(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa Senate has voted to make a passing score on the U-S citizenship test a requirement for getting a high school diploma.
The requirement would start for high school graduation in the 2026-27 school year. The bill passed on a 38-to-seven vote. Key supporters say civics education is lagging and a better understanding of how government works could help end the partisan divided in the country. Critics say the real problem is that social studies classes have been devalued, and making students memorize answers to a test won’t help them understand history, economics, and how government works.
The bill must be passed by the House, too, before it goes to the governor — who backs the requirement that students score at least 60 percent on the citizenship test in order to graduate.
