EdWeek Sees Rise in Youth Civic Participation in CA

According to research done by Joseph Kahne at Mills College, youth participation in civic activities has been steadily increasing over the past decade, after years of decline.  Important for policy makers, Kahne’s study shows that the number one predictor of whether or not students participate is if they are asked to do so.  Kahne and his research partner, Ellen Middaugh of UCBerkley, conducted a study of 2,500 former high school students from 19 California school districts.  They found that students who had taken classes that encouraged civic engagement in high school tended to engage in civic life more after high school.  “Classroom-based activities have a statistically significant impact on students’ civic and political involvement and their intent to vote,” Kahne noted.  Unfortunately, minorities and low-income youth are less likely to participate than their peers.  This may be because they are less likely to be enrolled in classes that encourage this sort of participation.