OFFICE OF CURRICULUM
CHRISTY RADEZ
LEAD FACILITATOR OF THE CIVIC READINESS INITIATIVE NYSED
Welcome to
Civic Participation Projects
for the NYSED Seal of Civic Readiness
P
art I
Christine Radez
Social Studies Associate
New York State Education Department
Lead Facilitator, NYSED Civic Readiness Task Force
Lisa Kissinger, Co-Chair
Curriculum & Assessment Committee
NYSED Civic Readiness Task Force Member
Academic Administrator, Shenendehowa CSD
Webinar Outcomes:
● Describe the overall goals of NYSED’s Civic Readiness
Initiative
● Describe the requirements of the NYSED Civic Readiness
Diploma Seal (pilot)
● Identify next steps for local projects
Where we are now
● At the May Board of Regents meeting the regents approved the Seal of Civic
Readiness pilot to begin in 2021-2022 and reaffirmed their commitment to the
K-12 Civic Readiness Initiative.
● Schools who have been selected to participate in the pilot will be
notified by June 1st, assigned a supervisor and begin working with
their regional supervisor.
Next Steps
● The Department proposed a rule to allow students who earn the Seal
of Civic Readiness to apply that accomplishment toward a +1 Civic
Readiness pathway to a diploma. Public comments will be accepted
through July 26, 2021. If adopted at the September 2021 meeting,
the proposed rule will become effective on September 29, 2021.
REGCOMMENTS@NYSED.GOV
● We anticipate allowing all school districts across NYS to apply for the
Seal of Civic Readiness in the Fall 2022- Spring 2023 school year.
Civic Readiness Pilot 2021-2022
● The Civic Readiness Task Force and NYSED staff will support and
monitor pilot districts throughout the school year including virtual site
visits and onsite technical assistance to the extent practicable.
● Student work product from across the state will be analyzed and
added to the Manual for the Seal of Civic Readiness to provide
further guidance to interested schools.
● The Task Force will evaluate the current point system on the Criteria
for the Seal of Civic Readiness and recommend to SED any
appropriate changes or additions if needed.
The Civic Readiness Diploma Seal provides many
opportunities for local creativity and decision-making.
Research Project
How are these projects graded?
● Evaluation criteria will be locally determined
● Recommend evaluation based on performance indicators
included in
Social Studies Practice A: Gathering, interpreting
and using evidence
.
When can students complete the Research Project?
● Any 9-12 Social Studies Course
● OR any other creative options that your SCR agrees on (during
an elective, or as part of an intensive extra-curricular, etc…)
Research Projects must be rooted in Civic Readiness including
civics skills and actions, civic experiences, civic mindsets and
especially civic knowledge.
Demonstrate a fundamental and functional knowledge of
government, law, history, geography, culture, economics, and
current events. These may include inequities within our
democratic system at the federal, state and local level. Students
should know how to apply this knowledge to different
circumstances and settings.
Civic Knowledge
Fundamental civic knowledge in grade level appropriate forms includes:
● The structure and functioning of government, law, and democracy at the federal, state,
local, and school levels, and how to participate therein;
● Civil and educational rights and responsibilities guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution,
the Constitution of the State of New York, and federal, state and local statutes and
regulations;
● History, geography, economics, and current events within our country and in our global
society;
● The impact of individual and collective histories in shaping contemporary issues;
● View and analyze history and current issues from multiple perspectives
● The importance of civic rights and responsibilities, such as voting, volunteering, serving
on a jury, and the importance of ensuring a free press
Research Project Ideas
https://www.econedlink.org/resources/collection/election-economics/
Ex: Income Inequality with research based extension activity
https://novelnewyork.org/databases.php
Ex: Opposing Viewpoints- Big Tech Monopolies, Police Reform
http://www.archives.nysed.gov/education/primary-source-sets-social-change
Ex: Social Change Inquiry: Latinos in New York
A Political Science Guide: What is a Policy Paper? (2017).
https://politicalscienceguide.com/home/policy-paper/
Civic Participation Projects
Civic Skills & Actions
Critical intellectual and participatory civic skills students should develop and actions they should take in
grade-level appropriate forms include the ability to:
● Demonstrate respect for the rights of others in discussions and classroom debates, and how to
respectfully disagree with other viewpoints and provide evidence for a counterargument;
● Participate in activities that focus on a classroom, school, community, state or national issue or
problem;
● Identify, describe and contrast the roles of the individual in opportunities for social and political
participation in different societies;
● Work to influence those in positions of power to achieve extensions of freedom, social justice, and
human rights;
● Fulfill social and political responsibilities associated with participation in a democratic society and the
interdependent global community by developing awareness of and/or engaging in the political
process;
● Analyze and evaluate news (news literacy), media, social media and other sources of information for
accuracy, bias, reliability, and credibility.
