ACTA in the NewsCivic Education
UPenn ‘America 250’ courses largely ignore America’s founding, conservative analysts say
The University of Pennsylvania’s “America 250” courses celebrating the country’s semiquincentennial have little […]
Report
Students & Parents | Historical Literacy
Losing America’s Memory
Historical Illiteracy in the 21st Century
February 1, 2000 by Anne D. Neal and Jerry L. Martin Download PDF Press ReleaseThis stunning report reveals 81% of seniors from the top 55 U.S. colleges and universities failed a high school level history exam; even worse, that none of the institutions surveyed requires a course in American history, and three-quarters require no history at all. The report inspired Congress to pass a joint resolution calling for a national response and the Education Leadership Council to adopt a resolution to address America’s historical amnesia. Over 800 news stories reported on the study.
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CONTENT
ACTA in the NewsCivic Education
A reason for optimism this Memorial Day
Near my home in Wisconsin is a yellow barn with a smiling face painted on it. I drive past it often, and it reminds me to be optimistic. Despite recent studies, I am still upbeat about America — particularly as we celebrate the 250th anniversary of our great republic. Don’t get me wrong; there is reason to be concerned about the […]
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PRESS MENTIONS
ACTA in the NewsGeneral Education
The Pilgrims' Magna Carta
If college students have a clear-eyed view of the battle in which the nation is now engaged, we’d wager it doesn’t have a lot to do with what they’re learning at school. A survey just out from the American Council of Trustees and Alumni reveals just how little history students are asked to study today […]
ACTA in the NewsGeneral Education
Neglecting History...
A question for you before you set off your fireworks: Who was the American general at Yorktown? You have four guesses: William Tecumseh Sherman, Ulysses S. Grant, Douglas MacArthur or George Washington. When that question was asked late last year of 556 randomly chosen seniors at 55 top-rated colleges and universities, one out of three […]
ACTA in the NewsGeneral Education
Word for Word/Pop Quiz; History 101: Snoop Doggy Roosevelt
Listen up, class. We hate to spoil your holiday weekend, but an alarming new survey of American history knowledge 2/3–released just days before Independence Day, no less 2/3–suggests that the nation is in desperate need of summer school. The report, sponsored by the American Council of Trustees and Alumni, a Washington-based nonprofit group that promotes […]
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