CIRCLE is committed to funding research that is relevant to practice. We work with teachers, administrators, youth workers, young people, and others to set a research agenda and disseminate findings. We welcome questions and advice from practitioners.
Contact: Abby Kiesa

• Measuring Civic Engagement
  
• Youth-Led Research
  
• Youth Civic Engagement Resources
• Civic Education Resources

The Education Commission of the States' National Center for Learning and Citizenship has started a database of civics assessments. The database contains questions categorized by national civics standards that have been juried by civic learning experts for their clarity and meaningfulness in relation to the competencies of civic knowledge, skills and dispositions. These items can be used in program evaluation, as indicators in strategic plans, to spur improvement or to address policy-makers' requests for accountability.

An additional resource is CIRCLE's Indicators of Civic Engagement The indicators were developed by a team of leading researchers to help identify different aspects of civic behavior. The indicators were developed as a part of a national study, The Civic and Political Health of the Nation: A Generational Portrait conducted by researchers at George Mason University, Rutgers University, and DePaul University. Their work was funded by The Pew Charitable Trusts and presented in collaboration with CIRCLE. Resources affiliated with the study include:

• A short paper quiz using the core indicators
• The full report with national survey results (pdf)
• More information on the study
• Notes on using the indicators to assess or evaluate civic engagement programs.

For more information on conducting self-evaluations of youth development programs visit: the Planning and Evaluation Resource Center (PERC). The Innovation Center also has resources on youth civic activism and will soon release a Planning and Evaluation Toolkit.

CIRCLE is happy to support the research of ten youth-led teams investigating different community issues around the country. To find out more about involving youth in research, CIRCLE's current youth-led research grantees, and other grant opportunities to support youth community research, visit our Youth-Led Research Resource Page.

Locate youth civic engagement organizations in your state and around the country using CIRCLE's Youth Civic Database.

Explore other organizations committed to youth and youth civic engagement. Find civic resources that include curriculum materials and how-to guides.

	Need resources for civic education? This resource compilation for teachers from CIRCLE Working Paper #34 offers recommended texts and Web sites for teaching civics to young adults. Also see this compilation of academic articles and Web resources for building the civic engagement of young adults.
	The Campaign for the Civic Mission of Schools features practice examples for high-quality, civic learning. Examples are categorized for students' grade level and by approach. Read CIRCLE and Carnegie Corporation of New York's report available on the Campaign for The Civic Mission of School's Web site. Written and endorsed by a distinguished group of more than 50 scholars and practitioners, The Civic Mission of Schools summarizes the evidence in favor of k-12 civic education; analyzes trends in political & civic engagement; identifies promising approaches to civic education; and offers recommendations to educators, policymakers, funders, researchers, and others.