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
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