Status on the State of Civic Education in Florida

Classroom Teacher Survey - 2004

Our organizations are interested in hearing from classroom teachers regarding the status of Civic Education in Florida. Please take a moment, complete the survey below, and return it to the person at the end of the survey. Thank you. (Textboxes are provided in the appropriate blanks. Simply ‘left click’ on the blank, make the text box appear and then type directly in the box to make an electronic version of your response.)

1. Your name (optional) ____________________________

2. Grade / Subject you teach _________________________

3. District ______________________________________

4. Number of years you have been teaching social studies. _____ (Over 5 years preferred.)

For the following statements, circle the word or number you MOST AGREE WITH.

5. In the last five years, I have seen the daily minutes or time devoted to Social Studies instruction to
a. be greatly increased.
b. be slightly increased.
c. remain the same
d. to be slightly decreased.
e. to be greatly decreased.
____
6. My current social studies textbooks are
a. less than six years old.
b. more than six, but less than 8 years old.
c. more than 8, but less than 10 years old.
d. more than 10 years old.
____
7. Which statement below is most accurate with regard to the status of current wall maps in your classroom? Check ALL that apply.
a. the current maps in my classroom are the original ones that were furnished when the school was built. The number of years old your school is ____.
b. I have a world maps less than 10 years old. (Eritrea is shown as part of former Ethiopia & Russia is shown with the Independent Commonwealth States of the former U.S.S.R.)
c. I have a world map that is from BEFORE 1992. (Yugoslavia is shown or U.S.S.R.)
d. I have a world map from BEFORE 1990 (East and West Germany are shown).
e. I do NOT have a world map in my classroom.____

8. In my estimation, students are coming to my classroom in recent years with
a. the SAME basic civic knowledge as they have had in the past.
b. SLIGHTLY MORE civic understanding than they have had in the past.
c. a GREAT DEAL MORE civic understanding than they have had in the past.
d. SLIGHTLY LESS civic understanding than they have had in the past.
c. a GREAT DEAL LESS civic understanding than they have had in the past.
____
9. In my estimation, students are coming to my classroom in recent years with
a. the SAME basic knowledge of history as they have had in the past.
b. SLIGHTLY MORE historical understanding than they have had in the past.
c. a GREAT DEAL MORE historical understanding than they have had in the past.
d. SLIGHTLY LESS historical understanding than they have had in the past.
c. a GREAT DEAL LESS historical understanding than they have had in the past.
____
10. In my estimation, students are coming to my classroom in recent years with
a. the SAME basic knowledge of geography as they have had in the past.
b. SLIGHTLY MORE geographical understanding than they have had in the past.
c. a GREAT DEAL MORE geographical understanding than they have had in the past.
d. SLIGHTLY LESS geographical understanding than they have had in the past.
c. a GREAT DEAL LESS geographical understanding than they have had in the past.
____
11. In my estimation, students are coming to my classroom in recent years with
a. the SAME basic knowledge of economics as they have had in the past.
b. SLIGHTLY MORE economic understanding than they have had in the past.
c. a GREAT DEAL MORE economic understanding than they have had in the past.
d. SLIGHTLY LESS economic understanding than they have had in the past.
c. a GREAT DEAL LESS economic understanding than they have had in the past.

12. Have you heard of or do you personally know of another teacher who has been asked to lessen the emphasis on social studies instruction in the last few years?
___ yes __ no

13. What is the current amount of TIME (minutes or hours per week, days per term or semester) that is devoted to social studies instruction at your school? If there has been a reduction from an earlier time, please state the percent of time for which this instruction has been reduced.

14. Have historical field trips to museums or other programs been affected in recent years?
___ yes __ no In needed, explain:

Please feel free to attach any additional anecdotal information regarding the status of student understanding of social studies content when they come to your school or classroom.