The “fragility of our democracy” was made evident by the events of Jan. 6 at the United States Capitol, which was incited by rhetoric around election fraud, according to Harvard University’s James Bryant Conant University Professor Dr. Danielle Allen.
As misinformation and government-related conspiracy theories continue to divide the nation, the Educational Testing Service (ETS) and the Educating for American Democracy initiative co-hosted a webinar on Tuesday to discuss the need to promote civic readiness within the K-12 education system.
The event, “Monitoring Civic Learning Opportunities and Outcomes: State of the Field and Future Directions,” noted inadequate support for civics education from policymakers and education leaders.
On average, the federal government spends $50 per student on science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) related fields for the year, compared to $0.05 per student on civics. In the K-12 classroom, social studies and civics teachers often have to use vacation time or pay out of pocket to attend professional development workshops. Additionally, only two-thirds of high school social studies teachers believe it is essential for students to “embrace the responsibilities of citizenship,” according to ETS President and CEO Dr. Walt MacDonald.
The lack of focus on civics has translated to students’ test scores.
In 2018, only one quarter of eighth grade students scored at or above the proficient level for the three subjects of geography, U.S. history and civics, MacDonald noted.
“Nothing good can come from all this,” he added. “Our system of government gives structure to our society. Without an understanding of that system, how it works, how it applies to one’s own life, one’s responsibilities to it, how to navigate it and how to improve it when necessary, there can be no commitment to that form of government. No loyalty and no true patriotism.”
