SocialStudiesandaWell-RoundedEducation:TalkingPointsforOurProfession

LawrenceM.Paska,Ph.D.ExecutiveDirector,NationalCouncilfortheSocialStudies

GreatLakesCouncilfortheSocialStudiesAnnualConferenceMarch10,2017

Moline,IL

www.socialstudies.org@NCSSNetwork

WhatDoOurStudentsCareAbout?

Ø What’saquestionthatyouoverheardastudentaskinthepastweek?

Ø Whatcurriculumideascouldstudentsexploretoanswerthatquestion?

Ø Whatdiscipline(s)addressthatquestion?

CONGRATULATIONS!ALLOURSTUDENTSCAREABOUTISSOCIALSTUDIES!

WhatExactlyis“SocialStudies”?

NCSSdefinessocialstudiesas"theintegratedstudyofthesocialsciencesandhumanitiestopromoteciviccompetence."

Withintheschoolprogram,socialstudiesprovidescoordinated,systematicstudydrawinguponsuchdisciplinesasanthropology,archaeology,economics,geography,history,law,philosophy,politicalscience,psychology,religion,andsociology,aswellasappropriatecontentfromthehumanities,mathematics,andnaturalsciences.

Inessence,socialstudiespromotesknowledgeofandinvolvementincivicaffairs.Andbecausecivicissues--suchashealthcare,crime,andforeignpolicy--aremultidisciplinaryinnature,understandingtheseissuesanddevelopingresolutionstothemrequiremultidisciplinaryeducation.

Source: NationalCouncilfortheSocialStudies,http://www.socialstudies.org/about.

www.socialstudies.org/strategicplan

!

NCSS STRATEGIC PLANApproved by the NCSS Board of Directors on November 30, 2016

Priority #1 Collaboration

NCSS collaborates and engages with stakeholders to prepare students for civic life.

a. Engage social studies professionals in identifying, exploring, creating, adopting, and implementing high quality, research-based social studies educational practices.

b. Collaborate with all internal NCSS entities, including institutions and individual members, to provide leadership and support for social studies educators.

c. Convene, collaborate and support governmental entities and non-governmental organizations, such as policymakers, educational agencies, for-profit, non-profit, professional organizations, parent organizations, and others to provide leadership, service, and support for social studies education.

Priority #5 Influence and Leadership

NCSS leads by example and seeks to influence educators, researchers, communities, and policymakers to strengthen civic life.a. Provide high quality professional development, resources, and materials that influence teacher effectiveness and student learning.

b. Lead and support advocacy efforts for social studies in policymaking and educational settings.

c. Increase community awareness of how a well-rounded social studies education prepares students to engage in the practices of citizenship.

Priority #2 Communication

NCSS communicates best practices in content knowledge and pedagogy to support social studies educators and prepare students for civic life.

a. Improve and increase the variety, accessibility and quality of print and digital resources to promote best practice, research, and advocacy for social studies.

b. Produce and disseminate digital and print publications focused on best practices and high quality research in social studies.

c. Expand opportunities to share information, resources, and research among members, media, policymakers, and others that promote empirical best practices and high quality research in social studies education.

d. Broaden and deepen public understanding of the purpose and critical importance of social studies as part of a well-rounded education of a civically engaged member of society.

Priority #3 Innovation

NCSS responds to challenges and changing needs through innovative practices, policies, and solutions to prepare students for civic life.a. Identify changing needs and challenges faced by constituents

and stakeholders.

b. Assess existing policies and practices regularly to ensure alignment with challenges and changing needs.

c. Engage in innovative approaches and solutions to address challenges and changing needs in an informed, responsible manner.

Priority #4 Inclusiveness

NCSS encourages, promotes and ensures inclusiveness that reflects society and strengthens civic life.

a. Provide opportunities for multiple viewpoints to be shared, supported and respected.

b. Develop and regularly review policies and practices to ensure opportunities for underrepresented groups to actively participate in NCSS.

c. Support efforts that ensure the social studies teaching profession is inclusive and diverse.

3TalkingPointsAboutSocialStudies

1. SocialStudiesisrelevant.

2. SocialStudiesisneeded.

3. SocialStudiesiswanted!

TalkingPoint#1: SocialStudiesisRelevant

ü SocialStudiesisdeeplyimportanttothesuccessofourschoolsandournation.

ü SocialStudiespreparesallstudentsforcollege,career,andciviclife.

ü SocialStudiescanbepartofawell-roundededucationineverystateESSAPlan.

6NationalEducationGoals:PresidentGeorgeH.W.Bush(1989-1993)

“Americanstudentswillleavegradesfour,eightand12havingdemonstratedcompetencyoverchallengingsubjectmatter,includingEnglish,mathematics,science,history andgeography.”

