Civics 2.0

Civics 2.0A discussion on the state of civics education and the internet

For more information, send your email address to:Email: [email protected]

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Krista KohlhausenDirector

Walter and Leonore Annenberg Presidential Learning Center

Tony PennayProgram Manager

Walter and Leonore Annenberg Presidential Learning Center

Janet TranEducator

Walter and Leonore Annenberg Presidential Learning Center

Goals• Participants will come

away with:– a solid understanding

of the state of civics education today.

– Knowledge of effective means of promoting civic engagement in the classroom and beyond.

– A list of organizations to turn when trying to generate civic involvement.

State of Civics Today

“The U.S. civics assessment evaluates students’ knowledge, skills, and dispositions that are critical to the responsibilities of citizenship in America’s constitutional democracy.”

- The Nation’s Report Card: Civics 2006

4th Grade

2% 21%

50%

27%

% of 4th Grade Students according to Civics Proficiency

Advanced Proficient Basic Below Basic

8th Grade

2% 20%

48%

30%

% of 8th Grade Students according to Civics Proficiency

Advanced Proficient Basic Below Basic

5% 23%

41%

31%

% of 12thGrade Students according to Civics Proficiency

Advanced Proficient Basic Below Basic

Key Findings

Scores according toParental Education Level

Average Raw Scores

(out of 300)

125

130

135

140

145

150

155

160

165

College Graduates Graduated from high school

Low income

+ Lack of education

_________________________

Little knowledge of or access to ways to be civically involved

No significant progress

% of Students Proficient or AboveGrade Level 1998 2006

4th Grade 23 248th Grade 22 22

12th Grade 26 27

Civic proficiency?

Limited government

Constitutional Government

Expanding political participation

Structure of American

Government

Problems

?

“Civic engagement is, in essence, the common thread of participation in and building of one’s community.”- National Conference on Citizenship, Civic Life in America

Categories of Civic Engagement

Serv

ice

Gro

up

Curre

nt E

vents

Soci

al C

on

nect

ed

ness

Politica

l Actio

n

Key Findings

“One and one and one is three”- Come Together, The Beatles

Volu

nte

eri

ng

"When kids volunteer it tells others that they don't have to be perfect or famous or even grown up to make a difference."

- Kalynn Dobos, age 7

Voting Volunteering

Total Voters in 2008 Total Volunteers in 2010

More than 131 million(~58%)

More than 62 million(~26%)

Voting Rate World ComparisonCountry Voter Rate

Australia 95%

Chile 93%

Germany 86%

Brazil 83%

Israel 80%

France 76%

Japan 71%

United States 54%

Poland 51%

Statistics from Mark N. Franklin's "Electoral Participation,”Controversies in Voting Behavior (2001).

Internet

The Internet and Civic Engagement Category Homes without Internet Home with Internet

Volunteering 15.7% 33.0% +17.3

Participating in School Group 9.2% 21.2% +12.0

Current Events from Newspaper

62.2% 74.3% +12.1

Voting (2008) 50.1% 69.0% +18.9

Registered to Vote (2008) 58.4% 74.4% +16

Contacted Public Official 6.1% 14.8% +8.7

Why?

What’s out there?

Civic Knowledge

http://new.civiced.org/

http://crf-usa.org/

http://www.billofrightsinstitute.org/

http://constitutioncenter.org/

http://www.loc.gov/index.html

http://www.socialstudies.org/

Civic Participation

http://serve.gov

http://www.ysa.org/

http://mobilize.org/

http://www.cityyear.org/

http://www.americorps.gov

http://www.servicenation.org/

http://www.splashlife.com/

http://new.civiced.org/programs/project-citizen

http://www.generationcitizen.org/

http://craigslistfoundation.wordpress.com/

Curriculum

Programming

Professional Development

Interested in more information?

Send an email to:

[email protected]