

major international organizations. Finally, 

these students should be able to discuss 

reasons for and consequences of conflicts 

that arise when international disputes 

cannot be resolved peacefully. 

Advanced (204) 

Twelfth-grade students performing at the 

Advanced level should have a thorough 

and mature understanding of the 

strengths and weaknesses of various 

forms of constitutional democracy. They 

should be able to discuss advantages and 

disadvantages of confederal, federal, and 

unitary systems of government, as well as 

strengths and weaknesses of parliamentary systems of government when compared with those based on separate and 

CIVICS 2010 

shared powers. These students should be 

able to explain how the structure of 

American government and the nation’s 

social and political cultures serve one 

another. They should know which level 

and agency of government to contact to 

express their opinions or influence public 

policy. They should be able to explain and 

evaluate past and present individual and 

collective political actions aimed at 

narrowing the gap between American 

ideals and national reality. They should 

understand how elections help determine 

public policies, and they should be able to 

evaluate public policy issues in which 

fundamental values and principles are in 

conflict—liberty and equality, individual 

rights and the common good, and majority 

rule and minority rights, for example. 

These students should be able to evaluate 

the validity and emotional appeal of past 

and present political communication. They 

should be able to explain how civic dispositions such as civility, tolerance, and 

respect for law are important for preserving democracy, and they should be able to 

evaluate the many forms of participation 

in public affairs. Finally, they should be 

able to explain how American foreign 

policy is made and carried out and evaluate its consequences. 

GRADE 

12 
	 	 	 	 	

 

	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	

 

 

	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	

	 	 	 	

	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	

	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	

	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	

 

	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	

	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	

	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	

	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 

	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	

	 	 	

	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	

	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	

	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	

	 	 	 	 	 	 	

 

	 	 	 	 	 	

	 	

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

42 THE NATION’S REPORT CARD 

12 

GRADE 

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics, National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), 2010 Civics Assessment. 

What Twelfth-Graders Know and Can Do in Civics

The item map below illustrates the range of civics knowledge 

demonstrated by twelfth-graders. The scale scores on the left 

represent the scores for students who were likely to get the 

items correct or complete. The cut score at the low end of the 

range for each achievement level is boxed. The descriptions 

of selected assessment questions indicating what students 

need to do to answer the question correctly are listed on the 

right. 

For example, the map on this page shows that twelfth-graders 

performing at the Basic level with a score of 169 were likely 

to be able to identify the meaning of an excerpt from the 

Fourteenth Amendment. Students performing at the Proficient 

level with a score of 196 were likely to be able to identify an 

argument used by critics of the Articles of Confederation. 

Students at the Advanced level with a score of 212 were likely 

to be able to explain the impact of television on the political 

process. 

GRADE 12 NAEP CIVICS ITEM MAP
 

Scale score	 Question description 

Advanced

300

//

270 List two privileges of U.S. citizens 

217 Compare the citizenship requirements of the U.S. to other countries 

212 Explain the impact of television on the political process (shown on page 46) 

211 Summarize the views of Roosevelt and Reagan on the role of government 

209 Identify how the federal system encourages the growth of interest groups 

204

Proficient

203 Identify a trait of constitutional democracy 

196 Identify an argument used by critics of the Articles of Confederation 

189 Identify a potential problem with the War Powers Act 

187 Identify the effect of U.S. foreign policy on other nations 

185 Define the term “melting pot” and argue if it applies to the U.S. (shown on pages 44 and 45) 

182 Interpret the message in a poster from World War II 

176 Identify a power granted to Congress by the Constitution 

174 Identify an important difference between international and domestic politics 

174

Basic

169 Identify the meaning of an excerpt from the Fourteenth Amendment 

169 Identify an argument made in the Supreme Court decision in the Schenck v. U.S. case (shown on page 43) 

167 Identify an argument made in the Supreme Court decision in the Marbury v. Madison case 

161 Interpret a political cartoon 

158 Identify the government as the source of the poster from World War II 

156 Identify the constitutional issue in a Supreme Court case 

151 Identify an activity that is a part of civic life 

141 Identify the meaning of a Supreme Court opinion 

139

134 Support an opinion on the ethical dilemma facing a politician 

110

//

0

Identify the meaning of a historical document 

NOTE: Regular type denotes a constructed-response question. Italic type denotes a multiple-choice question. The position of a question on the scale represents the scale score attained by students who had a 65 percent probability of successfully 

answering a constructed-response question, or a 74 percent probability of correctly answering a four-option multiple-choice question. For constructed-response questions, the question description represents students’ performance rated as 

completely correct. Scale score ranges for civics achievement levels are referenced on the map.
 

CIVICS 2010 43 

12 

GRADE 

Civics Knowledge Component: What are the roles of citizens in 

American democracy? 

The paragraph below is about the Supreme Court case of Schenck v. The United States (1919). In this case, 

Schenck was prosecuted for having violated the Espionage Act of 1917 by publishing and distributing leaflets 

that opposed the military draft and United States entry into the First World War. The court ruled in favor of 

the United States. Below is an excerpt from the majority opinion. 

