The education of democratic citizens has always been of paramount concern in the United States. B... more The education of democratic citizens has always been of paramount concern in the United States. But since the early 1990s, the literature on democratic citizenship education has virtually exploded . One could reasonably inquire, "Why publish yet another book on this topic?" The preparation of informed and concerned citizens is especially urgent due to the troubling political, educational, and sociological problems that confront us every time we read the news. (In this book, the word "citizens" is inclusive of U. S. residents; we do not mean to exclude those who do not have legal status as citizens.) In this post 9/11 era, the United States is still at war in Iraq and Afghanistan and embroiled in domestic conflict over topics such as immigration and religion. Heated debates continue about what constitutes good citizenship and what democracy means. Critical questions proliferate about free speech, privacy, and other civil liberties; trust in the government; the role of the United States in foreign affairs; environmental protection; and criminalization of youth. These questions generate yet another: How are today's young citizens, upon whom the future of our democracy depends, being educated to understand these issues, make informed decisions, and contribute to building a more just society? In addition to politics, the current educational scene begs the question of how we are educating citizens for democracy. The federal government is
Common-sense proposals for restructuring schools neglect two major issues: What content is needed... more Common-sense proposals for restructuring schools neglect two major issues: What content is needed to give direction to structural innovation? and How can the many factors that influence this content be linked? A discussion of the social context of U.S. education demonstrates the ways in which content and linkage problems are complicated. An agenda of content for teacher commitment and competence is described, based on the following areas: depth of understanding and authentic knowledge; success for all students; new teacher roles; and the concept of schools as moral communities. Four areas of need for substantial change are identified: high standards; high incentives and stakes; local empowerment; and collaborative organization. Five problems related to systemic linkage that restructuring "theory" has yct to address are discussed--the failure to explain: how organizational alignment will pe achieved; how powerful institutions will change; how the contradiction between exter...
... of simple and rote tasks became the gatekeeper to more complex and demanding work. As the cur... more ... of simple and rote tasks became the gatekeeper to more complex and demanding work. As the curriculum for comprehensive schools was formed, educators sought new ways to ... The models they drew on included application forms, shipping invoices, and business letters rather ...
Nationll restructuring organizations are described in this paper, with a focus en those that work... more Nationll restructuring organizations are described in this paper, with a focus en those that work across districts to support multiple aspects of school restructuring, rather than within-district or state organizations. Data were derived from interviews with individuals in each program and from program descriptions and secondary sources. Section 1 describes the educational visions of 11 national organizations, and concludes that much variation exists in terms of formality of guidelines and governance flexibility. Processes for linking the national organizations with schools are examined in the second section. Two themes of linkages are identified: those in which groups select the level at which they work with the school system; and the diverse ways of working with schools, such as the use of networking, training models, onsite ccnsultation visits, and intensive training. The next two sections conclude that the spread of restructuring organizations and the depth of their impact varies greatly. A combination of support at various levels is needed. Key components of a successful program that serves all children include teacher involvemeht, a focus on all students' outcomes, professional development at the school level, and implementing a systemic, long-term approach. Appendices provide descriptions of the 11 restructuring organizations and data collection information. ) (LMI) E 9,LI CATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CE NTE R I E RICI Tnrs document haS been reproduced as ieceweo trom the person or orgsnastion orrgrnating .1 CI Mrnor oranges haye peen made to irriorCir reproquCtiOn quality Pornts of yrew or oprnrons slated rn ms document do not necessarily represent ottrcrel OE RI posrtron or porrcy
... Urban Youth in Civic Practice: Community-Based Youth Organizations as Alternative Sites for D... more ... Urban Youth in Civic Practice: Community-Based Youth Organizations as Alternative Sites for Democratic Education 227 Jennifer O'Donoghue and Ben Kirshner 10. To Think, Live, and Breathe Politics: Experiencing Democratic Citizenship in Chicago 252 Janet S. Bixby 11. ...
... of simple and rote tasks became the gatekeeper to more complex and demanding work. As the cur... more ... of simple and rote tasks became the gatekeeper to more complex and demanding work. As the curriculum for comprehensive schools was formed, educators sought new ways to ... The models they drew on included application forms, shipping invoices, and business letters rather ...