Source: http://www.upi.com/Archives/1990/02/01/Bush-announces-six-national-education-goals/2945633848400/.

Goals2000:PresidentBillClinton(1993-2001)

“Americanstudentswillleavegrades4,8,and12having demonstratedcompetencyoverchallengingsubjectmatterincludingEnglish,mathematics,science,foreignlanguages, civicsandgovernment,economics,art,history,andgeography; andeveryschoolinAmericawillensurethatallstudentslearntousetheirmindswell,sotheymaybepreparedforresponsiblecitizenship,furtherlearning,andproductiveemploymentinournation'smoderneconomy.”

Source: https://www3.nd.edu/~rbarger/www7/goals200.html.

NoChildLeftBehind(NCLB)Act:PresidentGeorgeW.Bush(2001-2009)

• “Statesmustteststudentsinreadingandmathingrades3through8andonceinhighschool.Andtheymustreporttheresults,forboththestudentpopulationasawholeandforparticular“subgroups”ofstudents,includingEnglish-learnersandstudentsinspecialeducation,racialminorities,andchildrenfromlow-incomefamilies.

• Stateswererequiredtobringallstudentstothe“proficientlevel”onstatetestsbythe2013-14schoolyear,althougheachstategottodecide,individually,justwhat“proficiency”shouldlooklike,andwhichteststouse.

• Schoolsarekeptontracktowardtheirgoalsthrough…“adequateyearlyprogress”orAYP.

• Statestoensuretheirteachersare“highlyqualified,”whichgenerallymeansthattheyhaveabachelor’sdegreeinthesubjecttheyareteachingandstatecertification.”

Source: http://www.edweek.org/ew/section/multimedia/no-child-left-behind-overview-definition-summary.html.

EveryStudentSucceedsAct(ESSA):PresidentBarackObama(2009-2017)

• StudentSupport&AcademicEnrichmentGrantsinTitleIV canbeusedtosupporttraditionalAmericanhistory,civics,economics,geography,andgovernmenteducation.

• TitleIIestablishesNationalAcademiesforteachersandstudentstolearnmoreabouthistory andcivics.

• TitleIIalsoestablishescompetitivegrantstonon-profitorganizationsforthedevelopmentofinnovative,engaginginstructioninhistory,civics,andgeography,particularlyforunderservedstudents.

ESSAPossibilities

• Ensuringthatsocialstudiesisincludedinstateplansforawell-roundededucation.

• Multiplepotentialnewsourcesoffundingforthesocialstudies(FY2017decisionsnotfinal):• AmericanHistory& CivicsNationalPrograms:$6.5million• Congressional&PresidentialAcademies:$1.8million• StudentSupport& AcademicEnrichmentGrants:$1billion

Source: FY2017andFY2018Labor,HHSandEducationAppropriationsbills

NCSSAdvocacyResources• AdvocacyandPolicywebpage:

http://www.socialstudies.org/advocacy

• VoterVoice form(opentoall):https://www.votervoice.net/NCSS/campaigns/49475/respond

• DeadlinearoundlateFebruaryforconstituentrequests.

• CongressalreadybeginningworkonFY2018whilesettlingtheFY2017budget.

TalkingPoint#2: SocialStudiesisNeeded

ü SocialStudieswasnotdefinedunderourpreviousFederaleducationlaw.

ü SocialStudiesinstructionaltimehasbeengreatlyreducedattheelementarylevel– whereitshouldprovideafoundationforstudentexplorationoftheworldaroundthem.

ü SocialStudiesachievementhaslargelystayedthesameoninternationalbenchmarkassessments.

TheMarginalizationisReal

“88percentoftheelementaryteachersnotedthatitwasconsideredalowpriorityand63percentoftheelementaryschoolprincipalsnotedthathistoryeducation'simportancepaledincomparisontosubjectssuchasreadingandmathematics.”

Source: BruceVanSledright,“TheEndofHistoryEducationinElementarySchools?”(May2012).PerspectivesonHistory.https://www.historians.org/publications-and-directories/perspectives-on-history/may-2012/possibilities-of-pedagogy/the-end-of-history-education-in-elementary-schools.

TheMarginalizationisReal“Third-gradersinpublicschoolsspentmoretime—intermsofboththeamountandthepercentageoftime—onEnglishthandideighth- graders.Meanwhile,third-gradersinpublicschoolsspentlesstimeonsocialstudiesandsciencethandideighth-graders.Nostatisticallysignificantdifferenceswerefoundintheamountorpercentageoftimethatthird-gradersandeighth- gradersinprivateschoolsspentonEnglish,mathematics,socialstudies,orscience.”

