The efforts of a pair of curriculum developers to conduct "formative" and "summative" evaluation of an experimental civics course are described here, along with some of the consequences of their efforts, and a few of the pitfalls they encountered. Formative evaluation refers to those practices that produce data enabling developers to improve their…

The multi-faceted assessment of the teaching of religious history in the elementary and secondary schools of Indiana developed from a need for the assessment, a concept and procedure for the assessment, and the applications to educational practice. Textbooks have neglected religious history, and a national movement exists to improve the curricular…

This paper assesses efforts undertaken to promote teaching and learning about the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights during the years leading up to and including the bicentennial celebrations of these two documents. The assessment focuses on three specific topics: (1) patterns of content coverage; (2) materials for teachers and students; and…

In 1994 the Center for Civic Education published "National Standards for Civics and Government," content standards clearly defining what students should know and be able to do as the outcome of civic education in school. This standards project has been an attempt to standardize the best in civic education and to make the Standards…

This document addresses the questions of what teachers have achieved during the U. S. Constitution Bicentennial celebration in the areas of curriculum development and instruction and whether or not the celebration has been accompanied by educational renewal and improvement in secondary schools. Persistent problems in teaching and learning about…