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Citizenship Education |
The Role of Principals in
Citizenship Education:
Integrating and
Sustaining Quality Efforts in American Schools
Although school districts’
mission statements routinely refer to the importance of preparing students to
become responsible citizens, the current focus on academic knowledge often
diminishes a commitment to the teaching of citizenship skills. A recent
analysis of the scores of 4th, 8th and 12th graders on civics tests
administered by the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) showed
that only one in four students was able to explain in even simple terms how American
democracy works, while only 9% were able to list two or more positive benefits
of active citizenship. Students may learn facts about democracy, the NAEP
analysis concluded, but in general “they have difficulty applying this
knowledge to community problems or public policy.”
“There is such pressure on principals to raise student achievement that
other important aspects of education are getting lost along the way,” says
Delaine Eastin, executive director of the National Institute for School
Leadership and former state superintendent of public instruction in California.
“Our schools and policymakers have to be concerned not just with improving test
scores but with growing great citizens, because we can’t have a successful
democracy without them.”
Many districts are
attempting to go beyond the valuable but limited scope of a civics curriculum –
which focuses on the knowledge of
democratic concepts, institutions and rights – and use active citizenship
education, which gives students systematic opportunities to practice civic skills such as
decisionmaking, leadership, consensus building and communicating with
policymakers about issues of concern.
This issue brief explores
the instrumental role of school principals in efforts to unite civics knowledge
with action and make effective citizenship education a vital part of their
schools’ functioning. It concludes with excerpts from interviews with several
principals engaged in such efforts.
Citizenship education and service-learning
Service-learning
is a form of instruction that benefits both students and communities. Though
sometimes confused with community service, service-learning differs
substantially since it is closely tied to academic instruction, curriculum
frameworks and standards. It can be used in virtually any subject area, across
subject areas and at any grade level. In all quality service-learning projects,
students perform a needed service in the school or surrounding community. In
cooperation with their teachers, students also make decisions about the nature
of their projects and have structured time for reflection about their
experiences.
For
example, a high school civics class in Waterford, Connecticut, became involved
in the case of Captain Arnold Holm, a young man who had graduated from their
school some years before and been declared missing in action after his
helicopter was shot down during the Vietnam War. The students did research on
the helicopter crew, met with their congressman and eventually convinced the
federal government to reopen the case. “While the case is still unresolved and
no remains have been found,” said Waterford High School principal Don Macrino,
“the young people saw that they could, through their efforts, make the wheels
of government turn. That was a very powerful lesson for them.”
Service-learning, citizenship education and academic achievement
Principal
Sharon Buddin from Ridge View High School in Columbia, South Carolina, believes
“any time that you make connections between learning and service, the learning
sticks.” She also asserts that the application of citizenship skills through
service-learning helps to shape the culture of the school, and that in turn
“gets you the accountability results that you want.”
Buddin’s
view are borne out by a number of statewide and local studies suggesting that
students involved in service-learning receive better grades and score higher on
state tests of basic skills than their peers. Other studies have found that
service-learning students have better attendance records, are more likely to
come to class and finish tasks on time, and feel more connected to their
schools.[i]
Waterford
High’s Don Macrino sees a clear connection between academic achievement and the
application of citizenship skills through service-learning. “Some students who
may not do well academically really shine in service-learning,” he says. “It
lights a fire inside of kids to do bigger, better things. It gives them the
acceptance of their peers and helps them to become real leaders.” Macrino also
sees benefits for students who are gifted academically. “Service-learning gives
them a way to put theory into practice and demonstrate what they’ve learned,”
he says.
Making education more relevant to students
Principal Jan
Fries-Martinez of Polytechnic High School in Los Angeles recalls how many of
her students wanted to help after an earthquake struck the area. With guidance
from their teacher, students in one class volunteered to help repair broken
walls and windows at a nearby senior housing facility. “Students could see the
connection between what they were learning in school – in this case, geometry –
and what they were doing to help people,” Fries-Martinez says. When civic
education is taught through the vehicle of service-learning, it also creates a
real sense of community, she says. “The students say, ‘I need to be at school
because I’m part of a project.’”