We admit that in . . . ordinary times the defendants . . . would have been within their constitutional 

rights. But the character of every act depends upon the circumstances in which it is done. The most stringent protection of free speech would not protect a man in falsely shouting fire in a theater and causing a 

panic . . . . The question in every case is whether the words used are used in such circumstances and are of 

such a nature as to create a clear and present danger that they will bring about the evils that Congress has 

a right to prevent. 

What argument is the Supreme Court making in this decision? 

A Congress can limit free speech as it sees fit. 

B The right to free speech is basic to democracy and government may never limit it. 

C Rights are not absolute and the government may limit them in times of crisis. 

D The judiciary is powerless to overturn laws like the Espionage Act of 1917. 

This sample question from the 2010 twelfth-grade civics 

assessment measures students’ knowledge of issues related 

to limitations on political rights. Sixty-one percent of twelfthgraders were able to correctly identify the argument the 

Supreme Court used in making its decision about the protection of free speech. 

Percentage of twelfth-grade students in each response category: 2010 

Choice A Choice B Choice C Choice D Omitted 

24 11 61 4 #

# Rounds to zero. 

The table below shows the percentage of twelfth-graders 

within each achievement level who answered this question 

correctly. For example, 65 percent of twelfth-graders at the 

Basic level selected the correct answer choice. 

Percentage of twelfth-grade students responding correctly at each 

achievement level: 2010 

Overall Below Basic At Basic At Proficient At Advanced 

61 36 65 87 93

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics, National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), 2010 Civics Assessment. 
Refer to the passage below. 

America is . . . the great Melting Pot! Here you stand, good folk, think I, when I see them at Ellis 

Island, here you stand in your fifty groups, with your fifty languages and histories, and your fifty blood 

hatreds and rivalries. But you won’t be long like that, brothers . . . Into the Crucible with you all! God is 

making the American. 

— Israel Zangwill, The Melting Pot, 1908 

44 

COMPLETE RESPONSE: 

Define what is meant by the term “melting pot” as it is used in the Zangwill quotation. 

Do you think that the term “melting pot” is appropriate to describe the United States? Give one reason to 

support your answer. 

THE NATION’S REPORT CARD 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

GRADE 

12 

Civics Knowledge Component: What are the foundations of the 

American political system? 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	

 

 

 

 

 

	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	

	 	 	 	

	 	

 

CIVICS 2010 45 

12 

GRADE 

This constructed-response question (shown on the previous 

page) measures twelfth-graders’ knowledge of issues related 

to diversity in American life. Successful responses demonstrated an understanding of terms related to immigration and 

assimilation in the United States and an ability to support 

opinions about immigration with information relevant to 

American society. Responses to this question were rated 

using three scoring levels. Spelling and grammar were not 

considered in rating responses to the question. 

Complete responses provided a definition of the meaning 

of the term “melting pot” and offered a clear, supported 

argument either for or against the appropriateness of the 

term to describe the United States. Credit was given for 

arguments for the appropriateness of the term that included examples such as the development of shared values or 

a common language among Americans. Credit was given 

for arguments against the appropriateness of the term 

that included examples such as the maintenance of distinct identities or distinct examples of culture by various 

groups. 

Partial responses either provided a definition of the 

meaning of the term “melting pot,” or offered a clear, 

supported argument either for or against the appropriateness of the term to describe the United States, but not 

both. 

The sample student response shown on the previous page 

was rated “Complete” because it provided a clear definition 

of the term “melting pot” and provided support for an opinion 

on why the term “melting pot” is not appropriate to describe 

the United States. Thirty-five percent of twelfth-graders’ 

responses to this question received a “Complete” rating. 

Percentage of twelfth-grade students in each response category: 2010 

Complete Partial Unacceptable Omitted 

35 28 29 7

NOTE: Detail may not sum to totals because the percentage of responses rated as “Off-task” is not shown. Off-task responses 

are those that do not provide any information related to the assessment task. 

The table below shows the percentage of twelfth-graders 

within each achievement-level interval whose responses 

to this question were rated as “Complete.” For example, 

41 percent of twelfth-graders at the Basic level provided 

responses rated as “Complete.” 

Percentage of twelfth-grade students’ responses rated as “Complete” 

at each achievement level: 2010 

Overall Below Basic At Basic At Proficient At Advanced 

35 9 41 66 79

Unacceptable responses provided no definition of the 

meaning of the term “melting pot” and did not offer a clear 

argument either for or against the appropriateness of the 

term to describe the United States. 

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics, National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), 2010 Civics Assessment. 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	

 

 

 

 

	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	

	 	 	 	

	 	 	

46 THE NATION’S REPORT CARD 

12 

GRADE 

Civics Knowledge Component: How does the government established by 

the Constitution embody the purposes, values, and principles of 

American democracy? 

Television has powerfully influenced the political 

process. In the space below, give one positive and one 

negative impact that television has on the political 

process. 

This sample question measures students’ knowledge of the 

impact television has on the political process. Responses to this 

question were rated using three scoring levels. Spelling and 

grammar were not considered in rating responses to this 

question. 

