Bring Back High School Civics (With a Twist)
Kudos to the College Board for reviving interest in a neglected subject, and for promoting student activism.
Not your uncle’s civics class.
Photographer: Cliff Grassmick/Digital First Media/Boulder Daily Camera via Getty ImagesThe College Board, which administers college entrance exams to high school students, is trying to use its advanced placement courses and tests for high-achieving students to get American schools to take civics seriously again.
That’s a welcome development after years of neglect by both schools and policymakers. Even better, last year’s redesign of its AP U.S. government and politics course — the first since it was introduced in 1986 — goes well beyond requiring basic knowledge of, say, how a bill becomes law, and seeks to get students engaged with civic life. While the academic part of the AP U.S. government course explores the diverse forces that shape everything from legislation to Supreme Court precedents, students also are required to put their knowledge into action by working on a civics project, even one that takes sides in today’s partisan political battles.