The State of Civics Education

By Sarah Shapiro and Catherine Brown
. We are at a unique moment in history. Millions of young people have become motivated and activated to engage in public life like never before, yet knowledge of the structure of government; rights and responsibilities of citizenship; methods of public engagement, and civic literacy remain low, and public trust in government has hit a nadir of only 18 percent. Educators and schools have a unique opportunity and responsibility to ensure that young people become engaged and knowledgeable citizens. The Center for American Progress analyzed the current state of civics education in all 50 states and found a wide variation in state requirements and levels of youth engagement. While many states have implemented civics exams or civics courses as graduation requirements, these requirements often are not accompanied by resources to ensure that they are effectively implemented. However, there are many policy levers for advancing civic education and civic engagement in the classroom. States, districts, and schools should invest in comprehensive and action-oriented civics curricula to build students’ capacity to become engaged and knowledgeable citizens.		See the civic education measures in your state