House panel rejects civics test requirement again

Sen. Jason Rapert, R-Bigelow, presents Senate Bill 878 to the House Committee on Education for a second time on Monday.
Sen. Jason Rapert, R-Bigelow, presents Senate Bill 878 to the House Committee on Education for a second time on Monday.

The state House Committee on Education on Monday rejected a bill for a second time that would require high school seniors to pass the U.S. citizenship civics test to graduate.

Sen. Jason Rapert, R-Bigelow, presented Senate Bill 878 to the committee again after it failed on a roll call vote last Thursday.

The legislation would allow students to take a test identical to the civics portion of the naturalization test as many times as needed to pass the assessment, which means students have to answer 60 out of 100 questions correctly.

"In terms of the support for this, it was a bipartisan effort and it passed 34-0 in the Senate," Rapert said. "It is important and it is to all of our best interest when students have an understanding [of civics]."

Rep. John Walker, D-Little Rock, told Rapert he would "feel more comfortable" with the bill if all legislators were required to take the test and have a 90 percent passing rate before adding the additional assessment for high school students.

Walker also expressed concern that there would be an added cost to give the test, even though Rapert said the fiscal impact study showed there would be no additional costs.

Mike Hernandez, Arkansas Department of Education deputy commissioner, said there would be an additional cost if the civics test was given like other state-required assessments, but that there could be flexibility if the test was taken online.

Rapert said the test is currently offered online by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigrant Services.

Rep. James Ratliff, D-Imboden, voiced his concern about how special needs children would be accommodated.

"I'd hate to see a special needs kid not graduate because they could not pass this test," Ratliff said.

Curriculum rules in Arkansas already accommodate special needs students, Rapert said.

The bill passed first on a voice vote, but failed with seven voting for and three voting against on a roll call vote.

"That just goes to show you never know what one chamber will do from another," Rapert said to committee members after the bill failed.

Read Tuesday's Arkansas Democrat-Gazette for full details.

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