California school districts undervalue and must improve civic learning, new report concludes

Even as students have become more politically active, California school districts have paid scant attention to civics education, a new report by social science researchers at UC Riverside and UCLA found.

Based on a representative sampling of districts, researchers concluded that 5 million of 6 million students in the state attend schools that “do not articulate any sort of substantial focus on civics education,” Erica Hodgin, co-author of the report, Reclaiming the Democratic Purpose of California’s Public Schools, said during this week’s EdSource podcast. For example, civic and democratic commitments are absent from most districts’ Local Control and Accountability Plans, in which districts set academic priorities and funding.

The presidential election reaffirmed the need to educate and inspire students about how to make democracy work, Hodgin said. This includes not only teaching the basics of voting and representative government, but also building skills to determine accuracy in the media, how to engage in civic discussions and how to take informed action, Hodgin said.

The report calls for more investment in civic education and the establishment of a state task force to create a master plan in civic learning. It also credits the the State Board of Education’s recent approval of the State Seal of Civic Engagement in California, which will be awarded to high school graduates who develop and demonstrate an understanding of and participation in civic life. The authors said they hope students will pursue the recognition and districts will improve the quality of their programs so that more students can qualify for it.