Democracy Prep Get Out the Vote Report (2022)

Democracy Prep Public Schools is a growing network of free, open-enrollment, high-performing public charter schools.

Democracy Prep Public Schools educates more than 5,000 scholars in grades pre-K-12 in 22 schools in New York City; Baton Rouge, Louisiana; San Antonio, Texas; and Las Vegas, Nevada. A pioneer of authentic civics education and charter school turnaround, Democracy Prep is helping all students achieve academic growth. By proving that all students can achieve at extremely high academic levels, we seek to transform the lives of our students and raise the expectations for public schools across the nation.

MESSAGE FROM OUR CEO

In November 2022, we witnessed young people across our nation demonstrate their incredible power and active citizenship by turning out at the polls in historic numbers. I know our scholars certainly played a role in this extraordinary result. This year, our scholars returned to a core Democracy Prep tradition—leading Get Out The Vote (GOTV) efforts in their communities. They did amazing work canvassing their neighborhood to encourage community members to vote, assist people with the voter registration process, and collaborate with local businesses to display voter registration instructions in their establishments.

Below are a few outstanding highlights:

• 100% of Democracy Prep campuses engaged in some form of election-related learning during GOTV season.

• 1,320 community members were engaged during election season.

• 70% of scholars surveyed agreed or strongly agreed that they understood why they participated in GOTV.

Our work as a civics-oriented institution is needed now more than ever. In a time of so much uncertainty and divisiveness, our scholars must know that they have the power to shape the future. They are the next generation of advocates, lawyers, doctors, journalists, policy-makers, elected officials, philanthropists and so much more. With the civic education that we provide, there’s nothing that they can’t achieve in this world. That’s what a Democracy Prep education does: it touches students’ hearts with fire--fire ignited by a strong, wellrounded education and a passion to stand up for what is right and change our world for the better.

Natasha Trivers Chief Executive Officer Democracy Prep Public Schools

INTRODUCTION: GET OUT THE VOTE 2022 AT DEMOCRACY PREP PUBLIC SCHOOLS

This year’s Midterm Elections made one thing abundantly clear: there is a generational shift occurring in American politics. Based on day-after calculations from Tufts University’s CIRCLE, the 2022 Midterms saw the second-highest youth (ages 18-29) turnout rate for a midterm election in the past 30 years. In spite of numerous barriers, young people made their way to the polls and even helped tip the scales in several competitive elections--ones that helped steer the course of our nation’s political future.

With reproductive rights, college loan forgiveness, climate change, the peaceful transfer of power, and gun violence on the line, many young voters felt compelled to cast their ballots in order to fend off what they perceived to be active threats to their futures.

To return to the Democracy Prep Civics Program’s theme for this year, young voters’ hearts were touched with fire--the events of their historical context ignited a great passion for change and action.

This election season served as powerful confirmation that the work we have been doing as an organization is both urgent and essential. Our young people need to be persistent, aware of (and invested in) issues in their communities, and confident that their actions can make a difference. The Get Out the Vote tradition--as part of the larger DPPS civic learning ecosystem-cultivates those mindsets and capacities and helps our scholars internalize them over time.

The following report was created to give Democracy Prep’s stakeholders and partner organizations an opportunity to explore the various ways our programming had an impact on scholars and their communities.

Rashid Duroseau Civics Program Director

Democracy Prep Public Schools

A NEW SLOGAN FOR THE NEXT PHASE OF DEMOCRACY PREP CIVICS

In Fall 2022, Democracy Prep Public Schools decided to sunset its original Get Out the Vote canvassing slogan, “I Can’t Vote, But YOU Can!” and adopted the new rallying cry, “Your Vote. OUR Future!”

The new slogan can be interpreted two ways.

First, it can be understood as a reminder that children and the adults in their communities have a shared investment in building a better tomorrow.

Second, it is making a declaration that while young people depend on adults to vote responsibly, they are nevertheless powerful changemakers who will work beyond the ballot to build a brighter and more equitable future.

