News9.com - Oklahoma City, OK - News, Weather, Video and Sports | 75 Percent of Oklahoma High School Students Can't Name the First President of the U.S.
News9.com
OKLAHOMA CITY -- Only one in four Oklahoma public high school students can name the first President of the United States, according to a survey released today.
The survey was commissioned by the Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs in observance of Constitution Day on Thursday.
The Oklahoma City-based group enlisted national research firm, Strategic Vision, to access students' basic civic knowledge.
Brandon Dutcher is with the conservative think tank and said the organization wanted to find out how much civic knowledge Oklahoma high school students know.
"They're questions taken from the actual exam that you have to take to become a U.S. citizen," Dutcher said.
A thousand students were surveyed by telephone and given 10 questions drawn from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services item bank. Candidates for U.S. citizenship must answer six questions correctly in order to become citizens.
About 92 percent of the people who take the citizenship test pass on their first try, according to immigration service data. However, Oklahoma students did not fare as well. Only about 3 percent of the students surveyed would have passed the citizenship test.
Dutcher said this is not just a problem in Oklahoma. He said Arizona had similar results, which left him concerned for the entire country.
"Jefferson later said that a nation can't expect to be ignorant and free," Dutcher said. "It points to a real serious problem. We're not going to remain ignorant and free."
| Question | % of Students Who Answered Correctly | |
| What is the supreme law of the land? |
| 28 |
| What do we call the first ten amendments to the Constitution? |
| 26 |
| What are the two parts of the U.S. Congress? |
| 27 |
| How many justices are there on the Supreme Court? |
| 10 |
| Who wrote the Declaration of Independence? |
| 14 |
| What ocean is on the east coast of the United States? |
| 61 |
| What are the two major political parities in the United States? |
| 43 |
| We elect a U.S. senator for how many years? |
| 11 |
| Who was the first President of the United States? |
| 23 |
| Who is in charge of the executive branch? |
| 29 |
Comments Terms of Use: Terms of Use: We welcome your participation in our community. Please keep your comments civil and on point. You must be at least 13 years of age to post comments. In addition, by submitting a comment, you recognize that your comment may be read or discussed on one or more television news broadcasts on NEWS 9 and you consent to any such use. By submitting a comment, you agree to these
Terms of Service
You must be logged in to leave a comment. Login or register See all comments |
The University of Oklahoma is looking to send more students overseas for its study abroad program thanks to a recent lease by the school. More>>
A small metro community is rallying around one of their own. More>>
A survey given to Oklahoma high school students revealed only one in four could name America's first president. However, one lawmaker said those results were so unbelievable he wanted to do a "retake." More>>
It was 20 years ago today history was made in Germany, the Berlin Wall came down. And in Oklahoma City, the fall of the wall was celebrated by students through a recreation of the historical event. More>>
A checklist for college preparations, from high school to secondary ed! More>>
Tips in getting the most out of your test studying! More>>
Helpful tips and advice on protecting yourself from identity theft! More>>
Get good tips on how to keep your kids healthy and fit! More>>
Send your Gary's Hot Shots to Gary England for it to be selected to be seen on NEWS 9.
