It was not a "small sample." If you read the source documents, you will see that it was very well supported by methodology. They polled over 2200 respondents. What does statistics say about the Z-score? How many samples do you need to be 95% confident plus or minus 3%?

I tracked the original documents. This was just one part of a very large policy paper developed for a convention.
http://www.nsf.gov/statistics/seind14...

The study in question is in Chapter 7:
http://www.nsf.gov/statistics/seind14...
Americans correctly answered 5.8 out of 9 factual knowledge questions in 2012, a score similar to those in recent years.

A survey experiment showed that 48% of respondents said they thought it was true that “human beings, as we know them today, developed from earlier species of animals,” but 72% gave this response when the same statement was prefaced by “according to the theory of evolution.” Similarly, 39% of respondents said that “the universe began with a huge explosion,” but 60% gave this response when the statement was prefaced by “according to astronomers.”
Levels of factual knowledge in the United States are comparable to those in Europe and are generally higher than levels in countries in other parts of the world.
Americans with more formal education do better on science knowledge questions.
Men do better on questions focused on the physical sciences, but there are few differences between men and women in terms of responses to questions focused on the biological sciences.
(and more there)

Let me ask you: How would you prove that the Earth goes around the Sun? I assume that you are going to turn to Google because you do not know the answer off the top of your head. The surgeon who saves your life might not know, either. The proof is not common knowledge, even among highly educated people.

More subtly, of course, the Earth does not "go around the Sun" except in the simplistic sense that we also speak of "sunrise" and "sunset." And, technically, the best cartographers on Earth will tell you that we could be at the center of the universe for all the difference it makes when you drive, sail, or even fly, from one place to another on Earth.

Just sayin'...

Totally agree. Small sample of fairly uninformed people being used to form opinions in a report to 'leadership' that is most likely comprised to those not familiar with science themselves (lawyers). What a wonderful means of collecting information and forming opinions for future legislation. (Sarcasm, of course, included.)

One of the reasons that a "free education" does not work. It simply becomes government propaganda for the kind of things that are important to government--growing.

This is why kommon kore is being forced onto parents via UNESCO, through the Federal Gov't (Dept.of Ed) to the State Education boards, thus bypassing your State Legislature. They want to see to it that the 25% who are indoctrinated gets increased to 100% ~ it makes it easy for the elites to lie to them, thus ensuring a constant flow of votes in their favor. Just my .02

This is the product of the absolutely amazing work done by GOVERNMENT run education aka Department of Education !!!