Celia Ripke, an
elementary school principal in Hollywood, California, notes that students are
not just participants, but are often initiators of service-learning projects.
When students have planted a garden or conducted a clothing drive in one class,
they want to do a similar project in another class because of their positive
experience. “So our students play a big role in convincing teachers about the importance
of service-learning,” she says.
Numerous studies of
service-learning point to a range of benefits for students beyond academic
achievement: a heightened sense of civil and social responsibility; reduced
behavioral problems; greater acceptance of cultural differences; and better
relationships with peers, teachers and parents.[ii]
Through service-learning, young people’s innate need to find meaning in their
lives and do something important in this world is given expression within the
context of their studies. In contrast to the frequent and profound disconnect
of experience that occurs between the inside and outside of classroom walls,
students who combine knowledge with service find a comfortable continuity of
learning between their schools, homes and community.
Former California
State Superintendent Eastin points out a number of other benefits for students,
including the favorable reception that students involved in ongoing service to
their communities can get when they apply to a college or for a scholarship.
She also believes service-learning can help immigrant students develop a
greater understanding of and appreciation for democratic government. Finally,
she extols the simple pleasures of human connection. “You meet the nicest
people doing hands-on, value-driven democracy,” Eastin says.
Involving parents
The
importance of parent involvement in schools is well documented. When strong
connections exist between homes and schools, students are more likely to have
better attendance records, higher levels of academic achievement, fewer
behavioral problems and better social skills.[iii]
Service-learning
invites the meaningful involvement of parents and provides a variety of options
for parents to help, both in the school and at home. At Gardner Elementary
School in Hollywood, California, where there is a large concentration of recent
Russian and Latino immigrants, most parents work or go to school full time.
“They can’t come to classes during the day, but are very supportive of things
that they can help with after school hours,” says Gardner principal Celia
Ripke. For example, many parents who work full time were instrumental in
organizing and contributing to recent book and clothing drives.
Middle
school principal Madeline Brick from Hudson, Massachusetts, says it takes a lot
of work to involve parents, but it’s worth the effort. “Today, for example, we
had 15 parents helping with the painting of another mural for the school,” she
says. “Parents know what is going on in the school and feel more connected
because of that.” All the principals interviewed for this paper emphasized the
importance of regular communication with parents to inform them about
service-learning projects and describe opportunities for parents to become
involved.
The use of policy
Embedding
service-learning and citizenship education in schools through policy (1) helps
ensure this practice will continue beyond the tenure of certain dedicated
teachers or administrators, (2) provides added support, and (3) makes explicit
they are not “add-ons,” but rather integral components of school district
goals. For example, the mission statement of Richland School District Two in
Columbia, South Carolina states:
Richland
School District Two, in partnership with the Columbia Northeast community,
guarantees each student a quality education by providing appropriate and
challenging learning experiences to equip each individual for lifelong
learning, responsible citizenship and productivity in an ever-changing world.
The School Board . . . values service-learning as an effective pedagogy to
achieve its mission and ensure each graduate can be successful.
There
are two basic approaches to embedding service-learning and citizenship
education in policy. The first is to strongly encourage the use of service-learning
as a means to citizenship education. The second approach is to mandate its use
– in specific classes, such as social studies or civics; in certain grades or
grade spans; or as a graduation requirement.
In Philadelphia,
for example, district policy states that all students will have a
service-learning experience at least three times: by the 5th grade, again by
the 9th grade and before graduation. “We leave it up to the principals and
teachers at each school to figure out how this will happen,” says Kenny
Holdsman, the district’s former service-learning director. “At some schools,
principals encourage certain teachers to use service-learning. At other
schools, students are assigned to teachers who employ service-learning in their
classes.” The district verifies students’ compliance with the policy by showing
the completion of a service-learning experience on report cards.
Service-learning mandates –
whether they are generated at the state or local level – can be a source of
controversy. In Waterford, Connecticut, where students are required to complete
80 hours of service to graduate, some parents voice complaints about community
service and service-learning being “forced volunteerism.” Principal Don Macrino
responds that the school is dealing with a student population that “needs to be
steered in the right direction” through an expectation of service. Macrino
feels that the drawbacks of the mandate are greatly outweighed by the benefits
to the students, the school and the city. Because his students work in more
than 200 local agencies, all those partners get to know the young people. “They
see that a certain student is not just some strange being dressed in black, but
he’s John Smith who is a responsible, caring person,” he says. “The service work
allows people to see beyond the appearances. It’s that kind of connection that
strengthens the community.”
