FRANKFORT — A bill to require students to be taught and tested on five historic documents, all of which mention God, touched off some strong debate but failed to clear the Senate Education Committee on Wednesday.

        The sponsor said he wanted to remedy an appalling ignorance of civics, not to slip religious instruction into classrooms.

        Documents specified in the bill are the Mayflower Compact, the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, Federalist Papers and George Washington's Farewell Address. If the bill became law, knowledge of the documents would be part of the state's assessment and accountability exams.

        The bill sponsor, Republican Sen. Jack Westwood of Erlanger, said the Bill of Rights has been “eroding” through court cases because few understand the origin of their rights. He said those rights were derived from “the Bible, particularly the Christian religion,” not from the Constitution, which only guarantees them.

        The most vocal critic, Democratic Sen. Tim Shaughnessy of Louisville, said the bill implies Kentucky teachers “are so inept that we now have to tell them what parts of history to teach. ... We're insulting our teachers.”

        Mr. Westwood said it was no insult. But “you teach what is on the test. You don't teach what's not on the test as strongly,” he said. He also said documents listed in his bill were “fundamental documents that are crucial to what our heritage is.”

        However, Mr. Shaughnessy questioned whether Washington's farewell was more significant than President Lincoln's Gettysburg Address or the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.'s “I Have a Dream” speech.

        Mr. Westwood said in an interview that Washington's address was notable for warning against foreign alliances. “I'm not trying to make it a religious issue,” he said. Mr. Westwood's bill was supported by his fellow Republicans but failed to get out of the committee because Democrats voted against it or abstained.

        Meanwhile, the full Senate passed a bill to help other school districts emulate Daviess County and infuse their elementary schools with music, art and foreign-language instruction.

        The Daviess County system has received national attention for its curriculum, which was based on brain development research. The bill by Sens. Lindy Casebier and Vernie McGaha envisions demonstration projects at eight schools around the state. The vote was 35-0.

        The Senate also passed a bill to create a one-year “conditional certificate” to buy time for new teachers who fail to pass the certification exam on the first try. The vote was 36-0.

        The House Education Committee approved a Senate-passed bill aimed at greater consistency of advanced-placement courses in high schools. The Kentucky Department of Education would develop an AP core curriculum, and school districts would have to grant credit for online AP courses taken through the Kentucky Virtual High School.

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