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Equitable K-12 Civic Learning

A robust civic education for all youth, particularly in K-12 schools, is vital to the health of our democracy. When civic education works well, it is an important pathway to civic engagement and political participation, and it carries additional developmental and academic benefits. Most American students do receive some kind of instruction related to civics in schools. But K-12 civics varies greatly across the country, standards are uneven, and high-quality programs often only reach certain communities of more privileged students.

A good K-12 civic education must give students a comprehensive working knowledge of our systems of government, awareness of various ways in which citizens participate in civic life, media literacy skills, and the ability to think critically and take informed action about matters that are important in our communities and society. Our civic education research and partnerships are aimed at the understanding and supporting equitable implementation of effective civic learning across the country.

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Growing Voters

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NAEP Scores: A Call to Action

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Major reports, circle growing voters.

The 2022 CIRCLE Growing Voters report has major findings about young people's civic learning experiences in K-12 schools, and provides recommendations for teachers, administrators, and other key stakeholders in educational ecosystems.

Educating for American Democracy Roadmap

CIRCLE Director Kei-Kawashima-Ginsberg served as principal investigator and pedagogy co-chair of this groundbreaking 2021 document that aims to reshape civic education in the United States and ensure it reaches all youth.

The Republic is (Still) At Risk—and Civics Is Part of the Solution

Co-written by CIRCLE's current and former directors, this 2018 paper outlines the current state of K-12 civics and makes the case for civic education as one of the keys to repairing the fabric of our democracy.

Latest Research

Youth who develop their voice in high school are more likely to vote, supporting k-12 administrators is key to growing voters, community organizations as civic educators: resources to help grow voters, themes and areas of research.

No young person is born with knowledge of how to vote, or with an innate understanding of how they can contribute to democracy. Civic education is key to youth growing as voters and developing as engaged community members. Our research has shown that young people who recalled having high-quality civic education experiences in school—such as simulations and discussions of current political issues—were more likely to vote, to form political opinions, and to know campaign issues.

Civic education that explicitly teaches about elections and voting is especially important, and can be especially lacking in many schools. As we discovered during the work of our Commission on Youth Voting and Civic Knowledge, we found that a significant percentage of teachers feel that they can’t discuss anything that might be interpreted as “political,” including voting. But teaching about elections can be done in a non-partisan way, and we highly encourage bringing non-partisan voting education into classrooms in order to create a culture of voting in our schools. We promote this work through the Teaching for Democracy Alliance .

Read more about:

• Strong civic education as a vital component of Growing Voters
• Civic education and young girls' leadership
• The link between high school civics and voting
• The findings and recommendations of our commission on Youth Voting and Civic Knowledge
• How changes in civic education laws affected voter turnout in 2012
• How schools can enhance civic knowledge, skills, and dispositions

Laws and standards requiring or encouraging comprehensive civic education improve practice, yet such standards can be extremely uneven across the country. Some states have focused on a single course or high-stakes civics test that serves as a graduation requirement, while others either have no such requirement, or use the USCIS Citizenship Test (a multiple-choice test from a 100-item list). States also vary in whether and how they teach about political parties and ideologies. Research shows that teaching students about core principles on which political parties stand, and exploring what young people believe and value in politics, does not mold or alter young people’s ideology in either direction. Students from all communities should have these important learning opportunities.

Educational standards should mandate and support high-quality civics instruction that incorporates proven practices including debate about controversial political issues, exploration of alternative perspectives, service learning or other forms of experiential learning, and simulations of democratic processes. Educators must receive appropriate support; teachers need resources (time, funding to purchase curriculum, budget for field work); preparation (e.g., training in best service-learning practices); school-community connection; and importantly, protection from backlash to teach about elections and political issues.

Well-designed laws, combined with well-articulated learning standards and implementation plans, can help teachers understand the goal of civic education and how to prepare students for civic life while providing sufficient resources and institutional support to do so. Laws and standards are especially important in rural areas where school districts tend to be small and farther away from service providers, and where social studies teachers tend to be isolated from peers who could share resources and provide support. Laws and standards are equally important in districts that struggle with budget deficits, because additional funding can provide teachers with training, as well as in large districts where they may create positions to manage tasks, such as finding community partners that can serve as service-learning sites, at a larger scale.

