Latest news with #civics
Forbes
2 days ago
- Politics
- Forbes
Civic Education As We Look To Our Nation's 250th Anniversary
What is the state of patriotism and student knowledge of civics and history? What are young people learning about the responsibilities of civic life? More than seven out of 10 U.S. adults give a grade of C or worse to K-12 public schools' efforts to prepare students 'to be good citizens.' History and civics 8th-grade test scores are at an all-time low. On the other hand, there is strong support and narrowing political differences between Democrats and Republicans on the importance of civic education, especially students learning civics and history. In 2026 we will celebrate America's 250th anniversary commemorating the signing the Declaration of Independence. As we prepare for this event, we should acknowledge both the worrisome and good news and continue to advance efforts that increase students' knowledge of civics and history. Troubling News There are worrisome signs that patriotism, civic knowledge, and civic education are declining. A Gallup poll in 2023 found that 39% of U.S. adults were extremely proud to be an American, compared to 55% in 2001 when the question was first asked. This was essentially unchanged from the 38% record low in 2022. When combining those extremely or very proud, the number dropped from a high of 90% in 2003 to 67% in 2023. There also is a divide on patriotism between younger and older Americans. While 50% of adults aged 55 and older said they are extremely proud to be American, 40% of those aged 35 to 54 and 18% of 18- to 34-year-olds said the same. A question posed in a Wall Street Journal-NORC poll asking Americans to rate how important patriotism is to them produced similar sentiments. In 2023, 38% of respondents said patriotism was very important, down from 70% when the question was first asked in 1998. A poll of Gen Z young people aged 18 to 29 after the 2024 presidential election by Project Democracy and CIRCLE offers a more nuanced perspective. A substantial majority of these young people either agrees or strongly agrees that they support the basic tenets of democracy. However, only 16% agree or strongly agree that democracy works well for them, with 11% saying that political violence is sometimes necessary to achieve progress. Meanwhile, the National Assessment of Education Progress, or the Nation's Report Card, reports that young people's knowledge of U.S. civics and history is at an all-time low. Data from 2022 tests show that eighth graders posted the lowest history score ever and the first drop in the civics score since 1994, when the first test was given. The history test asks questions about students' knowledge of central figures, dates, events, and their understanding of historical ideas and movements. The civics test asks about knowledge of government, the ability to defend positions on political issues, and an understanding of democratic participation. The journalist James Traub writing in The New Republic suggests there is a pedagogical reason why schools are failing in their civic education of young people: 'Few of our schools give children the foundation in knowledge and language that will allow them to read and make sense of challenging texts. The real crisis of our schools is that…two-fifths of fourth graders read at a 'below basic' level.' A RAND survey of teachers suggests an additional reason why students know so little history and civics. When asked what the top three aims of civic education should be, only 40% of teachers said it should promote knowledge of rights and responsibilities, and only 23% think it should promote knowledge of social, political, and civic institutions. The only two answers included in a majority of teachers' responses were promoting students' critical and independent thinking (68%) and developing students' skills and competencies in conflict resolution (54%). Students' civic and historical knowledge appears to decline partly because teachers don't regard such things as primary aims of classroom instruction. Finally, Stanford University's Hoover Institution Working Group on Good American Citizenship analyzed the contents of 87 civics textbooks from 1885 to 2020. It found a move away from emphasizing civic knowledge to promoting individual action in the community. Good News Despite all the dire messaging from social media and other outlets about how divided Democrats and Republicans are on civic education, there is less division than meets the eye. This information is from a University of Southern California analysis of a nationally representative poll of 4,200 U.S. adults, with over one in four (44%) having a school-aged child. Equal percentages of respondents identified as Democrats or lean Democrats (37%) and Republicans or lean Republicans (36%), with the others (26%) identifying as Independents or another political party. The poll reports that a large majority of Democrats and Republicans think 14 of 16 civic education topics or activities are important or very important for young people to know, including the U.S. Constitution, arguments on a subject, and ensuring veterans and military service are honored. 