Complete responses provided both a positive and a 

negative impact of television on the political process. 

Examples of a positive impact that were credited included 

responses that discussed how television provides voters 

with access to information about political candidates. 

Examples of a negative impact that were credited included 

the fact that television coverage of the candidates can 

often emphasize the public images of candidates more 

than their position on the issues, and the tendency of 

television reports to provide shorter bits of information 

rather than in-depth coverage of candidates’ political 

positions. 

Partial responses provided either a positive impact or a 

negative impact of television, but not both. 

Unacceptable responses did not provide either a positive 

or a negative impact of television on the political process. 

The sample student response to the left was rated as 

“Complete” because it provided both a positive impact and 

a negative impact on the political process. Twenty-seven 

percent of responses to this question received a “Complete” 

rating. 

Percentage of twelfth-grade students in each response category: 

2010 

Complete Partial Unacceptable Omitted 

27 38 31 3

NOTE: Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding. 

The table below shows the percentage of twelfth-graders 

within each achievement level whose responses to this 

question were rated as “Complete.” For example, 28 percent 

of twelfth-graders at the Basic level provided responses rated 

as “Complete.” 

Percentage of twelfth-grade students’ responses rated as “Complete” 

at each achievement level: 2010 

Overall Below Basic At Basic At Proficient At Advanced 

27 8 28 52 74

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics, National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), 2010 Civics Assessment. 

Positive impact: 

Negative impact: 
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics, National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), 2010 Civics Assessment.

CIVICS 2010 47

Technical Notes

To ensure unbiased samples, NAEP statistical standards 

require that participation rates for original school samples be 

70 percent or higher to report national results separately for 

public and private schools. In instances where participation 

rates meet the 70 percent criterion but fall below 85 percent, 

a nonresponse bias analysis is conducted to determine if the 

responding sample is not representative of the population, 

thereby introducing the potential for nonresponse bias. The 

numbers of participating schools and students along with the 

weighted participation rates for the 2010 civics assessment 

are presented in table TN-1. Participation rate standards were 

not met for private schools at grades 4 and 12; therefore, 

results for private schools are not reported separately at 

those grades. 

Sampling and Weighting

The schools and students participating in NAEP assessments 

are selected to be representative of all schools nationally. The 

results from the assessed students are combined to provide 

accurate estimates of the overall performance of students in 

both public and nonpublic schools in the nation. More information on sampling can be found at http://nces.ed.gov/

nationsreportcard/about/nathow.asp.

Because each school that participated in the assessment, 

and each student assessed, represents a portion of the 

population of interest, the results are weighted to account 

for the disproportionate representation of the selected 

sample. This includes oversampling of schools with high 

concentrations of students from certain racial/ethnic groups 

and the lower sampling rates of students who attend very 

small nonpublic schools.

School and Student Participation

Nonresponse bias analyses were conducted for the private 

school samples at all three grades. The results of these 

analyses showed that, while the original responding school 

samples may not have been fully representative, including 

substitute schools and adjusting the sampling weights to 

account for school nonresponse were at least partially effective in reducing the potential for nonresponse bias. After 

accounting for the mitigating effects of substitution and 

nonresponse weight adjustments, some variables examined 

in the analysis still indicated potential bias. At grade 4, the 

final private school sample consisted of smaller schools than 

would have been realized in the full sample, as evidenced by 

a smaller mean for a measure of the schools’ grade 4 enrollment (28 in the responding sample compared to a full sample 

Table TN-1. School and student participation rates in NAEP civics, by grade and type of school: 2010

Grade and type of school

School participation Student participation

Student-weighted 

percent

Number of schools 

participating

Student-weighted 

percent

Number of students 

assessed

Grade 4

Nation 96 540 95 7,100

Public 99 450 95 6,600

Private 65 90 94 500

Grade 8

Nation 97 470 93 9,600

Public 99 390 92 8,800

Private 80 80 96 900

Grade 12

Nation 89 460 83 9,900

Public 92 410 83 8,800

Private 62 60 90 1,100

NOTE: The number of schools is rounded to the nearest ten. The number of students is rounded to the nearest hundred. Detail may not sum to totals because of 

rounding.
mean of 32). At grade 8, a remaining potential bias was that 

schools in the Midwest were somewhat overrepresented in 

the final sample of grade 8 private schools (32 percent in 

the responding sample compared to 29 percent in the full 

sample) and Northeast schools were somewhat underrepresented (16 percent, compared to 21 percent in the 

full sample). At grade 12, the application of nonresponse 

weight adjustments actually increased the potential bias 

with respect to census region and estimated grade enrollment, suggesting that there remains a significant potential 

for nonresponse bias for grade 12 private schools. The findings are related to the low response rate (62 percent) and the 

fact that, with limited school sample sizes in private schools, 

it is not possible to make adjustments that account fully for 

all school characteristics. For instance, it was larger nonCatholic private schools that did not respond, and so adjustments made to address the underrepresentation of those 

schools resulted in overrepresenting small schools at the 

expense of larger ones (a mean estimated grade enrollment 

of 44 in the responding sample compared to a full sample 

mean of 52).

