Reforming Civics Education in High School
Current Methods of Teaching American Government are Ineffective
Dec 31, 2008
In February 2006, former Florida Senator Graham, while attending a session of the Harvard Model Congress, asked teacher advisors if civics was still being taught in the high schools. At the time, the Senator was collecting information for a pending book. Civics is still being taught, but not in a way that is meaningful and lasting. The No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act, imposing testing standards, has eradicated any notion of teaching civics in favor of programs specifically designed to pass end of grade (EOG) tests.
Few Young Americans Know or Understand Their Government
In far too many cases, college freshmen exhibit an almost complete lack of understanding of basic American “civics.” Unless they were in Advanced Placement Government courses, most of these students have not studied politics, economics, or government since high school freshmen or sophomore years. Given the fact that students today may be the least knowledgeable in terms of current events and contemporary politics, the issue is compounded.
Because of the NCLB Act, school systems across the nation have adopted teaching methodologies that are geared solely to improve EOG average scores. In some states, like North Carolina, scores tied to overall school improvement (which is measured strictly by scores) are linked to bonuses or a form of merit pay. Consequently, as in the case of underclass required civics classes, students fill out endless note cards with simple definitions that they are expected to memorize.
In addition, students complete stacks of worksheets and are given study guides which are nothing more than possible test questions and answers. Standardized power point presentations accompany the busywork and teachers are tasked with specific deadlines. The so-called Standard Course of Study (SCOS) at least in civics classes, is a sterile guideline that reinforces rote memorization.
Critics may quickly point to the tremendous resurgence in political action on the part of high school and college age students during the 2008 Presidential Election. While certainly true, that energy is no indicator that students grappled with or understood the process of government. Even an ever increasing number of adult Americans cannot tell you the three branches of government or the most basic elements of a democratic system.
Developing Realistic Civics Curricula
The rote memorization of terms and names will never allow students to understand cause and effect. They will never analyze, trace, discover, or master. Yet all of these terms designed to create the picture of measurable instruction can be found in many state standards of study! The reality appears to be that students achieving high scores on EOG civics examinations may fulfill the state outcomes, but leave the school knowing very little about United States government.
This insidious policy must be corrected both from the top down and from the bottom up. It will require discarding current methods in favor of a narrative approach that focuses heavily on class room discussion. Curricula that provide challenging alternatives should focus on the development of critical thinking skills, particularly in a civics or government class.
Schools need to retrain teachers to move away from sterile power point presentations as the only means of instruction. This also necessitates that teachers know their subject area well. The way civics is taught in most American schools today, anyone can “teach” the class. The essence of an informed citizenry rests with personal knowledge of how and why the Constitution is the supreme law of the land.
Students may recall through memorization that “due process” is part of the 5th and the 14th Amendments. But under current instructional methodologies, they cannot tell you what due process actually is or why it is important. An entire class period can be fruitfully spent on this issue, yet all too often this is not possible. Civics instruction must be reformed and the start may be with NCLB.
