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

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