Six Promising (and Increasingly Proven) Civic Learning Practices

1. Six Promising (and Increasingly Proven) Civic Learning Practices Shawn Healy Civic Learning & Engagement Scholar Robert R. McCormick Foundation Civics Program

2. Overview: Six Promising Civic Learning Practices • The civic mission of schools: Preparing young people of college, career, and civic life • 2. Why civic learning • 3. Six promising (and increasingly proven) civic learning practices • Indicators • Evidence • Exemplars • 4. The Democracy Schools Initiative of the Illinois Civic Mission Coalition

3. The civic mission of schools: Core indicators of civic engagement A. Civic indicators 1. Community problem solving 2. Regular volunteering for nonelectoral organization 3. Active membership in a group or association 4. Participation in a fundraising run/ walk/ ride 5. Other fundraising for charity B. Political indicators 1. Regular voting 2. Persuading others 3. Displaying buttons, signs, stickers 4. Campaign contributions 5. Volunteering for candidate or political orgs C. Indicators of public voice 1. Contacting officials 2. Contacting the print media 3. Contacting the broadcast media 4. Protesting 5. Email petitions 6. Written petitions 7. Boycotting 8. Buycotting 9. Canvassing D. Indicators of cognitive engagement 1. Following govt and public affairs 2. Talking with family and friends about politics 3. Political knowledge 4. Attention to the news media

4. The civic mission of schools: The diversity of youth engagement

5. Why civic learning? • ● The benefits of high-quality, school-based civic learning opportunities: • Promoting civic capacity, connections, and commitments • Bridging the “democracy divide” • Building 21st Century competencies • Improving school climate • Reducing the drop-out rate

6. Promoting civic capacityKnowledge

7. Promoting civic capacity and connections • ● Burns et al (2001) posit the Civic Volunteerism Model • Participation is a product of… • Resources (Time, money, and civic skills) • Recruitment • Psychological involvement with politics

8. Promoting civic commitmentsDispositions

9. Bridging the democracy divideThe civic empowerment gap

10. Building 21st Century competencies

11. Improving school climate

12. Reducing the drop-out rate

13. Six promising civic learning practices • ● Six “proven practices” outlined by the Civic Mission of Schools: • 1. Classroom instruction • Discussion of current events and controversial issues • Service learning • Extracurricular activities • Student participation in school governance • Simulations of democratic processes

14. 1. Classroom instruction Provide instruction in government, history, law and democracy • Evidence: • Students who did not take civics courses exhibited less knowledge about all aspects of government than those who did • It is the amount and recency of civics course work that matters • Civics courses not only improve student knowledge, but they also improve their reasoning capacities and ability to engage in discussions of civic affairs • They also increase faith in government responsiveness and political efficacy tied to elections

15. 1. Classroom instruction Provide instruction in government, history, law and democracy Evidence:

16. 1. Classroom instruction Provide instruction in government, history, law and democracy Exemplar: We the People: The Citizen and the Constitution

17. 2. Current and controversial issues • Incorporate discussion of current local, national, and international issues and events in the classroom, particularly those that young people view as important to their lives. • ● Evidence: • “Deliberation and participation…do not go hand in hand. Homogeneous and heterogeneous social contexts serve two different, yet important, purposes in this regard.” (Mutz, 2006) • Disturbing evidence of a dearth of political discussions among people with dissenting views • Schools as a transformational site to facilitate such dialogue • “We have to get young people comfortable with conflict. That’s when they’re more likely to engage politically. If we rely just on families to do this, it isn’t going to happen. Civic education has the potential to tap the openness of young people to arguments on both sides of important issues.” (Hess, 2009)

18. 2. Current and controversial issues Incorporate discussion of current local, national, and international issues and events in the classroom, particularly those that young people view as important to their lives. ● Exemplar: Capitol Forum on America’s Future (Choices Program)

19. 3. Service learning Design and implement programs that provide students with the opportunity to apply what they learn through performing community service that is linked to the formal curriculum and classroom instruction ● Evidence: Students who participate in service learning programs show higher civic knowledge and dispositions, a greater tendency to value school, and an increased likelihood to vote as adults

20. 3. Service learning Design and implement programs that provide students with the opportunity to apply what they learn through performing community service that is linked to the formal curriculum and classroom instruction ● Evidence: Example: Everyone has a responsibility to be concerned with state and local issues.

