CIVICS EDUCATION, the official text

00Enrolled SB 23
01Relating to civics education, civics assessments, and secondary school graduation 
02 requirements; and providing for an effective date. 
03 _______________ 
04 * Section 1. AS 14.03 is amended by adding a new section to read: 
05 Sec. 14.03.076. Comparative government and civics education and 
06 assessments requirement. (a) The board shall make available on the department's 
07 Internet website and periodically update a list of open educational resources relating to 
08 comparative government and civics education curricula, civics assessments, and civics 
09 project-based assessments. A school district may use the list provided by the board to 
10 instruct students in comparative government and civics. 
11 (b) The list provided under (a) of this section must include resources about 
12 instruction on 
13 (1) the founding history of the United States, including foundational 
14 documents and the principles of government of the United States; 
15 (2) federalism, including the role and operations of local, state, and

01 national governments; 
02 (3) the institutions of the United States government, including the 
03 responsibilities of the executive, legislative, and judicial branches; 
04 (4) the rights and responsibilities of United States citizenship; 
05 (5) civil liberties and civil rights; 
06 (6) the Constitution of the State of Alaska and the Constitution of the 
07 United States; 
08 (7) political parties and interest groups; 
09 (8) campaigns and elections; 
10 (9) the United States Congress; 
11 (10) domestic policy; 
12 (11) foreign policy; 
13 (12) comparative systems of governments used globally and by Alaska 
14 Natives; 
15 (13) international relations; and 
16 (14) major issues facing local, state, and the United States 
17 governments. 
18 (c) A school may not issue a secondary school diploma to a student unless the 
19 student has received instruction on the topics listed in (b) of this section and the 
20 student has 
21 (1) completed one semester of a comparative government and civics 
22 education course and achieved a passing score in the course; 
23 (2) achieved a passing score on a civics assessment; or 
24 (3) achieved a passing score on a civics project-based assessment. 
25 (d) Notwithstanding (c) of this section, a school may issue a secondary school 
26 diploma to a student who has not met the requirements of (c) of this section if the 
27 student provides the governing body with evidence that the student 
28 (1) transferred into a public school in the state after completing grade 
29 10 at a school in another state; 
30 (2) has, either within the previous five years or from a secondary 
31 school in another state, received instruction on the subjects listed in (b) of this section

01 and achieved a passing score in a one-semester course or on a civics assessment or 
02 civics project-based assessment that is similar to the course or assessments described 
03 in (c) of this section; or 
04 (3) is a student with a disability who receives a waiver from the 
05 governing body. 
06 (e) If a student has achieved a passing score as required under (c) of this 
07 section, the school shall document on the student's transcript that the student achieved 
08 a passing score. A student may retake the assessment required under (c)(2) of this 
09 section as needed to achieve a passing score. 
10 (f) The department shall adopt regulations to recognize a student who has 
11 attained a high level of proficiency in civic knowledge, civic skills, a civic mindset, 
12 and civic experiences by affixing a seal of civic readiness on the student's school 
13 transcript and diploma. 
14 (g) In this section, 
15 (1) "open educational resource" means learning, teaching, or research 
16 material in any format that resides in the public domain or is under copyright and has 
17 been released under an open license that permits access at no cost as well as reuse, 
18 repurpose, adaptation, and redistribution by others; 
19 (2) "passing score" means a student achieves a grade of 70 percent or 
20 higher in a one-semester course, correctly answers 70 percent or more of the questions 
21 on a civics assessment, or achieves a score of 70 percent or higher on a civics project- 
22 based assessment. 
23 * Sec. 2. The uncodified law of the State of Alaska is amended by adding a new section to 
24 read: 
25 APPLICABILITY: GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS. The requirement that a 
26 school issue a secondary school diploma only to a student who has met the requirements set 
27 out in AS 14.03.076(c), enacted by sec. 1 of this Act, applies to students who enter grade nine 
28 on or after July 1, 2027. 
29 * Sec. 3. This Act takes effect July 1, 2027.