The New Hampshire Civic Learning Coalition, led by NH Civics, championed advocacy efforts in Spring 2023 for a bipartisan bill entitled “More Time on Civics,” requiring a semester of civics in middle school and instructional time for civics in grades K–5. The legislation passed with strong bipartisan support, and was signed by Governor Chris Sununu (R) in August 2023.
Governor Sununu also requested and secured $1M in appropriations for a new civics textbook in the Fiscal Year 2024 state budget. The four-term governor will not seek reelection next year, but will leave these new policy accomplishments as part of his legacy in the Granite State.
Under Senate Bill (SB) 216, which was sponsored by State Senator Sharon Carson (R), high school graduation requirements remain unchanged: a half-year of instruction in civics and a full year of instruction in history and government. However, under the new law, students also need to obtain a passing grade on a competency exam developed by their school and a grade of 70 percent or better on the 128-question U.S. citizenship exam.
Schools will be expected to meet the new curriculum requirements at the start of the 2024–2025 school year without new funding from the state. The new law also includes resources to create materials and professional development for educators. Moreover, NH Civics committed to providing free professional development programs and curriculum materials over the next year to support implementation.
During the 2023 legislative session, the CivXNow policy team tracked 131 bills in 38 states pertaining to civic education. Seventy-six of these bills aligned with the CivXNow state policy menu. Indeed, this win in New Hampshire and recent successes in other states, signals legislative appetite for additional reforms in red, blue, and purple states. Since 2021, twenty states adopted twenty-two policies aligning with CivXNow’s policy priorities. CivXNow's top policy recommendation for states is to provide universal, equitable access to K–12 civic learning opportunities.
The NH Civic Learning Coalition was awarded CivXNow state policy grants in 2022 and 2023 and is a member of the CivXNow State Policy Task Force.
Back to School and Constitution Day
As school gets back into session, both teachers and students may face many challenges, especially as the political climate becomes more polarized in the leadup to the 2024 elections. But this first month of school also provides a moment on Constitution Day (falling on Sept. 17, observed on Sept. 18) when students — and all of us — can reflect upon our history and learn an incredible lesson about the way this country could function if we figure out how to work together for the good of the nation.
Constitution Day gives us an opportunity not just to think about what the document that set the course for our country says, but to think about how it is still relevant today. It gives us an opportunity to think about how the document actually came together‚ and what we can learn from that process.
In Summer 1787, delegates from every original state but Rhode Island met in Philadelphia and grappled with pivotal and challenging issues that would shape our nation’s governing charter. These representatives, from very different regions with very different ideologies, sensibilities, and economic needs, were able to work through their differences to come to agreement on how to address everything from the scope of powers of a national government and whether we should adopt a Bill of Rights, to what to do about the transatlantic slave trade.
They found common ground around some of the most polarizing issues of their day. As our political situation becomes more tense in the coming months, it behooves us to think about what those delegates can teach us about the power of civil discourse and civic friendship.
Research Roundup
The U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Educational Technology published “Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the Future of Teaching and Learning” this spring. The report captures in great detail the opportunities and challenges presented by AI as it’s incorporated into teaching and learning in K–12 classrooms. Among the benefits identified in the report are reducing and offloading administrative tasks and differentiated instruction and AI-guided tutoring, while algorithmic discrimination and unauthorized access to student data were among the drawbacks.
The report rightfully suggests that teachers must be central to AI adoption and integration. Moreover, its emphasis on professional development is critical for both pre-service teachers, where technology is often siloed into a single course, to in-service teachers trained for a world preceding the advent of AI.
Future study of and deliberations on the educational implications of AI should better attend to the threats of dis- and misinformation, not to mention merely understanding the sources and rationale for its information outputs. It is here that the implications for civic learning are most profound as we seek to strengthen state and federal support for informational literacy efforts at the district, school, and classroom levels.
All-Member Meeting Recap
We kicked off our July Coalition meeting by inviting everyone to take the Organizational Civic Superpower Quiz. We then welcomed new members and heard updates from the following affinity groups:
Policy and Advocacy reported on their continued work on a FY24 federal budget increase for K–12 civics and grassroots outreach plans during the August recess.
The Coalition remains deeply appreciative of member efforts and all that we accomplish together. Our goal is to aggregate and activate large networks of support to expand and re-imagine civic education as a force for civic strength. To our Coalition members, thank you for your partnership.
If your organization is interested in joining the CivXNow Coalition or in learning more, please contact us at CivXNow@icivics.org.
Our Mission
CivXNow is a coalition of partners from diverse viewpoints working to create a culture shift that elevates civic education and engagement as a national priority in order to protect and strengthen America’s constitutional democracy. This includes building a shared commitment to ensure that all young people are prepared to assume their rights and responsibilities to participate in civic life and address the issues facing students, their families, and communities in our increasingly dynamic, polarized, and digital society.
To achieve this goal, CivXNow advocates for bipartisan federal and state legislation that supports implementation of state and local policies that reimagine and deliver relevant, inclusive, and engaging K–12 civic learning, both in- and out-of-school.
A Team Effort
The CivXNow team produces this newsletter each month.
We are grateful for the energy, time, and guidance of the CivXNow Advisory Council and to many, many others who support individual projects.