Model Civics Code
Civics education cannot be reformed piecemeal. Proper civics education reform requires a larger reform of each state’s social studies curriculum, which includes civics education and history education as part of a larger, coherent whole. This larger reform should preserve what is valuable in each state’s existing laws, repeal laws that damage social studies instruction, and add new laws to strengthen civics and history education.
We have produced a Model K-12 Civics Code to cover the entire range of K-12 civics education legislation. We have based this Model Civics Code as much as possible on existing state laws, which we first gathered in our State Statutes webpage. It includes material on relatively uncontroversial material such as displaying the American flag--partly because existing legislation addresses such matters and partly because we fear such matters may soon become “controversial,” when they in turn become the target of radical activists. We also include recommendations for which state laws should be repealed in whole or in part. Our emphasis, however, is to provide civics education reformers in each state a coherent model for what civics education should be.
Among these model bills, the most important is the Partisanship Out of Civics Act (POCA), which bans action civics and the intellectual components of Critical Race Theory.
Our second priority is the Civics Course Act (CCA), which establishes a K-12 civics course, crafted so as to teach traditional civics and to avoid capture by action civics.
Once these priorities have been accomplished, we encourage civics education reformers to enact the entire Model K-12 Civics Code.
Model K-12 Civics Code
Civic Intent Act
The Civic Intent Act directs schools to craft curricula dedicated to the ideals of our constitutional republic, by means of patriotic rites, character instruction, knowledge of the documents of liberty, and instruction in American Government, United States History, and Western Civilization.
Download a PDF of the Civic Intent Act
Flag Code Act
The Flag Code Act provides expectations for flag display, flag instruction, and the recitation of the pledge of allegiance. The Act grants students and teachers the liberty to refrain from taking part in the pledge of allegiance.
Download a PDF of the Flag Code Act
National Anthem Act
The National Anthem Act specifies expectations for learning and singing the national anthem, and for a program of instruction in its history and meaning. The Act grants students and teachers the liberty to refrain from taking part in the singing of the National Anthem.
Download a PDF of the National Anthem Act
Document Display Act
The Document Display Act directs that schools shall display documents such as the national motto and the Declaration of Independence and may display documents such as the Mayflower Compact and the State Constitution.
Download a PDF of the Document Display Act
Special Observances Act
The Special Observances Act directs schools to provide programs of civic instruction keyed to ten patriotic holidays.
Download a PDF of the Special Observances Act
Character Instruction Act
The Character Instruction Act directs schools to provide a program of the character instruction necessary for civics education.
Download a PDF of the Character Instruction Act
Social Studies Curriculum Act
The Social Studies Curriculum Act mandates K-12 instruction in Economics, State History, United States History, Civics, and Western Civilization.
Download a PDF of the Social Studies Curriculum Act
Civics Course Act
The Civics Course Act mandates a year-long high school civics course, including requirements to study the primary documents of the American founding and bans on action civics and the components of Critical Race Theory.
Download a PDF of the Civics Course Act
Civics Literacy Act
The Civics Literacy Act requires high school students, as a condition of graduation, to pass the U.S. Civics Test given to immigrants who wish to be naturalized.
Download a PDF of the Civics Literacy Act
United States History Act
The United States History Act mandates a year-long high school United States History course, including requirements to study the primary documents of American history and bans on action civics and the components of Critical Race Theory.
Download a PDF of the United States History Act
Western Civilization Act
The Western Civilization Act mandates a year-long high school Western Civilization course, including requirements to study the primary documents of Western Civilization and bans on action civics and the components of Critical Race Theory.
Download a PDF of the Western Civilization Act
Historical Documents Act
The Historical Documents Act mandates both instruction in historical documents and the liberty to use historical documents.
Download a PDF of the Historical Documents Act
Religious Liberty Act
The Religious Liberty Act authorizes a nonsectarian elective course in Bible Literacy and nonsectarian instruction in the Bible within other social science courses.
Download a PDF of the Religious Liberty Act
Partisanship Out of Civics Act
The Partisanship Out of Civics Act prevents teachers from giving credit to action civics or any other sort of public policy advocacy in history, government, civics, or social studies. It also bars civics classes from using the discriminatory ideology at the heart of Critical Race Theory.
Download a PDF of the Partisanship Out of Civics Act
Classroom Learning Act
The Classroom Learning Act eliminates service-learning pedagogy from public K-12 schools.
Download a PDF of the Classroom Learning Act
Action Civics Repeal
Action Civics Repeal lists the state statutes that authorize action civics, service learning, project-based assessment, and community service, and which should be repealed.
Download a PDF of Action Civics Repeal
Schools Nondiscrimination Act
The Schools Nondiscrimination Act mandates that no one should be either included or excluded from our nation’s content standards, curricula, trainings, textbooks, and other school materials on account of their race, sex, or other group identity. This model bill also lists the state statutes that require or facilitate the imposition of radical identity-group ideology on the curriculum, and which should be repealed.
Download a PDF of the Schools Nondiscrimination Act
Values Assessment Act
The Values Assessment Act prohibits public schools from assessing, rewarding, or punishing students, teachers, or administrators for their level of commitment to any value or attitude.
Download a PDF of the Values Assessment Act
Academic Transparency Act
The Academic Transparency Act requires public schools to publicize transparently every category of document relating to schools’ expenditures and procedures.
Download a PDF of the Academic Transparency Act
Legislative Review Act
The Legislative Review Act requires all existing academic standards, and all forthcoming revisions, to be submitted to the state legislature and the governor for review and possible veto.
Download a PDF of the Legislative Review Act
Financial Transparency Act
The Financial Transparency Act requires school districts to post immediately on a public website a transparent, detailed financial statement that itemizes all expenditures.
Download a PDF of the Financial Transparency Act
Contractor Nondiscrimination Act
The Contractor Nondiscrimination Act requires contractors for school districts to prohibit the use of Critical Race Theory policies that require discrimination by race, sex, or other group identity.
Download a PDF of the Contractor Nondiscrimination Act
School Board Election Date Act
The School Board Election Date Act shifts school board election dates to the same day as the general election.
Download a PDF of the School Board Election Date Act
Neutral Laws
Neutral Laws catalogues miscellaneous laws dealing with civics instruction, which we neither oppose nor endorse.
Download a PDF of Neutral Laws
Laws to be Repealed
Laws to be Repealed catalogues miscellaneous laws dealing with civics instruction, which should be repealed.