DEMOCRACY PREP STUDENTS IN K-12 LEARN ABOUT LEARN ABOUT VOTING & ELECTIONS

A 2020 study published in the American Political Science Review* concluded that Democracy Prep increases the voter registration rate of its students by about 16 percentage points and increases the voting rate of its students by about 12 percentage points (compared to students who did not attend DPPS). That impact is due in large part to the intentional, consistent exposure to election-related learning that our scholars experience from Grades K-12.

Impact of Enrolling in Democracy Prep on Registration and Voting (Bayesian Estimates)

*GILL, B., WHITESELL, E., CORCORAN, S., TILLEY, C., FINUCANE, M., & POTA MITES, L. (2020). Can Charter Schools Boost Civic Participation? The Impact of Democracy Prep Public Schools on Voting Behavior. American Political Science Review, 114(4), 1386-1392. doi:10.1017/S000305542000057X

Our scholars learn about American History and systems of government at various points throughout the year; however, we place a particular emphasis on democratic systems and civic duty during election seasons. Prior to any GOTV canvassing activities, all Democracy Prep scholars engage in a variety of nonpartisan lessons about voting and elections.

• Simulation of Democratic Processes: Lessons in this category provided scholars an opportunity to experience participating in various democratic processes. Scholars voted on their favorite foods, participated in ranked choice voting with sticky notes, launched student council campaigns, applied for mock voter registration certificates/cards, and cast their ballots in mock elections.

• History of Voting Rights: Lessons in this category explored the history of voting rights in the United States, examining which groups were considered citizens under the eyes of the law, and the timeline in which those groups were granted the Constitutionally protected right to participate in elections.

• Voter Suppression/Barriers to Voting: Lessons in this category also discussed the history of voting rights, but also performed a more detailed investigation of the mechanisms by which Americans (particularly ones from historically marginalized groups) are currently being prevented from casting their ballots. Lessons in this category also discussed current obstacles that have made voting more difficult, especially for younger voters.

• Importance of Voting: Lessons in this category explored the various ways that Federal, State, and Local governments affect the daily lives of citizens, creating a space for scholars to arrive at their own conclusions about the importance of participating in democratic processes.

• How to Cast a Ballot: Lessons in this category focused on the mechanics of voting. Scholars learned about the process of registering to vote, applying for and submitting an absentee/mail-in ballot, and applicable state laws about identification. They also examined sample ballots and voter registration forms to understand the structures of these documents.

ELECTION-RELATED LEARNING AT DEMOCRACY PREP PUBLIC SCHOOLS

INTERPRETING GRAPHS

Directions: Please examine the graph, then respond to the prompts below in complete sentences

• Describe this graph. What information does this graph show you?

• Describe a pattern that you observe in the data on this graph.

• Based on this graph, what can you conclude about the Texas gubernatorial race?

• Who do you think would find the information in the graph helpful? How might they use this information?

The graph is titled "Who's ahead in the Texas governor race?". The x-axis is telling us about the months, and the y- axis is telling us the percentage of the potential votes between Abbott and O'Rourke. The two lines that are showing me on the graph are about O'Rourke and Abbott going against each other by how many potential votes between one and the other.

The pattern that I see in the graph for Abbot is that in February through November it shows me that he is +9.1 ahead from O'Rourke potential votes. O'Rourkes pattern in the graph is showing us that he gained support by 40.1% then by the time when it was October through November he picked back up by 43.2%. This shows me that O'Rourke's lost the votes before, but he picked back up by the time when it was October- the beginning of November.

Based on the graph, I can conclude that Abbott is in the lead by +9.1%, showing me that O'Rourke could try to pick it back up. My evidence for this is mostly based on the graph and the potential voters, but O'Rourke had the gaining of the votes like about 40.1% he only needed 9.5 potential votes against Abbott. The graph is predicting that Abbott is winning by 9.1% against O'Rourkes.

Lastly, this graph is useful because this determines who would win the Texas governor election or race. Abbotts team found this graph useful because his team could know the percentage they are winning by and the percentage of the graph is telling them how much their team is winning by. O'Rourkes will find this graph useful because they would need to know how they would bring the potential votes back up. The voting public will find this useful because people might change their mind who they vote on, that is based on the graph. For me I would find this graph useful because the graph will determine who's winning and who's not, and also by how many potential votes between each month.

