Developing Citizenship Competencies from Kindergarten Through Grade 12: A Background Paper for Policymakers and Educators

Representatives at the school, district and state levels, as well as scholars and researchers, have been working with the Education Commission of the States? National Center for Learning and Citizenship (ECS/NCLC) to define citizenship education in terms of three strands forming "a braid" of civic competencies. Beginning with the rationale and recommendations presented in the Civic Mission of Schools report, this paper: (1) explores existing research and professional work in the area of civics and social studies standards; (2) explains how ECS/NCLC developed these competencies; (3) outlines detailed examples of how these competencies might be used across grade spans; and (4) provides recommendations for state policymakers. The paper is designed to help state policymakers incorporate civic skills, knowledge, and dispositions, along with a developmental approach beginning in the early years of schooling, into state policies that support citizenship education.