• How to transform civics for the 21st century
• How state civic standards mandate that students learn about political ideology
• Implementation of the C3 (College, Career, and Citizenship) Framework
• Our 2013 survey of civics teachers in America
• CIRCLE's support of civic education reforms in Florida, Hawaii, and Tennessee
• The state of civic education laws and standards in 2012
• The civic mission of schools and the proven practices of civic education

Facts and knowledge about politics and civic life are best learned by doing, and an effective civic education must give students the real-world civic information and skills that they will need to participate in civic life and opportunities to learn as they practice them. Many civic skills, like team-building, deliberation, collaboration, critical thinking, and communication are also valuable to a student's academic and professional development and they are valued in today's workforce.

Many of these skills can be learned and practiced through pedagogical approaches like action civics, in which students select, research, undertake, and reflect on a civic initiative in their community. Discussions and projects centered on issues they feel passionate about help students understand the connections between the things that matter to them and the political processes that shapes the world around them. Our research has helped make the case for action civics, CIRCLE is a founding member of the National Action Civics Collaborative .

One other civic skill of increasing importance is media literacy: the ability for young people to access, analyze, evaluate, create, and act using all forms of communication. As the news and information ecosystem becomes more complex and harder to navigate, it is imperative for young people to learn how to understand and assess what they see in the media—and to create media of their own in order to participate in and influence conversations on politics and civic life. Our research has found that teachers understand the importance of teaching media literacy but many need support to properly do so.

• Deeper civic learning focused on civic skills
• Integrating media literacy in high school civics
• The case for action civics and our evaluation of Generation Citizen
• How discussion, debate, and simulations boost civic knowledge

Take Action to Support Equitable K-12 Civic Learning

Ensure Every Student Gets a Strong Civic Education

In the news, how schools can prepare students to vote for the first time, should students vote for school boards the case for lower voting ages in local elections, as kids become politically polarized, learning civics could help bridge the divide, literature review: history and civic education.

CIRCLE has been studying K-12 civic education in the United States for two decades through scholarly work, evaluations, and through partnerships work with educators and practitioners in the field. Based on our experiences, our own research, and that of other scholars and partners, we have articulated some guiding principles for an equitable, inclusive 21st century history and civics education and assembled some of the literature that informs our framework.

Current Initiatives

Teacher leadership task force.

CIRCLE has convened, launched and is leading a Task Force on Teacher Leadership (TLTF) to support educators’ ability to learn about and implement the Educating for American Democracy Roadmap (EAD).

TFDA Alliance

CIRCLE serves as coordinator of the Teaching for Democracy Alliance (TFDA), which provides educators with tools to strengthen student learning about elections and voting.

Guardians of Democracy

CIRCLE's longstanding partnership with educators in Illinois has helped implement and evaluate a model of online professional development for teachers to learn and use key pedagogical practices.

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Civic education across countries: twenty-four national case studies from the IEA civic education project

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Becoming Citizens in a Changing World

Wolfram Schulz

International Journal of Educational Research

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Alexander W. Wiseman

The purpose of the International Civic and Citizenship Education Study (ICCS) is to investigate, in a range of countries, the ways in which young people are prepared and consequently ready and able to undertake their roles as citizens. In pursuit of this purpose, the study will report on student achievement, student activities, value beliefs, behavioural intentions and attitudes related to civic and citizenship education. The collection of contextual data will help to explain variation in these outcome variables. This paper describes how the learning context for civic education is explored in the ICCS survey. It outlines the conceptual framework, the design of the study and the assessment instruments for students, teachers and school principals, as well as a national context survey collecting data on the national contexts for civic and citizenship education. Some preliminary results from the first data collections undertaken in this study are included at the end of this paper.

