Making Your Own KACE:

Kentucky Advocates

for Civic Education “An Interactive Case Study”

2011 American Democracy Project National Meeting

Orlando, Florida Saturday, June 4, 2011

Buck Ryan Scripps Howard First Amendment Center University of Kentucky

What Was the Problem? Any of this sound familiar in your state . . .

Anxiety over school curriculum: What happened to civics?

Social studies teacher squeeze: More pressure, less time to teach

Out of the money: Focus on math, science, language arts

Test scores take a hit: Students’ performance on civics drops

Home schooled, no rules: 15,335 students, no Civic or Government course required for parents

OK, One Possible Solution

is a New Citizens Group

So what do you really need? How many people?

How many fields or professions? How many different partners? How much money to start? How long will it take for success? How many meetings—and where?

OK, One Possible Solution

is a New Citizens Group

So what do you really need?

How many people? 46+ How many fields or professions?

15 How many different partners? 11 How much money to start? $0.00 How long will it take for success?

12 months, more or less How many meetings—and where?

12 meetings, 4 special events, 9 sites

OK, One Possible Solution

is a New Citizens Group

So what do you really need?

How many people? 46+ Lisa Abbott, Lindsey Austin, Natalie Bolton, Jack Bosley, John

Y. Brown III, Virginia Carter, Robin Chandler, Frances Cotton, Al Cross, Jennifer Fraker, Gary Gregg, Trey Grayson, Gary Hermann, Caroline Howle, Patrick Keal, Gail Kennedy, Alice Forgy Kerr, Adam Koenig, Paul Markham, Mendy Meehan, Ted McConnell, Nancy McCrary, Mary Molinaro, Beverly Moore, Dave Newton, Karen O’Connell, Dan and Mary John O’Hair, Len and Lil Press, Shaye Rabold, Dot Ridings, Arthur Rouse, Buck Ryan, Malana Salyer, Donna Shouse, Kathy Stein, Emma Thacker, Fran Wagner, Elaine Walker, Marsha Weinstein, Jacindia Wells, Kelley West, Susan Westrom, Deb Williams, Susan Wood, plus 60 8th graders from a Catholic school, a dozen 9th graders from the International Baccalaureate program at a public high school, and 22 freshmen in a UK Discovery Seminar

OK, One Possible Solution

is a New Citizens Group

So what do you really need? How many fields or professions? 15

Catholic school liaisons, center directors, civic activists (KET, leagues, networks), social studies consultants, courts liaisons, deans, government officials, schoolteachers, college professors, humanities council executive director, journalists, libraries, lobbyists, students (middle school, high school, college), video editing services

Do you have these allies in your community, too ?

How many partners? 11

1. Secretary of State: Campaigned on importance of civic literacy

2. League of Women Voters: Louisville has historic house as headquarters

3. Administrative Office of Courts: We the People and Project Citizen

4. Higher Education Centers: McConnell Center at U of L, UK, WKU, NKU, KSU . . .

5. Lawmakers: Democrat, GOP, Tea Party

6. Foundation: Scripps Howard

KACE partners (cont’d) 7. Department of Education: Consultant on

social studies overseeing testing 8. Kentucky Humanities Council: State

agency of National Endowment for Humanities based in Washington, D.C.

9. Kentuckians for the Commonwealth: Citizen lobbying group

10. Henry Clay Center for Statesmanship: Hometown of “Great Compromiser”

11. Civic activists: Ex-politico-lobbyist, KET leaders, Women’s Network and … we hope, Sandra Day O’Connor herself

OK, One Possible Solution

is a New Citizens Group

How many meeting places? 9 sites

1. McConnell Center, U of L, Louisville2. Administrative Office of Courts,

Frankfort3. & 4. Marriott, Lexington and

Louisville5., 6., 7. UK, CTK, TCHS, Lexington8. Capitol Annex, Frankfort9. WKU, Bowling Green

KACE: Timeline in brief

BACKGROUND: Civic Literacy Initiative of

Kentucky (CLIK), a multi- year effort by the Kentucky Secretary of State’s Office to restore civic literacy and engagement across the Commonwealth, evolved into KACE March 22, April 1, May 7, 2010: CLIK summit plan

June 2, 2010: “Failed candidate,” idea for “super” Project Citizen first proposed

Minutes The Florida bill is HB 105. In the 2009 civic health index.

