Breaking New Ground with California’s State Seal of Civic Engagement: Lessons from Year 1
by Erica Hodgin and Leah Bueso
At a time of great concern about the health of our democracy, California has taken a significant step to recognize the importance of civic and democratic education. On September 10th, 2020, the California State Board of Education unanimously approved the State Seal of Civic Engagement (SSCE), an initiative awarding students who have demonstrated excellence in civics with a seal on their diploma. In the first year of implementation of the SSCE, a total of 5,359 SSCE insignias were awarded to students.
Over the course of the 2020–2021 school year, we interviewed students and practitioners working in county offices of education, in district offices, in an alternative education program, and at school sites, who were assisting their local education agency (LEA) in rolling out the SSCE. These participants were selected from across various regions of the state, including Northern, Central, and Southern California, as well as urban, suburban, and rural areas, in order to allow us to understand how the SSCE is being implemented in different geographical and community contexts.
By drawing on the experiences of these early adopters, we provide snapshots of how a diverse set of school districts in California adopted the SSCE, what they learned along the way, and some considerations for other communities to reflect upon. As new LEAs begin to adopt the SSCE and those early adopters move forward into subsequent phases of implementation, it will remain critical for all stakeholders to prioritize student voice, equity and accessibility, and infrastructure that provides systemic support, so that the SSCE is able to reach its full potential. It will also be necessary for educators, leaders, and policymakers to connect and collaborate around promising approaches and lessons learned, so that we may continue to reflect on how best to offer all young people in California an opportunity to earn the SSCE and engage in robust and meaningful experiences wherein they learn about issues they care about, discuss and deliberate across differences, and engage actively in democracy.
Citation
Hodgin, E., & Bueso, L. (2021). Breaking New Ground with California’s State Seal of Civic Engagement: Lessons from Year 1. Research Report, Leveraging Equity & Access in Democratic Education Initiative at UCLA & UC Riverside.
Contact Information
Erica Hodgin
Program Director
510-764-3727
erica.hodgin@ucr.edu