Our Common Purpose: Reinventing American Democracy for the 21st Century, a bipartisan report issued by the Academy, recommends government investment in civic education programs and professional development opportunities for educators in all communities. Investment in civic education can help students to develop the knowledge, skills, and habits that allow them to participate fully in the democratic process.
The Need
According to the last National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) civics assessment, which measures civics knowledge and skills in a nationally representative group of 8th graders (about 7,800 students), 31% of eighth graders fell below the NAEP basic level. The 2022 average score was 2 points lower than in 2018, when the civics assessment was first developed and administered by the U.S. Department of Education’s National Center for Education Statistics. According to the Annenberg Public Policy Center and its 2023 Annenberg Constitution Day Civics Survey (1,482 adults), many Americans do not know what rights are protected under the First Amendment, only 66% of those surveyed could name all three branches of government, and 17% could not name any branch of government.
Federal Legislative Update
While the U.S. Department of Education has supported civics education in the past through discretionary grant programs, support for collaborative practitioner organizations, and the sharing of best practices, the lion’s share of federal funding has gone to STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) education. Additional challenges continue to exist, including inconsistencies in state standards and professional development requirements, inadequate funding, and the impact of political polarization at all levels of government.
Between 2022 and 2024, funding for K-12 civics education increased from $7.75 million to $23 million. This funding supported teacher professional development, curriculum development, and student programming. However, President Trump’s FY2026 budget proposes $12 billion in cuts to K-12 education programs, including grants to increase access to civic education, and consolidates K-12 education funding into a block grant program for states. Additionally, the administration has indicated its intent to eliminate the U.S. Department of Education.
Previous bipartisan efforts to renew the country’s commitment to civic education include the Civics Secures Democracy Act, introduced in June 2022 in the U.S. House and Senate, which proposed $1 billion annually to expand education programs in civics and history at K-12 and higher education institutions. Additional efforts such as the Civics Learning Act of 2023 was introduced in March 2023 to strengthen civics education in schools in conjunction with the first annually recognized National Civic Learning Week hosted by iCivics, a nonpartisan organization dedicated to advancing civics learning. The next National Civics Learning Week is scheduled for March 9-13, 2026.
State Legislative Update
States have been active over the last several years in considering and enacting civics education-related legislation. Recent legislation has both increased education standards and provided hands-on experiences, as recommended by the Our Common Purpose report.
According to CivxNow, 45 states are considering 198 bills related to K–12 civic education during their 2025 legislative sessions. Over 70 percent of the legislation is ensuring that civic education is a bi-partisan education priority for the states. According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, over the last several years, states, including Connecticut, Indiana, Kentucky, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island, have enacted legislation to increase standards, provide professional development for educators, form task forces and commissions, and establish high school graduation requirements.
The Academy will continue to monitor federal and state legislative and regulatory activities concerning this important issue as well as continue to be a policy resource for Our Common Purpose champions who are active in the civics education space. Sign up for the Our Common Purpose monthly newsletter to receive updates about the Academy's efforts to strengthen democracy in America.