Effective January 1, 2016, every public school student must pass a basic civics test, or alternate assessment, as a condition for receiving a high school diploma in the state of Utah. Utah Code Annotated 53A-13-109.5USBE Administrative Rule R277-700-8

 

The students must pass a test comprised of 50 questions selected from the 100 questions on the United States Customs and Immigration Service civics assessment that can be found here: Civics (History and Government) Questions for the Naturalization Test.  Passing the test is defined in the legislation as answering 35 or more correctly.

The plan for administering this test in Jordan District is as follows:

  • Students will take the test starting in grade 8 in their required US History course. Seniors will also be given a chance as needed to pass the test through their required US Government and Citizenship course.
  • Testing results will be entered in Skyward under Educational Milestones. A “passed” indicator will then print on student transcripts.
  • The Civics test will be administered online through a Canvas Course – see your counselor
  • Students can log in and take the test at any time
  • Teachers can provide incentives for students to pass in a timely manner, and the test may count toward a grade in the relevant course.
  • Students may retake the test as many times as needed in order to pass.
  • If an IEP team determines a student qualifies for an alternate assessment, the teacher can administer a 10-question oral exam where the student only needs to pass off 6 questions correctly.
  • On January 1, all graduating seniors become eligible to take a 10-question version of the test with a 60% passing threshold.

Teacher Materials:

Test Materials:

If you have any questions about the US Civics test, please contact Scott Wihongi: 801-264-7400 or swihongi@murrayschools.org

Further Resources: