Civics education would be included among graduation requirements for all Alaska high school students under a bill passed by the state Legislature in the final hours of the legislative session.
The new requirement aims to bolster Alaska students’ knowledge and understanding of the U.S. government and civic responsibilities. It comes amid declining public trust in government, the bill’s sponsor, Senate President Gary Stevens, told the Alaska Beacon last month.
Students would have three options to choose from to complete the requirement: complete and pass a semester of civics curriculum; pass a civics exam’ or complete a civics project-based assessment.
Lawmakers passed Senate Bill 23 by a combined vote of 57 to 3. The bill now goes before Gov. Mike Dunleavy to sign, veto or allow it to pass into law without his signature.
If it becomes law, the new requirements would take effect for the 2027-2028 school year.
Under the legislation, school districts would be able to develop civics curriculums based on resources provided by the Alaska Department of Education across 14 areas of government and public affairs, including the founding history of the United States, along with the role and operations of local, state and national governments.
The curriculum also could include the responsibilities of the executive, legislative and judicial branches; the rights and responsibilities of U.S. citizenship; civil liberties and civil rights; political parties and interest groups; campaigns and elections; domestic and foreign policy.
The initiative comes at a time when the United States is seeing a growing public distrust in government and deepening political polarization. A survey last year by the non-partisan Pew Research Center found public distrust is at one of its lowest points in the nation’s history, with just 17% of respondents saying they trust the federal government to “do what is right.”
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