NAS and the Pioneer Institute publish a report evaluating 15 leading civics programs
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CounterCurrent:
A New K-12 Civics Report Card
NAS and the Pioneer Institute publish a report evaluating 15 leading civics programs
CounterCurrent is the National Association of Scholars’ weekly newsletter, bringing you the biggest issues in academia and our responses to them.
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Category: Civics Education; Reading Time: ~2 minutes
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** Featured Report - Learning for Self-Government: A K-12 Civics Report Card by David Randall ([link removed])
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If you Google “K-12 civics resources,” the search will produce seemingly infinite options (about 79,400,000 results, to be precise). It isn’t hard for teachers and parents to find resources—there are plenty of civics programs out there. The challenge is finding quality resources that will prepare students to take on the full responsibilities of American citizens when they come of age.
Distinguishing between different civics programs can be a daunting task. Some resources use language that betrays their ideological agenda right off the bat (that civics program advertising “equitable K-12 civic learning ([link removed]) ,” for instance, is not trying to be subtle). But oftentimes, the depth and quality of a program can only be determined by diving into its content and taking a close look at what it teaches students to believe about their nation and their role as citizens.
The stakes are higher than you might think. Today’s K-12 students are tomorrow’s voters—but even more than that, they are tomorrow’s legislators, judges, teachers, and scholars. They will eventually pass down what they learn to their own children, setting the tone for the next generation of American political life.
The National Association of Scholars’ latest report, Learning for Self-Government: A K-12 Civics Report Card ([link removed]) , offers a guide for teachers who seek a robust civics curriculum for their students—and for parents who want to know more about what their children are being taught in the classroom. Authored by NAS Director of Research David Randall and published in partnership with the Pioneer Institute ([link removed]) , the report evaluates 15 leading civics programs and assesses both their educational quality and their ideological bent.
In his introduction to Learning for Self-Government, Dr. Randall describes the long battle over civics education and articulates the need for a thorough assessment of existing programs:
The American people awoke in 2021—but the battle began decades ago. The republic’s champions, justly alarmed by our schools’ increasing alienation from America, have been fighting back against the advancing radical tide for a generation and more. They have funded textbooks, founded teacher training programs, and crafted lesson plans. So too, of course, have those educators who would remold Americans to assent to their authoritarian ideologies—and those cautious souls who have sought to follow a middle road between the old civics and the ersatz new. We possess, in tribute to America’s loose-knit sprawl, a variety of institutions that have experimented with different ways to forward civics education.
Civics reformers in 2021 do not need to reinvent the wheel. They need an inventory of the different attempts to improve civics education, an assessment of how effective each has been, and a recommendation about how they should build upon these different reform efforts.
Learning for Self-Government equips parents, teachers, and civics reformers to navigate the changing landscape of American civics education. If you play any role in civics education—or if you just want to know what the next generation is being taught—I encourage you to read it.
Until next week.
Marina Ziemnick
Communications Associate
National Association of Scholars
Read More ([link removed])
For more on racial preferences and higher education:
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August 26, 2021
** Civic Education as a Duty and a Delight ([link removed])
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Paul O. Carrese
For too many Americans, “civics” is either a vague mystery or akin to a dental cleaning: we know that we should do it but would avoid it if possible.
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July 22, 2021
** Three Pledges to Combat CRT and Action Civics in American Education ([link removed])
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Peter Wood
To equip American citizens to effect true change in their schools, NAS has created three pledges: one for school board candidates, one for state office candidates, and one for voters.
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July 07, 2021
** Training Students to Protest Doesn’t a Civics Education Make ([link removed])
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John D. Sailer
A good civics education prepares students to form their own political beliefs. Protest civics bypasses that preparation, integrating substantive political goals right into the classroom.
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June 18, 2021
** Tracking American Civics Legislation ([link removed])
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David Randall
We're tracking every proposed American civics education bill, both on the federal and state level, and have organized our data here for public use.
** About the NAS
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The National Association of Scholars, founded in 1987, emboldens reasoned scholarship and propels civil debate. We’re the leading organization of scholars and citizens committed to higher education as the catalyst of American freedom.
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