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Choicework Discussion Starters

Choicework Discussion Starters

Choicework Discussion Starters: Videos, PDFs And More

Based on decades of research and experience concerning how average citizens think and talk about issues, Public Agenda's Choicework Discussion Starters are designed to help groups and communities talk productively about public problems. Our discussion starters, available here for free download, outline several different approaches to solving specific public policy problems, along with the pros, cons and trade-offs of each choice. We use everyday language, not professional jargon, and focus on the kinds of concerns and values that non-experts can readily understand. Many of our discussion starters have corresponding videos available here and on YouTube; some of our written discussion guides are also available in Spanish. Ready to get more involved in shaping the world we all live in? Check out our list of topics and download the guide that's right for you.

Choose A Topic


From ABCs To College Degrees
Early Childhood & Preschool





A Great Education Starts at Home


When parents are actively and constructively involved in their children’s education it can make a very big difference in how well students do in school. This Choicework Discussion Starter is designed to help you and your neighbors figure out how to inspire and help more parents to become more involved in their children’s education.

Everybody Ready for School: How Can we Ensure High Quality Early Childhood Programs?


High-quality preschool programs can help youngsters be more successful later on in school and life. This Choicework Discussion Starter is designed to help you discuss the best way to ensure all children have access to high quality preschool programs.



Childcare & Afterschool Programs





After the Bell: What Do We Want Our Afterschool Programs to Do?


Millions of children participate in afterschool programs, but many people have different ideas about what these programs should accomplish. This Choicework Discussion Starter can help you decide which priorities for afterschool programs are most important for your community.
All Accounted For: What Do We Want Out Of Our Afterschool & Summer Programs


Afterschool and summer programs can serve many purposes: which priorities are most important to address in your community? We can't do it all. This discussion guide will help you work through some of the choices, while understanding their pros and cons.
Child Care


How should we support the childcare needs of today’s families? This Choicework Discussion Starter will help your community decide what makes the most sense for children, parents and families.
What Do You Want In An Afterschool Program?


This guide, intended for high school and middle school students, will help them talk about the programs they'd like to have available. A primary focus is what skills they think they'll need to succeed, including in any further education and in the job market.


K-12: Kids, Parents, Teachers, Schools





A Great Education Starts at Home


When parents are actively and constructively involved in their children’s education it can make a very big difference in how well students do in school. This Choicework Discussion Starter is designed to help you and your neighbors figure out how to inspire and help more parents to become more involved in their children’s education.
A Quality High School Education For All


In today’s world, a high school diploma is not just a good idea, it’s essential. This Choicework Discussion Starter is intended to help you and your neighbors think together about how the schools and community can do more to help all students graduate
Creating a Formula for Success in Low-Performing Schools


While schools are places where most students learn and grow, there are also too many schools where students are just getting by, or worse, are failing to learn much at all. This Choicework Discussion Starter can help your community talk about ways to boost student achievement in schools whose students are not succeeding academically.
Ensuring School Safety


School safety is vital for creating a supportive educational environment. This Choicework Discussion Starter is designed to help communities evaluate different approaches to ensuring safety and security in schools.
Ensuring Teacher Quality


Most people would agree that you can’t have good schools without good teachers, and that it’s crucial to ensure there is a quality teacher in every classroom. This Choicework Discussion Starter is designed to help your community generate ideas about how to make sure all students have quality teachers.
Everybody Ready For College


Even with a high school diploma, too many students these days arrive at college lacking the right kind of preparation, knowledge and attitude to succeed. This Choicework Discussion Starter can help begin a conversation on ways to improve college readiness and help students achieve their goals.
Helping All Students Succeed in a Diverse Society


Everyone wants to see students succeed, but too often too many are doing more poorly than they should. The Choicework Discussion Starter is designed to support community dialogue about how, in a society as diverse as ours, we can work together to help all students succeed.
Making Standards Work for All Students


Many states have established some form of academic standards for student learning that define what students should know and be able to do at different stages of their school careers. This Choicework Discussion Starter is designed to help communities talk about how to make sure these standards work for all students.
Neighborhood Schools and Student Diversity


Most families would like to send their children to good, safe schools close to home but also think it’s important for children of different backgrounds to go to school together. This Choicework Discussion Starter can help your community discuss how to balance the often competing values of neighborhood schools and student diversity.
Purposes of Education


