Michigan Council for History Education

That’s the message of Norm Augustine, a former under secretary of the Army and retired chairman and CEO of Lockheed Martin in a vigorous op-ed, “The Education our Economy Needs,”  published in today’s Wall Street Journal. Prompted by the recent NAEP results, which showed American high schoolers performing more poorly in history than in math or science, Armstrong argues that:

“Far more than simply conveying the story of a country or civilization, an education in history can create critical thinkers who can digest, analyze and synthesize information and articulate their findings. These are skills needed across a broad range of subjects and disciplines.   In fact, students who are exposed to more modern methods of history education — where critical thinking and research are emphasized — tend to perform better in math and science.”

We couldn’t have said it better.  Yet history’s share of the Michigan Merit Exam and of the social studies curriculum continues to shrink while the public’s attention is drawn to worrying about improving performance in the STEM disciplines.  Elementary grade social studies teachers across the state barely spend more than an hour a week in history instruction.  In neighboring Indiana, according to NCHE President Linda Salvucci, “elementary students receive twelve minutes per week of instruction in history.”

At Lockheed Martin, Armstrong looked for more than technical proficiency when hiring the 80,000 engineers working at his firm.  Job seekers with strong critical thinking skills, excellent communication ability, and depth of understanding about the country’s past were most likely to get the nod.

The National Assessment for Educational Progress‘s benchmark U.S. History tests for grades 4, 8, and 12 have been scored and completed.  Click here to browse the main site for a detailed report of findings, links to pertinent literature, charts of trends, sample questions, and other important information.  The absence of clear trends in the results means that the assessment can support a number of often contradictory interpretations as to whether the schools, teachers, and students know their U.S. history.