[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"detail-sidebar-cat-0-en-105":3,"doc-seo-590638-105":59,"doc-detail-590638-en":129},{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":6},0,"success",[7,13,18,23,28,33,38,43,48,51,55],{"id":8,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":10,"show_sort_weight":11,"slug":12},1,"Document","Story & Novel",90,"story-novel",{"id":14,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":15,"show_sort_weight":16,"slug":17},2,"Literature",80,"literature",{"id":19,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":20,"show_sort_weight":21,"slug":22},4,"Exam",70,"exam",{"id":24,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":25,"show_sort_weight":26,"slug":27},5,"Comic",60,"comic",{"id":29,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":30,"show_sort_weight":31,"slug":32},6,"Technology",50,"technology",{"id":34,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":35,"show_sort_weight":36,"slug":37},7,"Healthcare",40,"healthcare",{"id":39,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":40,"show_sort_weight":41,"slug":42},8,"Research & Report",30,"research-report",{"id":44,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":45,"show_sort_weight":46,"slug":47},9,"Religion & Spirituality",20,"religion-spirituality",{"id":46,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":49,"show_sort_weight":46,"slug":50},"World Cup","world-cup",{"id":52,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":53,"show_sort_weight":52,"slug":54},10,"Lifestyle","lifestyle",{"id":56,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":57,"show_sort_weight":24,"slug":58},19,"General","general",{"code":4,"msg":60,"data":61},"ok",{"site_id":62,"language":63,"slug":64,"title":65,"keywords":66,"description":67,"schema_data":68,"social_meta":122,"head_meta":124,"extra_data":126,"updated_unix":128},105,"en","a-look-at-civics-education-in-the-united-states-key-findings","A Look at Civics Education in the United States - Key Findings","","Explores the condition of U.S. high school civics education and its consequences for civic literacy, public trust, and youth civic behavior. Cites low survey results on understanding government structures, declining trust, and reduced voter participation alongside stagnant NAEP civics performance. Compares policy approaches, including mandatory citizenship exams and civics graduation requirements, and evaluates effectiveness and criticisms, highlighting uneven state standards and the need for stronger skills and civic agency.",{"@graph":69,"@context":121},[70,84,104],{"@type":71,"itemListElement":72},"BreadcrumbList",[73,77,79,82],{"item":74,"name":75,"@type":76,"position":8},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",{"item":78,"name":9,"@type":76,"position":14},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/",{"item":80,"name":35,"@type":76,"position":81},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/healthcare/",3,{"item":83,"name":65,"@type":76,"position":19},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/a-look-at-civics-education-in-the-united-states-key-findings/590638/",{"url":83,"name":65,"@type":85,"image":86,"author":91,"headline":65,"publisher":94,"fileFormat":97,"inLanguage":63,"description":67,"dateModified":98,"datePublished":98,"encodingFormat":97,"isAccessibleForFree":99,"interactionStatistic":100},"DigitalDocument",{"url":87,"@type":88,"width":89,"height":90},"https://docshare.wps.com/thumbnails/a-look-at-civics-education-in-the-united-states-key-findings/590638.png","ImageObject",300,407,{"name":92,"@type":93},"Stanley","Person",{"url":74,"name":95,"@type":96},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-10-15",true,{"@type":101,"interactionType":102,"userInteractionCount":8},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":103},"ViewAction",{"@type":105,"mainEntity":106},"FAQPage",[107,113,117],{"name":108,"@type":109,"acceptedAnswer":110},"What problem does the article identify in civic education and public engagement?","Question",{"text":111,"@type":112},"Civic knowledge and public engagement are described as being at very low levels, with insufficient understanding of government structures and responsibilities contributing to civic apathy and weaker democratic participation.","Answer",{"name":114,"@type":109,"acceptedAnswer":115},"What policies have states used to improve civics education?",{"text":116,"@type":112},"The article notes approaches such as requiring high school students to pass the U.S. citizenship exam for graduation, adopting civics as a graduation requirement, providing detailed curricula, using community service as part of graduation, and expanding access to AP U.S. Government and Politics.",{"name":118,"@type":109,"acceptedAnswer":119},"What do the key findings say about how states structure civics requirements?",{"text":120,"@type":112},"Key findings report that only a small number of states require a full year of U.S. government or civics, many require only half a year, and some have no civics requirement. The article also emphasizes that curricula often focus on knowledge rather than building skills and civic agency.","https://schema.org",{"og:url":83,"og:type":123,"og:title":65,"og:site_name":95,"og:description":67},"article",{"robots":125,"canonical":83},"index,follow",{"doc_id":127,"site_id":62},590638,1792080442,{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":130},{"doc_id":127,"user_id":131,"nickname":92,"user_avatar":132,"doc_module":4,"category_id":34,"category_name":35,"doc_title":65,"doc_description":67,"doc_content":133,"file_id":134,"file_url":135,"file_type":136,"file_size":137,"view_count":8,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":8,"is_downloadable":8,"audit_status":8,"page_count":24,"language":138,"language_code":63,"site_id":62,"html_lang":63,"table_of_contents":139,"faqs":140,"seo_title":141,"seo_description":67,"update_tm":142,"read_time":143},2336477405376,"https://ap-avatar.wpscdn.com/davatar_29158cc5080c5b710cf443261637dec0","A