What are the purposes of education and how should schools prioritize these purposes? The Choicework Discussion Starter is designed to help you and your neighbors discuss what purposes of education are most important to you and what educational priorities you’d like to see in your own community.
Ready for 21st Century Careers


A solid background in math, engineering, technology and science is necessary for a growing number of good jobs and promising careers. This Choicework Discussion Starter is intended to help your community discuss how to work together to ensure students today get the education they’ll need to succeed in the 21st Century.
School Choice


Some people want educational alternatives to the traditional public school system through voucher or charter school programs. Others think the best route to better educational is through reform of the traditional public school system. This Choicework Discussion Starter can help you discuss which approach is best for your community.
Teaching Methods


Are the “tried and true” teaching methods with the best way to help today’s kids learn, or are there new, innovative approaches that work better? This Choicework Discussion Starter can help your community examine different teaching methods and discuss which approach you would want in your school district.


Higher Education





Everybody Ready For College


Even with a high school diploma, too many students these days arrive at college lacking the right kind of preparation, knowledge and attitude to succeed. This Choicework Discussion Starter can help begin a conversation on ways to improve college readiness and help students achieve their goals.
Making Opportunity Affordable: Ramping Up Postsecondary Student Success While Containing Costs And Maintaining Quality


We must find ways to ramp up college access and completion while holding down costs and maintaining quality. In this Choicework Discussion Starter, we look at three different approaches to the problem, with pros, cons and tradeoffs which can also provide a starting point for considering other new ideas.
Success is What Counts: A Community Conversation to Help All Community College Students Achieve


Community colleges are a critical part of our nation’s educational system. This Choicework Discussion Starter can help community college administrators, faculty and students discuss approaches community colleges can take to help students achieve their goals and be more successful in college.




In The Neighborhood
Interfaith Relations





Many Religions, One Community: Lessons from Islamic Spain for Today’s World


How can people of different cultures and faiths live together in peace and prosperity in a shared society? Are tensions between different faiths and cultures inevitable?

This Choicework Discussion Starter, paired with documentary film Cities of Light, begins a conversation about the lessons that can be drawn from this historical period and its implications for religious pluralism today.



Public Safety & Police-Community Relations





Ensuring School Safety


School safety is vital for creating a supportive educational environment. This Choicework Discussion Starter is designed to help communities evaluate different approaches to ensuring safety and security in schools.
Improving Police-Community Relations


Many urban communities struggle with tensions between law enforcement and community members or groups. This Choicework Discussion Starter offers communities an opportunity to discuss the best ways to prevent these tensions from developing and of resolving them when they do arise.
Preventing Terrorism and Promoting Civil Liberties


Local law enforcement plays a critical role in the fight against terrorism. How can law enforcement officers be most effective in fighting terrorism? What role, if any, should the community play in these efforts? The Choicework Discussion Starter can help your community explore this important issue.
Working Together to Promote Public Safety


There are a variety of strategies that can guide a police department in its efforts to prevent crime and promote public safety, and some may be more effective for a given community than others. This Choicework Discussion Starter can help you better understand the range of strategies police departments can use and which strategies are most appropriate for your community.


Taxes & Spending





Understanding Property Tax Reform in New Jersey


Created for a statewide discussion forum on taxes, this Choicework Discussion Starter is intended to help citizens in New Jersey take stock of the taxes in their state and talk about the ways the state can raise resources for the public services citizens want.




Our World, Our Resources
Environment





Facing the Challenges of Climate Change: A Guide for Citizen Thought and Action


Scientists warn that the human activity is causing changes in the climate, with potentially disastrous effects for humans and the planet. How can we address the problem of climate change? This Choicework Discussion Starter can help you examine different arguments about the best way to face the challenges of climate change.
Oceans for Everyone: A Dialogue on Seattle, the Sound and the Seas in the 21st Century


Pollution, overfishing, and population pressure are taking their toll on Puget Sound, and threatening the health of its ecosystems. This Choicework Discussion Starter is designed to help Seattle residents discuss what they can do about the state of the Sound and surrounding oceans.


Economy & Federal Budget





Making Sure Our Government Uses Our Money Wisely


Bringing the federal debt under control will mean making tough choices, but people need to be able to trust their leaders to act and spend responsibly.
Social Security, the Budget and an Aging Population


Social Security is in trouble and no consensus has emerged on what approach the nation should take to fix it.