Source: KathleenMulvaney Hoyer&DinahSparks,“InstructionalTimeforThird- andEighth-GradersinPublicandPrivateSchools:SchoolYear2011–12.”StatsinBrief,U.S.DepartmentofEducation,February2017(NCES2017-076),p.4.

TheMarginalizationonTime

Source: U.S.DepartmentofEducation,NationalCenterforEducationStatistics,SchoolsandStaffingSurvey(SASS),“PublicSchoolPrincipalDataFile”and“PrivateSchoolPrincipalDataFile,”2011–12.

Grade/Subject

Grade3 Grade8

ELA 30.2%(public)

25.5% (private)

19.4%(public)

21.2%(private)

Social Studies 8.6%(both) 12.5%(public)

11.7%(private)

TheMarginalizationonAchievement“Nationally,eighthgraders'averagescoresontheNAEPU.S.history,geography,andcivicsassessmentsshowednosignificantchangein2014,comparedto2010—thelastassessmentyear.However,severalstudentgroupshavemadegains.In2014,eighteenpercentofeighth-gradersperformedatorabovethe Proficient levelinU.S.history,27percentperformedatorabovethe Proficient levelingeography,and23percentperformedatorabovethe Proficient levelincivics.”

Source: TheNation’sReportCard.https://www.nationsreportcard.gov/hgc_2014/.

18%Proficiencyisa“Gain”“Grade8scoreinU.S.historyincreasesfrom1994,butnosignificantchangeinscorefrom2010”https://www.nationsreportcard.gov/hgc_2014/#history

“Nosignificantchangeintheaveragegeography scoreofeighth-graderssince1994”https://www.nationsreportcard.gov/hgc_2014/#geography

“Grade8scoreincivics increasesfrom1998,butthereisnosignificantchangeintheaveragescorefrom2010”https://www.nationsreportcard.gov/hgc_2014/#civics

“Therewasnosignificantchangeintheoverallaverageeconomics scoreoftwelfth-gradestudentsfrom2006to2012.”https://www.nationsreportcard.gov/economics_2012/

TalkingPoint#3: SocialStudiesisWanted!

ü StudentsreportthatSocialStudiesstrengthenstheiracademicskillsandcivicknowledge.

ü StudentsrequestmoreSocialStudiescoursesandprograms.

ü Educatorsrequestmorefunding,professionallearning,andcollaborationtoincreasestudentachievementinSocialStudies.

OurSurveywww.socialstudies.org

• ConductedbyMyCollegeOptions®.Inthefallof2016,socialstudieseducatorswereinvitedtoleadanactivityintheclassroomencouragingstudentstoregisterfortheMyCollegeOptionsCollegePlanningProgram.Aspartofthatprocess,studentsandeducatorsprovidedtheirattitudesandinterestsrelatedtosocialstudies,aswellastheirinvolvementwithNCSS.

• StudentSample:52,525• EstimatedPopulation:13,226,875• MarginofError(MOE-99%):+/- 0.06%

• EducatorSample:827• EstimatedPopulation:197,000• MarginofError(MOE-99%):+/- 4.5%

Top5ChallengesReportedbySocialStudiesEducators

Ø Limitedfunding/decreasingbudgets.(16%)

Ø Shiftinfocustostandardizedtesting/highstakestesting.(16%)

Ø Largerclasssizes.(16%)

Ø Marginalizationofsocialstudies.(14%)

Ø Lackofscheduledtimeforcollaborationwithcolleagues.(12%)

Source: NationalCenterforCollegeandUniversityAdmissions,NCSS2016-2017AnnualResearchFindings.

Challenges?• Adecreaseininstructionaltime(elementarygrades)and

leadershippositions(professionalorganizations,districts).

• Thelackofaconsistentvisionforsocialstudieseducationthatisenactedcoherently inaK-12program.

• “We’lljustGooglethefacts”:socialmedia replacingsocialstudies.

Opportunities!FROMOURSTUDENTS:

TOPACADEMICSKILLSGAINEDINSOCIALSTUDIES

1. Abilitytoformandsupportopinions.(65%)2. Criticalthinking.(61%)3. Abilitytoevaluateconcepts/ideas.(57%)4. Readingcomprehensionskills.(55%)5. Abilitytonavigateonlineandtextsourcestofindinformation.(53%)6. Abilitytopresentinformationinaclearandconcisemanner.(44%)

Source: NationalCenterforCollegeandUniversityAdmissions,NCSS2016-2017AnnualResearchFindings.

