K–12 Education: How States and the U.S. Holocaust Museum Support Holocaust Education
Fast Facts
Holocaust education offers historical understanding and context for examining unchecked antisemitism. In this Q&A, we reviewed how states approach Holocaust education in K-12 public schools and how the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum supports that education.
We found that 42 states and D.C. require Holocaust education through academic standards or state laws. The remaining 8 states don't require it but may support it in other ways, such as providing guidance to teachers.
The Museum also provides support with professional development for teachers and educational materials, among other efforts.
Exterior of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
Highlights
What GAO Found
To support Holocaust education in K–12 public schools, the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum—the main federal provider of Holocaust education resources—provides professional development for teachers through its annual conference, fellowships, online videos, and webinars. The Museum offers educational materials, such as lesson plans and online lessons, based on its collection of artifacts. It also partners with state and local organizations and researches effective education strategies.
Most states (43 of 51) have established academic standards that explicitly include Holocaust education or passed laws that explicitly require Holocaust education (see figure). The remaining eight states did not have such academic standards or laws, but they may have supported Holocaust education in other ways. Most state officials (30 of 48) who responded to GAO’s survey reported having methods to ensure students receive Holocaust education, such as getting feedback from teachers and schools.
States Identified as Having Academic Standards or Laws Requiring K–12 Holocaust Education
Note: For details regarding GAO’s analysis to identify states with academic standards or laws requiring K–12 Holocaust education, see figure 1 in GAO-26-108023.
Why GAO Did This Study
The Never Again Education Act authorized federal support for the U.S. Holocaust Museum to support Holocaust education through educational materials and professional development opportunities for teachers. Senate Report 118-84 includes a provision for GAO to examine Holocaust education in K–12 public schools. This report provides information on federal resources developed by the U.S. Holocaust Museum to support Holocaust education, state K–12 Holocaust education practices, and other topics.
To answer these objectives, GAO conducted a survey of state educational agency officials in all 50 states and the District of Columbia on providing K–12 Holocaust education. Officials from 48 states responded. GAO also reviewed publicly available state documents as of February 2026, including academic standards and budgets, and conducted an independent legal review of state laws explicitly requiring Holocaust education. Further, GAO sent a structured online questionnaire to a nongeneralizable sample of 2,063 public school teachers of sixth to 12th grade to learn about their experiences providing Holocaust education. GAO received responses from 111 teachers. GAO also interviewed officials from four selected state educational agencies, seven Holocaust organizations, and the U.S. Holocaust Museum.
For more information, contact Jackie Nowicki at NowickiJ@gao.gov.