Separate Reports Reveal Civics’ Growing Prioritization, Challenges to its Continued Proliferation
Civic learning is a growing priority for some school districts, but a dearth of systemic supports inhibits universal student access to these opportunities throughout their K–12 trajectory. This is the principal conclusion of researchers Lisa Chu and AK Keskin in separate reports published this summer by the Center on Reinventing Public Education (CRPE).
In A Mile Wide, an Inch Deep, Chu and Keskin find that civics is embedded in a required academic class in 90% of school districts, but taught as a standalone subject in only 38%. Similarly, while 68% of districts offer civics-related extracurriculars and 61% provide optional community service opportunities, only 23% require community service. Just 35% of districts offer experiential civic learning opportunities, and only 13% require them.
One factor limiting further access to high-quality civic learning opportunities across districts is a dearth of professional learning opportunities that go beyond state standards and foundational civic knowledge. Only 31% of districts provide professional learning focused on civic skill development, 27% on assessing civic learning, 24% on how to implement high-quality instructional materials, and a mere 13% on how to incorporate controversial issues into class instruction.
CRPE’s subsequent report, From Support to Priority, reveals growing prioritization of civic education by school boards and districts alike, especially when it’s embedded within districtwide commitments like graduate portraits and K–12 learning plans. Superintendents interviewed for the study found more traction for civic education when it’s embedded in the local community and less support when it touches on contentious issues.
In order to further incentivize civic learning beyond a single course, states can continue adopting civic seals demonstrating student excellence and resourcing implementation at the district level. Chu and Keskin also call for civic learning advocates to better connect investments in civic learning with improved literacy outcomes, school climate, and career readiness.