Evaluation of the Chicago Public Schools Civics Initiative
With the support of the Robert R. McCormick Foundation and the Spencer Foundation, CERG is conducting a rigorous research study of the impact of civic education practices on civic and academic outcomes as well as on the district-wide reform strategy being implemented by the Chicago Public Schools’ Civics Initiative. This study focuses on traditional forms of civic education, such as informed discussion of controversial issues, and it will include detailed attention to efforts to promote digital literacies that are related to the production, consumption and circulation of political content. This is one of the first studies to rigorously examine the impact of civic learning opportunities on a range of academic outcomes including grades, test scores, attendance, and graduation rates. In addition to examining the impact of these civic learning opportunities, the study examines the degree to which these learning opportunities are equitably distributed across varied groups of students with respect to race, socioeconomic status, and academic performance.
To learn more about the Chicago Public Schools’ Social Science & Civic Engagement department visit: https://cps.edu/Pages/socialsciencecivicengagement.aspx
Funding
Robert R. McCormick Foundation