An analysis was also performed to examine the potential for 

nonresponse bias introduced through student nonresponse 

in grade 12 public schools, where the weighted student 

response rate was 83 percent. The analysis showed that the 

sample of responding students differed from the original 

student sample with respect to relative age and student 

disability status. After adjusting the sampling weights to 

account for student nonresponse, there was no evidence of 

substantial bias, with the nonresponse-adjusted estimates for 

four variables—relative age, student disability (SD) status, 

English language learner (ELL) status, and eligibility for free 

or reduced-price lunch—differing from the unadjusted estimates by 1 percent or less.

Interpreting Statistical Significance

Comparisons over time or between groups are based on 

statistical tests that consider both the size of the differences 

and the standard errors of the two statistics being compared. 

Standard errors are margins of error, and estimates based on 

smaller groups are likely to have larger margins of error. The 

size of the standard errors may also be influenced by other 

factors such as how representative the assessed students 

are of the entire population.

When an estimate has a large standard error, a numerical 

difference that seems large may not be statistically significant. Differences of the same magnitude may or may not 

be statistically significant depending upon the size of the 

standard errors of the estimates. For example, a 5-point 

change in the average score for Hispanic eighth-graders 

may be statistically significant while a 9-point change for 

American Indian/Alaska Native students may not be. Standard errors for the estimates presented in this report are 

available at http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/naepdata/.

To ensure that significant differences in NAEP data reflect 

actual differences and not mere chance, error rates need 

to be controlled when making multiple simultaneous 

comparisons. The more comparisons that are made (e.g., 

comparing the performance of White, Black, Hispanic, 

Asian/Pacific Islander, and American Indian/Alaska Native 

students), the higher the probability of finding significant 

differences by chance. In NAEP, the Benjamini-Hochberg 

False Discovery Rate (FDR) procedure is used to control the 

expected proportion of falsely rejected hypotheses relative 

to the number of comparisons that are conducted. A detailed 

explanation of this procedure can be found at http://nces

.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/tdw/analysis/infer.asp. NAEP 

employs a number of rules to determine the number of 

comparisons conducted, which in most cases is simply the 

number of possible statistical tests. However, there is an 

exception where the FDR is not applied: when comparing 

multiple years, the number of years does not count toward 

the number of comparisons.

National School Lunch Program

NAEP collects data on student eligibility for the National 

School Lunch Program (NSLP) as an indicator of low family 

income. Under the guidelines of NSLP, children from families 

with incomes below 130 percent of the poverty level are 

eligible for free meals. Those from families with incomes 

between 130 and 185 percent of the poverty level are eligible 

for reduced-price meals. (For the period July 1, 2009, through 

June 30, 2010, for a family of four, 130 percent of the poverty 

level was $28,665, and 185 percent was $40,793.) Some 

schools provide free meals to all students irrespective of 

individual eligibility, using their own funds to cover the costs 

of non-eligible students. Under special provisions of the 

National School Lunch Act intended to reduce the administrative burden of determining student eligibility every year, 

schools can be reimbursed based on eligibility data for a 

single base year. Participating schools might have high percentages of eligible students and report all students as 

eligible for free lunch.

Because of the improved quality of the data on students’ 

eligibility for NSLP, the percentage of students for whom 

information was not available has decreased compared to 

the percentages reported prior to the 2006 assessment. 

Therefore, trend comparisons are only made back to 2006 in 

this report. For more information on NSLP, visit http://www

.fns.usda.gov/cnd/lunch/.

48 THE NATION’S REPORT CARD 
	 

Appendix Tables 

Table A-1.	 Percentage of students with disabilities (SD) and/or English language learners (ELL) identified, excluded, and assessed in NAEP 

civics, as a percentage of all students, by grade and SD/ELL category: 1998, 2006, and 2010 

SD/ELL category 

Grade 4 Grade 8 Grade 12 

1998 2006 2010 1998 2006 2010 1998 2006 2010 

SD and/or ELL 

Identified 15 23 23 13 18 18 8 13 14 

Excluded 5 3 2 4 2 1 2 2 2 

Assessed 10 20 21 9 16 16 6 11 12 

Without accommodations 6 9 8 6 6 4 5 4 3 

With accommodations 3 11 13 3 10 12 1 7 9 

SD 

Identified 11 13 13 11 12 12 6 10 11 

Excluded 3 2 1 3 2 1 2 2 2 

Assessed 7 11 12 8 11 11 4 8 9 

Without accommodations 4 3 2 4 2 1 3 2 1 

With accommodations 3 8 9 3 9 10 1 6 8 

ELL 

Identified 5 11 11 3 7 6 2 4 4 

Excluded 2 1 # 1 1 # # 1 # 

Assessed 3 10 10 2 6 6 2 3 4 

Without accommodations 2 7 6 2 4 3 2 2 2 

With accommodations # 3 5 # 2 3 # 1 2 

# Rounds to zero. �
 

NOTE: Students identified as both SD and ELL were counted only once under the combined SD and/or ELL category, but were counted separately under the SD and ELL categories. Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding. 