CivicBenefitsofSocialStudies• Gainingknowledgeofworldevents.(83%)• Understandingabouttheirrolesascitizens.(54%)• Abilitytounderstandpolitics.(48%)• Understandingrelatedtocareeroptionsandtheeconomy.

(48%)• Interestinbecominginvolvedinthecommunity.(28%)

Overall,studentsinhigherincomehouseholdsandhigherincomehighschools,aswellasthosewithaparentwhoattendedcollege,aremorelikelytoreporthavinggainedmultiplecivicbenefitsasaresultofsocialstudieslearning.

Source: NationalCenterforCollegeandUniversityAdmissions,NCSS2016-2017AnnualResearchFindings.

OurStudentsRecommend…

• Morefieldtripstomuseums/historicalsites.(80%)• Newguestspeakersfromthecommunity.(31%)• Moreservicelearning/communityserviceopportunities.

(26%)• Morecourseofferings.(about23%)

Source: NationalCenterforCollegeandUniversityAdmissions,NCSS2016-2017AnnualResearchFindings.

CourseOfferings• History isthesocialstudiescoursetypethatismostcommonly

offeredinhighschools– 38%reporttheavailabilityoffourormorehistorycourses.Almost90%ofeducatorsreporttwoormorehistoryclassesarerequiredintheirhighschools.

• OnlyonecourseisofferedinCivics (67%),Economics (71%)andGeography (68%),andonlyonecourseisrequired(94%,91%,and67%respectively).

• 14%ofsocialstudieseducatorssaythattherearenoGeography coursesavailabletotheirstudents.Nearly30%saytherearenoGeography requirementsintheirschools.

Source: NationalCenterforCollegeandUniversityAdmissions,NCSS2016-2017AnnualResearchFindings.

Published by the National Council for the Social Studies in 2010.http://www.socialstudies.org/standards/curriculum

NationalCurriculumStandardsforSocialStudies

10ThemesofSocialStudies

1.Culture2.Time,ContinuityandChange3.People,PlacesandEnvironments4.IndividualDevelopmentandIdentity5.Individuals,Groups,andInstitutions6.Power,Authority,andGovernance7.Production,Distribution,andConsumption8.Science,Technology,andSociety9.GlobalConnections10.CivicIdealsandPractices

Published by the National Council for the Social Studies in September 2013.

College, Career and Civic Life = “C3”

Wha

t is

the

C3

Fram

ewor

k?C3

Inqu

iryArc

C3 Inquiry Arc

§ Dimension1: DevelopingQuestionsandPlanningInquiries

§ Dimension2:ApplyingDisciplinaryToolsandConcepts(Civics,Economics,Geography,andHistory)

§ Dimension3:EvaluatingSourcesandUsingEvidence

§ Dimension4:CommunicatingConclusionsandTakingInformedAction

WhatQuestionsAreWorthAsking?

Question Discipline(s) Theme(s)

Doeswhereyoulivematter?

WhyisSpringfieldthecapitalofIllinois?

Canwordsleadtowar?

Doindividualvotesreallycount?

WhatQuestionsAreWorthAsking?

Question Discipline(s) Theme(s)

Doeswhereyoulivematter? Geography,Economics,History,Civics

3.People,PlacesandEnvironments4.IndividualDevelopmentandIdentity

WhyisSpringfieldthecapitalofIllinois?

Geography,History,Civics,Economics

5.Individuals,Groups,andInstitutions6.Power,Authority,andGovernance

Canwordsleadtowar? History,Philosophy,Literature,Law,Religion

4.IndividualDevelopmentandIdentity5.Individuals,Groups,andInstitutions6.Power,Authority,andGovernance8.Science,Technology,andSociety

Doindividualvotesreallycount?

Civics,History,Sociology 6.Power,Authority,andGovernance10.CivicIdealsandPractices

C3Resourceshttp://www.socialstudies.org/c3/

TheFramework(PDF)RelatedNCSSBulletins

SampleInquiriesandResources

C3LiteracyCollaborativeWebinars,LearningModules,ProfessionalLearningResources,UnpackingC3forAdministrators,Professors,Policymakers

Published by the National Council for the Social Studies in 2002. Revision in process – anticipated 2017.

NationalStandardsforSocialStudiesTeachers

http://www.socialstudies.org/standards/teacherstandards

Our97th AnnualConference

http://www.socialstudies.org/conference

November17-19,2017Pre-conferencemeetingsNovember15-16

Moscone West800HowardStreetSanFrancisco,CA

THANKYOU!

NationalCouncilfortheSocialStudies855516thStreet,Suite500

SilverSpring,Maryland20910(301)588-1800

E-Mail:lpaska@ncss.orgTwitter:@NCSSNetwork