Assembly Bill 4 mandates that starting in the 2027-28 school year, all school boards, independent charter schools, and private schools participating in a parental choice program must include civics instruction in their curricula. This instruction will cover essential topics such as the rights and responsibilities of citizens, civic pride, advocacy processes, and comparisons of different governing philosophies. Additionally, these educational institutions are required to report annually to the Department of Public Instruction (DPI) on how they are fulfilling this civics instruction requirement, which DPI will compile and submit to the legislature.

The bill also modifies existing graduation requirements by specifying that high school students must earn at least 0.5 credits in civics as part of their social studies credits, which will first apply to students graduating in the 2030-31 school year. The bill includes several new sections in the statutes to formalize these requirements and amends existing sections to incorporate the new civics education criteria. Notably, it amends sections related to the curriculum requirements for both public and private educational institutions, ensuring that civics education is a fundamental component of the educational experience in Wisconsin.

Statutes affected:
Bill Text: 118.165(1)(d), 118.165, 118.33(1)(a)1.b, 118.33