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics, National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), 1998, 2006, and 2010 Civics Assessments. 

CIVICS 2010 49 
 

	 

Table A-2. Percentage of students with disabilities (SD) and/or English language learners (ELL) identified, excluded, and assessed in NAEP civics, 

as a percentage of all students, by grade, selected racial/ethnic groups, and SD/ELL category: 2010 

SD/ELL category 

Grade 4 Grade 8 Grade 12 

White Black Hispanic White Black Hispanic White Black Hispanic 

SD and/or ELL 

Identified 14 16 49 13 17 30 11 17 21 

Excluded 1 2 2 1 2 2 1 4 2 

Assessed 13 14 48 12 15 28 10 14 19 

Without accommodations 3 2 25 2 2 12 2 2 9 

With accommodations 10 12 23 11 13 16 8 12 10 

SD 

Identified 14 15 12 13 15 11 11 16 9 

Excluded 1 2 1 1 2 1 1 4 2 

Assessed 12 13 11 12 13 10 9 12 7 

Without accommodations 3 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 

With accommodations 9 11 9 10 12 9 8 11 6 

ELL 

Identified 1 1 42 1 2 22 # 2 15 

Excluded # # 1 # # 1 # # 1 

Assessed 1 1 41 1 2 21 # 2 14 

Without accommodations # # 24 # 1 11 # # 8 

With accommodations 1 1 17 1 1 9 # 1 6 

# Rounds to zero. �
 

NOTE: Black includes African American, and Hispanic includes Latino. Race categories exclude Hispanic origin. Students identified as both SD and ELL were counted only once under the combined SD and/or ELL category, but were counted 

separately under the SD and ELL categories. Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding. 

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics, National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), 2010 Civics Assessment. 

Table A-3.	 Percentage of students identified as students with disabilities (SD) and/or English language learners (ELL) excluded and assessed in 

NAEP civics, as a percentage of identified SD and/or ELL students, by grade and SD/ELL category: 2010 

Percentage of identified SD and/or ELL students 

Grade and SD/ELL category Excluded Assessed 

Assessed without 

accommodations 

Assessed with 

accommodations 

Grade 4 

SD and/or ELL 7 93 35 58 

SD 10 90 19 71 

ELL 3 97 52 45 

Grade 8 

SD and/or ELL 8 92 24 69 

SD 9 91 11 80 

ELL 6 94 48 46 

Grade 12 

SD and/or ELL 13 87 22 64 

SD 17 83 13 71 

ELL 6 94 48 46 

NOTE: Students identified as both SD and ELL were counted only once under the combined SD and/or ELL category, but were counted separately under the SD and ELL categories. Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding. 

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics, National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), 2010 Civics Assessment. 

50 THE NATION’S REPORT CARD 
Table A-4. Achievement-level results for fourth-grade students in NAEP civics, by selected characteristics: 1998, 2006, and 2010 

Characteristic 

Percentage of students 

At or above Basic At or above Proficient At Advanced

1998 2006 2010 1998 2006 2010 1998 2006 2010 

Race/ethnicity 

White 78* 85 87 29* 34 37 2 2 2 

Black 45* 57 62 7* 10 12 1 # # 

Hispanic 40* 55 58 6* 10 10 # # # 

Asian/Pacific Islander 66* 75 82 20* 24 37 2 1 3 

American Indian/Alaska Native ‡ 38 63 ‡ 7 12 ‡ # # 

Gender 

Male 68* 72 73 22 24 24 2 1 1 

Female 70* 75* 81 23* 24* 30 1 1 2 

Eligibility for free or reduced-price 

school lunch 

Eligible for free lunch — 54* 60 — 9 10 — # # 

Eligible for reduced-price lunch — 67 74 — 12 17 — # # 

Not eligible — 87* 90 — 36 40 — 2 3 

Information not available — 88 89 — 37 44 — 3 5 

— Not available. Results for 1998 are not reported because of the improved quality of the data on students’ eligibility for the school lunch program beginning in 2006. � 

# Rounds to zero. � 

‡ Reporting standards not met. Sample size insufficient to permit a reliable estimate. � 

* Significantly different (p < .05) from 2010. � 

NOTE: Black includes African American, Hispanic includes Latino, and Pacific Islander includes Native Hawaiian. Race categories exclude Hispanic origin. � 

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics, National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), 1998, 2006, and 2010 Civics Assessments. 

