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Abstract

There is little doubt of public school’s role in the enculturation of youth into American democracy. There are several aspects about which little is known that should be addressed prior to seeking options to understand and address civic education for the 21st century: first, the desired civic knowledge, skills, and predispositions are not clearly identified; and second, little is known about the knowledge, skills, and beliefs of the faculty, administration, staff and board of education members about democracy or the patterns of congruence among adults connected to K–12 education. In this pilot study, we investigate the patterns of beliefs through the use of an innovative Q-sort and interviews of participants among four public school districts, a statewide group of policy advisors, and some teacher union officials.

Response to this Article

Jonathan Davis and Terrie Epstein, Civic Meanings Reconsidered

COinS