President Obama's victory in the 2008 presidential race demonstrates the importance of civic involvement by young voters. But what is the best way to teach young Americans how to be better citizens?

The evidence is mounting that high-performing charter schools can serve as models for the nation's public schools in their efforts to prepare students for a life of active citizenship. Recent studies have shown that schools of choice do as well as--and in some cases outperform--traditional public schools in providing a civic education. Despite this potential, little has been done to learn from these schools' strengths.

In a new American Enterprise Institute (AEI) report, authors Robin Lake and Cheryl Miller offer an in-depth look at how top charter schools have implemented innovative civic education curricula. They demonstrate that these charters can show public schools how to set a higher bar for civic education, especially for minority students. They also provide recommendations for how policymakers, charter school authorizers, and educators can further advance civic education in all types of schools. The authors draw from the experience of charter networks such as Democracy Prep Public Schools in New York City, where civic skills are as essential as reading and math. Also included are examples from YES Prep, KIPP, National Heritage Academies and Green Dot Public Schools.

Among the report's key findings:
• Charter schools serving a high percentage of minority and low-income students have an important role to play in boosting these students' civic knowledge and engagement.
• The approaches of charter school leaders to civic education--including why civic preparation is important, what skills are most critical, and which teaching methods work best--depend on the type of students and vary from school to school.
• Charter school educators view civic education as an important schoolwide task, not as a subject for social studies teachers alone to address.
• Successful charter schools create a culture united around a common mission. This allows them to promote a strong vision of citizenship and handle controversial topics and issues.