The Program Effectiveness Panel of the U.S. Department of Education's National Diffusion Network examined the reports of numerous research studies on the We the People program. The panel validated the results of those studies and confirmed the program's powerful educational effects on students' civic knowledge and attitudes. This formal validation recognizes the We the People program's "contributions to excellence in education."
What the Research Says
- A "great instructional success," is how the Educational Testing Service characterizes the We the People program. Independent studies by ETS have revealed that We the People students "significantly outperformed comparison students on every topic of the tests taken."
- Students involved in the We the People program develop greater commitment to democratic principles and values, according to a study by Richard Brody of Stanford University. The study concludes that the program is effective in promoting political tolerance because participating students feel more politically effective and perceive fewer limits on their own political freedom.
- "[T]eachers feel excited and renewed.... Students are enthusiastic about what they have been able to accomplish, especially in terms of their ability to carry out a reasoned argument. They have become energized about their place as citizens of the United States," say researchers from the Council for Basic Education
- A 2001 survey of We the People alumni revealed that they are better informed and participate at higher rates than their peers. The data suggests that voting rates are significantly higher among alumni than nonparticipating peers surveyed in the 2000 American National Election Study (NES). Eighty-two percent of We the People alumni voted in November 2000, in contrast to 48 percent turnout by peers.
Research on the We the People: The Citizen and the Constitution Program
| WE THE PEOPLE AND POLITICAL KNOWLEDGE [#313] |
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Dr. Diana Owen |
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August 2011 |
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In a 2011 study, Dr. Diana Owen finds that We the People: The Citizen and Constitution students and alumni know significantly more about American government than the general public, including those who have taken a basic civics course. We the People program alumni, some of whom have been out of high school for more than two decades, retain knowledge about government, and exhibit higher levels of knowledge than the general public. |
| We the People: The Citizen and the Constitution Professional Development Evaluation [#299] |
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Dr. Thomas Vontz, Kansas State University |
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August, 2010 |
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One Page Summary
Full Report |
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The Center for Civic Education contracted with Dr. Thomas Vontz, associate professor at Kansas State University, to conduct a two-phase evaluation of week-long We the People: The Citizen and the Constitution summer institutes during 2009. Results from the study show that participation in a We the People summer institute had a positive and statistically significant effect on teachers’ civic knowledge across civic concepts. Also, participating in an institute lasting five to seven days significantly increased elementary- and middle-school teachers’ knowledge of civil society and representative democracy. |
| Center for Civic Education Research Report [#275] |
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Fairbank, Maslin, Maullin & Associates |
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March, 2009 |
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This study conducted by the polling firm Fairbank, Maslin, Maullin & Associates found that We the People Summer Institutes were rated as highly effective by participants. Further, 85% of teachers surveyed, who had never used the Representative in Democracy (RDA) materials, would like to receive instruction on the curricula. Teachers would also appreciate website content that provides plans for specific topics, such as Election Day, the Inauguration, or a Presidential Birthday, as well as additional resources to supplement the We the People textbook. |
| "Secondary Education and Political Attitudes: Examining the Effects on Political Tolerance of the We the People... Curriculum" [#141] |
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Richard A. Brody |
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Department of Political Science, Stanford University |
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1994 |
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Based on a survey of 1,351 high school students from across the US, this report demonstrates that students in high school civics, government, and U.S. history classes display more political tolerance than the average citizen. The study also establishes that students in classes using all or part of the We the People curriculum are more tolerant than students following other curricula. Additionally, We the People fosters increased tolerance because it promotes higher levels of self-confidence and the perception of fewer limits on students' own political freedom. |
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