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This book chronicles the progression of civic education advocacy since the early 2000s. It identifies the main actors that called for civic education reform, describes their motivations and policy platforms, and documents the path taken to capture state policy agendas. It argues that No Child Left Behind incentivized civic education advocates to mobilize a “call to action” to restore emphasis on civics that materialized into national policy reform proposals that successfully captured the agendas of state legislatures and bureaucracies. This book analyzes the implementation and sustainability of these civic education policy reforms by undertaking a comparative case study analysis of school districts in Utah and Connecticut. Through the voices of teachers and district administrators, the book tells the story of what happened when these state policy reforms inspired by national initiatives hit the local level where the rubber meets the road. As ideological debates about schools and democracy unfold across the country, as civic education advocates and proposals proliferate, this book treats civic education not as panacea but as a concrete policy area to be analyzed and understood. It contextualizes the current debate and offers a critical assessment of the most recent, comprehensive state-level civic education policy reform. It argues that while questions linger about what type of civic-inspired educational interventions remains most effective for whom, where, and why, the implementation of such interventions are profoundly impacted by local actors and local politics and that future initiatives should take this dimension into consideration.
In a recent report entitled "All Together Now: Collaboration and Innovation for Youth Engagement,": the Commission on Youth Voting & Civic Knowledge concluded that civic education is a shared responsibility of schools and other institutions. Data suggests, however, that more work is required to provide all young people with the knowledge, skills and dispositions they need to participate fully in the civic life of their communities. When looking for ways to improve civic education in public K-12 schools state policy makers typically consider two main interventions: new courses or new tests. CIRCLE's analysis of data collected in 2012 suggests that, in general, the testing and course mandates in force at that time did not affect what students had studied or learned. However, tests and courses can be designed in many ways, and three states, Florida, Hawaii, and Tennessee have recently undertaken novel approaches that have promise: (1) High Stakes Standardized Testing; (2) An "Action Civics" Course Mandate without Assessment; and (3) An Alternative Assessment. This study looks at the rationales and perceived advantages and drawbacks of each strategy with special attention to the challenges that confront the agencies and districts charged with implementing them. The goal is to inform other states' policymakers and advocates as they consider alternative strategies for strengthening civics. This report also serves as an introduction to a companion document, which describes how and why the legislation passed in each state based on the perspectives and experiences of individuals involved in passing and implementing these initiatives. This report provides an overview and basic information about each policy. [To access the working paper entitled "Civic Education Policy Change: Case Studies of Florida, Tennessee, and Hawaii. CIRCLE Working Paper #79," see ED574388.].
Educating for citizenship was the original mission of American schools, but for decades that knowledge—also known as civics education—has been in decline, as schools have shifted focus to college and career, STEM, and raising reading and math scores. But over the last few years, spurred on by political polarization and a steep decline in public understanding, civics education is seeing a nation-wide resurgence, as school leaders, educators, and parents recognize the urgency of teaching young people how America works—especially young people who have been marginalized from the political system. But this isn’t your grandmother’s civics. The “new” civics has been updated and re-tooled for the phone-addicted, multi-cultural, globalized twenty-first century kid. From combatting “fake news” with fact checking in Silicon Valley, to reviving elementary school social studies in Nashville, to learning civic activism in Oklahoma City, journalist Holly Korbey documents the grassroots revival happening across the country. Along the way, she provides an essential guidebook for educators, school leaders and caregivers of all types who want to educate a new generation of engaged citizens at a critical time in American democracy.
Speaking to the need to move beyond traditional formulations, this textbook presents radical visions for transforming civic education in the United States. Drawing on the experience of educators and scholars—including those rooted in feminist, queer, abolitionist, global, and race-conscious perspectives—this work offers new, practical ideas for civic education reform. Responding to recent political crises, many scholars, educators, and public commentators have called for a rebirth of civic education, but these all are grounded in the premise that the goal of civic education should be to teach students about the U.S. Constitutional system and how to operate within it. This book argues that the U.S. governmental system, including the Constitution, is infused with racist and anti-democratic premises and procedures. It asks: How can we seek a new path—one that is more democratic, more equitable, and more humane? A diverse range of leading civic educators, who are willing not just to push the boundaries of civic education but to operate outside its assumptions altogether, explore what future possibilities for civic education might look like and how these innovative ideas could be implemented in the classroom. Combining theory with practice, The Future of Civic Education will be important reading for those studying or researching in social studies methods, social studies issues, citizenship, and civic education. It will also be beneficial to social studies teachers at elementary and secondary levels, as well as policymakers and non-governmental organizations (NGOs).
Sound democratic decisions rely on a citizenry with at least a partial mastery of the rules and workings of democratic government. American high schools, where students learn the basics of citizenship, thus ought to play a critical role in the success of democracy. Yet studies examining the impact of high school government and civics courses on political knowledge over the past quarter-century have generally shown that these courses have little or no effect. In this important book, Richard G. Niemi and Jane Junn take a fresh look at what America's high school seniors know about government and politics and how they learn it. The authors argue convincingly that secondary school civics courses do indeed enhance students' civic knowledge. This book is based on the most extensive assessment to date of civic knowledge among American youth--the 1988 National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP) Civics Assessment. The authors develop and test a theoretical model to explain the cognitive process by which students learn about politics and they conclude by suggesting specific changes in the style and emphasis of civics teaching.
