Defining and Monitoring K-12 Civic Learning Opportunities in the United States

The concept of opportunity to learn (OTL) has traditionally referred to the extent to which students received adequate exposure to subject-matter content before being tested on it. In recent years, scholars and policymakers have argued for a more expansive definition that encompasses the full range of resources and conditions that promote student success in education, the workplace, and civic life. These experts include the authors of a 2019 National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) report that acknowledged the importance of civic learning and noted that construct definitions and measures were inadequate (at the time) for prescribing specific indicators. This chapter addresses that gap by describing the development of a research-based set of assessments to measure OTL in civic learning, with an emphasis on monitoring equity. It draws on a recently developed framework for OTL in civic learning, previously published frameworks, existing surveys, and other measures designed to elicit OTL evidence related to civics, and data regarding differences in access to civic learning opportunities across education systems and student subgroups. The authors discuss approaches to gathering validity evidence to support the use of these indicators for the purpose of monitoring and improving equity in OTL in classrooms, schools, and on a large scale.