Look at Civics Education in the United States  \nBy Sarah Shapiro and Catherine Brown  \nC  \nivic knowledge and public engagement are at an alltime low. A 2016 survey by the Annenberg Public Policy Center found that only 26 percent of Americans can name all three branches of government, which was a  \nsignificant decline from previous years.1 Not surprisingly, public trust in government is at only 18 percent2 and voter participation has reached its lowest point since 1996.3 Without an understanding of the structure of government, our rights and responsibilities, and the different methods of public engagement, civic literacy and voter apathy will continue to plague American democracy. Educators and schools have a unique opportunity and responsi-  \nSarah Shapiro is a research assistant for K–12 education at the Center for American Progress, where Catherine Brown is the vicepresidentfor education policy. This article is excerpted with permission from their 2018 report for the Centerfor American Progress, The State of Civics Education, which [is available at www.ampr.gs/2CAoxTP](is available at www.ampr.gs/2CAoxTP).  \nbility to ensure that young people become engaged and knowledgeable citizens.  \nWhile the 2016 election brought a renewed interest in engagement among youth,4 only 23 percent of eighth-graders performed at or above the proficient level on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) civics exam, and achievement levels have virtually stagnated since 1998.5 In addition, the increased focus on math and reading in K–12 education—while critical to preparing all students for success—has pushed out civics and other important subjects.  \nThe policy solution that has garnered the most momentum to improve civics in recent years is a standard that requires highschool students to pass the U.S. citizenship exam before graduation.6 According to our analysis, 17 states have taken this path.7 Yet, critics of a mandatory civics exam argue that the citizenship test does nothing to measure comprehension of the material8 and creates an additional barrier to high school graduation.9 Other states have adopted civics as a requirement for high school graduation, provided teachers with detailed civics curricula, provided  \n10 AMERICAN EDUCATOR | SUMMER 2018  \ncommunity service as a part of a graduation requirement, and increased the availability of Advanced Placement (AP) United States Government and Politics classes.10  \nWhen civics education is taught effectively, it can equip students with the knowledge, skills, and dispositions necessary to become informed and engaged citizens. Educators must also remember that civics is not synonymous with history. While increasing history courses and community service requirements are potential steps to augment students’ background knowledge and skill sets, civics is a narrow and instrumental instruction that provides students with the agency to apply these skills. Our recent report on civics education in high schools across the country, The State of Civics Education, from which this article is drawn, finds a wide variation in state requirements and levels of youth engagement. While this research highlights that no state currently provides sufficient and comprehensive civics education, there is reason to be optimistic that high-quality civics education can impact civic behavior.  \n3. While nearly half the states allow credit for community service, only one requires it.13 Only one state—Maryland—and the District of Columbia require both community service and civics courses for graduation.14  \n4. Nationwide, students score very low on the APU.S. government exam. The national average APU.S. government examscore is 2.64 out of 5, which is lower than the average AP score of all but three of the other AP exams offered by schools.15 Most colleges require a score of 3 or higher, and some require a score of 4 or higher, to qualify for college credit. Only six states hada mean score of 3.0 or above, and","cbCaipE6vg3BexBE","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaipE6vg3BexBE","pdf",348585,"English","# Key Findings\n## Bright Spots in Civics Education\n### States with rigorous curricula","[{\"question\":\"What problem does the article identify in civic education and public engagement?\",\"answer\":\"Civic knowledge and public engagement are described as being at very low levels, with insufficient understanding of government structures and responsibilities contributing to civic apathy and weaker democratic participation.\"},{\"question\":\"What policies have states used to improve civics education?\",\"answer\":\"The article notes approaches such as requiring high school students to pass the U.S. citizenship exam for graduation, adopting civics as a graduation requirement, providing detailed curricula, using community service as part of graduation, and expanding access to AP U.S. Government and Politics.\"},{\"question\":\"What do the key findings say about how states structure civics requirements?\",\"answer\":\"Key findings report that only a small number of states require a full year of U.S. government or civics, many require only half a year, and some have no civics requirement. The article also emphasizes that curricula often focus on knowledge rather than building skills and civic agency.\"}]","A Look at Civics Education in the United States - Key Findings | PDF",1792070097,13]