Reimagine civic education! This innovative resource provides practical strategies and technological resources for creating authentic, engaging learning experiences that empower students to participate in civic discourse and action. It examines the current reality of civic education in the United States and other democracies, identifies why change is necessary, and guides readers on how to spark interest and build skills for participating in a democratic society. K–12 educators and leaders will: Learn how to transform civic education to prepare students to become active and engaged citizens Discover how to weave civic instruction across the curriculum to create authentic, interdisciplinary projects Explore games and other activities that enhance student engagement and understanding of civics Receive lesson examples of effective civic instruction for various grade levels and subject areas Understand how to create opportunities for teaching democratic values through productive civil discourse Contents: Introduction Part I: Civic Education in 2022 Chapter 1: Civic Education in 2022 Chapter 2: What Works in Civic Education Part II: Modern Civic Education in Action Chapter 3: The Power of Action Civics and Authentic Experiences Chapter 4: Engagement in Civil Discourse Chapter 5: News Media Literacy for Combating Misinformation Chapter 6: Engagement Through Games, Simulations, and Competitions Part III: Civics Lessons Across Subject Areas Chapter 7: Civics Lessons for English Language Arts and Social Studies Chapter 8: Civics Lessons for Science and Mathematics Chapter 9: Interdisciplinary Civics Experiences Epilogue References and Resources Index
This book explores four interrelated themes: rethinking civic education in light of the diversity of U.S. society; re-examining these notions in an increasingly interconnected global context; re-considering the ways that civic education is researched and practiced; and taking stock of where we are currently through use of an historical understanding of civic education. There is a gap between theory and practice in social studies education: while social studies researchers call for teachers to nurture skills of analysis, decision-making, and participatory citizenship, students in social studies classrooms are often found participating in passive tasks (e.g., quiz and test-taking, worksheet completion, listening to lectures) rather than engaging critically with the curriculum. Civic Education for Diverse Citizens in Global Times, directed at students, researchers and practitioners of social studies education, seeks to engage this divide by offering a collection of work that puts practice at the center of research and theory.
The power of civic education to elicit positive student outcomes has been empirically documented. However, the field is only now beginning to understand the causal processes that bring about these positive changes in young people. "The Civic Mission of Schools" report commissioned by the Carnegie Corporation of New York and CIRCLE (2003) lays out six "promising approaches" to civic education. These practices emphasize the need for instruction that is relevant to young people (i.e., links young people's interests to political contexts), provides opportunities for practice, and that moves beyond rote learning praxis. A growing body of evidence suggests that these approaches to civic education yield positive, lasting outcomes in young people. For example, research has found that deliberative classroom discussions are positively associated with interest in politics, political knowledge, and feelings of political efficacy. The goal of this project is to examine the association between activities regularly used in civic education courses (e.g., staging a mock election) and their impact on key student outcomes. By linking classroom praxis to outcomes, the authors intend to provide evidence supporting best practices in civic education. (Contains 5 figures and 7 tables.) [This working paper was produced by the Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning & Engagement.].
The power of civic educ. (CE) to elicit positive student outcomes has been documented. However, the field is only now beginning to understand the causal processes that bring about these positive changes in young people. ¿The Civic Mission of Schools¿ lays out 6 ¿promising approaches¿ to CE which emphasize the need for instruction that is relevant to young people, provides opportunities for practice, and moves beyond rote learning praxis. These approaches to CE yield positive, lasting outcomes in students. The goal of this project is to examine the association between activities regularly used in CE courses (e.g., staging a mock election) and their impact on key student outcomes. This will provide evidence supporting best practices in CE. Illus.
Civic education plays an essential role in strengthening the democratic society, preparing informed citizens, and promoting their participation in the civic life of their communities. This project explores state K-12 civic education policies and related requirements nationwide, as well as factors that shape K-12 civic education policies and practices in school districts and schools. The first two chapters of this report provide the national and state contexts for content standards in core subject areas, including civics; review state constitutional provisions and statutes that promote civic education; and examine how social studies standards, assessment, teacher certification, and other state policies build on these provisions and statutes. Recognizing the centrality of state standards, chapters 3 through 5 examine the extent to which the civics content in state standards promotes civic dispositions, civic intellectual skills, and civic knowledge, respectively. Chapters 6 through 11 examine several influences on civic education at the district level: standards; instructional materials; assessment; professional development; extracurricular and co-curricular activities; and individuals, organizations, and funding. Chapter 12 provides recommendations for developing sustainable state and school district civics commitments that ensure systematic attention to civic education in grades K-12. Key findings from the project report are included, as are extensive chapter notes, and 47 tables of data. Seven appendices contain additional information. (BT)