Cultures and Contexts of Civics Education and Assessment in the US

This chapter provides a condensed history of the evolution of civics education and its links to the uses of assessment in US schools. Our premise is that assessment can be a tool to evaluate the quality of civics curriculum and instruction, while at the same time, the uses of assessment can promote or impede the cultivation of civic (and democratic) values in classrooms, school systems, individuals, and society. We delve into ideologies embedded in civics curricula, whose interests are served, what content and skills are emphasized in various types of assessments and why, and what the effects are. We argue that, just as curriculum can be a powerful cultural and political device that can be wielded and/or manipulated for a variety of purposes, so too is it imperative to build into the future of civics assessment considerations of use and misuse.