Intersections

Alexandra Holle

From time to time, both political scientists and education researchers articulate that the civic competences of the Hungarian youth should be developed. The phenomena, which should be tackled in this way are varied: lack of basic civic knowledge, low political interest, low level of political participation, relatively high rejection of democracy, and openness to radicalism are among the most frequently mentioned. Based on this, civic education may seem a universal therapy. Since a good deal of empirical research from mature democracies has shown the positive effects of civic education, it should be indeed kept on the list of potential solutions. However, those scholars, policymakers, and practitioners who would like to achieve change, should go beyond this superficial tip and ask the key questions of civic education. Who is a responsible citizen and how can civic education prepare students for this role? The paper does not seek to provide exclusive answers to these questions. It aim...

Bruno Losito

The 2009 IEA study of civic and citizenship education (ICCS), conducted in 38 countries around the world, built on the previous IEA studies of civic education, but took place in a context characterized by significant societal change, including the rapid development of new communication technologies, increased movement of people between countries, and the growth of supranational organizations. The data gathered

European Journal of Education

Judith Torney-purta

European Conference on Education and Applied Psychology

Muna Golmohamad Linkova

Abstract: Civic, or Citizenship, Education, continues to draw interest among policy makers and those in the field of education, be they practitioners, parents or young ‘future’ citizens. The value of civic education cannot be underestimated. Its currency in a climate of change and social and cultural diversity sustains an ongoing discussion, often charged with complex and controversial challenges. This article aims to draw from the rich debate the significant potential for civic/citizenship education with the suggestion to look to the intercultural phenomenon, more closely, when considering school curricula; as a means to addressing some of the necessary competences to supplement potential knowledge and life skills gained to create democratic, empathetic and active citizens.

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Case Studies

One way to learn (or to hone) advanced civic skills is to read a concise, true story about a difficult choice that confronted a group and then discuss what you would do if you faced similar problems. You can simulate being the original group and make a hypothetical decision together, or you can simply reflect on the story.

Many such cases are linked from pages on this site. This is a list of all the cases in one place.

