Social studies teachers instruct their students through a variety of instructional pedagogies. Social science education researchers have called for K-12 teachers to transition away from a traditional lecture format and move towards a format that encourages critical thinking. Classroom debates of controversial issues are a common method by which teachers engage students in higher-order thinking. This research study utilizes the 2010 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) 12th grade civics assessment (n = 9,800) to identify instructional techniques that improve student’s score. Utilizing the NAEP Data Explorer online statistical analysis tool, a linear regression was conducted examining the effects of race, socio-economic status, instructional pedagogies, and access to newspapers and computers on student performance. Results show that discussing current events, at any frequency, increases student performance. Students who participated in classroom debates once or twice a month or less also improved. African-American and Hispanic students scored lower, as did students who qualified for free and reduced lunches. This study suggests that the inclusion of current events should be encouraged civics classes.

The analysis of the College Board's Advanced Placement (AP) enrollment focused on marginalized populations' (i.e., African American, Hispanic, and poor students) limited access and the schools' efforts to bridge the gaps. Little research has been done on marginalized populations' AP passage rates. The researchers of this correlational study investigated AP enrollment and passage rates in public and charter high schools in Florida (n = 355) by comparing the enrollment and passage proportions amongst Caucasian, African American, and Hispanic students as well as the proportions of students who received free or reduced lunch. The results showed a weak, positive relationship between proportions of Hispanic, African American, and Caucasian students passing AP exams and the proportion of AP students enrolled. There was a strong, positive relationship amongst the proportions of African-American, Hispanic, and Caucasian students who passed the exam. However, a weak, negative relationship was found between the proportions of students who were enrolled in AP classes and those who received free or reduced lunch. There was also a negative relationship between Hispanic, African American, and Caucasian students passing the AP exam and the percentage of the school's population enrolled in free or reduced lunch. The findings suggest that schools with high poverty rates have a low enrollment rate of students in AP courses. The focus on AP enrollment rates for minority students has led to increased rates of minorities successfully completing advanced coursework, but there is still a need for similar focus on high poverty schools.

Educational standards have changed rapidly and drastically in the past several years, including an increased focus on literacy within the social studies. Using data from a four-month qualitative study, this article examines how seven secondary social studies teachers talked about and defined literacy, and how those perspectives informed their pedagogical choices. The enquiry is a response to two areas: first, the many and varied definitions of literacy found in the literature (for example, content area literacy, multiliteracies and media literacy); and second, the added attention given to disciplinary literacy in the widely adopted Common Core State Standards. We found these teachers had four common elements when talking about and defining literacy: (1) reading comprehension; (2) writing fluidity; (3) skills; and (4) vocabulary. Additionally, we discovered that teachers discussed using four kinds of literacy teaching strategies: (1) content area reading strategies; (2) disciplinary reading strategies; (3) writing strategies; and (4) dialogue strategies. However, we determined that the teachers' theoretical understanding of literacy had only minor influence on their pedagogical choices. Instead, we found overarching assessments such as an end-of-course, advanced placement or state-wide reading exam had greater influence on the pedagogical choices the teachers made. The findings suggest that the effort to expand literacy instruction into the disciplines is still a work in progress, which falls in the hands of teacher educators and professional development providers.

This article reviews Diana E. Hess and Paula McAvoy's book The Political Classroom: Evidence and Ethics in Democratic Education (2015). The book examines the current political climate of party polarization, consequent effect on teacher's use of controversial issue discussion in the classroom, and the benefits to a democratic society of holding discussions in class. Hess and McAvoy (2015) present three case studies of teachers struggles and successes in using controversial issues in the classroom, and offer a framework for practicing teachers to use in choosing topics for classroom discussion. The book offers researcher's new avenues of research, practicing teacher's an outline for discussion, and provides a comprehensive summary illustrating how controversial issue discussion can assist with the democratic education of secondary students.An enduring goal of the educational system concerns the transferring of a nation's values to a younger generation, the socialization of youth both politically and socially. Over four years, Diana Hess and Paula McAvoy conducted a longitudinal mixed mode study focused on controversial discussion in the classroom and sought to answer two principal questions "(1) What did students experience and learn from these discussions? and (2) What effect do classrooms that engage young people in discussion of political controversy have on students' future political engagement and attitudes?" (Hess & McAvoy, 2015, p. 9). In The Political Classroom: Evidence and Ethics in Democratic Education, Hess and McAvoy investigate the political climate of America during their study, review three case studies intended to illuminate teacher practice, and develop a framework for teachers to evaluate the ethics of controversial discussion within secondary classrooms. Both the study and the resulting book illuminate the difficulties teachers face when teaching divisive topics in our currently polarized political environment.Oftentimes, controversial issues address politically sensitive topics, such as race and culture, social class, religion, and the relationship of privilege to power (Hess & Gatti, 2010). Although the topics may be sensitive to individuals, political discussion is necessary for the workings of a successful democratic society (Hess, 2004). Social science education research has shown some of the difficulties teachers face when instituting controversial topic discussion in the classroom. Teachers fear that discussion can impact their career or that classroom management will suffer (Allen, 2010;Parker & Hess, 2001;Washington & Humphries, 2011). This divide between the necessity of classroom discussion and teachers' preference to avoid controversy creates opportunity for the disaffection of marginalized groups (Tamir, 2015).This book, The Political Classroom: Evidence and Ethics in Democratic Education furthers the research into controversial issue discussion by creating a framework for teachers to use in the classroom, and focusing on how students' experiences influence their political viewpoint...