The education of democratic citizens has always been of paramount concern in the United States. B... more The education of democratic citizens has always been of paramount concern in the United States. But since the early 1990s, the literature on democratic citizenship education has virtually exploded . One could reasonably inquire, "Why publish yet another book on this topic?" The preparation of informed and concerned citizens is especially urgent due to the troubling political, educational, and sociological problems that confront us every time we read the news. (In this book, the word "citizens" is inclusive of U. S. residents; we do not mean to exclude those who do not have legal status as citizens.) In this post 9/11 era, the United States is still at war in Iraq and Afghanistan and embroiled in domestic conflict over topics such as immigration and religion. Heated debates continue about what constitutes good citizenship and what democracy means. Critical questions proliferate about free speech, privacy, and other civil liberties; trust in the government; the role of the United States in foreign affairs; environmental protection; and criminalization of youth. These questions generate yet another: How are today's young citizens, upon whom the future of our democracy depends, being educated to understand these issues, make informed decisions, and contribute to building a more just society? In addition to politics, the current educational scene begs the question of how we are educating citizens for democracy. The federal government is
Common-sense proposals for restructuring schools neglect two major issues: What content is needed... more Common-sense proposals for restructuring schools neglect two major issues: What content is needed to give direction to structural innovation? and How can the many factors that influence this content be linked? A discussion of the social context of U.S. education demonstrates the ways in which content and linkage problems are complicated. An agenda of content for teacher commitment and competence is described, based on the following areas: depth of understanding and authentic knowledge; success for all students; new teacher roles; and the concept of schools as moral communities. Four areas of need for substantial change are identified: high standards; high incentives and stakes; local empowerment; and collaborative organization. Five problems related to systemic linkage that restructuring "theory" has yct to address are discussed--the failure to explain: how organizational alignment will pe achieved; how powerful institutions will change; how the contradiction between exter...
... of simple and rote tasks became the gatekeeper to more complex and demanding work. As the cur... more ... of simple and rote tasks became the gatekeeper to more complex and demanding work. As the curriculum for comprehensive schools was formed, educators sought new ways to ... The models they drew on included application forms, shipping invoices, and business letters rather ...
Nationll restructuring organizations are described in this paper, with a focus en those that work... more Nationll restructuring organizations are described in this paper, with a focus en those that work across districts to support multiple aspects of school restructuring, rather than within-district or state organizations. Data were derived from interviews with individuals in each program and from program descriptions and secondary sources. Section 1 describes the educational visions of 11 national organizations, and concludes that much variation exists in terms of formality of guidelines and governance flexibility. Processes for linking the national organizations with schools are examined in the second section. Two themes of linkages are identified: those in which groups select the level at which they work with the school system; and the diverse ways of working with schools, such as the use of networking, training models, onsite ccnsultation visits, and intensive training. The next two sections conclude that the spread of restructuring organizations and the depth of their impact varies greatly. A combination of support at various levels is needed. Key components of a successful program that serves all children include teacher involvemeht, a focus on all students' outcomes, professional development at the school level, and implementing a systemic, long-term approach. Appendices provide descriptions of the 11 restructuring organizations and data collection information. ) (LMI) E 9,LI CATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CE NTE R I E RICI Tnrs document haS been reproduced as ieceweo trom the person or orgsnastion orrgrnating .1 CI Mrnor oranges haye peen made to irriorCir reproquCtiOn quality Pornts of yrew or oprnrons slated rn ms document do not necessarily represent ottrcrel OE RI posrtron or porrcy
... Urban Youth in Civic Practice: Community-Based Youth Organizations as Alternative Sites for D... more ... Urban Youth in Civic Practice: Community-Based Youth Organizations as Alternative Sites for Democratic Education 227 Jennifer O'Donoghue and Ben Kirshner 10. To Think, Live, and Breathe Politics: Experiencing Democratic Citizenship in Chicago 252 Janet S. Bixby 11. ...
... of simple and rote tasks became the gatekeeper to more complex and demanding work. As the cur... more ... of simple and rote tasks became the gatekeeper to more complex and demanding work. As the curriculum for comprehensive schools was formed, educators sought new ways to ... The models they drew on included application forms, shipping invoices, and business letters rather ...
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