• A Quandary in Queens “A Quandary in Queens” is a case study by Elinor Pierce, the Research Director at the Pluralism Project. It focuses on the dilemma of a young lawyer and community organizer, Aminta Kilawan-Narine. For many in Aminta’s Indo-Caribbean Hindu community, offerings to the sacred waters of Jamaica Bay are central to religious belief and practice; however, this is in variance … Continue reading →
• Building a Party with Activists: The Case of the Uruguayan FA Building a Party with Activists: The Case of the Uruguayan FA by Verónica Pérez Bentancur, Fernando Rosenblatt and Rafael Piñeiro Rodriguez is a “case study is about the Frente Amplio (Broad Front, FA) in Uruguay, which began in 1971 as a coalition of 12 political groups that aimed to unify the political left and channel the political … Continue reading →
• Feeling Exposed in Online Class: Safety in the Virtual Civics Classroom Feeling Exposed in an Online Class is a case study from Justice in Schools. According to the summary: A civics teacher at a vocational school (MBO) in the Netherlands finds herself in an uncomfortable situation when a parent interrupts her lesson, furious at what she views as “indoctrination.” The teacher brings the problem to her … Continue reading →
• Grade Inflation and Teaching: The Private School Marketplace “Grade Inflation and Teaching: What Should Teachers do in a World of Entitlement?” by Meira Levinson and Ilana Finefter from Justice in Schools is a case that poses classic questions about a problem of collective action and values. From the summary: In a world of increasingly competitive college admissions, more and more one grade may … Continue reading →
• Picking Battles: a case about guns in schools “Picking Battles” is a case from Justice in Schools. According to the summary: Florida high school social studies teacher Caitlin Crosby grapples with her school’s consideration of arming one of its popular, ex-military teachers. Ms. Crosby is opposed to the idea of arming teachers at her school and considers voicing her concerns at an upcoming … Continue reading →
• Public Service–Spirited Media Takes on the Memory Wars “Public Service–Spirited Media Takes on the Memory Wars” by Peter Pomerantsev is a case “about how you can challenge bitter, cross-partisan divides in a society where disputes over history are weaponized by political forces, and where opposing groups live in separate media realities. The study follows a group of journalists and scholars in Ukraine who … Continue reading →
• Seeing Green “Seeing Green,” a Justice in Schools case by Allison M. Stevens “explores the challenges of teaching about climate change in a community where a large portion of the residents work in the petroleum industry. Should science teachers accommodate local concerns about the dangers of demonizing the very industry their town’s economy relies on? Or teach climate … Continue reading →
• Taking the Action Out of Civics? “Taking the Action out of Civics?” is a case study from the Justice in Schools initiative. The case examines the debate over a form of project-based civics education called Action Civics, in which students research a topic of their choosing and then take action to create change. In this case study, a parent’s crusade to … Continue reading →
• The “Christmas Tree Crisis” at Sea-Tac Airport The management of Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (Sea-Tac) decided to remove plastic holiday trees “after a rabbi asked to have an 8-foot-tall menorah displayed next to the largest tree in the international arrival hall.” The removal of the trees became a national media controversy. The leaders of the airport were obliged to respond, to decide whether … Continue reading →
• The American Enterprise Institute’s Near-Death Experience “The American Enterprise Institute’s Near-Death Experience,” an SNF Agora Case Study by Steven Teles and Jessica A. Gover, focuses on issues of strategy and management in a conservative think tank. From the abstract: When poor management leaves a high-profile conservative think tank in near ruins, should the board declare bankruptcy and try to regroup? Or … Continue reading →
• The Center for Popular Democracy’s Education Justice Campaign “The Center for Popular Democracy’s Education Justice Campaign” is a case study by Dmitri Holtzman, Ben Kirshner, and Tafadzwa Tivaringe. It “explores dilemmas that arise for a network aiming to build a multigenerational movement for education justice, particularly through the story of the Center for Popular Democracy (CPD) and the evolution of its Education Justice … Continue reading →
• The ISAIAH Trash Referendum The ISAIAH Trash Referendum by Peter Levine and Liz McKenna is a case study “about an organization in Minnesota called ISAIAH, a faith-based organization that works to expand the power and influence of people who have often been overlooked, especially poor people and people of color. “This case examines what happened when, to support a new mayor … Continue reading →
• The Montgomery Bus Boycott The Montgomery Bus Boycott by Peter Levine is a case study about “a classic example of a social movement episode that accomplished its immediate goals despite severe obstacles. It catapulted the 26-year-old Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. into international prominence and launched similar episodes in many American cities across the South and then also the … Continue reading →
• Vote16USA’s Campaign to Lower the Voting Age in San Francisco This SNF Agora case study by Scott Warren and Brandon Klugman “explores challenges that emerged for a coalition of high school–aged activists involved in the Vote16SF campaign, a movement to lower the voting age in San Francisco. This activist group, led by young people, sought to balance the passion and idealism of its convictions with the … Continue reading →

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International Comparative Studies in Education: Descriptions of Selected Large-Scale Assessments and Case Studies (1995)

Chapter: civics education study, civics education study.

Purpose IEA conducted a Civic Education Survey in 1971 as part of a Six-subject Survey of student achievement (science, reading comprehension, literature, French as a foreign language, English as a foreign language, and civics education). Ten IEA member countries participated in the civics education portion. Extensive regression analysis was conducted, with a fairly consistent finding that stress on rote learning and on patriotic ritual within the classroom tended to be negatively related to civics education outcomes, while the opportunity to express an opinion in class had a positive relationship. The socioeconomic status of the family and the type of school (academic or vocational) were controlled statistically in the regression analysis, and these findings were extremely similar across nine Western industrialized countries with different educational and political contexts.

Since 1971, many changes have taken place in schools and political systems, which raise new issues and intensify concern for old ones. Needs and opportunities for a second civics education study are:

Moves toward democratization around the world

Increasing immigration/emigration and resurgent authoritarianism and racism

Alienation among youth and the growth of what has been called “unconventional participation”

Recognition of the implicit or hidden curriculum

Wariness concerning discussions of civics and political

Women's increasing role in politics

Prominent environmental issues

Powerful mass media

In addition, there have been advances in the social sciences, educational measurement, and the methodologies and models used by IEA that provide a background for a second study.

Many differences exist around the world in the content and process of civics education. In societies undergoing rapid social and political change and democratization attempts are being made to prepare young people for a political and economic order that does not yet exist. Civics education differs from many other school subjects in the relative lack of consensus even within societies with long democratic traditions about the knowledge and attitude base, but even more in countries where individuals are wary of pleas for national unity and of courses with titles such as civics or political education. Cross-national research has a vital role in providing the research base for policy makers, those who design curricula, those who prepare teachers, and the general public.

