This two-day convening is organized as a working group that aims to identify what we currently know about the impact of political polarization on education – and civic education in particular – as well as identify promising strategies for teaching about and against the effects of polarization.

This interdisciplinary working group is meeting with the dual goal of sharing knowledge and producing a set of deliverables to help inform future research and practice. The convening will include a series of short presentations highlighting current work as well as structured discussions designed to identify ways to address the effects of polarization on education. Takeaway deliverables will include a research agenda, white paper, and a special issue in Democracy and Education.

This convening is funded by the American Education Research Association and the Gibb Democracy Education Fund.

Schedule

Monday, June 24 – Pyle Center, ATT Lounge (Room 106), 702 Langdon St.

6:00 – 7:30 – Reception and Informal Dinner

Tuesday, June 25 – Education 159 (Bascom Hill)

8:00 – 9:00 – Breakfast

9:00 – 9:30 – Overview for Day 1 of the Convening

9:30 – 10:15 – Opening Conversation

10:15 – 10:30 – Break

10:30 – 11:30 – Session 1: Current State of Polarization

11:30 – 12:00 – Small Group Discussion

12:00 – 1:00 – Lunch

1:00 – 2:00 – Session 2: Impacts of Polarization on Schools/Teachers/Curriculum

2:00 – 2:30 – Small Group Discussion

2:30 – 2:45 – Break

2:45 – 3:30 – Session 3: Intervention Flash Presentations I

3:30 – 3:45 – Break

3:45 – 4:30 – Session 4: Intervention Flash Presentations II

4:30 – 5:30 – Small Group Discussion & Large Group Reflection and Debrief

Wednesday, June 26 – Education 159 (Bascom Hill)

8:00 – 9:00 – Breakfast

9:00 – 9:15 – Gallery walk and wall updates

9:15 – 9:30 – Recap of Day 1 and Overview of Day 2

9:30 – 10:30 – Session 5: A conversation about political polarization with Michael Dimock, President of Pew Research Center

10:30 – 10:45 – Break

10:45 – 11:30 – Generating a Research Agenda

11:30 – 12:00 – Large Group Discussion and Debrief

12:00 – 1:00 – Lunch and Continued Discussion

1:00 – Depart

 

Session information

This is an accordion element with a series of buttons that open and close related content panels.

Opening Conversation

What questions do we have about the impacts of political polarization on and in K-12 education?

What do you know, believe, or think is most important about the impact of political polarization in and on K-12 education?

Session 1: Current State of Polarization

This panel will highlight research from key aspects of polarization research, including affective polarization, the role of mis/disinformation in polarization, and how polarization emerges within particular contexts or impacts different demographic groups.

Questions: What is the nature of polarization and its effects? What is polarization? What is affective polarization? What is the relationship between deliberation and polarization?

  • Matthew Levendusky, University of Pennsylvania
  • Jaime Settle, William & Mary
  • Nathan Kalmoe, UW Madison
  • James Fishkin, Stanford University
  • Moderator: Joseph Kahne, University of California – Riverside

Session 2: Impacts of Polarization on Schools/Teachers/Curriculum

This panel will focus explicitly on the impact of polarization and its side-effects on schools, including on local school policies and curriculum, the conditions of teaching and impact on teacher decision making and pedagogy, and the impact on opportunities for young people to engage in high quality civic education and topics around issues of race, equity, and inclusion.

Questions: What effect is polarization having on schools, teachers, students, social studies? What are teachers / schools doing?

  • Joseph Kahne, UC-Riverside
  • Sade Bonilla, University of Pennsylvania
  • LaGarrett King, University of Buffalo
  • Lisa García Bedolla, UC-Berkeley
  • Moderator: Jonathan Collins, Teachers College, Columbia University

Session 3: Intervention Flash Presentations I

What are you doing (strategy / intervention)? Why are you doing it? How do you know what is working? What is your theory of action?

  • Jane Lo, Michigan State University
  • Paula McAvoy, North Carolina State University & Greg McAvoy, University of North Carolina at Greensboro
  • Matthew Nelsen, University of Miami
  • Alice Siu, Stanford University
  • Moderator: Jeremy Stoddard, University of Wisconsin – Madison

Session 4: Intervention Flash Presentations II

What are you doing (strategy / intervention)? Why are you doing it? How do you know what is working? What is your theory of action?

  • Brett Levy, State University of New York at Albany
  • Rebecca Geller, University of Georgia
  • Jonathan Collins, Teachers College, Columbia University
  • Jeremy Stoddard, University of Wisconsin – Madison
  • Sunshine Hillygus, Duke University
  • Moderator: Diana Hess, University of Wisconsin – Madison

Session 5: A conversation about political polarization with Michael Dimock, President of Pew Research Center

  • Michael Dimock, Pew Research Center
  • Moderator: Diana Hess, University of Wisconsin – Madison

Generating a Research Agenda

What do we think we know? Based on what? What do we need to know?

What questions have we answered? What questions remain? What new questions have come up? What conversations still need to be had?

Organizers

  • Jais Brohinsky
    UW Madison
  • Jonathan Collins
    Center for Educational Equity, Teachers College, Columbia University
  • Diana Hess
    The Discussion Project, UW Madison
  • Joe Kahne
    Civic Engagement Research Group, UC Riverside
  • Carly McClennahan
    UW Madison
  • Jeremy Stoddard
    Center for Research on Complex Thinking, UW Madison

Participants

  • Lisa García Bedolla
    UC Berkeley
  • Sade Bonilla
    Consortium for Policy Research in Education, University of Pennsylvania
  • Michael Dimock
    Pew Research Center
  • Abigail Dym
    Civic Engagement Research Group, UC Riverside
  • James Fishkin
    Deliberative Democracy Lab, Stanford University
  • Rebecca Geller
    University of Georgia
  • Lynn Glueck
    The Discussion Project, UW Madison
  • Sunshine Hillygus
    The Polarization Lab, Duke University
  • Nathan Kalmoe
    Center for Communication and Civic Renewal, UW Madison
  • LaGarrett King
    Center for K-12 Black History and Racial Literacy Education, University of Buffalo
  • Matthew Levendusky
    Annenberg Public Policy Center, University of Pennsylvania
  • Meira Levinson
    Edmond & Lily Safra Center for Ethics, Harvard University
  • Brett Levy
    Center for Technology in Government, SUNY Albany
  • Jane Lo
    Michigan State University
  • Paula McAvoy
    North Carolina State University
  • Greg McAvoy
    UNC Greensboro
  • Matthew Nelsen
    University of Miami
  • Lina Rangel
    UW Madison
  • Elizabeth Reynolds
    Maryland Democracy Initiative, University of Maryland
  • Jaime Settle
    Social Networks and Political Psychology Lab, William and Mary
  • Alice Siu
    Deliberative Democracy Lab, Stanford University
  • Agata Soroko
    Civic Engagement Research Group, UC Riverside
  • Sarah Stitzlein
    Ohio Valley Philosophy of Education Society, University of Cincinnati
  • Kate Ullman
    Legislative Semester Civics Initiative, Wisconsin Civic Learning Coalition