On the doorstep of A250, two developments are unfolding in civic education that we hope history will note as transformative.
The first is a landmark shift in how we measure civic learning in American schools. The National Assessment Governing Board (NAGB) has moved the voluntary state-level National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) Civics assessment for 8th graders up to 2028 and, for the first time, results will be disaggregated by state. Simultaneously, NAGB will develop a new framework aligned with the needs of our digital democracy for the NAEP Civics assessment, with scheduled deployment in 2032. And with its evolved language around assessment, the Educating for American Democracy framework—the most rigorous, cross-partisan vision our field has ever produced for what pluralistic civic and history education should look like—now has a national yardstick behind it. Twelfth graders will be assessed in 2032 for the first time since 2010, with state-level results also available. An FAQ about the changes can be viewed here.
This leap forward has been decades in the making, and we are hopeful that it will generate an accounting in the states of what resources are available and how they can be aligned to drive better outcomes in civics. We also hope to see healthy competition among states to innovate on civic learning and more powerfully integrate it across the K–12 experience.
Relatedly, we are witnessing the rise of civic seals, formal credentials that recognize student excellence in civic readiness upon high school graduation. Seventeen states*, spanning the political spectrum, have now adopted civic seals programs, reaching nearly half of all K–12 students in the United States. In just the last few months, seven states have taken action on civic seals:
- Legislation adopting civic seals was signed in three states: Connecticut, Idaho, and New Hampshire;
- Legislation to establish civic seals passed state legislatures in Iowa and Maryland and awaits their governors’ signatures; and
- Civic seals bills were introduced in Alaska, Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and await further consideration.
We’re also tracking new state and local pilots and planning by state coalitions to introduce civic seals legislation next session.
These seals are more than extra symbols on a diploma. They are a mechanism for credentialing the skills our students need to thrive in the democracy and economy of the AI age: independent thinking, communication, collaboration, information literacy, and creativity. These are not just academic attributes; they are the skills and attitudes that self-governance demands and hiring managers seek.
For years, we have sought leverage points that could sustainably bring educators, policymakers, business leaders, and communities to the same table to execute long-term efforts to strengthen civic learning and civic participation in their communities. Civic seals are the best organizing tool we have seen in this respect in quite some time.
Arizona recently relaunched its civic seal program and saw recipients grow tenfold in a single year. California tripled the number of students earning its civic engagement seal in just five years. The momentum is real, it is bipartisan, and it is building. iCivics and the CivxNow coalition are committed to supporting every state in making this vision a reality.
These two developments—the NAEP evolution and civic seals—did not happen by accident. They are the fruit of years of organizing, advocacy, coalition-building, and the tireless work of educators, policymakers, and others across this country. Your participation in this movement is one essential component of these successes. Thank you for your support and engagement.
There is still hard work ahead. NAEP will need to be opted into by each state, so an organized effort to build interest in the states will soon commence. Adoption of seals is only the first step; implementation is everything. And measuring civic learning is only valuable if we act on what we find. But for this moment, let us be clear-eyed about the fact that we are driving essential changes in education that will benefit students and our nation for the next 250 years and beyond.
With gratitude and determination,
Louise, Emma, and Shawn
*States that have adopted civic seal programs: Arizona, California, Connecticut, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Nevada, New Hampshire, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia
