High school students would have to pass the U.S. citizenship test in order to graduate, under a bill passed out of the Iowa Senate Monday. The requirement would apply to students at public schools, as well as charter and private schools.
The exam would be made up of multiple-choice questions from the U.S. citizenship test. Students would have to get at least 60% of the answers right to pass. Students would only need to pass the test once, but could retake it.
Sen. Tony Bisignano, D-Des Moines, says the bill will help make sure students grasp how the government works as well as its democratic values.
“I ask for your support. It makes sense. If there are kinks in this, it will be worked out. But the premise of this is, Americans got to understand the government they have and how to protect it, because — as we can see — it's not guaranteed.”
Those against the proposal say the test only superficially measures what students know about the government and that the state should instead invest in social studies education.
The bill passed 38-7 and next heads to the House.