Enlisting a New Generation of Florida Citizens

In 2006, U. S. Congressman Lou Frey and U. S. Senator Bob Graham joined together to launch a bipartisan effort to improve civic education in Florida. As background for their work, the Lou Frey Institute of Politics and Government joined with the Bob Graham Center for Public Service at the University of Florida to prepare a report entitled Enlisting a New Generation of Florida Citizens. The report was released to the Governor, Legislative leaders and the Press in January, 2007. It makes five policy recommendations to strengthen civic education in the state.

• Make civics education an integral part of our public school curriculum: Florida's current learning standards treat civics as an afterthought. We must utilize the scheduled 2007 revision of the Sunshine State Standards in Social Studies to update and strengthen those guidelines so that schools give students all of the skills they need to be effective citizens.
• Test civics on the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT): Florida currently examines students on reading, writing, mathematics, and science - in short, every core academic subject but civics and social studies. Without assessment and accountability, civics will remain under-emphasized. We must add civics knowledge and skills to the subjects tested on the FCAT.
• Encourage and support the teaching of civics in Florida's K-12 schools: Students will not be transformed into active citizens without teachers who are properly trained and empowered. We must make civics instruction an essential part of teacher education at Florida's colleges and universities and help teachers already in the classroom enhance their civics teaching skills and methods.
• Lead the nation in textbook improvement: Because of its strength in the textbook market, Florida has both an opportunity and a responsibility to improve instructional materials in civics as well as other core subjects. Educational policymakers must make use of Florida's unique influence to update academic standards, build instructional coalitions with other states, and review our own textbook selection process so that students in the state and across the country have the right learning tools.
• Establish a Strategic Center for Florida Citizenship: Civics education is currently championed by a diffuse and independent array of students, parents, educators, elected officials, public policy centers and advocacy organizations. We must establish and fund a center to support and help coordinate these efforts, monitor Florida's civic health, and keep us on track to produce educated and effective citizens.

Editorial writers from news organizations throughout the state have endorsed the report's recommendations.

• Read the Executive Summary. (requires Adobe Acrobat)
• Read the Entire Report. (requires Adobe Acrobat)
• Read Editorials about the report (requires Adobe Acrobat)