E Pluribus Unum: Are We Losing Our American Heritage?

AMERICANISM IN CONTEXT1

Americanism in Context

E Pluribus Unum: Are We Losing Our American Heritage?

Paula J. Baumgardner

Shawnee State University

Department of Teacher Education

Advisor- Dr. PatricLeedom

March 22, 2010

Candidate for Masters of Education, Curriculum & Instruction

Abstract

This paper exploresthe alarming concern that many who graduatefrom schools in Scioto County Ohio, are not adequately familiar withUnited States history prior to 1877 and The United States Constitution. A three-pronged approach was conducted in order to garner this information. One approach utilized two surveys. The second approach explored the Ohio Department of Education website. The ODE was examined for social studies requirement and content. Furthermore, an analysis of the Ohio Graduation Test (OGT) conducted. In addition to the OGT results, an Americanism test was given to participating schools. This third approach compared the questions and the results from this test to that of the OGT. Thechanges in the Ohio social studies requirementscould have a tremendous impact on the future of America.Will we, as a nation, lose our American Heritage over time? Will we no longer have a common understanding of how this country came to be, and why we are governed the way we are? By not exposing the next generation to the Founders’ plan for our country, it couldhappen (Neal, Martin, & Moses, 2000). According to Thomas Jefferson, “History by apprising [citizens] of the past will enable them to judge of the future; it will avail them as judges of the actions and designs of men; it will enable them to know ambition under very disguise it may assume; and knowing it, to defeat its views” (Spalding, 2002, p.159).

Keywords: American History, American Government, Ohio Department of Education, Ohio Gradation Test, social studies standards, American Legion, United States Constitution, founders, Americanism Test

Table of Contents

Abstract

Introduction

Overview

Research Questions

Literature Review

Why study the past?

Why are there changes?

What Impact Can These Changes Have?

Methodology and Research Design

Data Analysis and Interpretation

Analysis of Ohio Department of Education Social Studies Standards

Analysis of the Ohio Graduation Test (OGT)

Analysis of The Americanism and Government Program

Interpretation of standards applicability from the teachers’ view

Appendix

References

E Pluribus Unum: Are We Losing Our American Heritage?

This nation is in a crisis. This crisis could be at the expense of every citizen of the United States of America. Each year, schools in the United States graduate a generation ignorant of American History and Government. This can have tremendous consequences for The United States. For instance, America’s heritage could be lost forever if students are not educated in the principles the forefathers had fought for. Heritage, as defined by the Oxford dictionary (2010), is characterized by or pertaining to the preservation or exploitation of local and national features of historical, or cultural interest. Furthermore, the rights ofAmericans could be usurped if Americans are not cultured in the Constitution.

It is imperative that this generation andsubsequent generations are taught about the development of this country and the sacrifices that were made to make it the country that it was designed to be. The youth need to be educated in the fundamentals of American History and Government, particularly the colonial and Revolutionary periods. Moreover, students need to be taught about the great accomplishments and the failures of this nation’s history. Without knowledge, people perish—in this case our nation will not continue to be a free nationif our present and future generations do not have a firm foundational understanding of the founding fathers’ principles of the United States. James Madison, Father of the Constitution, stated, “A popular Government, without popular information, or the means of acquiring it, is but a Prologue to a Farce or a Tragedy; or, perhaps both. Knowledge will forever govern ignorance: And a people who mean to be their own Governors, must arm themselves with the power which knowledge gives” (Spalding, 2002, p.150).

Furthermore, students need to understand the relevance of holding on to America’s founding principles so that this country can remain as one—United States of America. It is to this end, that it is necessary that all educators help mold this and the next generation into citizens who know where they came from, know where they are going, and the possible implications if they are not secure in their national heritage.

