[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 055 (Monday, April 7, 2003)]
[Senate]
[Page S4896]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  MUSSELMAN HIGH SCHOOL PARTICIPATES IN WE THE PEOPLE NATIONAL FINALS

 Mr. ROCKEFELLER. Mr. President, on April 26, 2003, more than 
1,200 students from across the United States will visit Washington, 
D.C. to compete in the national finals of the We the People: The 
Citizen and the Constitution program, a well-known educational program 
developed specifically to educate young people about the Constitution 
and the Bill of Rights. Administered by the Center for Civic Education, 
the We the People program is funded by Congress through the U.S. 
Department of Education.
  I am proud to announce that the class from Musselman High School will 
represent the State of West Virginia in this national event. These 
young scholars from Inwood, WV, have worked conscientiously to reach 
the national finals by participating in both local and statewide 
competitions. As a result of their hard work, they have gained a deep 
knowledge and understanding of the fundamental principles and values of 
our constitutional democracy.
  The 3 day We the People national competition is modeled on hearings 
in the United States Congress. The hearings consist of oral 
presentations by high school students before a panel of adult judges on 
constitutional topics. The students are given an opportunity to 
demonstrate their knowledge while they evaluate, take, and defend 
positions on relevant historical and contemporary issues. Their 
testimony is followed by a period of questioning by the judges who 
probe the students' depth of understanding and ability to apply their 
constitutional knowledge.
  The We the People program provides curriculum and materials at upper 
elementary, middle, and high school levels. The curriculum not only 
enhances students' understanding of the institutions of American 
constitutional democracy, it also helps them identify the contemporary 
relevance of the Constitution and Bill of Rights. Critical thinking 
exercises, problem-solving activities, and cooperative learning 
techniques help develop the kind of participatory skills necessary for 
students to become active, responsible citizens.
  Independent studies by the Educational Testing Service, ETS, revealed 
that students enrolled in the We the People program at upper 
elementary, middle, and high school levels ``significantly outperformed 
comparison students on every topic of the tests taken.'' Another study 
by Richard Brody at Stanford University discovered that students 
involved in the We the People program develop greater commitment to 
democratic principles and values than do students using traditional 
textbooks and approaches. Researchers at the Council for Basic 
Education noted:

       [T]eachers feel excited and renewed . . . . Students are 
     enthusiastic about what they have been able to accomplish, 
     especially in terms of their ability to carry out a reasoned 
     argument. They have become energized about their place as 
     citizens of the United States.

  The class from Musselman High School is eager to participate in the 
national competition in Washington, D.C. It is inspiring to see these 
young people advocate the fundamental ideals and principles of our 
government, ideas that identify us as a people and bind us together as 
a nation. It is important for future generations to understand these 
values and principles which we hold as standards in our endeavor to 
preserve and realize the promise of our constitutional democracy. I 
believe these young West Virginians have already won a great deal 
through the knowledge they have gained, but I also wish them every 
success in the We the People competition.

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