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Missouri And Kansas Standards Not Making The Grade In Civics Education

Angle is from the back of a classroom. Teacher is standing in front of the chalkboard facing the class and all the students are raising their hands.
LaBudde Special Collections
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Miller Nichols Library
A 2021 evaluation of state standards for Civics and U.S. history examined what states expected their schools to teach and their students to learn in these two subjects.

A study done this year graded civics and U.S history curriculum in all 50 states on a scale of A to F.

The Thomas B. Fordham Institute report found only five states worthy of an A in both categories with 35 states falling below the expected level of education.

Missouri was assigned a C in both areas while Kansas was given a C- in civics and D+ in U.S. history. Both states received an overall rating of "Mediocre: Significant revisions strongly recommended."

We learn more about the study's findings and what the Fordham Institute believes constitutes strong civic and history education.

  • Amber M. Northern, PhD, senior vice president for research at the Thomas B. Fordham Institute
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