● Engagement in working toward the public good
Civics Projects must be rooted in the definition of civic
readiness including Civic Knowledge, Civics Skills and
Action, Civic Mindsets and especially Civic Experiences
Participate in developmentally appropriate civic experiences.
Civic readiness should be developed in a variety of settings and
ways—inside and outside of the classroom, across content areas,
and for multiple purposes. Civic Readiness should be promoted
by engaging students in relevant experiences that include
students as active participants.
Civic Experiences
Examples of civic experiences in which students should be able to participate in grade-level
appropriate ways include:
● Completing a civic readiness capstone or, civic engagement project;
● Engaging in service-learning;
● Engaging in civil discourse around controversial issues;
● Engaging with news and digital tools, such as social media, responsibly;
● Participating in civic-centered co-curricular and extracurricular activities such as Model UN,
Student Government, Debate Club, Moot Court, Student Journalism or Mock Trial;
● Participating in school governance;
● Voting, volunteering and participating in community organizations and governmental
systems, such as community boards, youth advisory councils, etc., to promote continuous
improvement;
● Engaging with local officials and government institutions through activities such as providing
public comment before a government agency, or meeting with public and elected officials.
Civics Participation: High School Civics Projects
1.5 points
How are these projects graded?
● Evaluation criteria will be locally determined
● Recommend evaluation based on performance indicators
included in
Social Studies Practice A: Gathering, interpreting
and using evidence
.
When can students complete the Civics Project?
● Any 9-12 Social Studies Course
● OR any other creative options that your SCR agrees on (during
an elective, or as part of an intensive extra-curricular, etc…)
Civics Participation: High School Civics Projects
In a High School Civic Project, students will:
● Focus on a civic issue (problem) within a policy area that may be
predetermined by the teacher or advisor. The Civic Project is focused
on a civic issue (problem) that can be interpreted in a variety of ways
by a broad array of citizens holding various viewpoints.
● Analyze data that can be provided by the teacher or advisor to
determine the impact of the issue on the community and evaluate
possible solutions to address the problem
● Recommend strategies to address the problem
● Communicate recommended strategies using written, audio/visual,
and/or oral presentations
● Reflect on what they have learned about their role in the civic life of
their community
Civics Participation: High School Civics Projects
Example
The Student Council advisor creates a committee of students to provide student
input to the administration on issues of equity and the school’s code of conduct.
● Students are provided with data on the subject of equity in schools,
including op-ed columns representing a diverse array of views, quantitative
data on disciplinary trends, the NYS School Report Card, articles on
Restorative Justice, and other initiatives. Students may also interview
school administration, PTSA representatives, and fellow students on the
subject of equity.
● Students will determine whether the school can improve the school’s code of
conduct in terms of equity and make recommendations, if necessary, to that
end.
● Students will create either a written report, an audio/visual presentation, an
oral presentation, etc. to communicate their recommendations.
● Students will produce a reflection on the most challenging aspects of
affecting policy as a citizen. This will include advice for effective activism for
other citizens that wish to impact public policy.
Civics Participation: High School Civics Projects
Criteria for Success
● Locally determined
● Select from Civic Knowledge, Civic Skills and Actions listed in the Civic
Readiness Domains and
○ gather, interpret and use evidence, including evaluating sources used
for bias and credibility.
○ make their own judgments and policy recommendations based on
sound reasoning and evidence.
○ communicate their position persuasively, using a format for the
assignment that is determined locally.
○ reflect on how the project has impacted their civic knowledge, skills,
actions, and/or mindset.
Civic Participation: Service Learning Project - 1 point
● Complete a minimum of 25 hours of demonstrated service to the
community
● Write and submit a reflective essay/presentation
● Students may receive these points more than once.
● The most meaningful service-learning projects are personally
relevant to students and their interests. Students can complete
service learning projects individually, or with a small group or as
part of a larger group. Students generally experience service
learning with the leadership of an adult. Service learning projects
are most effective when connected to curriculum.
What is service learning?
● Inquiry-based approach that combines service to community with learning
objectives.
● Five stages:
1. Investigation - conduct research on a community-based problem or
needs
2. Preparation - create a plan to address these needs
3. Action
a. direct service
b. indirect service - including advocacy
4. Reflection - required to earn the point for the Diploma Seal
5. Demonstration/celebration
Civic Participation: Service Learning Project - 1 point
Reflective essay/presentation:
● Essential element of the service learning project
● Describes the impact of the service learning.
● Can be incorporated before, during, and after the service
experience.
● Reflection questions can help students understand
themselves, the population they are serving, the social issue
driving their service activity, and the relationship between
the service and the academic experiences.