Florida is one of worst in nation. We would like to know Kentucky’s standing. 

We are trying to start an organization that wants to preserve

citizenship education in Kentucky. It was agreed that “Citizenship” should be in the name.

KACE: Timeline in brief

June 2, 2010: Minutes (cont’d) The need is to create a sustainable organization that all

groups can work with, that can raise money, and

coordinate efforts. A lot of the personalities who are involved continually change, so we need to create an

organization to sustain the effort.  If we can create an organization to

expand social studies advocacy to the wider

community, it can be a model for the US.

Organization

We will look at the Pritchard Committee model of organization. 

Dot will research and report on that.

There is no reason to let organization structure determine mission, mission determines organization.

KACE: Timeline in brief

July 6, 2010: New name approved: Kentucky Advocates for Civic Education, or KACE

Note: Not “Citizenship” Education Aug. 10, 2010: Kentucky Council on Social

Studies Convention coming to Louisville on Sept. 15, so KACE will make its first public appearance paying for a booth and conduct a survey of teachers on state of civic education

Sept. 15, 2010: Bylaws approved“The purpose of Kentucky Advocates for Civic Education is to raise consciousness of the need for civics education in Kentucky as a cornerstone of society that will prepare Kentuckians to be informed citizens, effectively participating in America’s democratic process.”

KACE: Timeline in brief (cont’d) Sept. 17, 2010: Constitution Day “super” start:

8th grade Catholic school, public high school and UK Discovery Seminar join civic forces

Oct. 22, 2010: Officers, board members elected: next stop 501(c)(3)

Dec. 7, 2010: KACE sends letter to Board of Education urging end-of-term assessments for government and civics classes, noting:

“Over time, civic-based learning has faded from the classroom, and countless numbers of students have been inadequately equipped to deal with the challenges facing their communities.”

Percentage of high school students who tested at the proficient level dropped from 44% to 39.6%. They achieved a mean score of 1.6 out of 4.0 on the government and civics open-response items. This mean score tied economics for the lowest scoring domains in open-response items.

KACE: Timeline in brief (cont’d) Dec. 7, 2010: Paul Markham of WKU introduces his

Institute for Citizenship and Social Responsibility

Jan. 18, 2011: President Grayson’s last meeting Feb. 10, 2011: Rep. Koenig’s updates on two bills March 3, 2011: Kids lobby in Frankfort for bill March 29, 2011: SOS Elaine Walker vows support for KACE as legislative success stories are told April 7, 2011: NEH Chairman Jim Leach hears kids

explain their Henry Clay-Sandra Day O’Connor Civic Education Act for Kentucky

You’re invited! June 7, 2011: McConnell Center, Louisville

KACE in Retrospect A Search for Identity A Rescue Plan: SOS term limits

A Magnet: Allies on the loose A Broker: Where’s the money? An Incubator: Legislation first A 501(c)(3): Wait, you can’t do

that . . . An Anti-Organization: Bottom-up

action

Managing Change OK, what would you do when

. . . Your president, a Republican

Secretary of State, leaves for Harvard to lead Institute of Politics

His successor as SOS, a Democrat mayor hand-picked by governor, is defeated in a primary election by the daughter of the governor’s Democratic political foe

Your interim president, special assistant to SOS, will have had three different bosses by November—if he still has a job!

Where should you start?

Finding focus and making news . . . Sandra Day O’Connor Act

Civic Health Index

Reform of Penal Code

Law on 12th graders’ voting

“Super” Project Citizen

For More Information

Buck Ryan Lindsey Austin buck.ryan@uky.edu lindsey.austin@uky.edu School of Journalism and Telecommunications

University of Kentucky (859) 257-1730