Overview
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Definitions
Current status of civic education
Barriers in civic education
Importance—What’s at stake
Responses to barriers
Programs
Recommendations
Trivia
Can you name the two US Senators
from your state?
Trivia
• What is the President's role in making laws?
a) The President can rewrite some parts of the
Constitution.
b) The President can declare laws unconstitutional.
c) The President can sign congressional bills into law.
d) The President can remove members of Congress
from office.
Trivia
• What is the President's role in making laws?
c) The President can sign congressional bills into law.
Trivia
What are the three branches of the
federal government?
Trivia
What are the three branches of the
federal government?
Legislative, Executive, and Judicial
The Problem
• 59% of those surveyed could name all three
Stooges
• Only 36% could name the three branches of
government: Legislative, Executive, and
Judicial.
Definitions
• Civic knowledge is “concerned with the
content of what citizens ought to know; the
subject matter” (Branson & Quigley, 1998).
• Civic identity is defined as the sense of one’s
readiness and willingness to assume
citizenship responsibilities and the belief that
one can make a difference (Youniss, 2011).
Definitions—Civic Education
• Gibson and Levine (2003) define civic
education as “the skills, knowledge, and
attitudes that will prepare young people ‘to be
competent and responsible citizens” (p. 10).
Definitions—Civic Literacy
• It is almost universally accepted that citizens
need basic knowledge and skills to effectively
participate and lead. iCivics
Definitions—Civic Literacy
• The knowledge of how to actively participate and
initiate change in your community and the
greater society. It is the foundation by which a
democratic society functions: Citizen Power as a
check and as a means to create avenues for
peaceful change. Urban Agenda (Wayne State)
Current Status of Civic Education
• 2.9 YEARS—National Average for years students
have Civic Education
– 5 States (AL, HI, MS, NY, and WV) and DC require
4 years
– Iowa does not require any at all
• 32 States have no form of assessment in Civic
Education
Godsay, Henderson, Levine, Littenberg-Tobias, (2012).
100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
1998
50%
40%
30%
2006
30%
32%
28%
20%
10%
0%
% of HS seniors at or above proficiency in Civics
2010
Civic Literacy in Georgia Public Schools
Which of the following are the unalienable rights
referred to in the Declaration of Independence?
A. life, liberty, and property
B. honor, liberty, and peace
C. liberty, health, and respect
D. life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness
Grades 4, 8, American Government/Civics, and U.S. History
In 1933 Franklin Delano Roosevelt proposed a
series of government programs that became
known as
A. the Great Society.
B. the Square Deal.
C. the New Deal.
D. the New Frontier.
Grades 3, 5, 8, and U.S. History
What are the three branches of government?
A.
B.
C.
D.
executive, legislative, judicial
executive, legislative, military
bureaucratic, military, legislative
federal, state, local
Grades 3, 4, 8, American/Government, and U.S. History
International trade and specialization most often
lead to which of the following?
A. an increase in a nation’s productivity
B. a decrease in a nation’s economic growth in the
long term
C. an increase in a nation’s import tariffs
D. a decrease in a nation’s standard of living
Grades 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, U.S. History, World History, and
Economics
The Intercollegiate Studies Institute
(2008)
http://www.ijreview.com/2014/01/107324-smarter-educatorcivic-literacy-test-will-show-know-u-s-politics/
• The average score for all 2,508 Americans
taking the test was 49%;
• college educators scored 55%.
Georgia Performance Standards
(Social Studies)
Kindergarten: National Holidays, American Symbols, Good Citizenship
(Rules), Positive Character Traits, Economics
1st Grade: Historical Figures, American Folktales and our American
Heritage, Positive Character Traits of Historical Figures, The meaning of the
patriotic words to America and America the Beautiful, Economics
2nd Grade: Historical Figures (Georgia), Concept of Government and the
Need for Rules and Laws, Roles of Elected Officials, Positive Citizenship
Traits of Historical Figures, Economics
3rd Grade: Beginnings of Democracy, Direct Democracy and Representative
Democracy, Historical Figures who Expanded People’s Rights and Freedoms,
Separation of Powers, Three Levels of Government, Three Branches of
Government, Positive Character Traits of Historical Figures, Economics
4th Grade: U.S. History to 1860, Historical Figures who Founded our Country,
Declaration of Independence (Natural Rights), Articles of Confederation, U.S.
