This month, CivxNow partner, the National Association of State Boards of Education (NASBE), published Civic-Ready Students, a civics-focused issue of their peer-reviewed journal, the State Education Standard. This edition consists of a wide variety of recommendations to state boards of education to ensure students are prepared to engage in and defend constitutional democracy in the United States. Authoring organizations include CivxNow coalition members, such as the Institute for Citizens & Scholars, Thinking Nation, History Co:Lab, Jack Miller Center, Illinois Civics Hub, Aspen Institute, Harvard University’s Democratic Knowledge Project, and iCivics.
This comprehensive collection of articles explores modern challenges and the importance of crafting high-quality civics instruction for all students, while emphasizing the need to balance foundational civic knowledge with virtues such as reflective patriotism and civil disagreement. The article, “The Science of Experiential Civics,” discusses the links to cognitive science and experiential learning, all while making the case for experiential civics in curricula. The piece, “The State of Youth Civic Engagement,” examines the attitude of our nation’s youth toward democratic participation and suggests how states could address disengagement.
While each article presents a unique case for improving civic learning, the authors harmonize in their conclusion that this discipline has suffered from a long-standing underinvestment. This issue represents a pivotal moment for our field, as it not only validates our shared goals but also illustrates a clear path forward for state education leaders to advance civic education.