[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 129 (Wednesday, September 29, 1999)]
[Senate]
[Pages S11637-S11638]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      EDUCATION FOR DEMOCRACY ACT

  Mr. DODD. Mr. President, I rise today in support of legislation 
introduced by my colleague, the distinguished Senior Senator from 
Mississippi, Thad Cochran, and myself earlier this week, the Education 
for Democracy Act, which will continue successful efforts to enhance 
citizenship among our nation's youth.
  Over the last decade, there has been much discussion about the 
purposes, successes and failures of American schools. We talk about how 
schools hold in trust our nation's future--the next generation of 
workers, parents and artists. One of the most important, and perhaps 
least mentioned, roles that today's students will play tomorrow is as 
citizens. Yet, in too many schools citizenship education is an 
afterthought to an American history or government course.
  The Education for Democracy Act will reauthorize a highly successful 
program established by Congress in 1985 that helps meet these needs. 
The We the People . . . the Citizen and the Constitution program has 
demonstrated its effectiveness in fostering a reasoned commitment to 
the fundamental principles and values of our constitutional democracy 
among elementary and secondary education students. Now in its twelfth 
year, this program has provided 24 million students with instruction 
and learning opportunities that enable them to meet the highest 
standards of achievement in civics and government and that encourages 
active and responsible participation in government.
  Studies have shown students benefit across the board from their 
exposure to this powerful program. An Educational Testing Service study 
found that students at upper elementary, middle and high schools levels 
significantly out performed comparison students on all topics studied. 
Even more impressive were the results of a comparison of a random 
sample of high school students in the program with a group of 
sophomores and juniors in political science courses at a major 
university. The We the People . . . high schools students outperformed 
the university students on every topic tested. Finally, an analysis of 
student voter registration at

[[Page S11638]]

the Clark County School District in Las Vegas, Nevada revealed that 80 
percent of the seniors in the program registered to vote compared to a 
school average among seniors of 37 percent.
  Many of us here in this chamber are fortunate to have experienced 
first-hand the quality of this program. Each spring, outstanding 
classes of students from the around the country come to Washington to 
participate in the final round of national competitive hearings on the 
Constitution and the Bill of Rights. While these students' knowledge of 
the Constitution is impressive, what is most striking is the students' 
excitement about the Constitution and their government.
  This legislation would assure that students across the nation will 
continue to have access to this quality program. In addition, it would 
assure all of us of a stronger foundation for our country's future. I 
look forward to working with my colleagues to move this legislation 
forward and would urge others to join us as sponsors of this important 
measure.

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