US Government & Civics Instruction
Multiple recent national surveys and polls reveal that many Americans lack the basic knowledge and skills needed to carry out their duties and responsibilities as citizens. See Why Civics Matter to learn more about why education is needed.
Instruction of students in high schools and middle schools about the US government and civics generally does not have the same status as subjects like English-language arts, math, and science. As a result, the class time devoted to the United States government and civics is all too often not sufficient to furnish students with the basic knowledge they need to be informed citizens.
Legislation Increasing Instruction Regarding United States Government and Civics in Grades 7-12
During the 2026 legislative session of the Iowa General Assembly, ACE has proposed and is supporting legislation to increase instruction regarding US government and civics in grades 7-12 in public schools and accredited nonpublic schools. A bill for this purpose has been introduced and has been approved by the House Education Committee. (House File 2244).
The Iowa Code currently requires schools to offer and teach five credit units of social studies instruction during grades 9-12. Social studies include the following specific subjects: United States government and civics, American history, world history, geography, financial literacy, economics, psychology, and sociology. The Code specifies that a unit of credit consists of a course, or equivalent related components, or partial units taught throughout the year.
The Code further requires that students in grades 9-12 complete a minimum of one-half unit of US government and civics instruction, including the US Constitution and Bill of Rights, and voting procedures.
The proposed legislation (House File 2244) increases the one-half credit unit of instruction in US government and civics to one unit for students in grades 9-12. The proposed legislation does not increase the current total of five credit units of social studies instruction that high schools are required to offer and teach. It simply requires the reallocation of existing teaching resources so that one credit unit rather than one-half credit unit of instruction in government and civics is provided to students as part of the overall six-credit-unit requirement in social studies.
The proposed legislation also requires, for the first time, that instruction related to civics and United States government shall be at least one-half credit unit, or the trimester or quarter equivalent, during grades 7th or 8th.
The proposed legislation also requires, for the first time: “The instruction related to civics and United States government shall be at least one-half semester, or the trimester or quarter equivalent, during grades seven and eight.”
It should be noted that the proposed legislation has a two-year delayed effective date, and schools would have until the 2028 school year to plan for and implement the legislation.
