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Civics in School



 

A Legislative Brief for the Center for State Innovation

  
Young people demonstrate consistently low voter turnout.
 
During the 30 years between 1972 and 2002, the percentage of young people who voted fell to 35 percent in presidential elections and 28 percent in off-year elections. Even during presidential elections, less than half of eligible young voters (age 18-29) actually cast a vote.[1]
 
The 2008 presidential election boasts the highest young voter turnout since 1972, when the voting age was lowered to 18. An estimated 22 to 24 million young people (18-29) voted, according to the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement (CIRCLE). CIRCLE estimated youth voter turnout at 49.3% to 54.5%, meaning half of the eligible voters age 18-29 cast a vote in 2008. While this is an impressive up-swing in young voter turnout, it still indicates that half of young voters are disengaged from politics and public affairs.
 
Young people are less interested in public affairs than they once were.
 
From 1960 through 1976, the proportion of Americans aged 18 to 25 who claimed they followed public affairs “most of the time” was about one quarter. Interest fell off in the next decades, and by 2000, just five percent said they regularly followed public affairs. Similarly, the percentage of incoming college freshmen who said that they discuss politics declined from over 30 percent in 1968 to 1970 to 16 percent in the late 1990s and 2000.[2]
 
Young people lack basic political and civic knowledge.
 
According to the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), nearly one-third of high school seniors lack a basic understanding of how American government operates.
Seventy-five percent of high school seniors scored at or below “basic” levels on the NAEP Civics Assessment consistently in 1998 and 2006.[3]
 
Civics courses are not as comprehensive today as they were in the past.
 
Most formal civics education today consists of only a single semester course on government, compared to as many as three courses in civics, democracy and government that were common until the 1960s. And because there is no civics testing required by the No Child Left Behind Act, schools feel little pressure to invest time or resources in civics education.[4]
 
Civic values are essential to a vibrant and responsive democracy.
 
In his Farewell Address, George Washington said, “As the structure of a government gives force to public opinion, it is essential that public opinion should be enlightened.” The vitality of democracy requires that each generation be prepared for and committed to the responsibilities of self-government: voting, public service, holding office, and participating in political debate and discourse.
 
Parents and students support expanded civics education in schools.
 
The vast majority of Americans—88 percent—agree that policymakers should pay more attention to civics education in public schools. Americans also believe civics education in schools can improve academic performance (85 percent), prepare students for employment (84 percent), and improve student behavior (80 percent).[5] Similarly, young people say they support mandatory civics classes in high school (66 percent) and middle school (64 percent).[6]
 
Since 2004, 24 states passed legislation to improve civics education in schools.
State initiatives enacted in Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Montana, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Utah, Virginia, Vermont, Washington, West Virginia, and Wisconsin varied greatly. Most encouraged school boards to promote civics education, while a few appropriated funds to help develop or implement a civics curriculum.[7]
 

Model Legislation

Civics in Schools Act

Summary: The Civics in Schools Act requires the [State Board of Education] to develop and implement comprehensive civics education curricula for all [high schools and middle schools] in order to improve students’ civic knowledge, skills and attitudes.
 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE
This Act shall be called the “Civics in Schools Act.”
 
SECTION 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSE
 
(A) FINDINGS—
The legislature finds that:
 
1. Americans have become increasingly disengaged from our civic and political institutions.
2. Americans under the age of 25 are less likely to vote or otherwise participate in the electoral process than their older counterparts or young people of past decades.
3. School-based civics education has declined over a period of decades. As many as three secondary school courses in democracy, civics and government were commonly required until the 1960s.
4. Our schools must provide students with the knowledge they need to become good citizens, including instruction in American government, history, law and democracy.
5. Such instruction should include: classroom discussion of current local, national, and international issues and events; community service opportunities linked to the formal curriculum and classroom instruction; extracurricular activities for young people to get involved in their schools or communities; student participation in school governance; and student participation in simulations of democratic processes and procedures.
 
(B) PURPOSE—
This law is enacted to help young people acquire and use the skills, knowledge, and attitudes that will prepare them to be competent and responsible citizens throughout their lives.
 
SECTION 3. CIVICS EDUCATION CURRICULA
 
(A) CIVICS EDUCATION CURRICULA ESTABLISHED—
The [State Board of Education] shall develop and implement comprehensive civics education curricula for all [high schools and middle schools] to improve students’ civic knowledge, skills and attitudes. Such curricula shall generally include the following:
 
1. Formal instruction, using interactive methods, about the core documents, institutions, and processes of local, state, and federal government, such as the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, voting, the role of government, and the history and laws of the United States.
2. Opportunities to apply classroom-based knowledge in “real life” situations, including participation in community service, civic engagement projects, extracurricular activities such as student government, and mock elections or other simulations, combined with time for reflection and analysis of these experiences.
3. Classroom discussion of local, national and international issues, public policies, and events that put into social and political context the facts related to civic knowledge, as well as the encounters students have through their experiential learning opportunities.
4. Classroom materials and discussion of the processes of political and social change, particularly those that illustrate the ways that change has occurred historically and the constitutional right that individuals and groups have to promote change.
 
5. Classroom discussion of the values, responsibilities, rights, and benefits related to being an engaged and responsible citizen of one’s community, state, and nation, as well as discussion of individuals who have made a difference at the local, state, national, or international levels.
 
(B) PROMISING APPROACHES—
The [State Board of Education] should consider the most promising approaches in teaching civic education, including:
 
1. Teaching civics with materials from the mass media and popular culture.
2. Classroom interaction with elected or appointed government officials.
3. Community service requirements that directly relate to civic values.
4. Competitions such as mock trials, quiz teams or essay contests.
5. Encouragement and facilitation of internships in government or nonprofit offices.
6. Reading programs with civics education content.
7. Encouraging participation in social movements.
 
(C) CONSULTATION AND CONSIDERATIONS—
In developing this civics education curricula, the [State Board of Education] shall consult with local school boards and may draw upon comprehensive standards for civics education developed by voluntary associations such as the Center for Civic Education and the National Council for the Social Studies. Standards and frameworks should be based on current research regarding the development of students’ conceptual understanding of civic principles, institutions and processes.
 
(D) COMPLETION—
The [State Board of Education] shall complete its study of a comprehensive civics education curricula by January 1, 2007 and shall begin implementation of that curricula in schools in the 2007-2008 school year.
 
SECTION 4. EFFECTIVE DATE
This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2006.
 
[1] U.S. Census Bureau, “Reported Voting and Registration by Race, Hispanic Origin, Sex and Age Groups: November 1964 to 2004, “ May 26, 2005.
[2] U.S. Census Bureau, “Reported Voting and Registration by Race, Hispanic Origin, Sex and Age Groups: November 1964 to 2004,” May 26, 2005.
[3]U.S. Department of Education. National Center for Education Statistics. “The Nation’s Report Card: Civics 2006. Retrieved November 5, 2008 from, http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/pdf/main2006/2007476_1.pdf.
[4] Carnegie Corporation of New York, “The Civic Mission of Schools,” 2003.
[5] Campaign for the Civic Mission of Schools, “From Classroom to Citizen: American Attitudes on Civic Education,” December 2004.
[6] Mark Lopez, “Youth Attitudes Towards Civic Education and Community Service Requirements,” CIRCLE: The Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement, October 2002. 
[7] Representative Democracy in America. “Enacted Legislation on Civic Education.” Retrieved November 6, 2008 from, www.representativedemocracy.org/repdem_documents/Legislation-Civics_Passed04-07.pdf.