Key Takeaways
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3 in 4 parents say schools do not consistently teach students how to think for themselves about American history.
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85% of parents want students to learn to think critically and form their own views about American history.
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93% say understanding America’s founding ideas is important, but only 26% say those ideas come up when their child talks about history.
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92% overestimated how many American eighth graders are proficient in U.S. history.
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70% of parents believe a limited understanding of America’s founding ideas could lead to a weaker understanding of individual rights among the next generation.
American history education shapes more than what students know about the past. It can influence how they evaluate information, understand their rights, form opinions, and participate in society.
To better understand what parents expect from history and civics education, we surveyed over 1,000 U.S. parents with at least one child in kindergarten through 12th grade.
Parents say schools do not consistently teach students how to think about history
We asked parents how history is presented in the classroom, whether students are being encouraged to think critically, and how prepared students are to form informed opinions about civic issues.
Parents overwhelmingly want students to think critically and form their own views about American history. But only 1 in 4 said schools consistently encourage students to examine different perspectives and reach their own conclusions. Half said the approach depends on the teacher or topic, while another 1 in 4 said students are generally guided toward a particular conclusion.
Together, nearly 3 in 4 parents said students are not consistently being taught how to think for themselves about American history. That view remained relatively consistent across political parties, including 71% of Democrats, 75% of Independents, and 78% of Republicans.
Parents’ views of how history is taught were also closely tied to their satisfaction with their child’s education, suggesting that instructional approach may be one factor shaping overall perceptions of school quality. Among dissatisfied parents, 51% said schools were teaching students what to think about history, compared with just 11% of very satisfied parents.
Parents also substantially overestimated students’ current understanding of U.S. history. Ninety-two percent believed that at least 20% of American eighth graders could demonstrate proficiency on a standardized U.S. history assessment, even though the actual figure is just 13%. Together, the findings raise concerns about whether students are both developing a strong foundation of historical knowledge and being encouraged to form their own conclusions.
93% of parents say founding ideas matter. Only 26% say they come up at home
Many parents see history and civics education as extending beyond the classroom. We asked parents what they believe students should learn from these subjects, how often these conversations happen at home, and the role families play in helping children understand America’s history, government, and founding principles.
Parents largely see history and civics education as extending beyond the classroom. Seventy-three percent said families and schools share responsibility for teaching children about American history and civic ideas, and 93% said understanding America’s founding principles is important.
Yet those ideas rarely make it to the dinner table. Only 26% of parents said founding ideas come up when their child talks about American history. The gap persists even among actively engaged families: Of parents who discuss American history with their child at least weekly, only 42% said founding ideas are part of those conversations. Another 25% of parents said they rarely hear their child mention American history at all.
Confidence may be one reason these conversations remain limited. Only 28% of parents said they were very confident in their ability to explain ideas such as natural rights, separation of powers, and consent of the governed, while 15% said they were not confident. Broader civic knowledge gaps may add to that uncertainty. Thirty percent of parents believed that at least 60% of American adults could identify freedom of religion as a right protected by the First Amendment, when the actual figure is 48%.
Together, the findings reveal a gap between what parents value and what gets discussed at home. Parents want children to understand the ideas behind America’s founding, but many may not feel fully prepared to turn those principles into regular family conversations.
Parents associate weak understanding of America’s founding with lower civic engagement and weaker understanding of rights
Parents also shared why they believe history and civics education matters beyond the classroom. We asked parents what they want students to understand about America before graduating high school and what impact they believe a limited understanding of America’s founding ideas could have on the next generation.
Nearly all parents believe gaps in civic understanding could have lasting consequences. Seventy percent said it could lead to a weaker understanding of individual rights, while others expressed concern about young people’s ability to understand how government works, stand up for their rights, evaluate political information, and participate in their communities.
That concern extends across political lines. Eighty-three percent of parents agreed that understanding America’s founding ideas is important for protecting individual liberties today, including 89% of Republicans, 83% of Independents, and 83% of Democrats. Together, the findings suggest parents view civic knowledge as more than an academic subject. They see it as a foundation for thinking independently, making informed decisions, and participating in society.
Parents Want Students Prepared for More Than a Test
Parents are not only asking whether students can memorize names, dates, and events. They want the next generation to understand freedom, recognize their rights, think critically, and participate in society as informed citizens.
Yet the findings point to gaps both in school and at home. Many parents do not believe students are consistently being taught how to form their own conclusions, while many families rarely discuss the ideas behind America’s founding. At the same time, parents across political lines overwhelmingly agree that those ideas remain important for protecting individual liberties.
Together, the results suggest American history education is about far more than test scores. It shapes how the next generation understands the country, evaluates information, exercises its rights, and sees its own role in civic life.
Methodology
We surveyed 1,004 U.S. parents with at least one child enrolled in kindergarten through 12th grade. Responses were collected through Prolific and CloudResearch Connect from May 5 through May 13, 2026. Of those surveyed, 47% had one school-aged child, 36% had two, 13% had three, and 4% had four or more. Regarding school type, 76% of respondents said their children attended public school, 11% private school, 7% homeschool, and 6% charter school. Politically, 43% identified as Democrats, 27% as Independents, and 25% as Republicans; the remainder selected another affiliation or preferred not to say. A probability sample of this size would have an estimated margin of error of approximately ±3 percentage points at the 95% confidence level. Percentages may not total 100 due to rounding.
