Citizenship Toolkit Resource Directory IV: Readings and Research



IV. Readings and Research


Assessment/Evaluation

A Practical Guide for Integrating Civic Responsibility into the Curriculum (PDF)
This curriculum guide from the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) includes useful tools and examples for assessing civic outcomes according to a range of stated objectives.

National Center for Education Statistics Civic Education Study
View the entire report or highlights of the results from an assessment of the civic knowledge and skills of 14-year old students across 28 countries and their attitudes toward civic issues. The Civic Education Study assessment was conducted by the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA) in 1999.

Online Evaluation Resource Library (OERL)
Funded by the National Science Foundation, this library provides a range of assistance for professionals seeking to design, conduct, document, or review project evaluations.

Project Star
As the Corporation's training and technical assistance provider in the area of evaluation, Project Star houses countless assessment resources for Corporation-funded programs.

W.K. Kellogg Foundation Evaluation Toolkit
A tremendous resource for integrating evaluation into program planning and delivery. Includes instructions for preparing, designing, and conducting effective assessment.


Organizations Related to Civic Education

APSA Civic Education Network
The American Political Science Association maintains a comprehensive, alphabetical list of civics-related organizations. Constitutional Rights Foundation offers several additions:

  1. Activism 2000 Project
  2. American Association of Community Colleges
  3. American Federation of Teachers
  4. American News Service
  5. American Political Science Association
  6. America Speaks
  7. AmeriCorps
  8. Asia–Pacific Civic Education Network
  9. Campus Compact
  10. Center for Civic Education
  11. Center for Democracy and Citizenship
  12. Center for Multicultural Cooperation
  13. Center for Neighborhood Enterprise
  14. Centre for Research and Teaching in Civics (Australia)
  15. Character Education Partnership
  16. Choices for the 21st Century Education Project
  17. Citizens Education Project
  18. Civic Education Project
  19. Civic Practices Network
  20. Civic Source
  21. CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation
  22. CIVITAS: An International Organization for Civic Education
  23. Close Up Foundation
  24. Communitarian Network
  25. Constitutional Rights Foundation
  26. COOL - Campus Outreach Opportunity League
  27. Corporation for National and Community Service
  28. Council for Citizenship Education - Russell Sage College
  29. Do Something!
  30. Foreign Policy Association
  31. Freedom Forum
  32. Freedom House
  33. Institute for American Values
  34. Institute for Citizen Education
  35. Institute for Democracy in Eastern Europe (IDEE)
  36. Institute for the Study of Civic Values
  37. International Foundation for Election Systems
  38. James MacGregor Burns Academy of Leadership
  39. Jefferson Center
  40. Josephson Institute of Ethics
  41. Kettering Foundation
  42. Kids Voting USA
  43. League of Women Voters
  44. LegiSchool Project
  45. Mershon Center - Education for Democratic Citizenship Program
  46. National Association of Secretaries of State
  47. National Civic League
  48. National Commission on Service-Learning
  49. National Conference on Citizenship
  50. National Conference of State Legislatures
  51. National Council for the Social Studies
  52. National Democratic Institute
  53. National Endowment for Democracy
  54. National Service-Learning Clearinghouse
  55. National Society for Experiential Education
  56. New England Literacy Resource Center
  57. Pew Partnership for Civic Change
  58. Public Achievement
  59. Public Work: Center for Democracy and Citizenship
  60. The Saguaro Seminar - Harvard University
  61. Social Studies Center - Indiana University
  62. Study Circles Resource Center
  63. United Nations Association of the United States of America
  64. United States Institute of Peace (USIP)
  65. Urban Agenda Project
  66. Walt Whitman Center for the Culture and Politics of Democracy
  67. World Affairs Council of Washington, DC


Research

Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning & Engagement
The Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement (CIRCLE) promotes research on citizenship by Americans between the ages of 15 and 25. CIRCLE is also a clearinghouse for relevant information and scholarship. CIRCLE was founded in 2001 with a generous grant from The Pew Charitable Trusts and is based in the University of Maryland's School of Public Affairs.

Citizens in Service: The Challenge of Delivering Civic Engagement Training To National Service Programs
Findings from a National Service Fellows research project that offers a baseline of information about citizenship issues and training in national service programs.

Constitutional Rights Foundation Research Links
Easy access to a range of search engines, quotations, statistics, think tanks, and other general research information.

Educational Resources Information Center Database
ERIC is the world's largest source of education information, with more than 1 million abstracts of documents and journal articles on education research and practice.

National Archives Research Room
For assistance with historical documents.

National Center for Education Statistics Civic Education Study
View the entire report or highlights of the results from an assessment of the civic knowledge and skills of 14-year old students across 28 countries and their attitudes toward civic issues. The Civic Education Study assessment was conducted by the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA) in 1999.

The Ready, Willing, and Able: Citizens Working for Change
A benchmark study on civic life in America.

The Social Capital Community Benchmark Survey
Three dozen community foundations, other funders, and the Saguaro Seminar of the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University joined together to interview nearly 30,000 people in the largest-ever survey on the citizenship of Americans. View the data.


Suggested Readings and Bibliographies

Adult Civic Education
This installment of the ERIC (Educational Resources Information Center) Digest examines the “significance and substance” of adult civic education.

APSA Booklist
Selected references in the study of civic education and political science.

Bowling Alone
Robert D. Putnam describes the concept of “social capital” and the need to reconnect with family, friends, community associations, and democratic structures. Included is a helpful bibliography (Word doc).

Civic Dictionary
A helpful list of terms related to democratic practices and civic work developed by the Civic Practices Network.

CivNet Resources
An archive of journal articles, speeches, papers, and research from Civitas International.

Historical Maps
A large collection of United States historical and territorial maps from the University of Texas at Austin.

Manuals and Guides
An organized compilation of manual and guides from the Civic Practices Network.

National Archives ALIC
Pathfinders to holdings on selected subjects, including published materials that reference government records in the National Archives.

Resource Guide to Civic Engagement (PDF)
This inventory, prepared in support of CityCares Citizen Academy, is designed to provide intellectual resources to those interested in thinking more about effective citizenry and work in community-based organizations.

Training Support from the Resource Center