ED479235 2003-07-00 State Standards for Civic Education. ERIC Digest.

file:///C|/...sktop/test/lps46435/ED479235%202003-07-00%20State%20Standards%20for%20Civic%20Education.%20ERIC%20Digest..html[12/4/2014 1:49:14 PM]

ERIC

ERIC Identifier: ED479235 

Publication Date: 2003-07-00 

Author: Patrick, John J. 

Source: ERIC Clearinghouse for Social Studies/Social Science Education Bloomington IN. 

State Standards for Civic Education. ERIC Digest.

THIS DIGEST WAS CREATED BY ERIC, THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER. FOR

MORE INFORMATION ABOUT ERIC, CONTACT ACCESS ERIC 1-800-LET-ERIC

A significant new report, Educating Democracy: State Standards to Ensure A Civic Core, has been issued by

the Albert Shanker Institute of the American Federation of Teachers. This document comparatively analyzes

and evaluates the standards for the teaching and learning of civics which state-level departments of

education in the United States have developed. This Digest addresses (1) the purposes and rationale for

this inquiry about state standards for civic education, (2) the criteria that guided the inquiry, (3) the

findings of the inquiry, and (4) suggestions for improving civic education.

PURPOSES AND RATIONALE.

Forty-eight states and the District of Columbia have developed standards for civic education (Iowa and

Rhode Island do not have statewide standards). These standards represent priorities in teaching and

learning. They indicate what each state department of education wants students to know and be able to do

in civics. Are these state standards likely to enhance the civic education of students? The purpose of the

state-by-state analysis of standards in civic education was to answer this question.

The main reason for undertaking this comparative study of state standards is the fundamental importance

of civic education in a constitutional democratic republic, such as the United States of America. From the

founding of the republic until today, a primary purpose of education in schools has been to teach

knowledge, skills, and dispositions needed by citizens to maintain and improve government of, by, and for

the people. Do the state standards seem likely to contribute positively to education for competent

citizenship in a democracy? If not, how can they be improved?

CRITERIA FOR EVALUATING STANDARDS.

This inquiry about the quality of state standards was conducted systematically in terms of five criteria.

The first criterion refers to a common core of learning anchored in the content of U.S. history, world

history, civics/government, and economics, which is necessary for the achievement of competent citizenship

in a constitutional democracy. The key question is, "Are the essentials of a civic core specified clearly?"

The second criterion is about the practical implementation of the core content. The key question is, "Are the

required topics teachable in flexible and imaginative ways across the secondary grades, including a selected

number in depth, within the limits of time that teachers actually have?"

The third criterion pertains to the coherence and connectedness of the core content within and across

grades or levels of schooling. The key question is, "Do the standards mandate or suggest an orderly

sequence of courses that articulate the essential content across the grades, avoiding needless repetition but

also making time for review of vital learning from earlier grades?"
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The fourth criterion concerns the inclusiveness of the civic education specified in the standards, which

requires all students to achieve them. The key question is, "Are the courses that carry the essential content

of civic/political education actually required of all students regardless of school 'track'?"

The fifth criterion is about links between different subjects in the core curriculum, such as history,

civics/government, geography, and economics. This criterion points to the pitfall of teaching subjects or

strands of content in isolation. And it emphasizes the importance of historical context in civic education. The

key question is, "Are the vital ideas, insights, and topics of civics, economics, and geography presented,

whenever appropriate, in the context of the historical narrative of people in real times and places?"

KEY FINDINGS.

The report lauds the state-level education departments for their attempts to develop content standards that

students should achieve in history, civics/government, and other subjects related to education for

citizenship in a democracy. The report is very critical, however, of the standards developed by most of the

states. In general, the report commends less than one-third of the states for the overall quality of their

standards.

