The Civic Education of American Youth

The Civic Education of American Youth
Author: Policy Research Project on Civic Education Policies and Practices
Publisher:
Total Pages: 394
Release: 1999
Genre: Education
ISBN:

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)

Civic Education

Civic Education
Author: Richard G. Niemi
Publisher: Yale University Press
Total Pages: 228
Release: 2005-05-11
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 9780300107449

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.

Civic Education and the Future of American Citizenship

Civic Education and the Future of American Citizenship
Author: Elizabeth Kaufer Busch
Publisher: Lexington Books
Total Pages: 177
Release: 2012-11-02
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 0739170589

The Founders of this nation believed that the government they were creating required a civically educated populace. Such an education aimed to cultivate enlightened, informed, and vigilant citizens who could perpetuate and improve the nation. Unfortunately, America’s contemporary youth seem to lack adequate opportunities, if not also the ability or will, to critically examine the foundations of this nation. An even larger problem is an increasing ambivalence toward education in general. Stepping into this void is a diverse group of educators, intellectuals, and businesspeople, brought together in Civic Education and the Future of American Citizenship to grapple with the issue of civic illiteracy and its consequences. The essays, edited by Elizabeth Kaufer Busch and Jonathan W. White, force us to not only reexamine the goals of civic education in America but also those of liberal education more broadly.

Civic Intelligence Empowering America’s Youth

Civic Intelligence Empowering America’s Youth
Author: John Minkler Ph.D.
Publisher: Xlibris Corporation
Total Pages: 158
Release: 2024-02-08
Genre: Political Science
ISBN:

American democracy is at risk unless we change the way we teach civic education in K-12 schools. This book will inspire educators and communities to transform schools by teaching democratic principles, systems thinking, and civic values, with opportunities for community problem-solvng. It describes 53 years of experience with many examples of youth civic engagement. We lack shared values and the political will to cooperate on implementing changes. We lack “civic intelligence,” which will guide us to transform schools and create a new path for America and humanity.

Civic Education and Youth Political Participation

Civic Education and Youth Political Participation
Author:
Publisher: BRILL
Total Pages: 211
Release: 2009-01-01
Genre: Education
ISBN: 9460910254

Why does it appear that many young people are disengaging from democracy and political participation? For many governments, politicians, academics, social commentators and researchers this is a serious and challenging problem. Consequently widespread interest exists on how to engage young people in politics and democracy.

Civic Education for Diverse Citizens in Global Times

Civic Education for Diverse Citizens in Global Times
Author: Beth C. Rubin
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 291
Release: 2013-10-11
Genre: Education
ISBN: 1136797580

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.

School-University-Community Collaboration for Civic Education and Engagement in the Democratic Project

School-University-Community Collaboration for Civic Education and Engagement in the Democratic Project
Author: R. Martin Reardon
Publisher: IAP
Total Pages: 277
Release: 2022-05-01
Genre: Education
ISBN: 1648029434

The Campaign for the Civic Mission of Schools (2011) lamented the “lack of high-quality civic education in America’s schools [that] leaves millions of citizens without the wherewithal to make sense of our system of government” (p. 4). Preus et al. (2016) cited literature to support their observation of “a decline in high-quality civic education and a low rate of civic engagement of young people” (p. 67). Shapiro and Brown (2018) asserted that “civic knowledge and public engagement is at an all-time low” (p. 1). Writing as a college senior, Flaherty (2020) urged educators to “bravely interpret ... national, local, and even school-level incidents as chances for enhanced civic education and to discuss them with students in both formal and casual settings” (p. 6). In this eighth volume in the Current Perspectives on School/University/Community Research series, we feature the work of brave educators who are engaged in schooluniversity-community collaborative educational endeavors. Authors focus on a wide range of projects oriented to civic education writ large—some that have been completed and some that are still in progress—but all authors evince the passion for civic education that underpins engagement in the democratic project.

Handbook of Research on Civic Engagement in Youth

Handbook of Research on Civic Engagement in Youth
Author: Lonnie R. Sherrod
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
Total Pages: 935
Release: 2010-07-30
Genre: Education
ISBN: 0470636807

Engaging youth in civic life has become a central concern to a broad array of researchers in a variety of academic fields as well to policy makers and practitioners globally. This book is both international and multidisciplinary, consisting of three sections that respectively cover conceptual issues, developmental and educational topics, and methodological and measurement issues. Broad in its coverage of topics, this book supports scholars, philanthropists, business leaders, government officials, teachers, parents, and community practitioners in their drive to engage more young people in community and civic actions.

Civic Education and the Future of American Citizenship

Civic Education and the Future of American Citizenship
Author: Elizabeth Kaufer Busch
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
Total Pages: 176
Release: 2013
Genre: Education
ISBN: 0739170570

The Founders of this nation believed that the government they were creating required a civically educated populace. Such an education aimed to cultivate enlightened, informed, and vigilant citizens who could perpetuate and improve the nation. Unfortunately, America's contemporary youth seem to lack adequate opportunities, if not also the ability or will, to critically examine the foundations of this nation. An even larger problem is an increasing ambivalence toward education in general. Stepping into this void is a diverse group of educators, intellectuals, and businesspeople, brought together in Civic Education and the Future of American Citizenship to grapple with the issue of civic illiteracy and its consequences. The essays, edited by Elizabeth Kaufer Busch and Jonathan W. White, force us to not only reexamine the goals of civic education in America but also those of liberal education more broadly.