Some More Musings About Civics

Over at Dakota Free Press, Cory provides an excellent line-by-line analysis of HB 1066, legislation designed to enact Governor Noem's proposal to mandate every South Dakota high school student pass a civics test before graduation. 

I have been snarky about the various civics requirements being advanced during the 2019 South Dakota legislative session.  This proposal and and silly sticker legislation are egregiously bad.

What is the civics test or sticker supposed to accomplish? The Brookings Institution asserts that civics education goes beyond memorizing facts:

The aim of civics education is broader and includes providing students with an understanding of how democratic processes work, as well as how to engage in these processes. A high-quality civics education thus includes opportunities for students to engage in activities within the classroom that model what democratic processes look like, as well as opportunities to participate in the civic life of their communities and learn from this participation as a formal part of their coursework.

It might be useful to adapt the goals of the Center of Civic Education to a civics curriculum. Students should, 

1. Gain "an increased understanding of the institutions of constitutional democracy and the fundamental principles and values upon which they are founded"  

2. Acquire"the skills necessary to participate as competent and responsible citizens,"  

3. Develop the "willingness to use democratic procedures for making decisions and managing conflict," 

4. Become part of "an enlightened citizenry by working to increase understanding of the principles, values, institutions, and history of constitutional democracy. . . ."

The American Federation of Teachers asserts "[w]hen civics education is taught effectively, it can equip students with the knowledge, skills, and dispositions necessary to become informed and engaged citizens."

Neither a test nor a sticker will help develop skills necessary to participate in local, state, or national government. More importantly, neither will solve the problem of apathy or misinformation. Earlier today, David Montgomery, a former Sioux Falls Argus Leader reporter re-tweeted the following screen grab.

The desire to seek news has decreased and headlines, not the article's content, dominate news consumption. It's doubtful that a civics test or sticker will change those habits.

If the goal of a mandated civics test is to make students better citizens, advocates of tests or stickers have the burden of proof to show how the test will change social media behavior and help develop the skills and desire to participate in civic life. As written, the bills may help students regurgitate facts, but belching facts does not help civic discourse.

What All The Civics Education Proposals Miss: BS Detection 101

The 2019 South Dakota Legislative Session is awash in civics legislation and proposals. HB 1051 will put a sticker on diplomas of students who "demonstrate competencies" in the following:

(1)    An understanding of the basic principles of American democracy and how those principles are applied in a republican form of government;
(2)    An understanding of the Constitutions of the United States and of this state;
(3)    Knowledge of the founding documents and how those documents shape the nature and function of the government; and
(4)    An understanding of landmark United States Supreme Court cases and the impact of those cases on law and society.

SB 52 requires a semester of civics education. Governor Noem wants students to pass the citizenship test.

There's nothing inherently wrong with any of those proposals, but they miss the point. Any civics education program should begin with long unit on BS detection. I'd suggest this video as start. It has the basis of two weeks worth of lessons if not more.