In regard to the important first criterion, only 13 states have standards that "carry all or nearly all critical

topics, mostly in clear English and presented as essential to be touched upon, not merely as examples or

suggestions." (Gagnon 2003, 23). States with commendable standards are Alabama, Arizona, California,

Indiana, Kansas, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nebraska, New Mexico, New York, Oklahoma, Texas, and

Virginia. Other states' standards are more or less "content-light" in their treatment of history,

civics/government, and other core subjects.

Not even one state, however, satisfies the second criterion, which pertains to the teachability of the

standards within the time available to teachers. Not even the best state standards, deemed so based on the

first criterion, meet this second criterion. The report equally criticizes two types of standards as deficient:

standards overstuffed with details and those that are sweepingly vague and vacuous. Neither type of

standard is "teachable in any but hurried, superficial ways in the time available" (Gagnon 2003, 25).

Only 14 states fully meet the third criterion, which is about specifications of a systematic scope and

sequence. And the states generally have performed unevenly in regard to the fourth criterion, about

common requirements. Finally, the important fifth criterion, about coherence and connections across topics

and subjects, is met fully by only eight states (Alabama, California, Indiana, Massachusetts, Mississippi,

Nebraska, New York, and Texas).

According to the report, the state standards based on the National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS)

model "are the weakest on specifics and tend not to offer a common core of learning." Contrary to the

social studies announced aim -- competent citizenship -- they have very little political history and are weak .

. . on the political, economic, social, and cultural ideas of all world civilizations, including Western" (Gagnon

2003, 23).

The report also criticizes the NCSS standards for social studies (Schneider 1994) for their "sweeping topics"

and "vague, imprecise understandings" that are "contrary to preparing citizens of sound judgment" (Gagnon

2003, 24).

KEY RECOMMENDATIONS.

Based on comparative analysis and appraisal of the state standards, the report of the Albert Shanker

Institute makes four key recommendations for improving civic education for democracy in the United

States:

1. All state standards should be revised to comply with the five criteria that guided the comparative analysis

and evaluations. If so, there would be recognition in all the states of the teachable content, organized

coherently and connectedly, that constitutes a common core of civic learning to prepare students for
ED479235 2003-07-00 State Standards for Civic Education. ERIC Digest.

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competent citizenship in a democracy.

2. The state education departments should involve master teachers and scholars in the ongoing revision

and improvement of the state standards.

3. The states should require renewal and reform of teacher preparation programs to provide prospective

teachers with "deep knowledge of content and effective teaching methods" (Gagnon 2003, 30).

4. States should encourage provision of content-rich programs of professional development for employed

teachers.

WEB SITES AND RESOURCES FOR CIVIC EDUCATION.

You can find information about the Albert Shanker Institute of the American Federation of Teachers and

about education for democracy in the United States and abroad at this World Wide Web site:

<http://www.ashankerinst.org>.

Information about content state standards for core subjects such as history, civics, geography,

mathematics, and so forth can be found at the World Wide Web site of the American Federation of

Teachers: <http://www.aft.org/edissues/standards/Index.htm>.

Copies of the report on state standards in civic education, Educating Democracy: State Standards to Ensure

a Civic Core, can be obtained from: Albert Shanker Institute; 555 New Jersey Avenue, NW; Washington,

D.C. 20001. The price of a single copy is $15 ($10 each for orders of five or more).

REFERENCES AND ERIC RESOURCES.

The following list of resources includes references used to prepare this Digest. The items followed by an ED

number are available in microfiche, paper, or electronic full text from the ERIC Document Reproduction

Service (EDRS). For information about prices, contact EDRS, 7420 Fullerton Road, Suite 110, Springfield,

Virginia 22153-2852; World Wide Web <edrs.com>; telephone numbers are (703) 440-1400 and (800)

443-3742. Entries followed by an EJ number, annotated monthly in CURRENT INDEX TO JOURNALS IN

EDUCATION (CIJE), are not available through EDRS. However, they can be located in the journal section of

most larger libraries by using the bibliographic information provided, requested through Interlibrary Loan, or

ordered from commercial reprint services.