'People are supportive of schools teaching controversial topics from multiple perspectives,' says Morgan Polikoff, an education professor who is a co-author of the report. Polling of U.S. parents by the Jack Miller Center on what they want their children to learn about this country also shows that an overwhelming majority of parents believe civic education should focus on the country's history and founding ideas. Roughly nine out of 10 agree that a civic education about our nation's founding principles is very important (89%) and that we should portray historical figures honestly (92%). Nearly three out of four (73%) said teaching young people about ideas like individual liberty, limited government, and belief in equality is very important to America's future. Pew Research Center polling reports that nearly three out of four Biden supporters (74%) and Trump supporters (71%) said it is extremely or very important to have public discussions about America's historical successes and strengths. Almost eight out of 10 (78%) Biden supporters and six out of 10 (60%) Trump supporters said it is at least very important to have a public discussion about America's failures and flaws. Nearly two-thirds of these respondents (65%) said America's diversity along racial, ethnic, and religious lines strengthens American society. Finally, a majority of respondents (56%) said the U.S. is one of the greatest countries in the world, while roughly one out of four (23%) said the U.S. stands above all other countries. Civics Education And A Patriotism Dividend The further good news is that efforts are underway to rebuild civic education and rekindle Americans' understanding of patriotism based on their identity as citizens in a democratic republic. These approaches emphasize formal education in history and civics and a broader system of civic formation that allows individuals to participate in civic activities. Here are six examples of organizations doing this work. 1. iCivics Education oversees several civics education projects. They include Educating for American Democracy, which developed a K-12 roadmap for teaching history and civics, and CivxNow, the nation's largest cross-partisan coalition working to expand civic education in states. Lawmakers in 44 states are reviewing bills related to civic education. 2. The National Association of Scholars has created a Civics Alliance with individuals and state affiliates. It developed a civics curriculum for K-12 and post-secondary education. 3. More in Common launched the Beacon Project. It combines polling and research from disciplines like philosophy, psychology, and political science to build a new vision of civic education and civic obligations. 4. The American Identity Project is led by my colleague Richard Kahlenberg, Senior Fellow at the Progressive Policy Institute. His reports describe what can be done to strengthen American identity and patriotism to create a patriotism dividend. They include recommendations of what schools and colleges should do to ensure young people learn 'America's sins but also how liberal democratic norms made redemption possible.' 5. The American Academy of Arts and Sciences created a bipartisan Commission on the Practice of Democratic Citizenship. Its report, Habits of Heart and Mind, presents a blueprint for building state and local communities of practice that advance civics education and includes case studies of Arizona and Atlanta. 6. Stanford University's Hoover Institution has created the Alliance for Civics in the Academy. It is a nonpartisan network of higher education instructors who teach and develop academic programs aimed at civic education. 7. The National Constitution Center has developed a teacher led high school curriculum on the U.S. Constitution. It offers 15 modules, each with videos, activities, and assessments that draw on primary source documents and landmark U.S. Supreme Court cases. It is developing a similar curriculum for middle school students. The Center also has partnered with Khan Academy to create a self-paced high school level course for students that offers nine units where they hear from constitutional scholars and explore critical constitutional debates. In short, there is a strong public and political consensus on the need for a renewed K-12 history and civics education program based on discussing America's successes and flaws. There is also a shared K-12 framework for what civic education should include. This framework reflects the work of a center-right and center-left coalition of civics educators and other stakeholders. The framework views civics education not only as occurring in formal K-12 school and university courses. It involves a broader system of civic formation, like debating clubs, student exchanges, and national service opportunities, including military service. These examples suggest that as the U.S. celebrates its 249th birthday in 2025, it is on the brink of a new era of civic education as it prepares to celebrate its 250th birthday in 2026.
Globe and Mail
16-06-2025
- Politics
- Globe and Mail
Utah Boys State: Shane Krauser Returns as Featured Speaker
Shane Krauser is a nationally-renowned educator, a constitutional expert, and a youth speaker. Ogden, Utah, United States - Shane Krauser returned for his fourth consecutive appearance at the prestigious, five-day youth leadership conference held at Weber State University in Ogden, Utah. Utah Boys State is a top-tier symposium emphasizing leadership, civics, and political engagement. Collaborating with Weber State University's Political Science Department, the American Legion Utah Boys State program offers an exceptional educational experience, equipping young people with a deep understanding of the political principles that shape America. During the program, students learn about the rights, privileges, duties, and responsibilities of citizenship. The training is hands-on with students elected by their peers to manage city, county, and state governments. The program features activities such as legislative sessions, court proceedings, law enforcement demonstrations, assemblies, musical performances by bands and choruses, and recreational activities. Shane Krauser was, once again, a highlighted presenter at this year's June 2025 event. Since 2021, Shane Krauser has been a staple with the program. During his presentation, he takes the students through a variety of scenarios, allows for debate and discussion, and highlights the underlying principle at stake. Krauser values the intensity of these discussions, as they mirror real-world challenges. Dr. Ninzel Rasmuson, the Executive Director of Utah Boys State, said, "Shane Krauser's ability to interact with the Utah Boys State 2025 class was a masterful blend of scholarly insight and articulate exposition. His capacity to engage with the citizens and debate issues was impactful as he conveyed complex constitutional principles significantly