A Mile Wide, an Inch Deep: The State of Civic Learning in U.S. School Districts
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| Title: | A Mile Wide, an Inch Deep: The State of Civic Learning in U.S. School Districts |
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| Language: | English |
| Authors: | Lisa Chu, A. K. Keskin, Arizona State University (ASU), Center on Reinventing Public Education (CRPE), RAND Education, Employment, and Infrastructure |
| Source: | Center on Reinventing Public Education. 2026. |
| Availability: | Center on Reinventing Public Education. Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College, Arizona State University. H.B. Farmer Education Building, 1050 S Forest Mall, Tempe, AZ 85281. e-mail: crpe@uw.edu; Web site: https://crpe.org/ |
| Peer Reviewed: | Y |
| Page Count: | 9 |
| Publication Date: | 2026 |
| Sponsoring Agency: | William and Flora Hewlett Foundation Gates Foundation Wallace Foundation |
| Document Type: | Reports - Research |
| Education Level: | Elementary Secondary Education |
| Descriptors: | Civics, Citizenship Education, Elementary Secondary Education, Knowledge Level, Skill Development, Learning Activities, Administrator Attitudes, Leadership Responsibility, Faculty Development, Alignment (Education), School Districts, Standards, Democracy |
| Abstract: | As the United States celebrates its 250th anniversary, civic learning is in the national spotlight. But beneath this attention lies a troubling reality: civic learning is widely present in K-12 education, but often shallow in practice. New survey and interview data from the American School District Panel (ASDP), a research partnership between RAND and the Center on Reinventing Public Education (CRPE), show that although 90% of district leaders who participated in the national survey report embedding civics in a required academic class, far fewer give students structured opportunities to apply civic knowledge through hands-on learning, community engagement, or civic dialogue. This brief builds on prior work distinguishing between foundational civics knowledge and civics skills and experiences. Foundational civics knowledge refers to students' understanding of government, history, rights, responsibilities, and civic institutions, which is typically taught through government or civics courses and extracurricular activities. Civics skills and experiences, on the other hand, refer to opportunities for students to discuss public issues, analyze information, connect civic knowledge to current events, participate in community problem-solving, and practice civic engagement, both in and outside of the classroom. In the 2025-26 school year, the ASDP set out to understand what civic learning opportunities districts offer, how those opportunities connect to districts' goals for civics, and what support for civic learning looks like. This is the first brief in a three-part series focuses on data collected in fall 2025. |
| Abstractor: | ERIC |
| Entry Date: | 2026 |
| Accession Number: | ED682168 |
| Database: | ERIC |
| Abstract: | As the United States celebrates its 250th anniversary, civic learning is in the national spotlight. But beneath this attention lies a troubling reality: civic learning is widely present in K-12 education, but often shallow in practice. New survey and interview data from the American School District Panel (ASDP), a research partnership between RAND and the Center on Reinventing Public Education (CRPE), show that although 90% of district leaders who participated in the national survey report embedding civics in a required academic class, far fewer give students structured opportunities to apply civic knowledge through hands-on learning, community engagement, or civic dialogue. This brief builds on prior work distinguishing between foundational civics knowledge and civics skills and experiences. Foundational civics knowledge refers to students' understanding of government, history, rights, responsibilities, and civic institutions, which is typically taught through government or civics courses and extracurricular activities. Civics skills and experiences, on the other hand, refer to opportunities for students to discuss public issues, analyze information, connect civic knowledge to current events, participate in community problem-solving, and practice civic engagement, both in and outside of the classroom. In the 2025-26 school year, the ASDP set out to understand what civic learning opportunities districts offer, how those opportunities connect to districts' goals for civics, and what support for civic learning looks like. This is the first brief in a three-part series focuses on data collected in fall 2025. |
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