What wall is this?

The Chronicle has an interesting article today about American high schoolers' knowledge of US history. They are supposedly testing better, but the article makes it clear that the level of testing is so low anyway that "testing better" means only that they have more facts, not that they are better able to display any independent thought, or ability to synthesize, or anything that we grade them for at the college level.

But even given these lower standards, their fact-level knowledge still isn't that great. Excerpt from the article:

In one of the most alarming examples, Ms. Kozbial-Hess said, the eighth- and 12th-grade tests showed students a photograph of a wall being torn down, labeled "Berlin 1989." The students were asked what event was depicted and what influence it had on U.S. foreign policy, she said.

"More than half of eighth graders and almost one-third of 12th graders did not even give a partially correct answer that this photo showed the fall of the Berlin Wall, despite the strong clue," Ms. Kozbial-Hess said.

"Only 1 percent of eighth graders and 12 percent of 12th graders gave an appropriate or complete response that identified the event and also mentioned the impact of the end of the Cold War," she said.