1. Leveraging Equity and Access in Democratic Education (LEADE)
Joseph Kahne University of California, Riverside
John Rogers
UCLA
Erica Hodgin
Mills College

2. The LEADE Indicator System
Survey items for students tied to civic learning opportunities that have been shown to promote desired civic outcomes.
Survey items for teachers that attend to supports they receive for providing civic learning opportunities.
Focus group protocols and related strategies for gaining more nuanced understandings of youth opportunities and outcomes.
Measures that consider in and out of school opportunities.
Hard to pursue goals that can’s be specified and measured…

3. Goals of the LEADE Indicator System
Draw attention to desired civic learning opportunities
Enable attention to trends regarding the quantity and equality of civic learning opportunities and outcomes.
Enable evidence based decision making
Enable low-stakes incorporation in district accountability structures and decision making
Enable dialog among stakeholders
Hard to pursue goals that can’s be specified and measured…

4. Why?

5. Political and Civic Engagement: Low and Inequitable
18–24 years old
% Voted in 2012
% Volunteered
Even among the best educated youth – we maxing out at 50% and at roughly a quarter for volunteering… But very unequal
Some College
HS Grad
No HS Degree
Some
College
HS Grad
No HS Degree
2012 Current Population Survey

6. the good news
Figure there may be a need for some good news at this point.

7. evidence that civic learning opportunities can help

8. Chicago Study 52 schools 4,057 students Grade 9 -11
Assessed how learning opportunities related to civic commitments
Joe Kahne & Sue Sporte
Published in AERJ, 2008

9. Civic Learning Opportunities
Discussion of current events
Simulations
Focus on issues students cared about
Service learning

10. Classroom-Based Civic Learning Opportunities MATTER
Civic Community Variables
Civic Learning Variables
Civic Commitment Effect Sizes
Prior Civic Commitments
Parent/Student Talk
Neighborhood
Civic Capital
School Sense of Belonging
Service Learning
Classroom Civic Learning
Opportunities

11. Findings from Seven Districts in CA
Pol. Int.
Int. Diverse Views
Intent to Vote
Commit Particip.
Vol. Activity
Pol Action/Express
Civic Skills
Info & Discuss.
Model
Experience Model
And we did a similar study in CA where we followed students for 3.5 years after HS and found that HS commitments were predictors of later engagement.

12. Survey of 19 districts in California Insufficient Opportunities
34%
never did service learning in high school
36%
never participated in a simulation in high school
68%
they learned a lot about the structure and function of government

13. Inequitable Access to Civic Learning Opportunities
Compared to Average SES 9th graders, High SES 9th graders are:
2x more likely to discuss how laws are made
1.9x more likely to report participating in service activities
Can note that one also finds difference based on Race and ethnicity and higher achieving students get more.
1.4x more likely to take part in a debate or panel discussion

14. The Demands of Democracy are also Expanding in the Digital Age

15. LEADE Initiative Game Plan
Gather Input
Develop Surveys and qualitative protocols
Pilot test – working with districts
Develop tools and disseminate
Provide support

16. Thank You Thoughts Questions Comments for more information:.
for more information:

17. Democracy is precarious
here b/c there’s a crisis.
Institutions enable democracy… but people must be thoughtful and must participate for democracy to work – and to help our society reach its potential.