[Congressional Bills 107th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 451 Introduced in House (IH)]







107th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. CON. RES. 451

    Recognizing the importance of teaching United States history in 
       elementary and secondary schools, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 25, 2002

    Mr. Kind (for himself and Mr. Osborne) submitted the following 
concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Education 
                           and the Workforce

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION


 
    Recognizing the importance of teaching United States history in 
       elementary and secondary schools, and for other purposes.

Whereas gaining a sense of history is a gradual and cumulative process, and 
        history education should therefore begin at the early stages of a 
        student's classroom experience and continue to develop throughout a 
        student's entire educational career;
Whereas when students study United States history they become familiar with the 
        development and expansion of the country, which enables them to better 
        understand the present relationship between the United States and other 
        countries and to anticipate future international interaction;
Whereas when students have a foundation of basic United States history they can 
        better understand their roles as citizens of the United States and as a 
        part of the global community;
Whereas the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) United States 
        History Assessment of 2001 found that 6 out of 10 of senior high school 
        students in the United States lack even a basic knowledge of United 
        States history;
Whereas out of 29,000 students represented in this NAEP study, only 29 percent 
        of 12th graders knew that the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution gave President 
        Lyndon B. Johnson authority to expand the Vietnam War and only 57 
        percent of 4th graders knew that one major cause of the Civil War was 
        the split between the North and South over slavery;
Whereas in 1999, the United States placed 6th in the International Civic 
        Education (CivEd) Study, a study of 27 countries sponsored by The 
        National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) designed to tap the 
        civic knowledge and skills of 14-year-olds and their attitudes toward 
        democracy and citizenship;
Whereas according to the CivEd study, 12 percent of students in the United 
        States reported never or hardly ever studying history in school, and the 
        majority of 9th graders typically spent less than one hour per week 
        doing history homework; and
Whereas according to the Center for Survey Research and Analysis, fewer than 
        half of the seniors surveyed at top universities across the United 
        States can identify crucial events in United States history: Now, 
        therefore, be it
    Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), 
That the Congress--
            (1) recognizes the importance of teaching United States 
        history in elementary and secondary schools;
            (2) expresses concern regarding the lack of basic 
        understanding of United States history among students of all 
        levels in the United States; and
            (3) strongly supports efforts to promote the value of 
        education in United States history and to ensure that students 
        in the United States graduate from high school with a 
        significant understanding of United States history.
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