Pennsylvania's Civics and Government Academic Standards (2003) focus on teaching the principles of American republican representative democracy as envisioned by the framers of the Declaration of Independence, Constitution, and Bill of Rights. The standards address constitutional principles and government structure, rights and responsibilities of citizenship, the workings of government at federal, state (Pennsylvania), and local levels, and the United States' role in the world community. Students at grades 7-12 must participate in the Act 35 Civic Knowledge Assessment aligned with state standards. Pennsylvania's standards are among the older frameworks nationally, predating the C3 Framework, though many districts use C3-aligned inquiry practices in implementation.