New law requires civics proficiency for public school graduates

A NEW LAW requires public high school students in Rhode Island to be proficient in civics literacy. / PBN FILE PHOTO/ARTISTIC IMAGES

PROVIDENCE – Public school graduates across Rhode Island will now be required to demonstrate proficiency in civics after a law was recently passed by the R.I. General Assembly and signed by Gov. Daniel J. McKee on July 19.

The legislation – sponsored by Rep. Brian C. Newbury, R-North Smithfield, and Sen. Hanna M. Gallo, D-Cranston – is aimed to ensure that all students understand how government works, the principles of democracy, and the rights and duties of actively engaged citizenship. It requires all public high school students, beginning with the 2023 graduating class, to be proficient in civics.

The law allows individual school districts to determine how their students can demonstrate proficiency. It doesn’t require students to take a separate civics course or exam since many civics aspects are currently taught in other subjects.

Students in middle or high school will also be required to complete at least one civics project. It could be individual, group or class-wide and designed to promote the students’ ability to reason, make key arguments and support evidence-based claims, as well as demonstrate the understanding of connections between federal, state and local policies, including issues that may impact local communities. In a statement, Newbury, who introduced this legislation in early 2020, said a thorough grounding in civics should be the cornerstone of every education.

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“First it should contain a deep understanding of the foundation of our nation’s government systems and structures, with neither their imperfections whitewashed nor their subtlety, genius and keen reflections of the limitations and foibles of human nature downplayed or diminished,” Newbury said. “Second, it should contain practical instruction in how government at all levels works, the interplay between those levels, the limitations on power and constructive ways in which to effect change in public policy.”

James Bessette is the PBN special projects editor, and also covers the nonprofit and education sectors. You may reach him at Bessette@PBN.com. You may also follow him on Twitter at @James_Bessette.

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