NEWPORT BEACH

Newport-Mesa Unified officials may institute a back-to-the-basics test on the U.S. Constitution for all eighth-graders. School board members Judy Franco and Wendy Leece had asked staff to look into giving the test before some community members recently contended that the district’s history curriculum forgoes basic facts in favor of “politically correct” ideologies. That contention only makes the request for the test more pressing, Leece said.

But Don Martin, principal of Corona del Mar High School and chairman of the district’s social studies committee, speculated that some teachers would not want to give over yet another class period to administer yet another test. Martin said students already take three major tests in eighth-grade history classes.

If adopted, the test would be a high school graduation requirement. Martin said his committee will study the issue and make a recommendation to the board before the end of the year.