Overview

The purpose of this study was to analyze the possible causes attributing to studentslack of knowledge in the area of American History and Government. Upon conducting an examination of the Ohio Department of Education’s requirements for students’ to graduate, a few issues were brought to the forefront. First, it would appear that students, for the most part, are achieving the required benchmarks according to the results from the 2009 & 2010 Ohio Graduation Test. However, upon further investigation, the results are misleading as far as students’knowledge of American History and Government.

A further examination was conducted in regards to students participating in the Americanism test that is provided by the local American Legion. The results that were collected do not correspond with that of the OGT. It appears that there is a vast discrepancy between the OGT results and that of the Americanism test.

In addition, a web survey was given to teachers from the schools that participated in the Americanism test and to a few that did not. The survey was conducted to garner more information in regards to the curricula that is taught to Scioto County High School students. It was also conducted to analyze studentspreparedness for the Americanism test. Of the information collected from the survey, teachers did not prepare the students prior to taking the Americanism exam.

This paper will reveal through the literature the importance of teaching and learning American History and Government. In addition, a more comprehensive investigation and analysis of the Ohio Graduation Test, the Ohio Department of Education requirements, the Americanism test, and the survey from local Scioto County teachers will be discussed.

Research Questions

1. Are Scioto County students meeting the social studies standards set by the Ohio Department of Education?

2. Do the questions on the Ohio Graduation Test support these standards?

3. Are the questions on the OGT applicable to the founding of America and the Constitution?

4. AreScioto County students taught about the United States Constitution and American History pertaining to the founding of The United States?

Literature Review

Literature articles have been written to expose the lack of education students are receiving in American History and Government and the effects of this lack of knowledge. In a study conducted by the American Council of Trustees and Alumni, it was discovered that many college students graduate without knowing their American heritage (Neal, Martin, & Moses, 2000). Hess (2009) describes in his article that, “too many young Americans do not possess the kind of basic knowledge they need. When asked fundamental questions about U.S. history and culture, they scored a D and exhibited stunning knowledge gaps” (p. 5).

This literature review will addresssome of the underlying issues in hopes of gaining a perspective on this increasing trend.

1. Why study the past?

2. Why are there changes?

3. What impact can these changes have on the future?

Why study the past?

Carpenter (2004) points out that Thomas Jefferson, writer of the Declaration of Independence and third president of the United States, “believed that the main purpose of an educated citizenry is to serve as the basic line of defense against any encroachment on their lives by a government” (p.144). He continues by saying that Jefferson “thought it important to read such political works as the Declaration of Independence, the Federalist Papers, and the Constitution of the United States” (p. 145). Nash (2009) concurs by stating that, “[Thomas]Jefferson, [Benjamin]Rush, and [Noah]Webster represent the desire to use schooling to create the ‘uniform America’ and ‘to create a new unity, a common citizenship and culture’ . . .and to create citizens who would be loyal to the new country” (p. 419).

Noah Webster, Father of American Scholarship and Education, had the same philosophy as the other founders in that he believed “It is an object of vast magnitude that systems of education should be adopted and pursued which may not only diffuse a knowledge of the sciences but may implant in the minds of the American youth the principles of virtue and of liberty and inspire them with just and liberal ideas of government and with an inviolable attachment to their own country” (Spalding, 2002,

pp. 149-150). James Madison believed that “The best service that can be rendered to a Country, next to that of giving it liberty, is in diffusing the mental improvement equally essential to the preservation, and the enjoyment of the blessing” (Spalding, 2002, p. 149). Neal, et al. (2000) concurs by explaining, “The nation’s past unifies a people and ensures a common civic identity (p. 4). She continues to say that “the importance of a shared memory appears to have lost its foothold in higher education” and “what happens in higher education relates directly to what happens in K-12 (2009).

Neal further advocates that, “other than our schools, no institutions bear greater responsibility for the transmission of our heritage than colleges and universities” (p. 7). Finally, Neal explains that, “citizens who fail to know basic landmarks of history and civics are unlikely to be able to reflect on their meaning” and therefore, “fail to recognize . . . the importance of preserving it” (p. 7). Spalding (2002) discusses that founding father Benjamin Franklin had reservations if the new republic would be preserved. After the Constitutional Convention, Benjamin Franklin was asked what kind of government was created. He was quoted to say, “A republic, if you can keep it” (XIV).