Above: Kaylee from DPSC Middle School’s response to a Texas English Language Proficiency Assessment System (TELPAS) aligned task combining ELA, Math, and Civics.

DEMOCRACY PREP CIVICS PROGRAM

Opposite (Clockwise from top left): A proud scholar shows off his mock voter registration certification card; two scholars cast their ballots in a classroom vote; a bulletin board sharing results from a class vote at DPSC Elementary School.

DPNY STUDENTS PARTICIPATE IN A YOUTH VOTE DURING ELECTION SEASON

As we prepare our young people for lives of active citizenship, it is important that we offer them opportunities to engage in simulations of key democratic processes. Such simulations include: starting/signing petitions, running for elected office (Student Council), participating in debates/deliberations, and voting in mock elections.

This election season, DPPS-NY conducted its second region-wide Youth Vote. We focused on New York’s ballot proposals in particular because these measures are the clearest example of direct citizen participation in lawmaking.

Scholars in Grades 6-12 were invited to share their opinions on each of New York’s four ballot proposals, which focused heavily on issues that were of great interest to our scholars: racial justice, environmental protection, and the cost of living.

A total of 892 scholars cast their ballots.

COMPARING DPNY YOUTH VOTE RESPONSES TO ELECTION RESULTS IN NEW YORK CITY

Scholars supported this measure by the largest margin of all four proposals. Given that the environment was ranked second among all of the issues scholars reported investment in, it comes as no surprise. It is unclear whether all scholars had a clear sense of how bonds operate; however, they were able to articulate the importance of investing funding in measures to protect the environment.

“I voted for this Ballot Proposal because pollution is a real thing, and because of that the water and environmental sources are being polluted, so some habitats and inhabitants may not have clean water, air, or a fresh environmental community.”

While survey data indicates that DPNY scholars are generally enthusiastic about racial justice initiatives, this particular ballot measure encountered the most resistance of the four presented. While few scholars who voted against the measure chose to provide a rationale, a handful of responses suggested a skepticism about whether a statement of values would translate into tangible action. Scholars who voted in support of the measure expressed a sense of urgency about addressing discrimination in their communities.

“I support this ballot because unequal treatment HAS to be addressed by the government, because there is so much going on and it goes unattended to.”

“I voted for this Ballot Proposal because focusing on and addressing the discrimi nation and unequal treatment of citizens is very important to me. As a citizen, I should not have to go through such things. I should feel safe in my environment without having to worry about being treated unequally or being discriminated against.”

While overall, scholars were supportive of the idea of establishing a Racial Equity Office, they were divided about the timeline for the Racial Equity Plans the measure outlined. For many of them, the two-year cadence for review was too infrequent, and as a result, they rejected the measure.

“I voted for this ballot proposal because racial discrimination has been deep wi thin our history and continues to go on everyday without stop. I also believe that people need to be held accountable for racial discrimination and creating a group that can recommend specific actions to address these racist acts of discrimination should be allowed.”

“I do not support this at all, because New York should have [more frequent] plans, and I just feel like every two years is too much time...so I think they should work on that.”

This ballot measure showed the greatest alignment between DPNY Students and New York adult voters. Of the four, this one was also presented in the most straightforward manner. Scholars’ open-ended responses indicate that they concluded that measuring the cost of living was a necessary fist step towards making life in their community more affordable.

“If we look at how much it costs to live in NYC, some prices might be lowered and things could be more in reach for everyone. New programs could help others”.

“I voted for this measure because if the government better understands how much we need to pay to live in NYC and what we can and can’t afford, then prices for programs should would be [adjusted to be] more affordable.”

DPSC STUDENTS PARTICIPATE IN A MOCK GUBERNATORIAL ELECTION

From Top: DPSC Poll Site Check-In Table; Private Voting Booths; Mock Election Poll Workers

PROCESS AND RESULTS

The students at Democracy Prep at the Stewart Campus (San Antonio, Texas) participated in an exemplary election-related learning experience in which they simulated multiple key components of the in-person voting process.