CIVICS 2010 51 
Table A-5. Percentile scores for fourth-grade students in NAEP civics, by selected characteristics: 1998, 2006, and 2010 

Characteristic 

10th percentile 25th percentile 50th percentile 75th percentile 90th percentile 

1998 2006 2010 1998 2006 2010 1998 2006 2010 1998 2006 2010 1998 2006 2010 

Race/ethnicity 

White 117* 128 132 140* 148 150 161* 166 168 180* 183 185 196* 198 199 

Black 85* 102 105 107* 121 124 132* 141 145 153* 160 163 172* 177 180 

Hispanic 74* 96 97 97* 117 119 126* 140 143 151 160 161 169* 177 177 

Asian/Pacific Islander 102 114 125 126* 135 145 149* 156 168 173 176 186 189 193 200 

American Indian/Alaska Native ‡ 81 100 ‡ 101 129 ‡ 123 146 ‡ 149 162 ‡ 171 179 

Gender 

Male 100* 109 111 127* 132 134 153 155 156 174 176 176 193 193 193 

Female 105* 114 121 130* 136* 142 154* 158* 162 175* 176* 181 191 192 196 

Eligibility for free or reduced-price 

school lunch 

Eligible for free lunch — 97 101 — 117 122 — 139* 144 — 159 162 — 175 178 

Eligible for reduced-price lunch — 108 116 — 129 135 — 149* 154 — 166 171 — 181 186 

Not eligible — 130 135 — 149 153 — 167* 171 — 184 187 — 199 200 

Information not available — 132 134 — 153 153 — 169 172 — 185 192 — 199 205 

— Not available. Results for 1998 are not reported because of the improved quality of the data on students’ eligibility for the school lunch program beginning in 2006. 

‡ Reporting standards not met. Sample size insufficient to permit a reliable estimate. 

* Significantly different (p < .05) from 2010. � 

NOTE: Black includes African American, Hispanic includes Latino, and Pacific Islander includes Native Hawaiian. Race categories exclude Hispanic origin. � 

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics, National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), 1998, 2006, and 2010 Civics Assessments. 

52 THE NATION’S REPORT CARD 
Table A-6. Achievement-level results for eighth-grade students in NAEP civics, by selected characteristics: 1998, 2006, and 2010 

Characteristic 

Percentage of students 

At or above Basic At or above Proficient At Advanced

1998 2006 2010 1998 2006 2010 1998 2006 2010 

Race/ethnicity 

White 78* 82 82 28 30 29 2 2 2 

Black 49 50 53 7 9 9 # # # 

Hispanic 44* 50 56 7* 8 11 # # # 

Asian/Pacific Islander 69 73 78 25 27 30 3 3 2 

American Indian/Alaska Native ‡ 46 56 ‡ 7 11 ‡ # 1 

Gender 

Male 67 68 70 22 23 22 2 2 1 

Female 73 72 74 22 21 22 1 1 1 

Eligibility for free or reduced-price 

school lunch 

Eligible for free lunch — 48 52 — 7 8 — # # 

Eligible for reduced-price lunch — 63 69 — 12 17 — # 1 

Not eligible — 82 85 — 29 31 — 2 2 

Information not available — 90 88 — 44 35 — 5 3 

Highest level of parental education 

Did not finish high school — 47 52 — 6 6 — # # 

Graduated from high school — 59 60 — 11 10 — # # 

Some education after high school — 75 78 — 20 22 — 1 1 

Graduated from college — 82 83 — 33 32 — 3 2 

— Not available. For the eligibility for free or reduced-price school lunch category, results for 1998 are not reported because of the improved quality of the data on students’ eligibility for the school lunch program beginning in 2006. For the 

highest level of parental education category, results for 1998 are not reported because the question in 1998 was different from the question in the 2006 and 2010 assessments. � 

# Rounds to zero. � 

‡ Reporting standards not met. Sample size insufficient to permit a reliable estimate. � 

* Significantly different (p < .05) from 2010. � 

NOTE: Black includes African American, Hispanic includes Latino, and Pacific Islander includes Native Hawaiian. Race categories exclude Hispanic origin. � 

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics, National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), 1998, 2006, and 2010 Civics Assessments. 

CIVICS 2010 53 
Table A-7. Percentile scores for eighth-grade students in NAEP civics, by selected characteristics: 1998, 2006, and 2010 

Characteristic 

10th percentile 25th percentile 50th percentile 75th percentile 90th percentile 

1998 2006 2010 1998 2006 2010 1998 2006 2010 1998 2006 2010 1998 2006 2010 

Race/ethnicity 

White 115* 121 121 138 143 142 161 163 163 180 182 181 196 196 195 

Black 88 88 92 109 110 112 133 134 137 155 157 159 173 176 176 

Hispanic 79 85 89 103* 108* 115 128* 134 139 153* 157* 162 172* 174 179 

Asian/Pacific Islander 102 106 109 127 132 140 153 159 163 178 181 182 197 198 196 

American Indian/Alaska Native ‡ 78 89 ‡ 99 109 ‡ 129 139 ‡ 156 163 ‡ 171 179 

Gender 

Male 98 98* 103 124 125 129 151 153 154 175 176 176 193 192 192 

Female 108 107 108 132 130 132 155 155 156 175 174 175 191 191 191 

Eligibility for free or reduced-price 

school lunch 

Eligible for free lunch — 85 89 — 107* 112 — 132 136 — 154 157 — 172 174 

Eligible for reduced-price lunch — 98 107 — 120* 128 — 145 150 — 166 170 — 180 187 

Not eligible — 120 124 — 142* 146 — 163 165 — 181 183 — 196 197 

Information not available — 133 129 — 155 150 — 174 168 — 190 186 — 204 199 

Highest level of parental education 

Did not finish high school — 87 92 — 107 113 — 131 136 — 153 157 — 169 171 

Graduated from high school — 96 96 — 118 119 — 142 142 — 164 162 — 180 178 

Some education after high school — 112 116 — 134 137 — 156 158 — 173 175 — 189 189 

Graduated from college — 118 121 — 143 144 — 165 166 — 184 184 — 198 198 

— Not available. For the eligibility for free or reduced-price school lunch category, results for 1998 are not reported because of the improved quality of the data on students’ eligibility for the school lunch program beginning in 2006. 