Hess’s (2009) study seems to articulate the same philosophy as Neal’s. Hess stated that, “ it is vital that schools familiarize students with the history and culture that form the shared bonds of their national community” (p. 7). Hess continues to address the issue that our forefathers regarded comprehensive education as the schools purpose. This is the schools’ primary mission, to “equip every young person for the responsibilities and privileges of citizenship” (p. 7). In order to achieve this goal one must be taught, “with the historical narrative and cultural touchstones that mark our national experience, schools provide the vocabulary for a common conversation that can render e pluribus unum” (p. 7). Spalding agrees by quoting John Adams, “. . . the longest liver of you all will find no principles, institutions or systems of education more fit in general to be transmitted to your posterity than those you have received from your ancestors” (p. 159). Hess stated that, “Absent shared reference points, it may be more difficult for young Americans . . . to find their common identity as citizens” (p. 7).

Spalding (2002) acknowledged that Thomas Jefferson believed all children should be provided “with the skills--reading, writing, arithmetic, geography, and history—necessary to live free and independently as adults” (p. 91). He further states that Jefferson believed all children “must be given a civic education that instructs them in ‘their rights, interests and duties, as men and citizens’” (p. 91). Moreover, Noah Webster believed that, “Every child in America should be acquainted with his own country. He should read books that furnish him with ideas that will be useful to him in life and practice. As soon as he opens his lips, he should rehearse the history of his own country” (Spalding, 2002, p. 159). Additionally, Spalding quoted Thomas Jefferson saying, “It is the duty of every good citizen to use all the opportunities which occur to him, for preserving documents relating to the history of our country” (p. 159). Gutierreze (2003)emphasized, “In order for people to appreciate the legitimate claim of the polity and the society from which the government came, they must be knowledgeable about the origins of its professed values and beliefs. Therefore, as part of a government, civics, and even history curriculum, the content should include historical study of the origins of those ideals, especially in order to avoid an inaccurate or distorted understanding of those origins” (p. 221).

Carpenter quotes Jefferson saying:

For this purpose the reading in the first stage, wherethey will receive their whole education, is proposed. . .to be chiefly historical. History by apprising them of thepast will enable them to judge the future; it will avail

them of the experience of other times and othernations; it will qualify them as judges of the actionsand designs of men; it will enable them to knowambition under every disguise it may assume, andknowing it, to defeat its views (p. 141).

Carpenter (2004)continues to say, “The ultimate goal of Jefferson’s educational plan was, of course, effective citizenship education” (p. 142). In addition, “ . . . all citizens regardless of educational background, would be effective defenders of the new republic against threats to their personal liberty” (p. 142).

President George Washington summed the Americanism ideology during his farewell address:

. . . you should properly estimate the immense value of your national Union to your collective and individual happiness; that you should cherish a cordial, habitual and immovable attachment to it; accustoming yourselves to think and speak of it as of the Palladium of your political safety and prosperity; watching for its preservation with jealous anxiety; discountenancing whatever may suggest even a suspicion that it can in any event be abandoned, and indignantly frowning upon the first dawning of every attempt to alienate any portion of our Country from the rest, or to enfeeble the sacred ties which now link together the various parts. (Spalding, 2002, p. 302)

Why are there changes?

According to Neal, et al. (2000), “The abandonment of history requirements is part of a national trend” (p. 6). She supports her statement by including a 1988 study completed by the National Endowment for Humanities. This study indicated “that more than 80 percent of colleges and universities permitted students to graduate without taking a course in American history while 37 percent of those institutions allowed students to avoid history altogether” (p. 6). Neal further explains that thirteen years later, the percentage increased to “One hundred percent do not require American history and 78 percent require no history at all (p. 6).

