Effective civic learning begins with classroom instruction in civics, government, history, law, economics, and geography. High–quality instruction in each of these subjects (usually grouped together under the umbrella of “social studies”) provides students with both civic knowledge and the skills needed for democratic participation.( 64) While the proven practices listed later in this section are all vital to developing well–rounded democratic citizens, high–quality classroom instruction must remain at the foundation of civic learning. America's schools impact more citizens in a more sustained way than nearly any other institution, public or private, and the classroom experience is one shared by millions of young people. The founders of American public education intended for curricula to serve a distinctly civic purpose, and it remains as important as ever that teachers, curricula, and the day–to–day academic life of schools reflect the civic mission of schools.

Of all the practices contained in this report, classroom instruction is the most common. Nearly every high school teaches history and some form of civics. There is, however, abundant evidence of a narrowing of the curriculum that causes time devoted to civics to shrink, especially in elementary school, where only one–third of schools now report “focused instruction in civics or government at the fourth grade.”( 65) The content of civics courses is often too narrow, featuring classroom instruction that is fact–based, bores students, and rarely comes across to them as essential to their future role as active, informed citizens. While students should, of course, learn the factual foundation of American democracy, understanding these foundations is not sufficient without attention to skills, values, and practical applications.

How civics is taught matters a great deal.( 66) Nearly a decade ago, the Civic Mission of Schools report set out the content of classroom instruction in civics: “All Americans should grasp a body of facts and concepts such as the fundamental
principles of our democracy and Constitution; the tensions among fundamental goods and rights; the major themes in the history of the United States; the structure of our government and, the powers and limitations of its various branches and levels; the diverse values, opinions, and interests of Americans and the ways in which they are represented by elected officials, interest groups, and political parties; and the relationship between government and the other sectors of society. Studying these concepts should be seen not as rote education but as intellectually challenging and beneficial.”( 67)

In this era of educational standards and accountability, the quality and quantity of classroom instruction are largely determined by three factors: state standards, assessment requirements, and curricular frameworks:
! State Standards : A study by the Albert Shanker Institute found that most state standards in the social studies were overwritten, emphasized a laundry list of historical facts and dates for memorization, and contained far more material to be covered than most states and districts allot for classroom time for civic learning.( 68) In social studies standards revisions since then, most states have added to the amount of material to be covered, rather than developing fewer and clearer standards that encourage an understanding of the vital importance of citizen engagement in our democracy. Standards drive textbook content, so it should not be surprising that a 2007 study found that “textbooks determine 75–90 percent of instructional content and activities in schools across the nation, and reviews of [civic learning] textbook materials repeatedly find them to be turgid, poorly organized, and uninteresting.”( 69)

! Assessments : As of 2011, only sixteen states require meaningful assessment in the social studies—a number that has declined in the past five years as states have eliminated civics assessments.( 70) This fact, along with absence of civic learning and social studies from the required assessments in Title I of the No Child Left Behind Act (the most recent iteration of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act), sends a message that civic learning is not a priority in education policy. The lack of inclusion in priority assessment is a contributing cause to a narrowing of the curriculum that deemphasizes the vital importance of civic learning. Moreover, detailed standards and standardized assessments discourage teacher attention to current events and local or constituency–specific issues of special importance to students in particular places or from particular backgrounds.

! Narrowed Curriculum : The narrowing of the curriculum far predates No Child Left Behind. In the elementary grades, civic learning used to be woven through the curriculum, while today only slightly more than a third of teachers report covering civic topics on a regular basis.( 71) In high school, the situation is even more dire. Until the 1960s, three high school courses in civics and government were common, and two of them explored the role of citizens and encouraged students to discuss current issues. Today both of those courses are very rare. What remains is a single course on American government that usually spends little time on how people can—and why they should—participate as citizens.( 72) (While high school students are obtaining increasing numbers of credits in various social science and history electives, these courses rarely focus on what students can and should do to participate in their democracy. 73 ) The single remaining civics course is usually offered in the eleventh or twelfth grade—a move that signals that civics is an afterthought, does not allow for students to build knowledge from year to year, and completely misses the large number of students who drop out before their senior year and are most in need of education regarding their rights and responsibilities as citizens.( 74)

The current combination of assessments, standards, and requirements is not producing adequate results, even according to the overly narrow national assessment of students' factual knowledge in civics: Three–quarters of students scored below proficient in civics on the 2010 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). To give but one example of knowledge shortfalls, only one in twelve eight graders could give a complete response to a question about how the Constitution embodies the purposes, values, and principles of American democracy.( 75) These results are similar to those from the 1998 and 2006 NAEP administrations.( 76)

Effective civic learning must start with high–quality, engaging classroom instruction. Detailed research demonstrates what is necessary to provide effective and engaging classroom instruction. Success requires the support of policymakers and the public to ensure that proven and effective classroom practices are employed in every classroom in every school in the nation.