Constitution , Three Branches of Government, Bill of Rights, Suffrage
Movements, Federal System of Government, 1st Amendment, Functions of
Government, America’s Democratic Beliefs (respecting the rights of others,
promoting the common good, civic life), Economics
5th Grade: U.S. History from 1860 to the Present, U.S. Constitution and
Citizens’ Rights, Bill of Rights, Due Process, Amendment Process,
Amendments (13, 14, 15, 12, 15, 19, 23, 24, 26), Economics
6th Grade: World Studies, Compare and Contrast Various Forms of Government,
Structures of Governments in Europe, Latin America, Canada, and Australia,
Economics
7th Grade: World Studies, Compare and Contrast Various Forms of Government,
Structures of Governments in Asia and Africa, Economics
8th Grade: Georgia History, Role of Citizens (Georgia’s Constitution), Georgia State
Government (Three Branches- Roles and Responsibilities), Role of Local Government,
Georgia Court System (Juvenile Offenders), Georgia Revenue Sources, Economics
American Government/Civics: Political Philosophies, Declaration of Independence,
U.S. Constitution, National Government, Federal System of Government, Civil Liberties
and Civil Rights, Participation in Civic Life, Elections, Branches of Government, Georgia
Constitution, Compare and Contrast Various Forms of Government, U.S. Foreign Policy,
Criminal Justice Process
World History: Structure of Ancient Civilizations, Chinese, Indian, Islamic, African,
Classical Mediterranean, Central and South American Societies, Enlightenment
Philosophies, Political Reforms, Pursuits of Freedom
U.S. History: European Settlement, British North America, American Revolution,
Ideas Which Brought About the U.S. Constitution, Western Expansion, Suffrage
Movements, Civil War (states’ rights ideology, suspension of habeas corpus),
Reconstruction Amendments, Impeachment of Andrew Johnson, Presidential Election
of 1876, American Industrial Growth, Progressive Era, World War I, Great Depression,
FDR’s New Deal, World War II, 1945-1975, Civil Rights Movement, Political
Developments Between 1945-1970, Social Change Movements, National Politics Since
1968 (presidencies of Nixon, Ford, Carter, Reagan, Clinton, 2000 Presidential Election,
George W. Bush)
Economics: Fundamentals of Economics, Microeconomics, Macroeconomics,
International Economics, and Personal Finance
Barriers to Success
• Lack of national standards for Social Studies
– Common Core Curriculum, while not directly in
the area of Social Studies/Civics, goes farther than
any response thus far—it has a lot of ‘across the
curriculum’ learning built in
Barriers to Success
• Fuzzy educational priorities that are only
complicated by political interventions
– Educate America 2000, No Child Left Behind, Race
to the Top
• Funding
– Sets priorities
Importance—What’s at stake?
• Civic identity is but one part of a continuum of
civic development. The aim of civic education
and civic identity development is the product
of civic activity more broadly referred to as
civic engagement.
Importance—What’s at stake?
• Kahne, Crow, and Lee (2013) support the
concept of a civic development continuum
stating that “the clearest implication of these
findings is that civic learning opportunities
promote civic and political engagement” (p.
13).
Georgia Center for Civic Engagement
Student Programs
• Model Municipal/County
Government
• Model State Legislature
• Washington Seminar
• Model United Nations
• Character/Leadership
Programs
Educator Resources
• Database of activities and
lesson plans
• Continuing Ed Workshops
on behalf of GA DOE
• Georgia Civic Educator of
the Year Awards
Special Days and Events to Promote
Civic Literacy
Patriot Day- September 11
Constitution Day- September 17
Georgia Civics Day- October 1/31
Election Day
Bill of Rights Day- December 15
Law Day- May 1
Medal of Honor Character
Development Program
“The Medal of Honor Character Development
Program demonstrates with crystal clarity that our
young citizens, those who carry our democracy into
the future, can be taught the importance of service
to the community and the core values that made
this nation great.”
Colonel Jack H. Jacobs
Medal of Honor Recipient
1. Personal Accounts of Medal of Honor Recipients: Lessons
and video vignettes give students opportunities to explore
the important concepts of courage, commitment, sacrifice,
patriotism, integrity, and citizenship.
2. The Citizen Service Before Self Honors:
A civilian program which honors ordinary people
in our communities making a difference through
acts of heroism or putting others first.
www.cmohedu.org
Sponsored by the GADOE
Trainings are provided at RESAs across the state
beginning last year and continuing through the
next two years. The resource is free to teachers
throughout the state.
Concluding Thoughts and
Recommendations
• Schools need help
• The time to help is NOW—when students are still
in school
• A number of studies support that experiential
civic education and service learning programs
lead to continued civic engagement as an adult
“The qualifications of self-government are not
innate. They are the result of habit and long
training.” –Thomas Jefferson
References
Branson, M. S., & Quigley, C. N. (1998). The role
of civic education. Communitarian Network.
Georgia Department of Education.
Gibson, C., & Levine, P. (2003). The civic mission
of schools. New York, NY and Washington,
DC: Carnegie Corporation of New York and
The Center for Information and Research on
Civic Learning and Engagement.
References
Godsay, S., Henderson, W., Levine, P., Littenberg-Tobias, J.
(2012), State Civic Education Requirements. CIRCLE
Fact Sheet, 1-10.
iCivics.org.
Urban Agenda (Wayne State).
http://www.urbanagenda.wayne.edu/whatiscl.htm
Youniss, J. (2011). Civic Education: What Schools Can Do
to Encourage Civic Identity and Action. Applied
Developmental Science, 15(2), 98-103.