How ESSA improves American history and civics education

The Every Student Succeeds Act provides targeted funding for establishing presidential academies for the teaching of American history and civics, congressional academies for students of American history and civics, and other activities aimed at the improvement of American history, civics, and government education.

Key Provisions

Competitive Grant Process: No more that 12 grants may be awarded to eligible entities including higher education institutions, non-profit educational organizations, museums, libraries or research centers with expertise in historical methodology or teaching of American history or civics to establish presidential academies and/or congressional academies.

Funds must be matched: Eligible entities must match 100 percent of funding obtained from the federal grant. The Secretary may waive some or all of the matching amounts as deemed necessary.

Stipends required: Teachers and students selected to attend academies must receive a stipend.

Priority grant funding: Priority for grant funding for presidential academies will be given to eligible entities that coordinate activities with National Park Service Centennial

Presidential Academy fund use requirements: Requires that funds awarded for presidential academies are used to establish annual summer seminars or institutes with the purpose of strengthening knowledge of American history and civics. Academies must be led by scholars and accomplished teachers and provide professional development for 50-300 teachers of American history and civics who are annually selected from elementary and secondary public and/or private.

Congressional Academy fund use requirements: Requires that funds awarded for congressional academies must be used to establish annual summer seminars or institutes for 100-300 selected students with the purpose of broadening and deepening knowledge of American history and Academies must be led by scholars and accomplished teachers. Students must be rising juniors or seniors in secondary school and must be recommended by a principal or school leader.

Evidence based approaches and professional development funds: Through a separate competitive grant process, eligible entities may apply for funding to develop, expand, and disseminate evidence-based approaches or professional development to improve the quality of student achievement in American history, civics and government, or geography in elementary and secondary schools.