Testimony/Department Statements/Talking Points:
- Steve Masyada, Director, Florida Joint Center for Citizenship: Talking Points Regarding the Use of the US Naturalization Test for Measuring Student Civic Learning.
- Stefanie Wager (IA) provided the Fiscal Note she put together when the bill was introduced in Iowa.
- South Dakota: Nov 2014 Top Questions (see #3)
- Utah: Enhancing the Cognitive Rigor of the Basic Civics Test (Robert Austin);
- Wisconsin: Official statement by State Superintendent Tony Evers in July 2015, requesting vetoes on items added to the state budget through an omnibus. Go to #6 for info on his statement on the civics test requirement.
- Kansas: The conversations were informal,
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- the most persuasive argument was that the exam reinforces memorization and not real learning
- that KSDE, the AG’s office, and the students of Kansas would be better off if we took a broader approach
- that schools would respond more favorably to an incentive (award, collaborative network) than a mandate
- a great deal of cooperation and collaboration between KSDE, our commissioner, the Attorney General, and his office.