Prior to Election Day, the scholars began their experience with a lesson that defined the role and responsibilities of a state’s governor. Afterward, they explored ten major issues around which most gubernatorial candidates build their campaigns. For each issue, scholars were presented the positions of both Governor Greg Abbott and Congressman Beto O’ Rourke (with their names redacted) and asked to decide which of the two position statements-that of Candidate A or that of Candidate B--aligned with their own values. At the end of the activity, the names of Candidates A and B were revealed, and scholars reflected on which candidate they would have supported based on issues alone.

On Election Day, the DPSC Library was transformed into a mock-election polling site. Scholars (who had previously “registered” to vote) checked in at a table managed by student poll workers, then cast their ballots in private voting booths. Each anonymous ballot included a space for scholars to share their rationale for electing a particular candidate.

A total of nearly 300 DPSC students participated in the Mock Gubernatorial Election.

DPPS MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL SCHOLARS SHARE PERSPECTIVES ON THE GOTV EXPERIENCE

Voting is one of the most powerful ways to bring about lasting change in one’s community, and we believe that in order for future generations to build the kind of multicultural democracy in which they deserve to live, schools must teach young people about their rights and responsibilites as citizens. Indeed, one of the primary objectives of Democracy Prep’s Get Out the Vote tradition is to cultivate in our young people the habit regularly participating in elections. In order to make sure that our efforts are meaningful and aligned with the lived experiences of our scholars, we ask them to complete a post-canvassing survey to share their perspectives.

Over 300 students in Middle and High School completed the 2022 GOTV post-canvassing survey.

DPPS MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL POST-GOTV CANVASSING SURVEY RESPONSES

Over 72% of scholars surveyed either agreed or strongly agreed that schools have a responsibility to teach young people about the importance of voting and being involved in their communities. Similarly, 68% of respondents either agreed or strongly agreed that they understood why they and their peers participated in the DPPS Get Out the Vote experience. This data is encouraging, as it confirms that a solid majority of our students welcome the kind of civic learning experiences that our organization prioritizes. Additionally, many of the scholars who completed the optional open responses for the questions above articulated the connection between democratic participation and racial equity--two of Democracy Prep’s core values.

“It is important to encourage people in my community to vote--especially the people of color, because if more of us vote, the more we will be represented in the government.”

A slim majority (53%) of scholars agreed or strongly agreed that their Get Out the Vote efforts helped their communities; however, several scholars expressed some uncertainty about the overall effectiveness of their canvassing activities. A recurring sentiment was that the adults they approached either seemed uninterested in speaking with them, or the adults expressed fairly pessimistic views about the value of participating in elections.

“Some people would go on the road to avoid us. Some of them would pretend like we were not even there. It seems like whether we did this or not, there would not be a change in this place anyway.”

In addition to exploring alternative approaches to engage voters, we will ensure that future iterations of canvassing preparation include more intentional conversations about the nature of grassroots advocacy work: whether or not scholars are able to achieve the desired outcomes with every community member, their efforts are still important and helpful.

GENERAL VIEWS ON VOTING AND SOCIAL ISSUES

Nearly 65% of scholars agreed or strongly ageed with the statement, “Voting is the most powerful way that citizens can improve their communities.” Numerous written responses noted, however, that direct action and sustained community organizing were equally powerful vehicles of change--simply slower and less reliable. Other responses articulated a nuanced understanding of representative democracy, alluding to the the “leap of faith” that is required of voters as they elect their leaders.

“Yes, half is dependent on the voters, but also a lot is on the actual candidate and if they actually enforce changes.”

“While voting lets us be represented, if the wrong candidate gets elected, not much will be done.”

The survey also asked scholars to identify a maximum of four social issues that were of the highest priority to them. The top three issues were racial justice (15.2%), the environment (12.1%), and gun policy (11.4%). Two factors that may have contributed to these rankings were 1) the demographic makeup of our student population and 2) the topics that were covered during the past year’s current events lessons (continued protests for racial justice, recent youth-led climate action strikes, and multiple mass shootings).

EXAMINING CROSS-GENERATIONAL CIVIC COMMUNICATION & MODELING AT HOME

Trusted adults play an important role in young people’s civic development, and as such, we included questions in the post-GOTV survey to assess the extent to which conversations about voting and elections were happening at home/in the neighborhood for our scholars.

