I’M READY FOR COLLEGE AND MY CAREER…..BUT AM I READY FOR THE REAL WORLD? Guiding Question How can we best develop students into active, informed, culturally sensitive, well-rounded citizens? Intelligence plus character-that is the goal of true education ~Martin Luther King Jr.
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I’M READY FOR COLLEGE AND MY CAREER…..BUT AM I READY FOR THE REAL WORLD? Guiding Question How can we best develop students into active, informed, culturally.
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I’M READY FOR COLLEGE AND MY CAREER…..BUT AM I READY FOR THE
REAL WORLD?
Guiding Question
How can we best develop students into active, informed, culturally sensitive, well-rounded citizens?
Intelligence plus character-that is the goal of true education ~Martin Luther King Jr.
HOW CIVICS IS TAUGHT IN AMERICA
79% percent of teachers think it is “definitely important” for students to be critical users of news.
Only 37% believe students must be active members of community
NAEP TEST (NATIONAL ASSESSMENT OF EDUCATIONAL PROGRESS CIVICS ASSESSMENT)
2/3 of all American students scored below proficient.
Only 1/3 of 8th graders could identify the historical purpose of the Declaration of Independence
In 2006, in the midst of both midterm election and the Iraq war, fewer than half of Americans could name the three branches of government, and only four in ten young people (aged 18 to 24) could find Iraq on the map.
In 2008 –Only 56.8% of eligible voters voted. Nearly 100 million American who were eligible to vote did NOT!
Source: CIRCLE – The Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning and Engagement:
CIVIC ACHIEVEMENT GAP African-American & Hispanic
students are twice as likely as their white students to score below proficient on national civics assessments. A similar civic knowledge gap exists between America’s wealthiest and poorest students
Eligible minorities vote at about two-thirds the rate of their white counterparts.
Families that make above $75,000/year are twice as likely to vote (and six times as likely to be politically active) as families that make below $15,000/year
NORTH CAROLINA CIVIC HEALTH INDEX
Young people are the least civically engaged of any age group in North Carolina.
Voluntary and social organizations are led by a small and homogeneous group of older, college-educated, mostly white residents who are involved in religious organizations.
Few young people, Hispanics and African Americans are participating in groups or organizations.
Adults with some college education are more than twice as likely as those with no college experience to access the news frequently and engage in political discussions with others.
http://floridacivichealth.com/CompareFlorida
WHY SHOULD WE WANT COMPETENT CITIZENS
Informed and Thoughtful: Appreciates history and process of democracy with an awareness of public and community issues
Participate in their Communities: Contributes to society through public service and works together to overcome problems
Act Politically: Effectively organizes people to address social issues, solve problems in groups, speak in public, petition, or protest to influence public policy
Have Moral and Civic Virtues: Exhibits concern for the rights and welfare of others; Values diverse perspectives and personally contributes to make a difference
BENEFITS OF CIVIC LEARNING
Reduces the dropout rate
Increases understanding of public issues and participation in civic activities
Promotes a positive school climate that teaches the importance of community, respectful dialogue, leadership, and creative problem solving and collaboration.
Instills 21st century competencies that employers value such as critical thinking, collaboration, and work ethic.
SCHOOL CULTURE AND CLASSROOM INSTRUCTION
State Standards: K-12 Civic Learning
Mission and Vision Statement
Require Civic Participation
Student Government Youth Voice Class Meetings Student Newspaper Peer Tutoring Classroom Roles Reflection
Treat civic learning as interdisciplinary skills that happen across all subjects areas
Community Partnerships
Measure Progress
Select issues relevant that are linked to core curricular goals Teach students skills needed to participate in taking action on
issues Develop firm ground rules to ensure discussions are inclusive and
productive Ensure students have necessary background information to
consider multiple and complex perspectives before discussion Allow students to understand an issue to form opinions grounded in
evidence Articulate proactively to parents, administrators, and community
rationale for including issues
TEACHING CONTROVERSIAL ISSUES
Pros and Cons of Controversial Issues Promotes critical thinking, education, and informed
citizenship by presenting controversial issues in a straightforward, nonpartisan, primarily pro-con format
Teachable Moment Classroom Lessons Lessons that foster social responsibility through
controversial issues The Choices Program
Curriculum on current and historical international issues. In each unit, students consider multiple viewpoints on a contested issue.
Grounded in content standards, but pursues civic outcomes, rather than only academic gains
Allow students to engage in meaningful work on public issues
Give students a role in choosing their own projects
Provide opportunities to reflect on the service that prompts analysis about oneself and one’s relationship to society.
See service learning as a broader philosophy toward education, not just a program for a finite period in one course
Service Learning Service Learning
Collecting can food for a food drive
Studying nutrition and a healthy diet
Investigating food security in the community and partnering with local governments and non-profits organizations on forums to discuss the issue and how to increase food access
SERVICE LEARNING RESOURCES • National Service Learning
RESEARCH Campaign for the Civic Mission of Schools
CIRCLE – The Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning and Engagement:
NCLCE – National Center for Learning and Civic Engagement:
U.S. Department of Education, Office of the Under Secretary and Office of Postsecondary Education, Advancing Civic Learning and Engagement in Democracy: A Road Map and Call to Action, Washington, D.C., 2012. Charlane Fay Starks, “Connecting
Civic Education to Civil Right and Responsibility: A Strategy for Reducing High School Dropout Among African American Students,” (2010)
Alberto Dávila and Marie Mora, CIRCLE Working Paper 52: Civic Engagement and High School Academic Progress: An Analysis Using NELS Data,” (2007)