enriching the citizens' understanding. As staff, we are grateful for his invaluable contribution to the academic discourse on constitutional law, governance, and civic education.' Boys State, held annually in all fifty states, draws some of the most driven and committed students from high schools throughout the nation. Notable Boys State alumni include President Bill Clinton, political commentator Hugh Hewitt, General Wesley Clark (U.S. Army), U.S. Senator Tom Cotton (AR), U.S. Senator Trent Lott (MS), Governor Bruce Babbitt (AZ), U.S. Senator Joe Lieberman (CT), NFL player Hines Ward (Pittsburgh Steelers), NBA coach Phil Jackson, NBA player Michael Jordan, U.S. Senator Mike Lee (UT), musician Jon Bon Jovi, political consultant James Carville, political commentator Rush Limbaugh, and many other distinguished individuals. Shane Krauser, the director of Veritas Debate Academy, remarked, 'These young people are our future, and my heart is filled with optimism as I interact with them. They care deeply about America, cherish her principles, and are eager to take action to safeguard freedom. I feel privileged to contribute to their understanding of the crucial role they can play in upholding the flame of liberty during this crucial time in history.' With over 3,000 speaking engagements throughout the United States and countries like Mexico, Peru, and Canada, Shane Krauser draws on his extensive experience and impressive credentials to educate and motivate young men. Krauser served as a felony prosecutor with the Maricopa County Attorney's Office in Phoenix, Arizona for 12 years. He later transitioned from government work to become a partner at one of Arizona's leading law firms, where he worked as a criminal defense consultant. Additionally, Krauser taught constitutional and criminal law as an adjunct professor for over ten years. As a speaker, he has shared the stage with individuals such as Glenn Beck, Ron Paul, David Barton, and many others. For media or general inquiries, contact Janelle Krauser at 480.570.3698 or email Contact@ Website: Social Media: Media Contact Company Name: Veritas Debate Academy Contact Person: Janelle Krauser Email: Send Email Phone: +1 480.570.3698 City: Gilbert State: Arizona Country: United States Website:
Yahoo
01-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Inside the fight against the Oklahoma's plan to push Trump's big election lie in schools
Director of "We're Oklahoma Education" Erica Watkins joins "The Weekend" to share what she and other local parents are doing to fight against the Oklahoma Public Schools plan to teach Trump's Big Election Lie as fact in high school civics classes.
ABC News
17-05-2025
- Politics
- ABC News
New media literacy lessons aim to tackle crushing civics results
Australia's governor-general is on a mission to reverse declining civics scores among Australian students. She's driven by two factors: young people's poor understanding of how democracy works, and their lack of faith in our institutions — both at record lows. "I think misinformation and disinformation is the great scourge of our time," Her Excellency, the Honourable Sam Mostyn, said. But even for a trailblazing business leader with a lifetime of achievement, the task of improving young people's ability to engage in democracy is enormous — and the stakes even higher. "It's one of the things that can weaken us as a country. We don't want to have a generation coming through that don't understand how to access our civics, how to be participants as citizens," Ms Mostyn said. She plans to be a "visible" governor-general, and throwing her weight behind moves to improve civics knowledge will be a key part of that. One such move she's backed is a push to include more civics in the national curriculum. The ABC can reveal a new teaching model will be rolled out across Australian schools to counter poor results in recent civic exams and fight back against misinformation and disinformation. It will be woven into different subject areas and is part of Australia's first media literacy strategy announced in December. The move will complement other initiatives by the government, schools and other groups around the country. If the mission to improve civics understanding fails, the consequences will be felt not just by students leaving school but by the entire nation, according to Ms Mostyn. "I think there is [a lot at stake] if we are to be a truly great nation," Ms Mostyn said. For her, Australia's civic institutions and democratic history are the glue that unites Indigenous heritage, British colonialism and millions of new migrants. "A three-part braided story of our country: 65,000 years of attachment to this continent, with the longest ever continuous culture … the arrival of the British with these institutions that we still cherish. And then the last 50, 60 years of over 8 million now-Australian citizens coming from somewhere else," she said. Stirring words to inspire, but it's a story too few young Australians know about. Test scores released by ACARA (Australian Curriculum and Assessment Reporting Authority) this year showed that just 28 per cent of Year 10 students and 43 per cent of Year 6 students are proficient in civics. It's the worst result in 20 years of testing. "What we've seen is that trend continuing, but it has had a more steep decline," ACARA CEO Stephen Gniel, said. He said with fewer than one in three Year 10 students being proficient in civics, it's something "we need to take really seriously". One school taking it very seriously is Ambarvale High School. On the fringes of south-west Sydney, it lies in a fast-growing region where paddocks are quickly turning into housing development. It's the kind of place politicians love to visit at election time. Last year ACARA listed the school as one of its top-performing despite 87 per cent of students being ranked in the bottom half of educational disadvantage. The school is punching above its weight with civics studies by finding new ways to engage students in a subject kids can find dull. "A focus in my team is