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Visit this site for tips on how to teach the First Amendment in your classroom.
http://www.teachfirstamendment.org/
ASNE_Web_Site
ASNE - Scholastic journalism site for teen journalists, teachers, guidance counselors, and the editors of professional newspapers. Where to go to start a newspaper. www.highschooljournalism.org
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SPLC - Provides legal advice and information and low-cost educational materials for student journalists on various legal topics. www.splc.org
RTNDF_Web_Site
RTNDF - The High School Electronic Journalism Project seeks to identify, inspire, train and challenge the next generation of diverse electronic journalists and First Amendment advocates.
http://www.rtndf.org/
Channel One Network is the
pre-eminent news and public affairs content provider to teens. Channel One's mission is to spark debate and discussion among teens, and also discussion between young people and their parents and educators, on the important issues affecting young people in America.
http://www.channelone.com
'07 survey shows Americans' views mixed on basic freedoms: nearly two-thirds say founders intended ‘Christian nation’; support rises for limits on campaign contributions.
http://www.fac.org
Future of the First Amendment    
Home > Report 9-18-06 High School Faculty Survey
 
Report Lead - Summary - Key Finding 1 - Key Finding 2 - Key Finding 3 - Key Finding 4 - Methodology - Student Survey - Faculty Survey - Comments
 
HIGH SCHOOL FACULTY SURVEY - 2006
     
1. What subject or subjects do you currently teach? (Please check all that apply):
  2004 2006
Art/Music/Drama 8% 8%
English 21% 18%
Foreign Language (e.g. Spanish, French) 8% 8%
History 11% 8%
Journalism 2% 2%
Math (Algebra/Calculus/Geometry) 17% 14%
Physical Education 6% 6%
Physical Sciences (e.g. Biology/Chemistry/Physics) 14% 12%
Psychology 2% 1%
Social Studies 12% 12%
Special Education 9% 10%
Other 26% 25%
     
2. During the past year, have you taught any classes that dealt primarily with journalism skills?
  2004 2006
Yes 7% 8%
No 93% 92%
     
3. During the past year, have you taught any classes that deal with the First Amendment?
  2004 2006
Yes 24% 29%
No 76% 71%
     
4. During the past year, have you taught any classes that discuss the role of media in society?
  2004 2006
Yes 42% 44%
No 58% 56%
     
5. During the past year, have you required as an assignment that your students read a newspaper or watch the television news, and if so, how often were they required to do so?
  2004 2006
Never 44% 45%
Once per year 12% 11%
On a quarterly basis 17% 16%
On a monthly basis 12% 11%
On a weekly basis 14% 17%
     
6. If you did require that students read a newspaper or watch the television news, which (if any) of the following activities did you require as part of that class assignment? (Check all that apply):
  2004 2006
Students wrote reports 48% 26%
Students wrote a letter to the editor/station manager 8% 3%
Students gave oral presentations to the class        39% 21%
No activities required 9% 8%
Other 34% 21%
     
7. Do you currently serve as faculty adviser to any of the following clubs or activities? (Please check all that apply, or check “None”):
  2004 2006
Student newspaper 4% 2%
Student magazine (Category does not include student literary magazines or yearbooks) 1% 0%
Student-run radio station with a news component 0% 0%
Student-run television station with a news component 1% 1%
Student Internet or World-Wide Web publication with a news component 2% 1%
Any other form of student media with a news component 5% 2%
     
8. How important do you feel it is that ALL students participate in some extracurricular activities or clubs?
  2004 2006
Very important 73% 69%
Somewhat important 24% 28%
Not too important 2% 2%
Not important at all 1% 0%
Dont' know 0% 1%
     
9. How important do you feel it is that ALL students learn some journalism skills?
  2004 2006
Very important 35% 31%
Somewhat important 52% 55%
Not too important 10% 11%
Not important at all 1% 1%
Don't know 1% 3%
     
10. How much do you trust journalists to tell the truth?  Do you believe they tell the truth….
  2004 2006
All of the time 4% 5%
Some of the time 79% 84%
Little of the time 13 7%
Not at all 2% 2%
Don't know 2% 2%
     
11.The First Amendment became part of the U.S. Constitution more than 200 years ago. This is what it says:

“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof, or abridging the freedom of speech or of the press, or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.”

