[Vision2020] Are You Smart Enough to Be a Citizen?

[Sue Hovey]

I agree.  It may be that identifying pictures helps those with limited English, but in this case the help would be minimal.   And when one takes any single question or idea in isolation, the question becomes, "why is this such an important element, one that if I don't know it would be my 'fatal flaw?' " and that's the major problem with high stakes testing no matter what the goal. Determining which items are essential and others simply good to know, isn't as easily agreed upon as many might think.  

An example, if you were writing a high stakes citizenship test and wanted applicants to know the elements of the 4 most critical amendments, which 4 would you choose?      For me, I think   1, 13, 14 and hummmmm 4 5 15 26 19 ? the ERA if we ever get it passed?  Let me think about that. 

Sue     

Sent from my iPad

> On Dec 9, 2013, at 1:40 PM, Paul Rumelhart <godshatter at yahoo.com> wrote:
> 
> Why does it matter, while we're on the subject, whether or not you can identify the Supremes in a line-up?  Having so much of the test focused on that one useless and trivial set of data seems bizarre.
> 
> I was expecting more questions on the amendments or what the criteria are for running for President, or something along those lines.
> 
> Paul
> 
> 
> 
> On Monday, December 9, 2013 12:26 PM, Scott Dredge <scooterd408 at hotmail.com> wrote:
> If you ace the 'civic knowledge' and 'history' sections, you get 41 points.  You get brownie points above that score based on how much you embellish on the 'personal history' section.
> 
> Date: Mon, 9 Dec 2013 12:03:35 -0800
> To: vision2020 at moscow.com; thansen at moscow.com
> From: lfalen at turbonet.com
> Subject: Re: [Vision2020] Are You Smart Enough to Be a Citizen?
> 
> My score was 68. I don't know what the total points are. I don't think I missed more than one or two.
>  
> Roger
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: "Tom Hansen" <thansen at moscow.com>
> To: "Moscow Vision 2020" <vision2020 at moscow.com>
> Date: 12/07/13 11:27
> Subject: [Vision2020] Are You Smart Enough to Be a Citizen?
> 
> Courtesy of The Atlantic at:
> 
> http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2013/07/what-if-you-had-to-earn-american-citizenship/309398/
> 
> ---------------------------------
> 
> Are You Smart Enough to Be a Citizen? Take Our Quiz
> 
> 
> To become a citizen of the United States, naturalizing immigrants must take a test. Many native-born Americans would fail this test. Indeed, most of us have never really thought about what it means to be a citizen. One radical idea from the immigration debate is the repeal of birthright citizenship-guaranteed by the Fourteenth Amendment-to prevent so-called anchor babies. Odious and constitutionally dubious as this proposal may be, it does prompt a thought experiment: What if citizenship were not, in fact, guaranteed by birth? What if everyone had to earn it upon turning 18, and renew it every 10 years, by taking an exam? What might that exam look like?
> 
> Take the quiz at:
> 
> http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2013/07/what-if-you-had-to-earn-american-citizenship/309398/
> 
> ---------------------------------
> 
> Seeya 'round town, Moscow, because . . .
> 
> "Moscow Cares" (the most fun you can have with your pants on)
> http://www.MoscowCares.com
>   
> Tom Hansen
> Moscow, Idaho
> 
> "There's room at the top they are telling you still  
> But first you must learn how to smile as you kill 
> If you want to be like the folks on the hill." 
> 
> - John Lennon
>  
>  
> 
>  
>  
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