Whether
service-learning is mandated or not, district policy can be used to provide a
broad base of support for it. As an example, the Nestucca Valley School
District in Tillamook, Oregon, formally supports and encourages the use of
service-learning as a teaching strategy “by giving it priority status in the
use of transportation resources, by providing staff development, by teacher
release time, by publicly recognizing service-learning projects and by
providing financial support for service-learning projects.”
Conclusion
The habits of democracy
must be relearned in each generation; they are not automatically bestowed on
young people when they reach the age of 18. There can be no effective citizens
without a quality education, and educational institutions have historically
played a key role in fostering the attitudes and skills of democracy. In the
words of Professor Benjamin Barber of the University of Maryland, “a theory of
democracy… demands a civic pedagogy rooted in the obligation to educate all who
would be citizens; and since the reverse is true, to make citizens of all who
are educated.”[iv] The
classroom is not just a container for knowledge, but a laboratory for
democracy.
Even
in a time of heightened emphasis on test scores and accountability,
well-planned citizenship education is indispensable to schools and communities.
Teaching young people about the workings of democracy and giving them
opportunities to practice their knowledge through service-learning provides the
foundation for students to become lifelong, contributing citizens. Neither
citizenship education nor service-learning are “add-on” activities; they are
potent tools that fulfill the civic mission of schools and simultaneously
strengthen students’ academic, social and career development. As administrators
and gatekeepers, principals play a crucial role in overseeing, strengthening
and promoting these efforts in their schools.
Resources
The
one resource cited most frequently by the principals interviewed for this issue
brief was of the human variety – principals at other schools with credible
citizenship education and service-learning programs in place, service-learning
consultants and teachers who encourage their peers, through words and by
example, to try something new. One principal told us: “For me, the best
resources are people around me in the building and the dialogue we create
around the attributes that we want to see in our students. There are hundreds
of Web sites, and all of that is helpful, but first you need to talk to the
people whom you trust. We were able to build our service-learning efforts to
meet our needs and match our vision.”
Recommended readings
Berman, Sheldon,
Sheila Bailey, Randall Collins, Dale Kinsley and Elizabeth Holman (2000). Service-learning: An Administrator’s Guide for Improving Schools and
Connecting with the Community. Denver, CO: Education Commission of the
States.
Boston, Bruce and Barbara
Gomez (2000). Every Student a Citizen: Creating the
Democratic Self. Denver, CO: Education Commission of the States.
Miller,
Jeffery J.
(2004). Citizenship Education in 10 U.S.
High Schools. Denver, CO: Education Commission of the States.
Miller,
Jeffery J.
(2004). Citizenship Education Policy at
the School District Level. Denver, CO: Education Commission of the States.
National
Commission on Service-Learning (2002).
Learning in Deed: The Power of Service-Learning for America’s Schools.
Battle Creek, MI: W.K. Kellogg Foundation.
Potter, Calvin, Jane Grinde,
Stan Potts, Barbara Babcock, and Neldine Nichols (2000). Learning
from Experience: A Collection of Service-learning Projects Linking Academic
Standards to the Curriculum. Madison, WI: Wisconsin Department of Public
Instruction.
Vermont Community Works (2001). Connecting
Service Learning to the Curriculum: A Workbook for Teachers and Administrators.
Guilford, VT: VCW.
Linda Fredericks
is a consultant to the ECS National Center for Learning and Citizenship and
other national and regional education organizations. She is the author of the
“Service-learning and Standards Toolkit” and “Learning That Lasts: How
Service-Learning Can Become an Integral Part of Schools, States and
Communities.” Delaine Eastin is executive director of the National Institute
for School Leadership, former state superintendent of public instruction in
California and a member of the ECS National Center for Learning and
Citizenship’s Executive Board. Randall Collins is superintendent of Waterford
(CT) Public Schools and chair of the National Center for Learning and
Citizenship.