Over 20,000 educators in Florida have finished the Florida Department of Education’s Civics Seal of Excellence program, which is housed on a platform created by the Learning Systems Institute (LSI) at Florida State University in conjunction with the Florida Center for Research in STEM.
More than 48,000 educators have enrolled to partake in the self-directed, facilitated program, with an additional 1,300 educators anticipated to finalize the course in June. The LSI and FCR-STEM teams examined over 1 million assignment entries for the portal, constructed on the CPALMS platform by LSI personnel. Educators in Florida have dedicated over 1.3 million hours to this program.
“The accomplishments of our FCR-STEM team in utilizing and crafting the civics portal within such a brief timeframe, managing nearly 50,000 requests and 20,000 course completions, speak volumes about the dedication and expertise of our teams,” stated LSI Director Rabieh Razzouk. “Civics education has been a significant focus for Gov. Ron DeSantis. I extend my gratitude to the Florida Department of Education for their backing and collaboration on this important initiative.”
The Civics Seal of Excellence platform, a segment of the Civics Literacy Excellence Initiative, provides civics education materials to all K-12 educators throughout the state. This platform includes thousands of approved instructional materials designed for teachers, students, and parents. The materials offer creative methods for teaching civics and integrating civics topics into other subjects.
While assembling this support framework for the entire state, the FCR-STEM team directed the development and evaluation process to assist educators as they worked to implement Florida’s Civics and Government Standards, collaborating with other universities and organizations in Florida. Students and parents can also utilize resources available on the platform to augment home-based support of civics education.
“The CPALMS platform, created by LSI and FCR-STEM staff, allowed us to establish the Civics Literacy portal, course Learning Management System, and course materials, all within just a few months,” Razzouk stated. “We launched the portal on a Friday and all initial 20,000 available slots were filled by the close of the weekend.”
The Florida Civics Seal of Excellence Course represents a groundbreaking teacher training initiative with content aligned with Florida’s Civics and Government Standards. The modules feature video-based lessons produced and presented by 53 distinguished scholars and practitioners in history, government, and political science from Florida and beyond. Participants typically require an average of 55 hours over two months to complete the course, allowing educators to add the Civics Seal of Excellence endorsement to their Florida Educator Certificates.
LSI stands at the leading edge of creating innovative solutions that connect theory to practice in education. Our experts’ cutting-edge research provides contemporary methods and a clear framework for implementation. For 55 years, LSI has delivered systems that significantly enhance the learning and performance of organizations and individuals both in Florida and globally. To discover more, visit lsi.fsu.edu.
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