Leadership and Civic Engagement/Political Science 4357; Dr. Kathleen
Staudt, Benedict Hall 303, 747 7975 (kstaudt@utep.edu) TR 9-12 Ofc. Hrs.
Students will read, discuss, and practice leadership and civic engagement, focusing on local
community, public schools, and government (including the structural obstacles that citizens face
in engaging with government, thus affecting “real” democracy). Students will write two exams,
(25% each), engage in a twenty-hour leadership project (25%), and participate in class
discussion, projects, and short assignments (25%). Attendance is required! More than four
absences will require written (a) book review(s), to be presented in class, from a list available
from the instructor. Each student will attend at least two campus and/or community events,
documented with notes or a summary statement.
Leadership Project Options: (Each 20 HOURS, plus 3-page reflection paper due May 2)
Option A: Community and service-learning, with the Center for Civic Engagement, training
and debriefing times to be included in the 20 hours. Recommended: ESL (English as a Second
Language), Ni Una Mas (court observations), Think College Now presentations in middle schools,
or VoteNow! presentations in high schools. Visit <http://academics.utep.edu/cce>
Option B: Teaching in Public Schools, in collaboration with a middle or high school social
studies teacher: (1) class observation, w/written one-page comment; (2) preparation of a social
studies ‘lesson plan,’ with draft delivery at UTEP and full delivery with collaborating teacher, who
completes an evaluation). Teacher leaders will facilitate groups related to TEKS, on reading list
below. A one-page summary of your ExCET social studies certification plan is due May 2.
Option C: Scholarly Action Research, leading toward a 20-page community policy/action
research paper, (20 sources, including a mix of observations, interviews, books, articles, media,
and web sites) with recommendations for change AND a strategy to connect research
recommendations with decision makers. Written research plan DUE March 9th. NO Plagiarism!
Books available for purchase:
Jennifer Hochschild and Nathan Scovronick, The American Dream and the Public Schools (New
York: Oxford University Press 2003) [“H & S”]
Stephen Macedo, Democracy at Risk: How Political Choices Undermine Citizen Participation, and
What We Can Do About it (Washington, D.C.: Brookings Institution 2005)
Susan Rippberger and Kathleen Staudt, Pledging Allegiance: Learning Nationalism in El PasoJuarez (New York: Routledge Falmer 2002) [“R & S”]
Outcomes. Students should be able to:
*acquire knowledge, skills, and motivation to engage in public affairs, especially at the local level
*define and measure civic engagement and leadership for optimal teaching and assessment
*propose improvements in school civic education, in terms of knowledge, skills and motivation to
engage in public affairs in the U.S. and Mexico
*propose political structural reforms in the institutions that govern elections, local government,
and associational life
Reading List
What is civic engagement and leadership?
Jan 19 Macedo, Ch 1, “Toward a Political Science of Citizenship”
Public Schools: Access, Quality, and Civic Education
Jan 24 H & S, Preface, Acknowledgements, and Ch 1, “What Americans Want from Public
Schools”
Jan 26 H & S, Ch 3, “Educational Finance”
Jan 29 Public Life Institute: How should Texas provide adequate school funding? (3:30-5:30
p.m.), 524 Thunderbird
Jan 31 R & S, Ch 1
Feb 2
H & S, Ch 2, “School Desegregation”
Feb 7
R &S, Ch 2, Regional history
Feb 9
El Paso-Cd Juarez video
Feb 14 R & S, Ch 3 Civic Education, Nationalism…
Feb 16 R & S, Ch 4, Classroom organization: Democracy in micro-politics?
Feb 21 MIDTERM EXAM
Feb 23 TEA website; Reading Texas Schools on line: www.tea.state.tx.us (one page comparison
of “your” school and another due March 7).
Feb 28 R & S, Ch 5 (Language)
Mar 2 H & S, Ch 6, “Separation & Inclusion”
Mar 7 TEKS: Middle and High School Groups (high school: Government, History,
Geography, and Economics). Group work.
SPRING BREAK!
Mar 21 H & S, Ch 4, “School Reform”
Mar 23 R & S, Ch 6 (Computers, Testing)
Mar 28 Finalize GROUP PROJECT: Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) for Social
Studies: Middle or High School. Design a civics test that, “mapping backward,” would foster civic
skills, knowledge, and motivation to engage in public affairs. Specify grade level and ‘domain.’
Peers will grade one another on rubric designed in class.
Political Structure: Institutions, Elections, and the Challenges of Engagement
Mar 30 Lineae Terrarum (http://research.utep.edu/lineauterrarum) (Which two sessions do you
want to attend and why?)
Apr 4
Macedo, Ch 2, “National Electoral Processes”
Apr 6
Applications to the Texas: H & S, Ch 5, “Choice”
Apr 11 Macedo, Ch 3, “The American Metropolis”
Apr 13 El Paso: Accessing and Engaging with Local Government: observe a public meeting!
www.elpasotexas.gov (city) www.epcounty.com OR one of nine Independent School District
School Board meetings: Bring meeting agenda and one-page summary.
Apr 18 Macedo, Ch 4, “Associational Life and the Nonprofit and Philanthropic Sector”
Apr 20 www.nonprofitec.org
Apr 25 Macedo, Ch 6, “Assessing our Political Science of Citizenship”
Apr 27 H & S, Ch 8, “Challenging the American Dream”
May 2 H & S, Ch 9, “Public Schools in the New America” PAPERS DUE!
May 4 Presentations
May 11 FINAL Exam, 4-6:45 p.m.