Legislative Findings — Public School Courses and Content to Educate Children in the United States and Tennessee Governments

  1. Law
  2. Tennessee Code
  3. Education
  4. Elementary and Secondary Education
  5. Curriculum Generally
  6. Legislative Findings — Public School Courses and Content to Educate Children in the United States and Tennessee Governments

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  1. The general assembly finds that:
    1. Effective and responsible participation in political life as competent citizens requires the acquisition of a body of knowledge and of intellectual and participatory skills;
    2. It is essential to the future health of our republic that all citizens be knowledgeable about democratic principles and practices, including fundamental documents such as the state and federal constitutions, the Declaration of Independence, and the Gettysburg Address;
    3. Individuals who have a clear and full understanding of the rights and responsibilities of citizens in a republic are more likely to exercise and defend those rights and responsibilities; and
    4. Providing civic education and promoting good citizenship and understanding fundamental democratic principles should be core missions of Tennessee secondary schools.
    1. The state board of education shall include in the social studies standards, at the appropriate grade level or levels in high school, as determined by the state board of education through standards and the local board of education through curriculum, courses and content designed to educate children about the United States and Tennessee governments. The standards shall include the three (3) branches of government, the fundamental documents identified in § 49-6-1011(a) that underpin our form of government, an understanding of how laws are enacted, and ways citizens shape and influence government and governmental actions.
    2. Students shall be taught about the formation of the governments of the United States and Tennessee using federal and state foundational documents. They shall also be taught the significance and relevance of those federal and state foundational documents today. This instruction shall include:
      1. The historical and present-day significance of the Declaration of Independence;
      2. How the United States Constitution establishes the federal government and the characteristics of the republic created by it;
      3. How the United States Constitution with the Bill of Rights and the Tennessee Constitution with the Declaration of Rights are applicable in today's society;
      4. How the United States Constitution is changed and the changes that have been made to it since 1787;
      5. Why Tennessee has had three (3) constitutions, the Constitutions of 1796, 1834, and 1870, and how changes have been made to the Tennessee Constitution of 1870; and
      6. How other foundational documents of the United States and Tennessee aided in the formation of the federal and state governments.
  3. The commissioner of education shall advise all local boards of education of the requirements of this section.
    1. Beginning with the 2012-2013 school year, in conjunction with the social studies curriculum, all LEAs shall implement a project-based assessment in civics at least once in grades four through eight (4-8) and at least once in grades nine through twelve (9-12). The assessments shall be developed by the LEA and designed to measure the civics learning objectives contained in the social studies curriculum and to demonstrate understanding and relevance of public policy, the structure of federal, state and local governments and both the Tennessee and the United States constitutions.
    2. The department of education may seek the assistance of appropriate outside entities, including the Tennessee Center for Civic Learning and Engagement, to assist it with the implementation of any necessary professional development on the use of project-based assessments of civics learning.
    3. For the purposes of this section, “project-based” means an approach that engages students in learning essential knowledge and skills through a student-influenced inquiry process structured around complex, authentic questions and carefully designed products and tasks.
    4. LEAs shall submit verification of implementation of this section to the department of education.
  5. [Deleted by Acts 2019, ch. 450, § 1, effective July 1, 2020.]


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