Bahmueller, Charles F., Ed. CIVITAS: A FRAMEWORK FOR CIVIC EDUCATION. Calabasas, CA: Center for

Civic Education, 1991. ED 340 654.

Brooks, Diane L. "Civics Standards in the California Schools: A Rich Resource, A View from the State

Department of Education." SOCIAL STUDIES REVIEW 35 (Fall 1995): 46-57. EJ 522 207.

Center for Civic Education. NATIONAL STANDARDS FOR CIVICS AND GOVERNMENT. Calabasas, CA: Center

for Civic Education, 1994. ED 375 074.

Delli Carpini, Michael X., and Scott Keeter. WHAT AMERICANS KNOW ABOUT POLITICS AND WHY IT

MATTERS. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 1996.

Gagnon, Paul. EDUCATING DEMOCRACY: STATE STANDARDS TO ENSURE A CIVIC CORE. Washington, DC:

Albert Shanker Institute, 2003.

Lutkus, Anthony, and Others. NAEP 1998 CIVICS REPORT CARD FOR THE NATION. Washington, DC:

National Center for Education Statistics, 1999. ED 435 583.

National Center for History in the Schools. NATIONAL STANDARDS FOR HISTORY. Los Angeles, CA: Center

for History in the Schools, 1996. ED 399 213.
ED479235 2003-07-00 State Standards for Civic Education. ERIC Digest.

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Nie, Norman H., Jane Junn, and Kenneth Stehlik-Barry. EDUCATION AND DEMOCRATIC CITIZENSHIP IN

AMERICA. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1996. ED 416 171.

Niemi, Richard G., and Jane Junn. CIVIC EDUCATION: WHAT MAKES STUDENTS LEARN. New Haven, CT:

Yale University Press, 1998. ED 431 658.

Patrick, John J. "Concepts at the Core of Education for Democratic Citizenship." In Charles F. Bahmueller

and John J. Patrick, Eds. PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICES OF EDUCATION FOR DEMOCRATIC CITIZENSHIP:

INTERNATIONAL PERSPECTIVES AND PROJECTS. Bloomington, IN: ERIC Clearinghouse for Social

Studies/Social Science Education, 1999. ED 434 866.

Schneider, Donald, and Others. EXPECTATIONS OF EXCELLENCE: CURRICULUM STANDARDS FOR SOCIAL

STUDIES. Washington, DC: National Council for the Social Studies, 1994. ED 378 131.

Stotsky, Sandra. "The National Standards for Civics: A Backbone for School Curricula?" JOURNAL OF

EDUCATION 176 (1994): 29-38. EJ 525 460.

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This project has been funded at least in part with Federal funds from the U.S. Department of Education

under contract number ED-99-CO-0016. The content of this publication does not necessarily reflect the

views or policies of the U.S. Department of Education nor does mention of trade names, commercial

products, or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. Government. ERIC Digests are in the public

domain and may be freely reproduced and disseminated.

John J. Patrick is Director of the ERIC Clearinghouse for Social Studies/Social Science Education, Director of

the Social Studies Development Center, and Professor of Education at Indiana University, Bloomington.

Title: State Standards for Civic Education. ERIC Digest. 

Document Type: Information Analyses---ERIC Information Analysis Products (IAPs) (071); Information

Analyses---ERIC Digests (Selected) in Full Text (073); 

Target Audience: Practitioners, Teachers 

Available From: ERIC Clearinghouse for Social Studies/Social Science Education, 2805 East Tenth Street,

Suite 120, Bloomington, IN 47408. Tel: 800-266-3815 (Toll Free); Fax: 812-855-0455; e-mail:

ericso@indiana.edu; Web site: http://ericso.indiana.edu. 

Descriptors: Academic Standards, Citizenship Education, Civics, Elementary Secondary Education,

Evaluation Criteria, Inquiry, Social Studies, State Standards 

Identifiers: ERIC Digests 

###

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