For the highest level of parental education category, results for 1998 are not reported because the question in 1998 was different from the question in the 2006 and 2010 assessments. � 

‡ Reporting standards not met. Sample size insufficient to permit a reliable estimate. � 

* Significantly different (p < .05) from 2010. � 

NOTE: Black includes African American, Hispanic includes Latino, and Pacific Islander includes Native Hawaiian. Race categories exclude Hispanic origin. � 

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics, National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), 1998, 2006, and 2010 Civics Assessments. 

54 THE NATION’S REPORT CARD 
Table A-8. Achievement-level results for twelfth-grade students in NAEP civics, by selected characteristics: 1998, 2006, and 2010 

Characteristic 

Percentage of students 

At or above Basic At or above Proficient At Advanced

1998 2006 2010 1998 2006 2010 1998 2006 2010 

Race/ethnicity 

White 73 74 73 32 34 30 5 6 5 

Black 41 42 38 9 9 8 1 1 1 

Hispanic 45 46 50 10 12 13 1 1 2 

Asian/Pacific Islander 63 68 70 27 33 29 5 8 5 

American Indian/Alaska Native ‡ 42 47 ‡ 9 16 ‡ # 1 

Gender 

Male 62 64 63 27 28* 25 5 5 5 

Female 68 67 64 26 26* 22 3 4 3 

Highest level of parental education 

Did not finish high school — 35 40 — 8 8 — 1 # 

Graduated from high school — 52 51 — 13 13 — 1 1 

Some education after high school — 66 63 — 23 20 — 3 3 

Graduated from college — 77 75 — 39* 33 — 8 6 

— Not available. Results for 1998 are not reported because the question about parents’ highest level of education in 1998 was different from the question in the 2006 and 2010 assessments. � 

# Rounds to zero. � 

‡ Reporting standards not met. Sample size insufficient to permit a reliable estimate. � 

* Significantly different (p < .05) from 2010. � 

NOTE: Black includes African American, Hispanic includes Latino, and Pacific Islander includes Native Hawaiian. Race categories exclude Hispanic origin. � 

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics, National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), 1998, 2006, and 2010 Civics Assessments. 

CIVICS 2010 55 
 

Table A-9. Percentile scores for twelfth-grade students in NAEP civics, by selected characteristics: 1998, 2006, and 2010 

Characteristic 

10th percentile 25th percentile 50th percentile 75th percentile 90th percentile 

1998 2006 2010 1998 2006 2010 1998 2006 2010 1998 2006 2010 1998 2006 2010 

Race/ethnicity 

White 113 115 113 136 138 136 159 161 158 180 181 178 196 197 194 

Black 86 87 81 108 108 104 131 131 129 153 154 151 171 172 170 

Hispanic 84 89 90 109 112 114 135 136 139 157 158 161 174 177 178 

Asian/Pacific Islander 99 107 104 126 131 133 150 157 158 176 182 178 195 200 195 

American Indian/Alaska Native ‡ 85 85 ‡ 108 110 ‡ 132 135 ‡ 155 163 ‡ 173 183 

Gender 

Male 98 101 98 123 126 125 151 153 152 176 177* 174 195 195 193 

Female 108 107 104 132* 131 128 154 154 151 175 175* 171 190 192* 188 

Highest level of parental education 

Did not finish high school — 81 82 — 103 106 — 126 131 — 148 154 — 170 171 

Graduated from high school — 94 89 — 117 114 — 141 140 — 162 161 — 179 179 

Some education after high school — 109 105 — 130 127 — 153 150 — 172 169 — 188 186 

Graduated from college — 118 115 — 141 139 — 165 161 — 185* 181 — 201 197 

— Not available. Results for 1998 are not reported because the question about parents’ highest level of education in 1998 was different from the question in the 2006 and 2010 assessments. 

‡ Reporting standards not met. Sample size insufficient to permit a reliable estimate. 

* Significantly different (p < .05) from 2010. � 

NOTE: Black includes African American, Hispanic includes Latino, and Pacific Islander includes Native Hawaiian. Race categories exclude Hispanic origin. � 

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics, National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), 1998, 2006, and 2010 Civics Assessments. 

56 THE NATION’S REPORT CARD 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

U.S. Department of Education 

The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) is a congressionally authorized project sponsored by the 

U.S. Department of Education. The National Center for Education Statistics, within the Institute of Education Sciences, 

administers NAEP. The Commissioner of Education Statistics is responsible by law for carrying out the NAEP project. 

