Guest Column
Dr. Stephen Hefner, superintendent of Richland School District Two in Columbia, South Carolina, and Beverly Hiott, lead teacher for service-learning and civic education at Richland Two, describe their district's efforts in citizenship education and service-learning.
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Back to top.What States Are Doing
Kentucky's Senate Joint Resolution 80, signed by Governor Fletcher, urges the estabishment of a committee to convene a Summit for Civic Literacy. The goal of the summit is to determine a strategy that enhances long-term civic
engagement and literacy, and to recommend a plan for improving civic engagement.
http://www.lrc.state.ky.us/RECORD/04RS/SJ80/bill.doc
Utah's recently enacted House Bill 22 provides legislative recognition that civic and character education are fundamental elements of the public education system's core mission and constitutional responsibility that must be taught in connection with regular schoolwork.
http://www.le.state.ut.us/~2004/bills/hbillenr/hb0022.pdf
Back to top.Good Reads
The current issue of The Progress of Education Reform focuses on what some of the latest research says policymakers can do to improve citizenship education, as well as what the National Assessment of Educational Progress has found about nationwide student civics achievement.
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Wisconsin State Superintendent of Public Instruction and NCLC Chair-elect Elizabeth Burmaster reflects in an editorial on how civic development and academic achievement go hand in hand.
http://www.dpi.state.wi.us/dpi/dltcl/eis/pdf/dpi2004_34.pdf
Five schools have been selected to join the First Amendment Schools initiative, a multiyear reform effort designed to transform how schools practice and teach the rights and responsibilities of the First Amendment and how they can help students become active and engaged citizens.
http://www.ascd.org/cms/index.cfm?TheViewID=2484
Back to top.New Center Publications
This issue paper examines the efforts of 14 school districts to provide a citizenship education to their students. The paper offers a series of recommendations targeted specifically for state policymakers, district leaders and school principals.
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A new ECS NCLC Issue Brief gives an overview of the arguments for and against lowering the voting age, including recent policy actions and a list of pros and cons.
http://www.ecs.org/clearinghouse/51/42/5142.doc
Back to top.NCLC News
NCLC will release an initial summary of two state policy approaches that support effective citizenship education at the Education Leadership Colloquium in July. Visit the ECS NCLC Web site in mid-July to access these new resources.
Back to top.Meetings & Events
The 2004 EDUCATION LEADERSHIP COLLOQUIUM (ELC) on the Civic Mission of American Schools will be held July 12-13, 2004, in Orlando, Florida, immediately preceding The ECS National Forum on Education Policy.
http://www.compact.org/ccpartnerships/ELC/
Back to top.Names in the News
NCLC Chairman and Waterford, Connecticut Superintendent Randy Collins was elected to the American Association of School Administrators Executive Board, representing Region 7 (New England & New York).
The Michigan State Board of Education recently appointed State Representative and NCLC Board Member Doug Hart as chairman of a statewide social studies task force.
Back to top.Updates from NACE
Citizenship Matters regularly features new information available on the National Alliance for Civic Education's Web site.
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Back to top.Other Useful Web sites
First Amendment Schools is a national initiative designed to help teach and practice the rights and responsibilities of citizenship that frame civic life in our democracy.
http://www.firstamendmentschools.org/
Street Law works to help provide practical education about law, democracy and human rights. The organization's programs and curricula promote knowledge of legal rights and responsibilities, engagement in the democratic process and belief in the rule of law.
http://www.streetlaw.org/
Back to top.International Focus
Maria Nieves Tapia and Maria Marta Mallea have authored a chapter, “Service-Learning in ARGENTINA," which chronicles the growth of service-learning in Argentina over the past decade and features of service-learning in Argentina schools.
http://www.service-enquiry.org.za/downloads/chapter%2016.pdf
Back to top.
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