“We connected teachers, faculty, political leaders, and members of our community in a dialog about the ways in which quality civics instruction can improve the lives of our students and better our community” said Dr. David J. Roof, CECL Director and one of the event organizers.
On Friday evening the Symposium began with Ball State's Interim Provost, Anand R. Marri who introduced Indiana’s Lieutenant Governor, Suzanne Crouch as the opening speaker.
Lieutenant Governor Crouch also spent time during the event talking with teachers and community members and took time to examine an original draft copy of the U.S. Constitution and Declaration of Independence, on display from the Remnant Trust, a Public Educational Foundation.
Provost Marri informed the crowd that in 2020, after a recommendation from the Indiana Civic Health Index, Lieutenant Governor Crouch assumed leadership of a Civic Education Task Force. This task force listened to expert testimony from civic education experts from around the country, and heard directly from Indiana educators, to develop effective policy changes and recommendations to advance civic education opportunities in Indiana.
Provost Marri also noted that earlier this year the National Center for Education Statistics released scores for eighth graders revealing that average civics scores across the U.S. declined for the first time since 1998. Fewer than 1 in 4 students were “proficient,” with a level of understanding sufficient to apply the subject, and 31 percent tested below the “basic” level. He went on to note that “as a result of Lieutenant Governor Crouch’s leadership, Indiana has emerged as an example of a focused and broadly inclusive approach to this solve this problem” pointing out that because of the Indiana Civic Education Task Force recommendations Indiana became one-of only 7—other states in 2022 with a stand-alone civics course in middle school.” Indiana, House Bill 1384 authored by Representative Anthony Cook led to the new middle school civic course, which passed almost unanimously with bi-partisan support – “a testament to Lieutenant Governor Crouch’s leadership” Provost Marri said.
During the event, Lieutenant Governor Crouch spoke to the crowd about her path into public service and her concern for quality civic education. “Civic education empowers us to be well informed and active citizens,” said Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch, Indiana’s Secretary of Agriculture and Rural Development. “I am proud to have chaired the Civic Education Task Force that created a middle school civics course to enable Hoosier students to contribute to a healthy democracy. The teachers across Indiana, including those in Muncie and Delaware County, who are implementing this curriculum in their classrooms will truly make a difference in the lives of their students.”
Lieutenant Governor Crouch has consistently noted that our democracy depends upon well informed citizens that are active and engaged in our communities and government at all levels. In order to maintain our “government of the people, by the people, and for the people,” we need to pass down civic knowledge from generation to generation."
Please read more about the event.