Section 1:
Defining the District Lens
Section 1 Toolkit Document
Developing the district lens is an important part of the adoption process. It can assist adoption committees in creating the best possible program for their particular student populations. Establishing a profile of the district’s needs and resources creates this lens. The district lens can serve as a guide that will lead to an informed perspective regarding the needs of students and teachers. This powerful process will help committee members deepen their understanding of the CA State Seal of Civic Engagement, as well as the connections to the 2016 History / Social Studies Framework, and Standards.
It is crucial that time be given at the onset of the adoption process to create the district lens, as all subsequent decisions should reflect a true accounting of learner populations and teacher needs. The tasks in this section will help districts prioritize essential program features in the materials being reviewed. The committee can use these findings as a foundation for their work throughout this Toolkit.
Data Collection Tools and Activities
Civic Engagement Needs Assessment
This survey is for teachers and students to review what types of Civic Engagement would be needed in your area. Have as many teachers and students fill this out as possible. This data will be reviewed by the committee when developing the program.
Review of Criteria for CA State Seal of Civic Engagement
This survey highlights the areas of strengths and weaknesses that need to be addressed to make a successful program adoption and rollout. This survey should be filled out by the committee first. It can be shared to a wider audience if the committee agrees.
District Civic Engagement Support Survey Results Activity
Use the results from the District Civic Engagement Support Survey to answer the questions about the new CSSC and rollout of new programs to support it.
Support for Civic Engagement Discussion Activity
Review the data that you have collected as well as the questions from this activity. Committee works together to debrief their ideas on the implications of this data.
Current Civic Engagement Discussion Activity
Please review current practice of teaching civics and civic engagement or how this area has been addressed within your school / department / district.
Once you have went through this section and completed the activities as well as thought through the state of Civic Engagement in your school and district move on to the next section.