In the wake of the global pandemic, equity has increasingly been on the hearts and minds of educators, policymakers, legislators, families, and students. Students of color, students from disadvantaged socioeconomic backgrounds, students that have English as a second language, and/or have a learning disability have historically faced obstacles at…

Teachers in the trenches have led the charge to bring civics back in Illinois. Teachers played a leading role in the creation of a state civic education task force, were active participants on it, and ultimately worked with their students to advocate for action on its recommendations. Teachers are at the center of efforts in Illinois to implement…

High-quality civic education not only prepares children for the most basic civic participation--voting and understanding how powers are divided--but also helps them acquire broader skills, such as deliberating with fellow citizens to make difficult decisions that affect their communities, advocating for themselves and others on matters of public…

Civic learning for all students seems like a reasonable and important aim for all schools to achieve. If we believe that the future of our American democracy depends on a citizenry that is informed, engaged, and responsible, what better place to create future citizens than in schools? The Campaign for the Civic Mission of Schools…

This policy brief is the third in a series of in-depth case studies exploring how top-performing charter schools have incorporated civic learning in their school curriculum and school culture. The UNO Charter School Network includes 13 schools serving some 6,500 students across Chicago. Located in predominantly Hispanic neighborhoods, the…

The essays and annotations in this publication provide an opportunity for citizens and students to consider not only the history of the Northwest Ordinance but also basic and enduring issues in U.S. political life. The book is divided into three main parts. The first part provides a background to the Ordinance and its passage by the Confederation…

This publication provides information about the law and about law-related education. The Fall 2003 issue contains information about the following events and projects: "Youth and Police Trainings"; "Youth for Justice Teach-In"; "Lawyers in the Classroom"; "Project Citizen"; "Equal Justice under…

Intended as an example of the kind of material that a student doing research on the Progressive Era might find at a local historical society or in the files of a hometown or city newspaper, this article details the philanthropic efforts of women living in the Chicago area in the early 1900s. (JDH)

The purpose of this study was to compare the social studies curriculum of Illinois schools with recommendations presented by the National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) Task Force on Scope and Sequence which appeared in "Social Education," April, 1984. Courses offered during the 1981-82 school year in 483 junior high schools and…

These law-related lessons and activities can facilitate participation in a Law Day program. Following an introduction, this activities guide is divided into these sections: "Tips for Teachers" ("What Can a Lawyer Add to the Classroom?"; "So You Have Been Asked to Speak to Kids about the Law"; "A Checklist for…

This publication contains a status study of psychology in secondary schools in Illinois. One of the major objectives of the study was to examine the status of the psychology course from the perspectives of three major groups of certified teachers--social studies teachers, guidance counselors, and a group of teachers representing all the other…

This document contains (1) a bibliography of precollege psychology textbooks; (2) a newsletter and historical correspondence of the National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) Special Interest Group (SIG) of Psychology Educators; and (3) the tabular results of a comparative study of high school psychology teachers certified in social studies,…

This document sets forth guidelines for teaching and testing public school students on the principles of democratic government as expressed in the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the State of Illinois. Identification is made of ways of making the examination required by the state of Illinois not only an integral part of…

This report focuses on a study of law-related education in high school social studies programs in five states--California, Georgia, Illinois, Pennsylvania, and Texas. Teachers and administrators from 78 high schools were interviewed. Part 1 of the report explains law-related education and deals with respondents' reports of the status of…