Agency Talking Points

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,
  1. 1. the most persuasive argument was that the exam reinforces memorization and not real learning
     2. that KSDE, the AG’s office, and the students of Kansas would be better off if we took a broader approach
     3. that schools would respond more favorably to an incentive (award, collaborative network) than a mandate
  2. a great deal of cooperation and collaboration between KSDE, our commissioner, the Attorney General, and his office.