Two hundred and forty-nine years ago, the 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence pledged their lives, fortunes and honor to what has become the world’s longest-standing experiment in constitutional democracy. Yet as we prepare to celebrate America at 250, warning signs abound that we may be failing their charge.
National pride in America is at a record low, coinciding with desperately low scores on the nation’s civics report card from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). In 2022, only 22 percent of eighth graders tested proficient or above in understanding how this country’s constitutional democracy is supposed to work and how to apply that knowledge.
The solution, one that has strong bipartisan support, is as prominent as John Hancock’s signature: a generational investment in teaching students how the government works.
This is the prevailing mission for the pluralistic CivxNow Coalition, whose more than 370 members span the country, and whose contributors include classroom teachers, school leaders, curriculum providers, out-of-school clubs and organizations and cultural institutions. We agree on a solution that will ensure the Spirit of 1776 forever endures: dedicated instructional time in civics should be the norm for every student throughout grades K-12.
This week is National Civic Learning Week, when thousands of Americans will demonstrate just how we can do this.
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Strengthening civic education nationally requires ongoing work, state-by-state. Naturally, spending class time on civics helps. Our CivxNow research shows that students performed demonstrably better on NAEP civics when they had stand-alone eighth grade civics courses, when they studied the Constitution “quite a bit” or “a lot” and when civics was a primary responsibility for their teachers.
When our state chambers adjourn next spring and Congress recesses in July for fireworks and tall ships, we hope our state and federal policymakers will have passed policies that secure the civic capacity of our next generation of Americans.
When it comes to civics, the federal government usually plays a limited role, reasonably restricted from imposing a national curriculum. We have found that it supports modest programming for students and teachers that equates to a paltry investment of less than 50 cents per student as opposed to $50-plus for STEM subjects.
States, on the other hand, establish high school graduation requirements and provide broad instructional guidance through learning standards. Decisions about what’s taught and how it’s taught are delegated to districts, accounting for local context and parental input.
For most K-12 students, civics is a one and done single-semester high school course. However, recent progress at the state level to strengthen K-12 civics policies is yielding discernible results. For example, a new high school civics course requirement in Illinois resulted in greater community involvement, including an increase from 30 to 38 percent of students saying that they were working to make their cities and towns better places to live.
Since 2021, many politically diverse states have followed Illinois’ lead, strengthening K-12 civics instruction and incentivizing students’ civic development. Indiana stands out among them in adopting a middle school civics class, establishing a state civics commission and enabling students to earn recognition on graduation diplomas for excellence in civics coursework.
This momentum has carried forth into 2025, with bills impacting civic education filed in many states.
Continued progress is necessary. Civics is a full-year high school course in only seven states. A mere five states require a one-semester middle school civics course, and our research shows that only New Hampshire dedicates instructional time for civics in grades K-5. And right now, elementary schools spend very little time teaching social studies, despite its demonstrated literacy benefits and record of improving civics knowledge, skills and dispositions.
Like Indiana, states should recognize civic excellence by offering “civic seals” to high school graduates. They should also require that districts develop and publish K-12 civic learning plans for public scrutiny, and recognize the schools and districts that show exemplary commitments to civic learning.
Related: Students want more civics education, but far too few schools teach it
Finally, states should channel increased federal investments into civics-focused teacher professional learning opportunities. By investing in civic educators, we will improve classroom instruction and ensure stronger civic outcomes for students.
The downward spiral of waning patriotism and poor public knowledge of our founding documents can be reversed. Former U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, the founder of iCivics, rightly claimed that “the practice of democracy is not passed down through the gene pool. It must be taught and learned by each new generation.”
Through a comprehensive and fully resourced civic education across their K-12 trajectory, students will graduate prepared to embrace the birthright bestowed upon them by our nation’s founders.
May we all pledge our lives, fortunes and honor to ensure that America 250 is the next historic chapter in a treasured story of national progress toward the lofty ideals of the Declaration of Independence.
Our national strength remains a product of our Founding Fathers’ commitment to the aspirations embedded in the U.S. Constitution adopted 11 years later — including that we, as their posterity, should “form a more perfect union.”
Shawn Healy is chief of Policy and Advocacy for iCivics.org and directs the CivxNow coalition.
Contact the opinion editor at opinion@hechingerreport.org.
This story about civic learning was produced by The Hechinger Report, a nonprofit, independent news organization focused on inequality and innovation in education. Sign up for Hechinger’s weekly newsletter.
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Two hundred and forty-nine years ago, the 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence pledged their lives, fortunes and honor to what has become the world’s longest-standing experiment in constitutional democracy. Yet as we prepare to celebrate America at 250, warning signs abound that we may be failing their charge. National pride in America is
The post OPINION: During civic learning week, let’s push for national progress toward a more perfect union appeared first on The Hechinger Report. Elementary to High School, Opinion, Solutions, Civics, Data and research, Law and policy, Testing The Hechinger Report
