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January-February 2012 |
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Welcome to Citizentship Matters, from the National Center for Learning and Citizenship (NCLC) at the Education Commission of the States (ECS). This bimonthly newsletter focuses on ECS' work in improving citizenship education in our nation's schools. |
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Guest Column What States Are Doing The Florida Department of Education released a memo answering frequently asked questions about the Justice Sandra Day O’Connor Civics Education Act. Nationwide, O’Connor’s work has influenced the civics education law in Florida and pending legislation in Kentucky and Tennessee. O’Connor launched the effort that became iCivics in 2006, the year she retired from the court. It initially focused on the judicial branch alone, but "it became apparent pretty quickly it was needed across the board," she said. Oregon Secretary of State Kate Brown popped into four Salem-Keizer high school government classes in January to introduce a new beginner’s guide to Oregon civics. Good Reads A report released in January outlines nine steps the U.S. Department of Education will take to advance civic learning across American education. The report is a national call to action to infuse and enhance civic learning and democratic engagement for all students across the American education system. The U.S. Department of Justice released an overview of connections between bullying in schools, attendance and achievement. Among the key findings is that school engagement protects victims from truancy and low academic achievement. U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, along with several political and education officials, launched a national conversation about the importance of educating students for informed, engaged citizenship with the release of the Department’s report, Civic Learning and Engagement in Democracy: A Road Map and Call to Action. President Obama’s victory in the 2008 presidential race demonstrated the importance of civic involvement by young voters. But what is the best way to teach young Americans how to be better citizens? The evidence is mounting that high-performing charter schools can serve as models for the nation's public schools in their efforts to prepare students for a life of active citizenship. NCLC News NCLC's Lisa Guilfoile and Molly Ryan joined the ranks of the newly formed Colorado Service-Learning Council, a cadre of state constituents committed to taking service-learning statewide to the next level. The group’s objectives include creating a go-to Web site for service-learning in Colorado, creating a state networking site with resources that apply to diverse audiences and user groups, and providing a tool that connects providers, practitioners and other proponents of service-learning. Meetings and Events Brookings hosted a discussion of Teaching America: The Case for Civic Education, on Jan. 9. Contributing authors laid out their proposals for strengthening civic education in a discussion moderated by Brookings Senior Fellow William Galston. The event was part of the Governing Ideas series intended to broaden the discussion of governance issues through forums on history, culture, legal norms and practices, values and religion. Listen to the audio: Names in the News |
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