Civics education is important for the functioning of a strong democracy, as it helps people understand their rights and responsibilities as citizens, the role of government, and how to actively participate in our democracy.
 
According to the Pennsylvania Department of Education, a strong civics education program consists of three strong pillars – knowledge, skills, and actions. These programs help students learn about their system of government and develop the skills necessary to become engaged citizens. To promote efforts that fulfill all three pillars, we are introducing legislation that will encourage and reward student civics excellence, recognizing achievement both in and outside of the classroom.
 
This year America celebrates 250 years since the Declaration of Independence.  Pennsylvania rightfully takes its place at the center of these celebrations.  This moment presents an opportunity for the Commonwealth to address shortcomings in our current expectations and accountability for the civic preparation of our students.  Nationwide evaluations show Pennsylvania to be significantly behind other states in our civics education infrastructure.  Additionally, there is ample evidence that there is strong, bipartisan support for increased and improved civics education in our classrooms.
 
Our legislation will create greater structure and support for the assessment of student civic knowledge, while ensuring schools retain local control over assessments. These efforts will encourage additional focus on civics education and foster higher levels of civic engagement among our students.
 
This legislation offers a way forward for Pennsylvania to not only match the work already done in other states, but to become a national leader in civics proficiency. We hope you will join us in supporting this legislation to improve student civic engagement throughout our Commonwealth.