THE LEARNING RESULTS

The State of Maine has established the Learning Results as being the ultimate goal of primary and secondary education in Maine. 

Teachers (and others) have been subjected to abuse as 'having something to hide'
in protesting the fingerprinting law.  Apparently, we are supposed to preach
the Learning Results, not practice them.  Here are some relevant sections. Do
the Powers That Be really have any idea what they have said?


 
CIVICS AND GOVERNMENT 

 

 Students will learn the constitutional principles and the democratic foundations
 of national, state, and local systems and institutions. Further, students will
 learn how to exercise the rights and responsibilities of participation in civic
 life and to analyze and evaluate public policies. This understanding entails
 insight into political power, how it is distributed and expressed, the types and
 purposes of governments, and their relationships with the governed. Political
 relationships among the United States and other nations are also included in
 this content area.


 
 A. RIGHTS, RESPONSIBILITIES, AND PARTICIPATION 
 

 Students will understand the rights and responsibilities of civic life and
 employ the skills of effective civic participation. 
 

 C. FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES OF GOVERNMENT AND CONSTITUTIONS 
 

 Students will understand the constitutional principles and the democratic
 foundations of the political institutions of the United States.



 CIVICS AND GOVERNMENT 

Students will be able to:

 

 ELEMENTARY GRADES Pre-K-2 
 

   1.Identify and practice classroom rights and responsibilities. 
 

 EXAMPLE 
 

      Participate in a process to determine classroom rules that protect the
      rights and property of each student in the class, and establish guidelines
      for individual and cooperative learning. 
 

 ELEMENTARY GRADES 3-4 
 

    1.Identify important individual rights (e.g., freedom of religion, speech,
    ownership of property).

 2.Explain why certain responsibilities of democratic
    society are important.

 3.Identify the functions of government at school,
    locally, and at the state level. 
 

 MIDDLE GRADES 5-8 
 

    1.Identify the characteristics of an effective citizen.

 2.Evaluate and
 defend positions on current issues regarding individual rights and judicial
 protection.

 3.Describe and analyze the process by which a proposed law is
 adopted, including the role of governmental and non-governmental influences.

 4.Identify ways in which citizens in a pluralistic society manage differences
 of opinion on public policy issues.

 5.Explain the functions of and
 relationships among local, state, and national governments. 
 

 SECONDARY GRADES 
 

    1.Develop and defend a position on a public policy issue within our
 democracy. 

2.Assess the reasons why participation of an attentive,
 knowledgeable, and competent citizenry is important to constitutional
 democracy, using examples from personal or historical experience.

 3.Describe
 the circumstances under which civil disobedience might be justified.

 4.Demonstrate an understanding of the processes of voter registration and
 voter participation. 

 
 CIVICS AND GOVERNMENT 
 

 C. FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES OF GOVERNMENT AND CONSTITUTIONS 
 

 Students will understand the constitutional principles and the democratic
 foundations of the political institutions of the United States. Students will be
 able to:
 

 ELEMENTARY GRADES Pre-K-2 
 

    1.Understand that the United States has a constitution. 
 

 ELEMENTARY GRADES 3-4 
 

    1.Explain how the Constitution protects individual rights (e.g., Bill of
    Rights). 
 

 MIDDLE GRADES 5-8 
 

    1.Explain the meaning and importance of fundamental principles of American
    constitutional democracy (e.g., popular sovereignty, rule of law, three
    branches of government,
      representative institutions, shared powers, checks and balances, and
      separation of church and state). 

    2.Examine civil rights, liberties, and responsibilities established in the
    United States Constitution and Bill of Rights.
 3.Take and defend positions on
    current issues involving the constitutional practice of individual rights
    (e.g., freedom of speech, separations of church and state).
 4.Explain the
    importance, in a pluralistic society, of having certain shared political
    values and principles. 
 

 SECONDARY GRADES 
 

    1.Explain the historical foundations of constitutional government in the
    United States (e.g., Magna Carta, Roman Republic, colonial experience,
    Declaration of Independence, Articles of
      Confederation, Constitution of the United States). 

    2.Evaluate the Federalist and anti-Federalist positions on the ratification
    of the Constitution in light of historical developments. 3.Evaluate the
    effectiveness of the Constitution as a vehicle for change. 4.Demonstrate an
    understanding of the meaning and importance of traditional democratic
    assumptions such as individual rights, the common good, self-government,
    justice, equality,
      and patriotism. 

    5.Demonstrate how the United States Constitution uses checks and balances in
    order to prevent the abuse of power (e.g., Marbury vs. Madison, Gulf of
    Tonkin Resolution, Watergate).
 6.Evaluate, take, and defend positions on
    current issues regarding judicial protection and individual rights.
 7.Examine
    civil rights issues related to well-known Supreme Court decisions. 


Has the Department of Education read its own documents?