The responses revealed that there is a broad spectrum of cross-generational civic communication and modeling occurring in our scholars’ homes and surrounding communities. Generally, conversations about voting and elections are more likely to occur than modeling participation in democratic processes. Some scholars are immersed in a culture of election-related civic engagement at home, ranging from frequent conversations about political affairs and voting to accompanying their guardians to the polls. In other households, voting and elections are discussed occasionally--particularly if there is a major event that has direct implications for their daily lives. Finally, in some homes (for a variety of reasons), conversations about elections are rare, and some adults are not able to vote.

“My mother has been a very active citizen since she became one.”

“I dont really think they talk about politics or voting unless something major/big ha ppened”

“My mom cant vote.”

While our hope and intention is to inspire young people to speak to their trusted adults after their DPPS GOTV experience, the survey data indicates that this is not the case as often as we would have anticipated. Scholars offered numerous rationales for their hesitance to “turnkey” what they learned with the adults in their lives. Many noted political polarization and cultural norms as major deterrents to initiating conversations about voting with adults outside of school. Others described their disappointent with the cynical views many adults have shared with them about voting and community action. Finally, a small group of scholars shared that their parents/ guardians were already knowledgeable about the subject, and therefore felt that they did not have much additional information/perspective to add.

DPPS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL POST-GOTV CANVASSING SURVEY RESPONSES

This year, scholars in Grades 3-5 were invited to participate in a modified version of the post-canvassing survey that the scholars in Grades 6-12 completed. Harlem Prep Elementary (New York) was the first campus to participate in this pilot study. Nearly 60 scholars completed the survey.

Like their older peers, younger students have strong opinions about their experiences, and our impact as a civic-oriented institution deepens when we take the time to ask them for their reflections.

Generally, scholars in Grades 3-5 shared a similar level of clarity around the reason for their participation in GOTV as compared to their peers in Grades 6-12. That said, they were notably more optimistic about the impact their efforts had in their communities. Approximately 98%* of Elementary School responses for this question were in the Neutral-to-Agree range, compared to 80% of Middle and High School responses.

Scholars in Grades 3-12 were asked the same question about their primary sources of information regarding voting and elections. For both the Elementary and Middle/High School age groups, a majority of the responses indicated that scholars learned the most about this topic from either school or their family members. As expected (given their limited access to various online platforms), younger scholars cited social media as a primary source of information less frequently than older scholars. Interestingly, of the nearly 400 students who submitted survey responses, only one identified their friends as the primary source of information regarding voting and elections.

*Some numbers are presented as rounded up to the nearest whole number. As such, the sum of certain figures might not be 100%.

EXPLORING INNOVATIVE APPROACHES TO EXPAND VOTER ENGAGEMENT EFFORTS

In addition to continuing the DPPS GOTV tradition of canvassing the neighborhoods in which our scholars live, several campuses explored a variety of innovative approaches to encouraging people to vote and register to vote!

• Democracy Prep Baton Rouge (LA) and Democracy Prep Endurance Middle (NY) visited Louisiana State University and Columbia University, respectively, to combine voter encouragement efforts with college visits.

• DPEMS also held a voter education seminar for staff to ensure that they were better informed about key deadlines and procedures.

• Bronx Prep Middle (NY) invited their Football Team and Cheerleading Squad to support voter registration efforts during a Parent Orientation.

• Democracy Prep at the Stewart Campus (TX) partnered with a local nonpartisan organization, Radical Registrars, to register families to vote during their Mi Gente community event, then had families make voting plan posters during their Halloween “Boo Bash” event.

• Democracy Prep Charter Middle School (NY) gave each scholar a special Democracy Prep “I Voted” sticker and instructed them to give it to a chosen adult after confirming they voted.

• The DPPS Network Civics and Operations teams partnered with Civic Nation and When We All Vote to 1) establish a DPPS-specific online voter registration portal and 2) ensure that familes received notifications about registration deadlines and opportunities to register/check their voter registration status online (in states where that option is available).