In a move to address what lawmakers describe as a significant shortfall in civic knowledge among American adults, Representative Amanda Nedweski and Senator Van Wanggaard will soon introduce legislation aimed at enhancing civics education in Wisconsin schools.

The proposal, which was circulated among lawmakers in search of additional co-sponsors over the last few days, seeks to mandate civics instruction across all grade levels from kindergarten through high school. This comes in response to alarming statistics from the 2023 Annenberg Constitution Day Civics Survey which highlighted a widespread lack of understanding about fundamental aspects of U.S. government and civic rights.

“Many adults are inadequately prepared to navigate and participate in our representative democracy,” the lawmakers wrote in their co-sponsorship memo.

According to the Annenberg survey, only 5% of adults knew their rights under the First Amendment, and 40% reported not having received any civics education in high school. Furthermore, a significant number of respondents were unaware of the basic structure of government, including the three branches.

The new bill requires school boards to incorporate civics into their curriculum with specific educational goals:

  • Understanding rights and responsibilities as citizens of Wisconsin and the U.S., focusing on foundational principles.
  • Fostering civic pride and encouraging active participation in government at various levels.
  • Teaching advocacy skills, explaining how to effectively engage with governmental bodies.
  • Promoting civic-minded citizenship that values and protects the liberties enshrined in the Constitution.
  • Comparative study of different governmental systems like communism, socialism, and totalitarianism, contrasting these with American democracy.

Starting in the 2027-28 school year, schools, including independent charters and private schools in the parental choice program, would be required to report annually to the Department of Public Instruction (DPI) on how they are implementing this new civics curriculum. DPI will then compile this data for legislative review.

Under the proposed law, high school graduation requirements will also see changes. By the 2030-31 school year, students will need to earn a half-credit specifically in civics as part of their three required social studies credits. This is in addition to the existing requirement of passing a civics test similar to the U.S. citizenship exam.

The legislation is expected to be formally introduced later this month.