Arne Duncan 

Secretary 

U.S. Department 

of Education 

John Q. Easton 

Director 

Institute of 

Education Sciences 

Jack Buckley 

Commissioner 

National Center for 

Education Statistics 

The National Assessment Governing Board 

In 1988, Congress created the National Assessment Governing Board to set policy for the National Assessment of TM Educational Progress, commonly known as The Nation's Report Card . The Governing Board is an independent, 

bipartisan group whose members include governors, state legislators, local and state school officials, educators, 

business representatives, and members of the general public. 

Honorable David P. Driscoll, Chair 

Former Commissioner of Education 

Melrose, Massachusetts 

Mary Frances Taymans, 

Vice Chair 

Sisters of Notre Dame 

National Education Office 

Bethesda, Maryland 

David J. Alukonis 

Former Chairman 

Hudson School Board 

Hudson, New Hampshire 

Louis M. Fabrizio 

Director, Accountability Policy and 

Communications 

North Carolina Department of Public 

Instruction 

Raleigh, North Carolina 

Honorable Anitere Flores 

Senator 

Florida State Senate 

Miami, Florida 

Alan J. Friedman 

Consultant 

Museum Development and Science 

Communication 

New York, New York 

Shannon Garrison 

Fourth-Grade Teacher 

Solano Avenue Elementary School 

South Pasadena, California 

David W. Gordon 

County Superintendent of Schools 

Sacramento County Office of Education 

Sacramento, California 

Doris R. Hicks 

Principal and Chief Executive Officer 

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Charter School 

for Science and Technology 

New Orleans, Louisiana 

Richard Brent Houston 

Principal 

Shawnee Middle School 

Shawnee, Oklahoma 

Hector Ibarra 

Eighth-Grade Teacher 

West Branch Middle School 

Iowa City, Iowa 

Kathi M. King 

Twelfth-Grade Teacher 

Messalonskee High School 

Oakland, Maine 

Henry Kranendonk 

Mathematics Consultant 

Milwaukee Public Schools 

Milwaukee, Wisconsin 

Honorable Tom Luna 

Idaho Superintendent of Public Instruction 

Boise, Idaho 

Honorable Jack Markell 

Governor of Delaware 

Wilmington, Delaware 

Tonya Miles 

General Public Representative 

Mitchellville, Maryland 

Honorable Steven L. Paine 

Former State Superintendent of Schools 

West Virginia Department of Education 

Charleston, West Virginia 

Honorable Sonny Perdue 

Former Governor of Georgia 

Atlanta, Georgia 

Susan Pimentel 

Educational Consultant 

Hanover, New Hampshire 

W. James Popham 

Professor Emeritus 

Graduate School of Education and 

Information Studies 

University of California, Los Angeles 

Los Angeles, California 

Andrew C. Porter 

Dean 

Graduate School of Education 

University of Pennsylvania 

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 

Warren T. Smith 

Vice President 

Washington State Board of Education 

Olympia, Washington 

Blair Taylor 

President and CEO 

Los Angeles Urban League 

Los Angeles, California 

Honorable Leticia Van de Putte 

Senator 

Texas State Senate 

San Antonio, Texas 

Eileen L. Weiser 

General Public Representative 

Ann Arbor, Michigan 

John Q. Easton (Ex officio) 

Director 

Institute of Education Sciences 

U.S. Department of Education 

Washington, D.C. 

Cornelia S. Orr 

Executive Director 

National Assessment Governing Board 

Washington, D.C. 

“ Th e De p a r tm e nt of Edu c at ion ’s m iss ion is to prom o te st uden t 

ach ievem e nt an d prepa ra ti o n fo r gl o ba l co mpe ti ti ve nes s by 

fos teri ng e d uca ti o na l exce l len ce a nd e ns u r in g equ a l a cce ss .” 

w ww.ed .gov 

M O R E I N F O R M A T I O N 

The report release site is 

http://nationsreportcard.gov. 

The NCES Publications and Products 

address is http://nces.ed.gov/ 

pubsearch. 

For ordering information, write to 

ED Pubs 

U.S. Department of Education 

P.O. Box 22207 

Alexandria, VA 22304 

or call toll free 1-877-4-ED-Pubs 

or order online at 

http://www.edpubs.gov. 

THE NATION’S 

REPORT CARD 

Civics 

2010 

MAY 2011 

S U G G E S T E D C I T A T I O N 

National Center for Education �


Statistics (2011). 

The Nation’s Report Card: 

Civics 2010 �


(NCES 2011–466). 

Institute of Education Sciences, 

U.S. Department of Education, 

Washington, D.C. 

C O N T E N T C O N T A C T 

Grady Wilburn 

202-502-7408 

grady.wilburn@ed.gov 

This report was prepared for the National 

Center for Education Statistics under Contract 

No. ED-07-CO-0107 with Educational Testing 

Service. Mention of trade names, commercial 

products, or organizations does not imply 

endorsement by the U.S. Government.