Notes from August 30, 2002 Meeting at the 2002 APSA Annual Meeting in Boston

Attendees: Judith Torney-Purta, University of Maryland, Chair; David Campbell, University of Notre Dame; Sheilah Mann; Richard Niemi, University of Rochester and Susan Sherr, Rutgers University.

Summary of the Discussion

Main Topic: The discussion focused on identifying a particular activity for the Research Task Force that would contribute to the objectives of NACE members.

The meeting began with the participants exchanging information about the projects on civic education and engagement that they are undertaking. Susan Sherr described the National Student Voices Project that adopts the Annenberg Curriculum and is being implemented in New Jersey by the New Jersey Civic Education Consortium. David Campbell cited his research on civic education in different types of schools-public, private, parochial. Dick Niemi cited the research on the NAEP responses to the same questions students answered in the 1988 and students in the 1998 Civics Report Card. He and Elizabeth Theiss-Morse are developing a protocol to evaluate the "We the People" program for the Center for Civic Education.

The discussion then turned to determining whether there os a specific topic or type of research that might be especially useful to scholars and practitioners. The participants recognized that significant work is under way to add to research on civic education and civic engagement. But, they agreed that more work needs to be done to develop instruments and protocols to assess civic education practices. Focusing on assessment was one of the possible activities on the agenda that Judith Torney-Purta, Task Force Chair, circulated before the meeting. This activity should be useful to schools, agencies governing schools, policy makers, civic groups and NGOs and as well as scholars.

Recommendation

A next step for the Task Force could be collecting information about existing assessment practices and practitioners. Lists of instruments, questions, sources and evaluators could be posted on the NACE web site. http://www.civiced.net.This activity could be followed by a study of the assessment instruments that would lead to recommendations for developing broad common indicators and guidelines to evaluate civic education programs and interventions. Concentrating on program assessment was considered by the Task Force members at the meeting to be a valuable addition to civic education research and practices..