Organization and Management An international coordinating center will be designated through competitive bidding for Phase II to begin operations in mid-1996. Until then, Phase I and planning for Phase II will take place through ad hoc planning groups as part of a special project involving IEA headquarters.

Participants

Six-subject Survey - civics education: Finland, Germany (Federal Republic), Iran, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Netherlands, New Zealand, Sweden, and the United States. (1971)

Civics Education Study: There is high interest in a civics education study in countries of Central and Eastern Europe and Asia, and in countries that belong to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. (1994-2000)

Six-subject Survey - civics: The aims of the research were to identify those factors accounting for differences between countries, between schools, and between students. The technique used was a cross-sectional survey at three different levels, which described education as it was at the time of testing and not as it might be. Probability samples of schools and students within schools were drawn for each level within each country.

Civics Education Study:

Phase I: In some countries, structured interviews will be conducted with small samples of students.

Phase II: The survey of knowledge, attitudes, and participation or behavior will be conducted with nationally representative samples.

Procedures and Summary of Content

Six-subject Survey - civics: Three international populations were identified: Population I included all students in full-time schooling aged 10:0-10:11 years; Population II included all students in fulltime schooling aged 14:0-14:11 years; and Population IV encompassed all students in the terminal year of full-time secondary education programs that were either pre-university programs or programs of the same length. A Population III was designed for national data collection and analysis only. Tests were developed to yield a total “cognitive” score. There were survey scales to measure attitudinal outcomes as well as perceptions about “how society works.”

Phase I. Each participating country will prepare a case study of its civics education, including reviews of previous empirical and policy studies, interviews, and analysis of curricula, to gather:

information about the political, educational, social, and economic context with special attention to major recent changes or reforms, including some social indicators

conceptions of and definitions related to civics education, including both official statements such as national curricula or assessment standards, and other major points of view

information about content and methods of civics education as it is practiced, centered on intended and like unintended learning outcomes of civics education and how it is envisioned that these outcomes will be achieved by students

a perspective concerning other factors influencing the civics education process and its outcomes, such as educational policy more generally, school organization, media, parental, and family characteristics

Among the sources to be used are:

analysis of curriculum and policy documents in areas such as national and world history, civics, social studies, moral education, literature, as well as participation opportunities provided to students in and out of schools

interviews (individually or in focus groups) with policy makers, leaders in professional organizations such as teachers unions and experts in teacher training

in some countries structured interviews with small samples of students either individually, in focus groups, or using computer networks

review of existing studies conducted within the country of civics education, moral education, youth and adult attitudes, and political socialization

The national case studies will be conducted around a common framework prepared by an international committee. Each participating country will make a proposal to this international committee with respect to the types of material they intend to collect for the self-study and how it will be analyzed. The international committee will make suggestions about this material and nominate out-of-country experts to examine the resulting data and self-study report in order to give advice to the national team. The national team will retain responsibility for the report itself, and the external panel will prepare a report documenting its own views. The case studies and commentaries will be prepared for publication, and will also produce guidance for Phase II of the study, with respect to topics to be considered, aspects of formal and informal education to be surveyed, outcomes, and predictors.

Phase II. The second phase will be a survey of knowledge, attitudes, and participation or behavior in nationally representative samples. It will be designed around issues and processes and programs currently in place and questions of high interest and relevance in participating countries. A conceptual framework for Phase II will emerge from the Phase I case studies.

Data Collection and Analyses

Under development as part of Phase II planning.

Publications

Civics Education Study Phase I: National case study profiles of nations and systems will be assembled in a publication; curriculum analysis, multi-media analysis (e.g. interactive interviews with students, videos) may be included.

Civics Education Study Phase II: Large-scale survey design, methodology, sampling; questionnaires; and multi-media reports will be produced.

Funding In Phase I The National Center for Education Statistics will contribute a modest amount of funding for the international costs; most of the funding for international costs is expected to come from outside the United States.

