U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos released the following statement on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) 2018 Civics, Geography, and U.S. History Assessments for 8th Graders:

"America's antiquated approach to education is creating a generation of future leaders who will not have a foundational understanding of what makes this country exceptional. We cannot continue to excuse this problem away. Instead, we need to fundamentally rethink education in America. It is the only way our nation's students will be in a position to lead our nation and the world.

"The results are stark and inexcusable. A quarter or more of America's 8th graders are what NAEP defines as 'below basic' in U.S. history, civics and geography. In the real world, this means students don't know what the Lincoln-Douglas debates were about, nor can they discuss the significance of the Bill of Rights, or point out basic locations on a map. And only 15% of them have a reasonable knowledge of U.S. history. All Americans should take a moment to think about the concerning implications for the future of our country."