YouthTruth Report Finds Civics Gap in Schools

A nonprofit survey of nearly 140,000 students and more than 10,000 teachers finds students feel they have little say in school decisions.

Updated on Nov. 14, 2026 in Secondary Education

YouthTruth Report Finds Civics Gap in Schools

Live Poll

Do you think local schools give students a real voice in how things are run?

YouthTruth released a report titled "The Civic Gap: How Schools Can Cultivate Student Voice and Participation." The findings show a gap between how teachers and students view opportunities for civic participation at school.

Why it matters

The report points to a disconnect between what schools believe they offer and what students experience, with only about one in three students reporting strong opportunities for civic participation. Its identified causes include a lack of belonging and trust on campus.

Survey data from nearly 140,000 middle and high school students and more than 10,000 teachers shows that 26% of students say they have a say in school decisions, compared with 49% of teachers. The report does not detail which interventions would close that gap.

The players

YouthTruth

YouthTruth is a San Francisco-based organization that surveys students and teachers about school experiences and publishes research on student voice.

The details

The report draws on surveys of students and teachers and recommends connected learning, in which teachers help students relate lessons to the world around them. It also identifies a lack of belonging and trust on campus as a factor in the gap between perceived and actual civic participation.

November 14, 2026: YouthTruth published the civics report.

Season Trajectory

The report extends YouthTruth's survey research into civic participation in K-12 schools, a question that has drawn attention alongside the nonprofit iCivics, founded by former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor to expand civics education. The findings suggest that civic education efforts may need to address student voice as well as instruction.

Parents and students can ask schools how students are included in decisions about school operations and activities. Teachers and administrators seeking to expand participation can look to connected learning approaches described in the report.

The takeaway

Students and teachers often see school civic life differently, and closing that gap may depend on building belonging and trust on campus. Giving students a real say in school decisions is a practical place to start.