Lodi Unified to pilot California’s State Seal of Civic Engagement for seniors this spring

Mister Dawson introduced the district’s plan to pursue the State Seal of Civic Engagement created by Assembly Bill 24, telling the board the seal recognizes students who demonstrate civic knowledge, community service and an understanding of U.S. and California government. District staff described how the state criteria translate to a local process: students must be on track to graduate, complete at least one civic engagement project demonstrating interaction with systems of power, submit a reflection portfolio with multimedia artifacts, and secure at least one adult recommendation from a mentor or adviser.

District staff said Lodi Unified will pilot the seal for current seniors this spring and expand the opportunity to all high-school students next school year. For this pilot year, staff indicated a March 13 submission target for completed portfolios and emphasized the program is voluntary. Staff also noted the district will use Schoology as the central platform for students to submit proposals and artifacts and described rubrics and verification steps developed locally to ensure consistency.

Board members asked about evaluator workload, rubric rigor compared with the Seal of Biliteracy, potential compensation for reviewers, and whether the district could make the seal a graduation requirement in the future. Staff repeatedly emphasized that the seal is voluntary and that district-level rubrics and an implementation plan will guide reviewer decisions. No formal action was taken; staff committed to return with additional details and implementation timelines.

The district referenced Assembly Bill 24 and said it modeled local requirements to fit the state criteria while keeping the process accessible to a broad range of students.