HB 1373: Updating the Civics Education Graduation Requirement
Overview Resources
- PA Bill Page:
HB 1373 – Pennsylvania General Assembly - LegiScan Tracking:
HB 1373 – LegiScan Tracking Page
Pros
- Creates a uniform statewide standard for measuring civic knowledge.
- Encourages students to learn foundational facts about American government and history.
- Uses an existing federal citizenship examination rather than creating a new state test.
- https://www.americanprogress.org/article/state-civics-education/
Cons
- May place additional testing requirements on students seeking to graduate.
- Critics argue the citizenship test emphasizes memorization rather than civic participation or critical thinking.
- Reduces local school district flexibility in designing civics assessments.
- https://circle.tufts.edu/latest-research/more-test-truly-committing-civic-education
