News From the Front Lines of Civic Education
Teaching by Doing: Why Students Are Choosing Civic Seals
States are answering the call for stronger civics, with 20 states now having civic seals in place and at least 7 others pursuing legislation or pilots.
Unlike imposed standards, a civic seal stands apart because a student chooses it, credentialing what a student actively did rather than what a state teaches. The critical next step is ensuring these seals hold real-world currency by connecting them to higher education, scholarships, and employers, giving full value to students who already did the hard part.
Research Roundup: An Assessment Playbook for Civics
In their report, Testing Democracy: How Large-Scale Assessment Systems Can Support Civic Learning, researchers Laura S. Hamilton and W. Christopher Brandt contend that states, districts, and schools can creatively assess civic learning to ensure universal access, quality, and students’ civic preparedness.
Exploring approaches from incentive-based civic seals to school climate surveys, the authors recommend that education leaders engage stakeholders, build a clear theory of action, and integrate civics into large-scale reading assessments. Thanks to Hamilton and Brandt, the field has a new playbook to strengthen civic assessment and ensure students are prepared for lifelong engagement in our constitutional democracy.
On the Road
National Conference of State Legislatures
iCivics’ state policy team connected with lawmakers from across the country at the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) Legislative Summit in Chicago, where iCivics Chief Policy and Advocacy Officer Shawn Healy spoke on an America 250 panel dedicated to strengthening civic education.
American Legislative Exchange Council
At the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) Annual Meeting in Orlando, iCivics Southeast State Policy Lead Chloe Jordan met with lawmakers from across the country to discuss civic education model policy, including plans with Arkansas State Senator Jim Dotson to advance a civic seal bill in 2027.
Coalition Partner Spotlight: Generation Citizen
In the News
Some last-minute civics reading as you get back to school:
- James Traub looks into Texas’ move toward a classical model of teaching social studies and history in this op-ed in The New York Times.
- Sheria McRae, CEO of Foundation Academies, makes the case for place-based history and helping students see themselves in history in this piece in District Administration.
- This summer, a group of 98 high school students took the civic act of creating a framework for how AI should be used in schools, according to this story in Education Week.
- Cal Matters says that allowing kids to vote before they are 18 won’t matter if they aren’t taught how to vote.
Coalition Members
CivxNow continues to grow, now standing at more than 400 member organizations! The latest additions are:
We remain deeply appreciative of member efforts and all that we accomplish together. Our goal is to aggregate and activate large networks of support to expand and re-imagine civic education as a force for civic strength. To our members, thank you for your partnership.
If your organization is interested in joining CivxNow or in learning more, please contact us at CivxNow@icivics.org.
Related Posts
August 2026
An Assessment Playbook for Civics Civics has been lamentably lost in the shuffle in this now-decades-long, high-stakes testing era. However,
Teaching by Doing: Why Students Are Choosing Civic Seals
As noted when this year’s state legislative sessions were wrapping up, states have been answering the call for stronger civics