Even though Neal’s primary focus was the college level, she stated that few students who leave high school have adequate knowledge of American history and that “colleges and universities do nothing to close the ‘knowledge gap’” (p. 6). Robelen (2010) concurs with Neal in that “efforts to rewrite social studies standards come as concerns persist . . .are getting squeezed out of the classroom because of the federal No Child Left Behind Act’s emphasis on reading and math” (p. 18). In his study, Levin (2007) found that by “ . . .limiting and sometimes eliminating civic education in schools and concentrating primarily on marketable and measurable skills in reading, math, and science, US educators are failing to ‘prepare the next generation of citizens with appropriate knowledge, skills, and values’” (Bole & Gordon, 2009).

On the other hand, the National Assessment of Educational Progress, as of 2006, “America’s twelfth, eighth, and especially fourth-graders know more U.S. history now than in the past” (p. 1). This appears to be contradictory according to the Ohio Department of Educationassessment results analyzed from various years(ODE, 2010). Furthermore, the analysis reported from the NAEP does not appear accurate when students will only need “ . . . a half unit of credit in American History and a half unit of credit in American Government” (p.1) in order to graduate high school. ODE outlines the “course examines the history of the United States of America from 1877 to the present” (p.3). Lynne Munson, according to Robelen (2010), said, “scaling back the breadth of American history coverage in high school is a bad idea” (p. 19).

In addition, the ODE, as other “proponents of the spiral curriculum, suggested that the fifth grade go from 1492 to the War of 1812 . . .” (Stotsky, 2004, p. 27). Stotskycontinues by implyingthat “the average fifth grader is incapable of bringing much depth of understanding to our basic political principles” (p. 27). Robelen (2010)reported Lynne Munson stating, “I do think once you’re in high school and your intellectual development and background knowledge . . .you can restudy the American past in a way that will bring more meaning than you might have been able to glean at earlier grades” (p. 19).

Hess’s (2009) article indicated that the change to students’ knowledge of American history is three-fold. First, he stated, “The nation is in thrall [sic] with testing and basic skills. We think this is a mistake” (p. 6). Hess’s concern with the Title I legislation was that, “Congress required all states to create standards and testing, but only in reading and mathematics” (p. 6). This new policy meant an increase in instructional time to those areas of testing and a decrease in instructional time for history (p. 8). The second issue is that “some children grow up in homes . . . in which parents are not conversant in questions of history and culture . . . and that schools are especially crucial” (Hess, 2009, p. 7). Lastly, Hess emphasizes the change in our youth’s culture. He stated, “American youth have more schooling, money, leisure time, and information than any previous generation, yet they devote enormous quantities of time to social networking websites, television, and video games” (p. 7).

Waters (2005), on the other hand, believes the changes are not only due to what students are taught, but their perception of American history is different depending on the grade level (p. 11-12). Secondly, Waters stated that curriculum changes occur in the K-12 level because of political correctness and that this correctness changes over time (p. 13-14). Waters continues by stating, “Today’s textbooks will be criticized for having omitted issues which do not seem important today” (p. 13).DeRose(2009) concurs with Waters, by stating that there are “some factors affecting historical interpretation” (p. 233). For example, “emotion and feeling can influence our perceptions of current individuals and events” (p. 233). However, with some distance, our memories of the past will change (p. 233). However, Spalding (2002) reiterates Washington’s Farewell address stating, “ For this you have every inducement of sympathy and interest. Citizens by birth or choice, of a common country, that country has a right to concentrate your affections. The name AMERICAN, which belongs to you, in your national capacity, must always exalt the just pride of Patriotism, more than any appellation derived from local discriminations” (p. 303). Lastly, DeRose recognized that, “As society places greater or less emphasis on certain issues or becomes more accepting or even less tolerant of various groups or conditions, we might reinterpret the past to conform to these new social standards”(p. 233).