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Fact Sheet - K-12 Civic Education
Fact Sheets provide a quick overview on a particular issue in the field of civic engagement
RSSFact Sheet - K-12 Civic Education
How Civics is Taught in America: A National Survey of Civics and U.S. Government Teachers
In 2013, CIRCLE surveyed a national sample of civics and U.S. government teachers for our Commission on Youth Voting and Civic Knowledge. More than 700 teachers responded to the survey and provided valuable information on over 1,000 courses that they taught. Today we release a new fact sheet with detailed data from that national teacher survey, along with key conclusions and recommendations.
Reforming Civic Education: Three Case Studies
Today, we release a short fact sheet that describes three recent civic education policy changes. We also release a longer paper that takes an initial look at the process behind each proposal and some of the issues faced by the educators tasked with implementing them.
Information Literacy in High School Civics
With news sources changing rapidly and fragmenting along ideological lines, understanding how to use news and information media (“information literacy”) is an important civic skill. A new fact sheet by CIRCLE deputy director Kei Kawashima-Ginsberg explores the extent to which information literacy is taught in high school civics classes and how its teaching varies. Using Read More >
Discussion, Debate, and Simulations Boost Students’ Civic Knowledge, But Gaps Remain
Ten years ago, the Civic Mission of Schools report (Gibson & Levine, 2003) clarified goals of civic education and identified six “promising practices” of civic education pedagogy. Three of these practices were measured on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) Civics test in 2010: discussing current events, debating current issues (including controversies), and participating Read More >
What the NAEP Civics Assessment Measures and How Students Perform
Only eight states currently test their students on American government or civics (usually as part of a much broader social studies test), and so relatively little is known about young people’s civic knowledge, skills, behaviors, and values. Given the paucity of state data, the federal National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) in Civics receives predominant Read More >
New CIRCLE Fact Sheet Describes State Laws, Standards, and Requirements for k-12 Civics
With funding from the S. D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation, CIRCLE has analyzed the standards, course requirements, and mandatory assessments relevant to civic education in all 50 states plus the District of Columbia. This is the first such scan in 5 years. The full analysis is summarized in our new fact sheet entitled State Civic Education Read More >
9/11 Now in Textbooks and Standards
9/11 now in Textbooks and Standards Many states require teaching it, but textbook treatments are cursory, and state standards require only basic information Washington State and Vermont standards more substantive Tisch College, Tufts University, Medford/Somerville, Mass.: The attacks of 9/11/01 happened ten years ago, when a typical fifth-grader was an infant. But the attacks are Read More >
U.S. Civics Instruction: Content and Teaching Strategies
August 2007 by Mark Hugo Lopez & Emily Hoban Kirby A new CIRCLE fact sheet presents previously unreleased evidence from the 2006 CPHS survey about the themes emphasized in civics classes as well as the teaching strategies teachers employ in civics instruction. The research shows that government and civics classes continue to focus on traditional Read More >
Three New Volunteering Fact Sheets
by Karlo Barrios Marcelo July 2007 Using data from the Census Bureau’s 2006 Current Population Survey (CPS) September Volunteering Supplement, these fact sheets provide volunteer rate statistics, as well as information on how youth become involved in volunteer organizations, the types of volunteer activities, volunteer rates by geographical region, and median volunteer hours. Volunteering Among Read More >
Civic Engagement Among non-College Attending Youth
by Mark Hugo Lopez and Jason P. Kolaczkowski February 2003 Based on 1972-2004 Current Population Survey data, 2004 NEP exit poll data, and the CEG/CIRCLE Youth Survey 2004. Provides information on the voting rates of non-college attending youth. Download “Civic Engagement Among non-College Attending Youth.”
Civics Curriculum and Civic Skills: Recent Evidence
by Melissa K. Comber November 2003 Based on IEA Civic Education study and NHES data from 1999. Reports civics topics studied by 9th graders and tracks students who are required to pay attention to government by grade. Reports relationships between certain civics topics with outcomes and skills. Download “Civics Curriculum and Civic Skills: Recent Evidence.”
Themes Emphasized in Social Studies and Civics Classes
by Peter Levine and Mark Hugo Lopez February 2004 Based on CEG/CIRCLE Youth Survey 2004. Download “Themes Emphasized in Social Studies and Civics Classes.”
Strengths and Weaknesses in U.S. Students’ Knowledge and Skills: Analysis from the IEA Civic Education Study
by Judith Torney-Purta and Carolyn Henry Barber June 2004 Based on IEA data. Reports American student performance on knowledge measures in relation to the international mean, home background, topics studied in school, and attitudes about types of civic participation. Download “Strengths and Weaknesses in U.S. Students’ Knowledge and Skills: Analysis from the IEA Civic Education Read More >
How Teachers’ Preparation Relates to Students’ Civic Knowledge and Engagement in the United States: Analysis from the IEA Civic Education Study
by Judith Torney-Purta, Carolyn Henry Barber, and Wendy Klandl Richardson April 2005 Based on IEA data. Examines how teachers are prepared to provide civic education as well as their attitudes toward civic education. Download “How Teachers’ Preparation Relates to Students’ Civic Knowledge and Engagement in the United States: Analysis from the IEA Civic Education Study.”
Federal Policies for Civic Education and Service
by Emily Hoban Kirby, Peter Levine, and Brent Elrod June 2006 Describes current federal laws and appropriations. Download “Federal Policies for Civic Education and Service.”
An Assessment of Civic Engagement and Educational Attainment
by Alberto Davila and Marie T. Mora January 2007 It is well documented that individuals with higher levels of education tend to be more civically engaged. In a two-part study conducted for the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement (CIRCLE), we provide empirical evidence using 1988-2000 panel data from the National Read More >
Adolescents’ Trust and Civic Participation in the United States: Analysis of Data from the IEA Civic Education Study
by Judith Torney-Purta, Wendy Klandl Richardson, and Carolyn Henry Barber August 2004 Based on data from the IEA Civic Education study. Compares American youth’s levels of trust with that of youth from four countries of varying political history. Also, examines how trust relates to expectations of future civic participation. Download “Adolescents’ Trust and Civic Participation Read More >