Based on your own feelings about the First Amendment, please tell me whether you strongly agree, mildly agree, mildly disagree, or strongly disagree with the following statement: The First Amendment goes too far in the rights it guarantees.
  2004 2006
Strongly agree 9% 12%
Mildy agree 20% 21%
Mildy disagree 16% 12%
Strongly disagree 50% 50%
Don't know 5% 5%
     
12. Overall, how would you rate the job that the American educational system does in teaching students about First Amendment freedoms?
  2004 2006
Excellent 7% 6%
Good 46% 42%
Fair 29% 33%
Poor 7% 9%
Don't know 11% 10%
     
13. Overall, do you think the press in America has too much freedom to do what it wants, too little freedom to do what it wants, or is the amount of freedom the press has about right?
  2004 2006
Too much freedom 38% 29%
Too little freedom 8% 10%
About right 49% 55%
Don't know 6% 6%
     
14a. People should be allowed to express unpopular opinions.
  2004 2006
Strongly agree 72% 75%
Mildy agree 25% 21%
Mildy disagree 2% 3%
Strongly disagree 1% 1%
Don't know 1% 0%
     
14b. People should be allowed to burn or deface the American flag as a political statement.
  2004 2006
Strongly agree 15% 16%
Mildy agree 13% 13%
Mildy disagree 11% 11%
Strongly disagree 59% 58%
Don't know 2% 2%
     
14c. Musicians should be allowed to sing songs with lyrics that others might find offensive.
  2004 2006
Strongly agree 28% 35%
Mildy agree 30% 29%
Mildy disagree 19% 19%
Strongly disagree 21% 15%
Don't know 2% 2%
     
14d. Newspapers should be allowed to publish freely without government approval of a story.
  2004 2006
Strongly agree 53% 57%
Mildy agree 27% 22%
Mildy disagree 12% 13%
Strongly disagree 6% 7%
Don't know 2% 1%
     
14e. High school students should be allowed to report controversial issues in their student newspapers without the approval of school authorities.
  2004 2006
Strongly agree 13% 13%
Mildy agree 26% 27%
Mildy disagree 27% 28%
Strongly disagree 33% 31%
Don't know 1% 1%
     
15. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement?    
“Americans don’t appreciate First Amendment freedoms the way they ought to.”
  2004 2006
Strongly agree 30% 32%
Mildy agree 43% 47%
Mildy disagree 14% 12%
Strongly disagree 5% 4%
Don't know 7% 5%
     
16. Are the rights guaranteed by the First Amendment something you personally think about or are they something you take for granted?
  2004 2006
Personally think about 50% 49%
Take for granted 46% 47%
Don't know 4% 4%
     
17. What about most people in the United States—do you think the rights guaranteed by the First Amendment are something people specifically think about or are they something they take for granted?
  2004 2006
Personally think about 7% 5%
Take for granted 86% 89%
Don't know 7% 6%
     
Finally, please answer the following questions for classification purposes only…
     
18. What is the highest level of education that you have attained?
  2004 2006
High School diploma 1% 1%
Bachelors 41% 41%
Masters 52% 53%
ABD (all but dissertation) 3% 3%
Doctorate 1% 2%
Post-Doctorare 0% 0%
Don't Know 2% 0%
     
19. Have you ever received any formal instruction in the First Amendment?
  2004 2006
Yes 51% 57%
No 49% 43%
     
20. IF YES, would that have been before high school, during high school, and/or after high school? (Check all that apply):
  2004 2006
Before high school 21% 13%
During high school 75% 43%
After high school 54% 35%
Don't know 1% 0%
     
21. Age?
  2004 2006
18-28 11% 14%
29-39 27% 27%
40-50 27% 28%
51-61 32 29%
62-72 3% 2%
73+ 0% 0%
     
22. Are you male of female ?
  2004 2006
Male 42% 42%
Female 58% 58%
     
23. Are you Spanish/Hispanic/Latino?
  2004 2006
Yes 3% 6%
No 97% 94%
     
24. What is your race?    
  2004 2006
White/Caucasian 92% 94%
Black/African-American 4% 3%
American Indian/Alaska native 0% 0%
Asian 1% 0%
Some other race 2% 3%
     
Please note: For the student survey, the results are accurate to within a margin of plus or minus 1 percent. For the faculty questions, the results are accurate to within a plus or minus 3.6 percent.
   
 
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