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The State of State Standards for Civics and U.S. History in 2021

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The State of State Standards for Civics and U.S. History in 2021 JUNE 2021 The State of State Standards for Civics and U.S. History in 2021 By Jeremy A. Stern, Ph.D., Alison E. Brody, José A. Gregory, Stephen Griffith, and Jonathan Pulvers with David Griffith and Amber M. Northern Foreword by David Griffith and Chester E. Finn, Jr. THE STATE OF STATE STANDARDS FOR CIVICS AND U.S. HISTORY IN 2021 1 About The Fordham Institute The Thomas B. Fordham Institute promotes educational excellence for every child in America via quality research, analysis, and commentary, as well as advocacy and exemplary charter school authorizing in Ohio. It is affiliated with the Thomas B. Fordham Foundation, and this publication is a joint project of the Foundation and the Institute. For further information, please visit our website at www.fordhaminstitute.org. The Institute is neither connected with nor sponsored by Fordham University. Suggested Citation Jeremy A. Stern et al. State of State Standards for Civics and U.S. History in 2021. Washington D.C.: Thomas B. Fordham Institute (June 2021). https://fordhaminstitute.org/national/research/state-state-standards-civics-and-us-history-2021. Acknowledgments This report was made possible through the generous support of the Kern Family Foundation and the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation and by our sister organization, the Thomas B. Fordham Foundation. We are deeply grateful to our five reviewers—Jeremy Stern, Alison Brody, José Gregory, Stephen Griffith, and Jonathan Pulvers— without whose efforts this report would not have been possible. (We are doubly grateful to Dr. Stern, an eminent independent historian who tackled an enormous number of state reviews.) On the Fordham side, we thank Amber Northern for pitching in as needed, Michael Petrilli for providing feedback on drafts, Pedro Enamorado for managing report production, Victoria McDougald for overseeing media dissemination, Olivia Piontek for handling funder communications, and Fordham research assistant Tran Le and interns Trinady Maddock, Julie Fitz, and Melissa Gutwein for their invaluable assistance at various stages in the process. We also extend our thanks to Pamela Tatz for copyediting, Bill Buttaggi for report design and layout, and Stephen Manfredi for the media and communications assist. External advisors Louise Dubé, Peter Gibbon, Meira Levinson, Jeffrey Rosen, and John Wood, Jr. were also generous with their time and expertise. Although our team has striven for fairness, accuracy, and clarity, we have no doubt that somewhere in this nearly 400-page document, sharp-eyed readers may happen upon an error or poorly worded sentence. We apologize in advance. Contents Front Matter Foreword ...............................................................................................................................................................................................................................3 Comments from External Advisors ...................................................................................................................................................................................8 • Louise Dubé, Executive Director, iCivics ................................................................................................................................................................8 • Peter Gibbon, Ph.D., Senior Research Associate, Boston University Wheelock College of Education and Human Development ...................10 • Meira Levinson, D.Phil., Professor of Education, Harvard Graduate School of Education .................................................................................11 • Jeffrey Rosen, President and CEO, National Constitution Center .........................................................................................................................12 • John Wood, Jr., National Ambassador, Braver Angels ............................................................................................................................................13 National Report I. Executive Summary ....................................................................................................................................................................................................14 II. Introduction ................................................................................................................................................................................................................18 III. Methods .......................................................................................................................................................................................................................20 IV. Results ..........................................................................................................................................................................................................................21 V. What Do States with Weak Standards Get Wrong? ..............................................................................................................................................24 VI. What Do States with Exemplary Standards Get Right? .......................................................................................................................................30 VII. Recommendations for States ...................................................................................................................................................................................36 State Profiles Alabama .................................................39 Kentucky ...............................................146 North Dakota ........................................251 Alaska ....................................................44 Louisiana ...............................................152 Ohio ........................................................257 Arizona ..................................................48 Maine .....................................................159 Oklahoma ..............................................264 Arkansas ................................................55 Maryland ...............................................164 Oregon ...................................................270 California ..............................................62 Massachusetts .....................................171 Pennsylvania ........................................276 Colorado ................................................73 Michigan ................................................178 Rhode Island .........................................283 Connecticut ..........................................78 Minnesota .............................................184 South Carolina .....................................289 Delaware ...............................................84 Mississippi ............................................190 South Dakota ........................................296 District of Columbia ............................90 Missouri .................................................196 Tennessee..............................................304 Florida ....................................................96 Montana .................................................202 Texas ......................................................311 Georgia ..................................................103 Nebraska ................................................207 Utah ........................................................320 Hawaii ....................................................109 Nevada ...................................................213 Vermont .................................................327 Idaho ......................................................116 New Hampshire....................................219 Virginia ..................................................331 Illinois ....................................................121 New Jersey ............................................224 Washington ...........................................338 Indiana ...................................................126 New Mexico ..........................................232 West Virginia ........................................344 Iowa ........................................................133 New York ...............................................239 Wisconsin ..............................................352 Kansas ....................................................139 North Carolina .....................................246 Wyoming ...............................................357 Appendix Reviewer Bios .......................................................................................................................................................................................................................362 Review Criteria ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................363 THE STATE OF STATE STANDARDS FOR CIVICS AND U.S. HISTORY IN 2021 2 Foreword By David Griffith and Chester E. Finn, Jr. Is America a racist country? Or the greatest nation on earth? Or both or neither or some of each? For the sake of our children’s education (and for any number of other reasons), we need a more thoughtful and balanced starting point for the whole conversation—one that leaves space for nuance, mutual understanding, and hope for the future. Our union is not perfect, but it will become more so
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