September 2013
Since 2003, the National Center for Learning and Civic Engagement (NCLCE) at the Education Commission of the States (ECS) has periodically conducted a comprehensive 50-state civic education policy scan to identify adopted policies that encourage, support, and advance civic learning and engagement for P-20 students. While the role that civic education plays in public schools has been reduced in the past 50 years, the civic education field continues to make significant strides in identifying best practices for civic education. As evident in NCLCE’s most recent 50-state policy scan, some states have recognized such best practices by enacting policy on “civics,” “citizenship education,” and “social studies.”
Visit the Civic Education Policy Database at http://www.ecs.org/html/educationIssues/CitizenshipEducation/CitEdDB_intro.asp.