Month: August 2025

2025 State Policy Scan Provides Updated Insight Into Civic Learning Policies, State by State

The CivxNow team conducts an annual scan of state policies impacting civic education. Each year, these results demonstrate progress being made at the state level and serve as a valuable resource for legislators, policymakers, school administrators, advocates, and others. The scan is based on recommendations from the CivxNow State Policy Menu, and verified by each state’s Social Studies Specialist or closest education professional. The State Policy Map allows users to view results for individual states. 

  • The scan asks about requirements for high school and middle school civics. As of this year’s policy scan, 36 states (plus DC) now require civics course time in high school in order to graduate. The number of states requiring civics in middle school remained unchanged from last year, with only five states requiring such a course through state statute. It’s important to note that most states establish middle school course time requirements through state learning standards. 

  • A civics assessment is required in 29 states. While that total number remained unchanged from the prior policy scan, the mix of states is different, with the requirement being repealed or established in various states over the past year. 

  • The most recent scan shows 17 states with programs that recognize excellence in civics among students and/or schools—an increase of 3 states since last year. 

  • The total number of states that provide credit for service-learning opportunities decreased by 1 in 2025, to a total of 39 states (plus DC), with an adjustment being made for Nevada, which does not offer credit to students for service-learning experiences, but instead requires such experiences to earn the state’s Seal of Civics. 

  • In 2025, 16 state legislatures appropriated specific funds for K–12 civic education, including curriculum development, resources, and/or professional development for civics teachers. 

  • Civics-related professional development for educators was offered in 44 states (plus DC), up from 36 in 2024. Professional development can be offered in a variety of ways, whether directly from the state’s Department of Education or through grants or third-party partnerships with nonprofit organizations.

August 2025

Last month, CivxNow partner Leadership Ohio released Join In: Revitalizing Civic Life. The report recommends Ohioans rebuild interpersonal relationships and communities through the foundational democratic pillar as old as the republic: joining together. While rooted in the Buckeye State, the report’s findings and recommendations can be generalized more broadly, inviting people to rebuild trust, strengthen democracy, and contribute to the common good through volunteerism and organizational membership.

Leadership Ohio’s Join In tour across the state found that people are spending less time with one another than ever before, stymieing opportunities to connect across differences and weakening social trust. Despite these challenges, Join In found signs of civic renewal and offers a series of recommendations to individuals and families, local businesses, philanthropic organizations, cities, and educators and schools.

Among the highlights for educators and schools are service-learning integrated across the curriculum; extracurricular activities to develop civic skills and earn civic seals; and opening schools to the larger community to host town hall meetings, cultural events, and polling stations on Election Day.