21. 3. Service learning Design and implement programs that provide students with the opportunity to apply what they learn through performing community service that is linked to the formal curriculum and classroom instruction ● Exemplar: York High School Civic Action Program

22. 4. Extracurricular activities Offer extracurricular activities that provide opportunities for young people to get involved in their schools or communities ● Evidence: • Strong correlation between adolescent extracurricular participation and adult political and civic behaviors • Correlation holds true for instrumental, not expressive organizations • - Instrumental orgs include student government, yearbook, newspaper, political clubs, debate, and community orgs • SES not a mitigating factor

23. 4. Extracurricular activities Offer extracurricular activities that provide opportunities for young people to get involved in their schools or communities ● Evidence: • Extracurriculars, even those without an overt political focus, are powerful vehicles of political socialization. • They: • -Contribute to one’s sense of being able to make a difference • -Create influential relationships • -May change the political motivations of adolescents, the realization that they have a stake in the political world

24. 4. Extracurricular activities Offer extracurricular activities that provide opportunities for young people to get involved in their schools or communities ● Exemplar: Mikva Challenge

25. 5. Student voice Encourage student participation in school governance ● Evidence: • Studied the civic engagement initiative at Hudson (MA) • high school, which included student clustering and schoolwide governance. • Their findings were mixed: • -The clusters were not as successful as anticipated, for they were perhaps too large and there were arguably a dearth of substantive issues over which to deliberate • -The community council, however, appeared to be working well in process and product • -Moreover, the researchers found interest groups emerging out of the clusters, where discussions of governance issues occurred

26. 5. Student voice Encourage student participation in school governance ● Exemplar: Illinois Youth Summit (Constitutional Rights Foundation Chicago)

27. 6. Simulations Encourage students’ participation in simulations of democratic processes and procedures ● Exemplar: iCivics

28. 6. Simulations Encourage students’ participation in simulations of democratic processes and procedures . • ● Evidence: Legislative Semester (Community High School, West Chicago, IL) • Ganzler (2010) did an intensive study of the Legislative Semester simulation. • His analysis of student results revealed that comfort with conflict as a result of the simulation experience was associated with political engagement • Along these lines, Ganzler found that students were dramatically more confident in speaking before their peers, and also felt that their classroom environments were open for discussion

29. The Illinois Civic Mission Coalition Part of the National Campaign for the Civic Mission of Schools, the Illinois Civic Mission Coalition seeks to restore education to its core purpose – preparing America’s youngest citizens to be informed and active participants in our democracy.

30. The Illinois Civic Mission Coalition Illinois high school students deserve enhanced opportunities to learn and practice civic engagement behaviors, and the ICMC has created a process by which high schools affirm their commitment to civic learning by seeking recognition as a Democracy School.

31. What is a Democracy School? Illinois Democracy Schools are high schools recognized for consciously promoting civic engagement by all students, focusing intentionally on fostering participatory citizenship and placing an emphasis on helping students understand how the fundamental ideals and principles of our democratic society relate to important current problems, opportunities and controversies.

32. Illinois Democracy Schools:Application Process Prospective Democracy Schools begin by forming a team of faculty members and administrators to complete a school-wide civic assessment, evaluating civic learning acrossthe curriculum, extracurricular opportunities, and school governance through indicators of six proven civic learning practices. By assessing and aligning their curriculum, co-curriculum and school governance policies with the framework, teams will work to deepen their school’s commitment to civic learning and strive for recognition as an "Illinois Democracy School."

33. Illinois Democracy Schools Since 2006, the ICMC has recognized eleven Illinois high schools as Democracy Schools. In 2011, the Illinois Senate passed a resolution commending current Democracy Schools, encouraging high schools across the state to engage in the civic assessment, and recommending this distinction be placed on school report cards.

34. Illinois Democracy SchoolsFor more information contact: Shawn P. Healy Chair, Illinois Civic Mission Coalition Civic Learning & Engagement Scholar, McCormick Foundation Civics Program Direct: 312-445-5174 Fax: 312-445-5074 SHealy@McCormickFoundation.org