The Civics Education Landscape

Civics education aims to equip students with the “knowledge, skills, and dispositions” they need to effectively participate in democracy. Although Massachusetts has technically required civics instruction since the Acts of 1920, which mandated courses in American history and civics in public schools, the subject has gradually declined since. The passing of the No Child Left Behind Act, a Bush-administration law requiring states to test students in reading and math, led many districts to cut time from history and social studies. This decline in civics education grew in the state of Massachusetts after 2009, when the development of the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) history and social studies test was suspended during the Great Recession. The state adopted the Common Core Standards in 2010, which further emphasized math and English language arts. By 2015, some districts reported spending as few as 20 minutes per week on social studies. 

At the national level, concerns about civic learning continue to grow. Reports have shown that the federal government spends roughly $54 per student on science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education and $0.05 on civics education. The 2022 National Assessment of Educational Progress civics exam showed new lows in eighth-grade civics scores; only 22 percent of students demonstrated proficiency. After the 2016 presidential election, some Massachusetts legislators shared a desire to address polarized civil discourse and feelings of apathy among students. At the time, civics was only offered as a 12th grade elective American Government course across the state. 16 bills on civics education were introduced in the 2017-2018 Massachusetts legislative session alone. 

What is Chapter 296?

In 2018, Massachusetts passed Chapter 296: An Act to Promote and Enhance Civic Engagement. The law was the first of its kind in the nation and included several key provisions:

1. Adopted a revised history and social studies curriculum that integrates civics throughout all grades and creates a mandatory 8th grade civics course. 
2. Required that every public school provide students the opportunity to complete at least two student-led, nonpartisan civics projects; one in 8th grade and another in high school. 
3. Created the first statewide civics teacher training and professional development programming.
4. Established the Civics Teaching and Learning Trust Fund, which provides annual grants to school districts for curriculum development, teacher training, and civics projects, with priority given to economically disadvantaged communities. 

How Has Chapter 296 Changed Civics Education?

Expanded State Support

Since Chapter 296 became a law, Massachusetts has significantly expanded state support for civic education. Between 2018 and 2023, the Civics Teaching and Learning Trust Fund distributed more than $2.8 million to economically disadvantaged school districts. The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) created the Civics Project Guidebook and has provided professional development to thousands of educators. These efforts have helped teachers implement the revised History and Social Science framework and integrate student-led civics projects into the classroom. A 2021 evaluation found that middle and high school teachers who received civics professional development at least once a year reported greater familiarity with both the revised History and Social Science framework and the civics project requirements. 

Growth of Student Civic Engagement

Civics Project Showcases are a visible outcome of Chapter 296. The annual event began in 2023, highlighting student-led civics projects across the state. In 2025, students from across 61 school districts described how they are actively working to address real problems in their communities, including issues like “teen mental health, road safety, housing and homelessness, and educational equity.” These events give students an audience and real-world engagement.

Implementation of the 8th Grade Civics MCAS

Massachusetts introduced the 8th Grade Civics MCAS in 2025. According to DESE, the Civics MCAS was created in response to renewed efforts to strengthen civics education and prepare students to become informed and engaged citizens. The assessment was developed as part of the state’s broader civics curriculum reforms under Chapter 296. Massachusetts law requires eighth-grade students educated with public funds to participate in the exam. The first statewide results, released in 2025, revealed that 39 percent of students met or exceeded expectations. However, only 20 percent of low-income students and 3 percent of English Language Learners met or exceeded expectations, raising concerns about inequitable access to high-quality civic learning. 

What Are Ongoing Challenges of Implementing Chapter 296? 

In the Classroom 

Although Chapter 296 has expanded civics instruction, many educators report that implementation remains difficult. A 2025 DESE-commissioned study found that teachers struggle to balance MCAS preparation with completing civics projects. One district leader explained, “There is not enough time to teach history and social studies content and have students engage in meaningful civics projects. One always gets the short end of the stick.” Other teachers described the challenge of balancing historical content with the discussions of current events while ensuring that students with differing political views feel comfortable participating in class discussions. One teacher stated: “Students want to ask about what’s happening in Washington, and a good civics teacher has to decide when to answer those questions and connect them to the country’s political structure.” 

Additionally, increasing political polarization has further complicated civics instruction by requiring educators to navigate sensitive current events. The Sandra Day O’Connor Institute surveyed teachers on this topic, and 76 percent said they self-censored due to fear of pushback or controversy.

Funding and Uneven Implementation

Despite establishing the Civics Teaching and Learning Trust Fund, funding is inconsistent. Since 2020, fewer than half of proposals received any funding, and fewer than a quarter were fully funded. In 2022, only 14 of 56 proposals were fully funded. In the 2023–2024 school year, 63 percent of district respondents reported that their districts had never received a Civics Teaching and Learning Grant.

Although the 2018 Framework envisioned civic K–12 learning, the 2025 DESE evaluation focused primarily on middle and high school implementation; it explicitly excluded K–5 findings, as too few elementary teachers participated in the study. Focus groups found that the quality of civics project experiences varied across districts. Educators reported that students with reading, writing, and behavioral needs often required additional support, making it difficult to provide equal guidance to all students. Student motivation and interest also influenced the quality of project experiences.

Does Chapter 296 Emphasize the Best Kind of Civic Learning?

Chapter 296 reflects a broader debate over what effective civic learning should look like. One perspective argues that schools should prioritize civic knowledge, emphasizing understanding of the Constitution, government structure, and U.S. history. Another perspective, which often advocates for “action civics,” argues that classes should emphasize developing civic skills through discussion, inquiry, and projects that develop the skills needed for democratic participation. Student-led civics projects are rooted in action civics. 

Arielle Jennings, New England executive director of Generation Citizen, an organization which advocates for action civics, claims: “Students need to interact with the issues to understand the complexity of them, and the complexity of making change in their communities.” Critics of this approach believe that students need to gain foundational knowledge before civic participation can occur. David Davenport, a research fellow at the Hoover Institution, a conservative think tank at Stanford University, compares civics to an experiment: “In science, you don’t run around doing a bunch of experiments — you start with knowledge and develop a hypothesis first.”

Research remains mixed on which approach produces stronger civic outcomes. A 2024 study examining mandated civics tests across 18 states found no statistically significant increase in youth voter turnout. By contrast, another 2024 study found that high school students who had experiences of “student voice,” where they felt their opinions mattered in high school classes, were more likely to vote and be civically engaged adults. 

Chapter 296 requires students to complete civics projects, while the 8th Grade Civics MCAS provides a statewide measure of civic knowledge. Supporters of the MCAS argue that statewide assessment provides accountability, by ensuring civics receives the same attention as other tested subjects. Historically, if a subject is not tested, it is not prioritized. At the same time, the battle for instructional time has clearly become a challenge for educators. As the social studies department chair at Wellesley Middle School explained, educators must avoid “chasing MCAS as a sole reason of existence,” because that could undermine the broader goals of civic engagement.

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