Information Sources

International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA) Secretariat c/o SVO

Sweelinckplein 14

2517 GK The Hague THE NETHERLANDS

31-70-346-96-79

31-70-360-99-51

e-mail: [email protected]

Judith Torney-Purta, Ph.D., International Project Coordinator of Phase I and Planning Committee Chair

Professor of Human Development

Benjamin Building 3304, University of Maryland

College Park, Maryland 20742

electronic mail: [email protected]

Gordon M. Ambach, Liaison to IEA

Council of Chief State School Officers

One Massachusetts Ave., N.W., Suite 700

Washington, D.C. 20001-1431

e-mail: [email protected]

Ambach, Gordon M.

1994 Civics Education project. Memo to William Loxley, IEA headquarters. March 21.

International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement

1993 Activities, Institutions, and People: Iea Guidebook 1993-1994. IEA, The Hague, The Netherlands.

Torney-Purta, Judith V.

1993 Civic Education:Need and Opportunities for a Second IEA Study. Paper prepared at the request of the IEA Headquarters for presentation at the IEA General Assembly. Madrid. September.

1994 Needed Cross National Research on the Role of Civic Education in Democratization. Paper prepared for consultation session. April. American Educational Research Association.

1994 IEA-Civics Education Study design. Presentations to Board on International Comparative Studies in Education. February and May.

Torney, J.V., A.N. Oppenheim, and R.F. Farnen

1976 Civic Education in Ten Countries: An Empirical Study. International Studies in Evaluation Volume 6. Stockholm: Almquist and Wiksell. New York: John Wiley & Sons.

Torney-Purta, J., and J. Schwille

1986 Civic values learned in school: Policy and practice in industrialized countries. Comparative Education Review. 30:30-49

NOTE: This study summary was reviewed and edited by William Loxley at the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement in The Hague on June 9, 1994, and by Judith Torney-Purta and Gordon Ambach in Washington, D.C. on October 3, 1994.

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Civic Education Across Countries

Teaching America: The Case for Civic Education

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Congressional approval ratings stand at an all-time low and grassroots movements such as Occupy Wall Street and the Tea Party are mobilizing citizens to engage in the democratic process and push for change. But do America’s young people have the tools they need to assess candidates for public office and influence the policy process? The statistics say no. According to a new book edited by David Feith, young Americans know little about the Bill of Rights, the democratic process, or the civil rights movement. Three of every four high school seniors aren’t proficient in civics, nine of ten aren’t proficient in U.S. history, and the problem is aggravated by a lack of civic education at the university level.

On January 9, Brookings hosted a discussion of  Teaching America: The Case for Civic Education (Rowman & Littlefield Education, 2011). Contributing authors laid out their proposals for strengthening civic education in a discussion moderated by Brookings Senior Fellow William Galston. This event is part of the Governing Ideas series intended to broaden the discussion of governance issues through forums on history, culture, legal norms and practices, values and religion.

After the program, panelists took audience questions.

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Concerning the Question of Feasibility of Political-Civil Education: Israel as a Case Study

• Published: 09 November 2019
• Volume 39 , pages 167–185, ( 2020 )

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• Eran Gusacov   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-0207-8122 1  

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Educating students to become participatory citizens in their country is one of the explicit tasks of public education in a democratic-liberal state. In this article, I use civics education in Israel as a case study for the examination of the justification and the practicability of implementing political education in schools, as opposed to implementing its rivals –ideological education or a-political education. I argue that a liberal-democratic stance and its educational implication—political education—are two concepts submerged in ideology, and, as a result, political education in schools is not ideology-free. I also argue that the common kind of political-civic education in Israel is irrelevant for the significant minorities of Palestinian and Ultra-Orthodox Jewish citizens. Revealing the emptiness and futility of present-day political-civil education leads me to propose to separate this education into different ideological-educational streams, allowing each of them to emphasize its ideology in civil-political education.

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Gusacov, E. Concerning the Question of Feasibility of Political-Civil Education: Israel as a Case Study. Stud Philos Educ 39 , 167–185 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11217-019-09689-6

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Published : 09 November 2019

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DOI : https://doi.org/10.1007/s11217-019-09689-6

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