All Illinois middle schoolers must pass a civics education class. How do you make sure it sticks?

The goal of civics education in Chicago Public Schools is to move beyond a focus on facts alone and toward helping students understand how they can be actors in shaping democracy. Here, Alcott Elementary School eighth graders were preparing for a trip to Washington D.C. in 2017. (Sun-Times file photo)

To move from eighth grade into high school in the state of Illinois, all public school students must pass a test on the U.S. and Illinois constitutions. 

But, educators wondered, what’s the best way to ensure students actually learn something?