on getting kids involved in real-world examples. We've taken our kids to Parliament House, we've taken our kids to have a Q&A forum with the local member of Campbelltown, Greg Warren," head teacher Jo Novak said. "When we hold our general elections for senior leaders, we set up our voting booths and we have the kids do paper votes and cast it into a ballot box." But there's more to the problem than exposure to the mechanics of democracy. The ABC recently held a community engagement event at the school and the message from students was clear: adults are a big part of the problem. As non-voting observers of the recent federal election, these 15 to 17-year-olds were put off by the negativity on display and attempts to engage them on social media. "I thought anything on Instagram was insulting to younger generations," Alex said, speaking about the parties' social media campaigning. Her friends, who will all be voting at the next election, agreed. "A lot of the stuff online like TikTok, Instagram, was jokes and memes. Nothing really serious," Lili said. As well as better communication, they wanted to see meaningful policies for young people and were eager to be involved in civic life. "They do really question whether the political parties are taking their views on board," Ms Novak said. A recent senate inquiry into civics education and political participation found arming young people with the skills to weed out misinformation was critical. "Whether it's a news story, a television show, an online video or a social media post, our young people need to learn how to sort fact from fiction, and work out whether something is credible or not," Mr Gniel said. Brisbane State High School was an early adopter of explicit teaching of media literacy, designed to guide students through identifying misinformation and biases in traditional and new media. "Building the skills within a student to look at something and go, 'Can I trust that? Or what question should I ask first? Or who made that? And what vested interests do they have in it?'," teacher Aimee Gust said. Similar lessons will now be rolled out nationwide with ACARA unveiling a new teaching resource tomorrow called curriculum connections: media consumers and creators. The new national curriculum lessons will be available to teachers from kindergarten all the way though to Year 10. The key skills it will aim to equip students with include understanding and analysing contemporary media and creating media content. It also aims to empower students to be critical of media bias, understand misinformation and how to be ethical in sharing material online. Some experts though, like Trisha Jha from the Centre for Independent Studies, believe there is a case for broader reform of civics education. And ACARA's chief said changes in schools needed to be accompanied by work at home too, suggesting families chat about civics education and Australian democracy. "It's really important. We've just been through a great opportunity for those conversations, haven't we, with a federal election?" Mr Gneil said. It's a big task but the governor-general hopes to use high office to push for high-stakes change and is buoyed by the efforts of others. "I'm hugely optimistic. We have huge opportunity to strengthen our democracy," she said.
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Wyan-Pine 5th graders participate in mock 'We the People' congressional hearing
Wyan-Pine Grove Elementary School fifth graders in Social Studies teacher Kristy Patton's third block class had the unique opportunity of participating in a mock "We the People" congressional hearing last Wednesday, April 30. At the hearing, three different groups of students took turns introducing themselves, giving speeches, and answering follow-up questions by judges. Judges at the simulated hearing included Superintendent Denise Griebel of Laurel County Public Schools, State Senator Brandon Storm (R-London), and State Representative Shane Baker (R-Somerset, District 85). Also present to assist with the hearing was Glenn Manns, Civics Empowers All Students Coordinator for We the People. "Students researched various topics about our government using We the People curriculum," Patton commented. "All fifth grade students were provided with the We the People curriculum this year to boost students' success in civics, literacy, and related competencies through inclusive teaching to become engaged and informed citizens to take an active role in democracy." The fifth graders showcased their knowledge on civics topics as a panel, defending their respective position based on the United States Constitution. Each group focused on a different unit. The first group consisted of Nate Warren, Kinslie Smith, Jennifer Do, Korben Allen and Atreyu Smith. This group of students discussed Unit 2 of the curriculum, which addresses which major conflicts required the framers of the Philadelphia Convention to make compromises, why it was difficult for the framers to reach an agreement on how to resolve their conflict, and how the compromise of later adding a Bill of Rights affected the Constitution. Group two included Izayah Patterson, Avery Damron, Isaiah Smith, Cole Knuckles, Cooper Harris, and Camila Mascorro. The group addressed the topics of Unit 3, pertaining to how the Constitution organizes government, the powers of the president, and how the framers used separation of powers and checks and balances to limit the powers of government. The third and final group consisted of Max Barnard, Raelyn Ivy, Colt Collins, and Sadie Hamlin. This group discussed what freedom of expression is and why it is important to democracy, how the Constitution protects freedom of expression, how the Constitution protects freedom of religion, and what freedom of the press should entail — all of which is addressed in Unit 4. We The People: Civics that Empowers All Students is a "federally funded project of the Center for Civic Education." The project is intended to support effective educator development. To learn more about We the People, visit
