|
|
|
 |  |
 |
 |
WSBA Info | |
|
For Lawyers | |
|
For the Public |  |
 |
For the Media |  |
|
CLE |  |
| | Bench Bar Guidelines | News Releases | Publications | |
|
|
June 2006Bringing Civics Back to the Classroom: You Can Helpby Hon. Marlin Appelwick and Judith Billings A recent public poll commissioned by the WSBA revealed that barely one half of those surveyed understand what "separation of powers" means and why it is essential to American government. And almost one third don't understand the concept of an "independent judiciary." Some WSBA members would not be surprised to learn that the average Washingtonian has little grasp of basic civics. But this survey focused just on registered voters those who elect our legislators and judges. If voters don't understand the fundamentals of our democracy, does anyone? The Washington survey echoes a similar national study commissioned last year by the ABA. The lack of basic civics knowledge that both studies uncovered can be traced to the steady decline since the 1960s of civics education in K-12 schools. This "civics crisis" is especially acute in Washington, where students often learn little or no civics until high school, and then only as part of a survey course on American history. However, recent changes in state law, which the WSBA enthusiastically lobbied for, should help turn the situation around. And there are ways that WSBA members can be of assistance, too. How Civics Is Taught Or Not Taught Washington's public schools are grounded in the concept of local control, meaning there is no statewide curriculum. What is taught in each classroom at each grade level, including which textbooks are used, is determined district by district. There are state standards for student learning, however, in each of the academic subjects. Known as EALRs (Essential Academic Learning Requirements), these standards are supposed to guide local school districts as they choose curricula and textbooks. The civics EALRs stipulate that students should be able to explain "the core values and democratic principles of the United States as set forth in foundational documents," analyze "the purposes and organization of government and law," and understand "the rights and responsibilities of citizenship and principles of democratic civic involvement." If all students in the state were actually learning the civics EALRs, we would have no "civics crisis." However, we know through reports from students, teachers, and administrators that the civics EALRs are not being uniformly taught. And in some districts, they are not taught at all. One reason is that many teachers, especially at the lower grade levels, do not feel adequately prepared to teach "technical" concepts such as the rule of law. We believe the most compelling factor forcing civics out of the classroom, however, is increased attention paid by both teachers and administrators to the subjects tested by the WASL (Washington Assessment of Student Learning), which does not include civics. How Assessment Drives Instruction Since the advent of the WASL, teachers and administrators have been presented with an overwhelming mandate: Make sure students master reading, writing, and math, but also learn the EALRs in all other subjects. Classroom time is scarce, however, and instructional materials and professional development are expensive. School districts must constantly prioritize how best to use these resources, and it is no surprise that they place WASL preparation at the top of the list. Social studies, the arts, and other non-WASL subjects are pushed to the back burner. The Council on Public Legal Education has been trying for years to increase civics learning in our schools. We use many strategies, including offering civics workshops to teachers, recruiting volunteer lawyers and judges to work with youth, and helping create extracurricular programs such as youth courts. We know that these efforts will never be enough, though. What is also needed is fundamental statewide reform of the way civics is taught in all public schools, from elementary to high school. To this end, we helped develop the civics EALRs described above. But we have been frustrated to learn that they are not being uniformly taught. We have debated whether to advocate for a WASL in civics that would elevate it in administrators' eyes to the level of reading, writing, and math. While there are arguments to be made for a civics WASL, we ultimately decided in favor of holding school districts accountable to the EALRs through an alternative, more naturalistic form of assessment known as the CBA (classroom-based assessment). CBAs are assessments of student learning that are administered by a teacher as an integral part of the curriculum. They are qualitative in nature (rather than a multiple-choice test like the WASL) and may take the form of an essay, presentation, or other assignment that allows students to demonstrate their analytic and critical thinking skills as well as mastery of basic facts and concepts. For these reasons, CBAs are seen by many as more appropriate for social-studies assessment than a WASL-type exam. Under a state law enacted in 2004, school districts must "have in place ... assessments or other strategies" to assure student learning in social studies by the end of the 2008-09 school year. Under a new law just signed by the Governor in March, school districts will be required to implement three CBAs in civics each year as part of this effort one each in elementary, middle, and high school. This is a huge victory for civics education in Washington, as it highlights its importance within social studies, where it competes for attention with history, geography, and economics. The new law also mandates an appropriate assessment tool, the CBA, rather than whatever "strategy" a school district might come up with on its own. Model CBAs in civics have been developed by the state's Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction, which is currently training teachers in how to use them. In addition to training, teachers will also need materials showing them how to implement the CBAs within the civics program or curriculum they use. The new law comes with $47,000 in funding for a pilot project and teacher training, but this will be insufficient. We anticipate that the same groups that lobbied hard in the Legislature last year for the new civics education assessment law will be back soon asking for funding to help prepare teachers to implement it. How You Can Help While it will take time and money to implement the new civics education assessment system in the schools, WSBA members don't need to wait in order to see progress soon. There are many excellent civics programs that teachers, schools, and even entire districts have adopted not because they are required to, but because they understand the importance of civics education to the maintenance of democracy. And most of these programs welcome participation from lawyers and judges, who are in a unique position to help students see how the rule of law operates in today's society. We hope you will consider volunteering for one of the programs listed below, or simply contact your local school administrator and ask how you can help. Civics Education Volunteer Opportunities for Lawyers and Judges in Washington State WSBA members are encouraged to track and report their volunteer activities under RPC 6.1
Please send information on other volunteer opportunities to Pam Inglesby, WSBA public legal education manager, at pami@wsba.org. Hon. Marlin Appelwick serves on the state Court of Appeals. Judith Billings is a former state superintendent of public instruction. They serve as co-chairs on the Council on Public Legal Education. E-mail to the Council may be sent to cple@wsba.org. The mission of the Council on Public Legal Education, which is a committee of the Access to Justice Board, is to promote public understanding of the law and civic rights and responsibilities. The CPLE pursues this mission by conducting, coordinating, encouraging, and publicizing public legal education efforts in Washington state.
|
