The State of State Standards for Civics and U.S. History in 2021

Bottom Line: The first comprehensive study of civics and U.S. history standards in the 50 states and the District of Columbia gave A or B grades in one or both subjects to 16 states (containing more than 25 million K-12 students) and a grade of C or worse to 35 states – including 20 states that received D or F grades.

A new study from the Thomas B. Fordham Institute evaluates civics and U.S. history standards in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The report features a comprehensive breakdown of the quality of the standards in each state, featuring overall grades for civics and U.S. history standards, an overview and a description of the standards in each state, and extensive analysis featuring comments on the clarity, content, and rigor of each set of standards. Five states received A grades in both subjects, 10 states received B grades in both subjects, 15 states received B or C grades in either subject, and 20 states received D or F grades in one or both subjects. These findings mirror those of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) and emphasize the importance of recovering civic education in a nation founded on the enlightened consent of the governed.

States with exemplary (A) grades feature distinctive, clearly written course content, articulating what Americans should know about U.S. institutions, traditions, and history. By contrast, states with inadequate (D or F) grades offer vague and insufficient guidance and gloss over topics of vital importance.

The Fordham Institute report argues that neither imposing an ideological reading of history nor creating milquetoast and vague standards will reverse our national civic decline. Rather, all Americans need a rich understanding of American history and deep civic knowledge. Adopting standards and frameworks such as the Roadmap to Educating for American Democracy, a new K-12 framework for civics and U.S. history developed by more than 300 teachers and academics, would help us make progress toward that goal.

The report offers four recommendations to state policymakers:

• Students should complete a full cycle of U.S. history prior to high school.
• High school students should take a full year of U.S. history and one semester of civics prior to graduation.
• Standards should outline the U.S. history and civics content that students should know and what skills teachers should cultivate.
• Schools and students should be held accountable for the teaching and learning of U.S. history and civics.

Read the full report here.