The National Assessment Governing Board voted on May 15, 2026, to launch the first update to the NAEP civics assessment framework since its adoption in 1996, targeting implementation for 2032. The 2028 administration will run under the current framework but will, for the first time, produce state-level 8th-grade civics results if states opt in. The changes come after the 2022 assessment recorded its first score decline since the test began in 1998, with the average 8th-grade score falling 2 points to 150.
State-level reporting and voluntary opt-in
States must opt in voluntarily by January 31, 2027, to receive state-level results. NAEP covers all preparation, administration, scoring, and reporting costs. According to the National Assessment Governing Board, about 40 states participated in an early informational conversation about the option, but no state had formally committed as of May 2026 because the formal sign-up process had not opened.
Framework revision and teacher input
The board adopted a charge directing the Civics Framework Development Panel to center civics content knowledge, with civic skills assessed only through application of that knowledge. The panel is to use primary and authentic sources including the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, the Federalist Papers, and foundational statutes and court rulings, as well as contemporary materials such as news reports and social media posts. An educator advisory panel, a model first used in the NAEP science assessment update and deployed to allow teacher input without requiring multiple days off, has called for greater focus on media literacy and applied civic skills, including evaluating information sources and relating civics scenarios to legal and constitutional guarantees. The board plans to finalize the framework by August 2027 for the 2032 assessment.
Two decades of civics gains reversed
NCES longitudinal data show that average 8th-grade civics scores rose from 150 in 1998 to a peak of 154 in 2014, then declined to 153 in 2018 and back to 150 in 2022. The 2022 score is not significantly different from the 1998 baseline, meaning gains over two decades were erased. The decline was concentrated among students at the 10th, 25th, and 50th percentiles, while scores at the 75th and 90th percentiles held steady. The White-Hispanic score gap narrowed by 12 points since 1998, driven by a 14-point gain for Hispanic students. In 2022, only 22 percent of 8th graders performed at or above NAEP Proficient in civics, and 31 percent scored below NAEP Basic. According to the National Assessment Governing Board, students at that level likely cannot explain basic governmental organization and operations.
Comparative precedent
NAEP reading and math have produced mandatory state-level results for 4th and 8th grades for over three decades under Title I. The new civics state-level reporting is voluntary and free, following the optional-expansion model rather than the Title I mandate. NAGB Chair Mark White, a Tennessee state representative, cited states' use of NAEP reading and math data to drive policy change as the reason for expanding to civics, according to the board. The educator advisory panel model was first used in the NAEP science assessment update before being applied to civics, an approach that the board's executive director described as a way to provide more teacher input without requiring multi-day absences from school.
Research evidence
The 2022 NAEP civics student survey found that more students reported low confidence in their civics knowledge and skills compared with 2018, and fewer reported taking classes that mainly focus on U.S. history. Nearly half of 8th graders reported taking a class mainly focused on civics or U.S. government, a proportion not significantly different from 2018. Students who took such a class scored higher than those who did not.