Service Learning Project - Sample Reflection
Questions
Issue-focused questions:
● Why is there a need for your service?
● What do you perceive as the underlying issue, and why does it exist?
● What social, economic, political, and educational systems are maintaining and perpetuating the situation?
● What can you do with the knowledge you gained from this experience to promote change?
Client-focused reflection questions:
● What similarities do you perceive between you and the people you are serving?
● How are you perceived by the people you are serving?
● What do you think a typical day is like for the people you serve? What pressures do they confront?
● What can you do with the knowledge you gained from this experience to promote change?
Self-focused reflection questions:
● What personal qualities (e.g. leadership, communication skills, empathy etc.) have you developed through service-learning?
● What contribution can you make to public understanding of this issue based on your service-learning experience?
● In what ways are you finding your involvement with service-learning difficulty? What have you found that is helping you follow
through despite the difficulties you encounter?
Evaluation Criteria:
Evaluation criteria for the reflective essay/presentation will be locally developed, and should include an evaluation of selected
students’ Civic Knowledge, Civic Skills and Actions, Civic Mindset and Experiences listed in the Civic Readiness Domains.
Service Learning Project - Resources
National Youth Leadership Council, Service Learning,
www.nylc.org/standards,
www.nylc.org/objects/publications/StandardsResearch.pdf”
New York City Department of Education, Service Learning Resources,
https://infohub.nyced.org/in-our-schools/programs/experiential-
learning/service-in-schools/service-learning-opportunities-and-
resources
Service learning is a graduation requirement in Maryland. Information
about Maryland’s service learning requirement,
http://www.marylandpublicschools.org/programs/Pages/Service-
Learning/par.aspx
Service Learning is Not a Checklist
Common PIG activities that will NOT count towards the Service Learning:
● Students sit as audience members at a School Board of Education meeting
● Students participating in a food drive by bringing in cans to school
Community Service: Service learning goes beyond the concept of ‘helping out’ or
‘volunteering’ by combining specific learning goals and outcomes into the
community-based activity based on their verified needs.
Use the 5 stages of inquiry based service learning listed above to think about how
these common activities could be strengthened to become service learning.
Essay/Presentation/Product Requirement
Purpose:
Provide students with the opportunity to communicate the
ways in which various experiences, elective courses, and
activities have impacted their civic knowledge, skills and
mindsets.
● Range of products insures accessibility for all learners
Essay/Presentation/Product Requirement
Requirement to earn points associated with:
● elective course(s) that promote civic engagement
and/or
● extra-curricular program(s) or
● work-based learning experience(s)
Guiding Questions and Criteria for Success - Samples
Civic Experiences: What Did You Do?
Describe the course or activity you participated in. Include:
○ The context/setting
○ Your role
○ The purpose of the course/activity/experience
○ Key ideas presented in the course/activity/experience
Guiding Questions and Criteria for Success - Samples
Civic Knowledge: What Civic Knowledge Did You Gain?
Explain and provide examples of how the course or experience increased your
civic knowledge. Elements of civic knowledge you may wish describe may
include but are not limited to:
○ The structure and functioning of government, law, and democracy at
the federal, state, local, and school levels, and how to participate
therein
○ Civil and educational rights and responsibilities guaranteed by the U.S.
Constitution, the Constitution of the State of New York, and federal,
state and local statutes and regulations
Guiding Questions and Criteria for Success - Samples
Civic Skills, Actions and Mindsets: How Did This Experience Change You?
Explain and provide examples of the impact this course/activity/experience had
on you and your civic-related skills and mindset. Elements of civic skills, actions
and mindsets you may wish to explain may include but are not limited to:
Civic Skills and Actions
○ Identify, describe and contrast the roles of the individual in
opportunities for social and political participation in different societies
○ Fulfill social and political responsibilities associated with participation in
a democratic society and the interdependent global community by
developing awareness of and/or engaging in the political process
○ Engagement in working toward the public good
Guiding Questions and Criteria for Success - Samples
Civic Skills, Actions and Mindsets: How Did This Experience Change You?
Civic Mindsets:
○ Valuing equity, inclusivity, diversity, and fairness
○ Empathy, compassion, and respect for the views of people with other
opinions and perspectives
○ Demonstrating a sense of self as an active participant in society, willing
to contribute to solving local and/or national problems
Next Steps - We Suggest:
1. Compare what you offer in your school against the Seal requirements
2. Develop assignments and rubrics that can be integrated into current
courses/extracurricular activities
3. Monitor what works, what needs revisions
4. Continue learning!
Part II: Capstone Projects
June 7, 2021
4:30-5:30
Please register separately for this webinar.
