Draft NYS Common Core K-8 Social Studies Framework is Now Posted

The New York State Board of Regents Reform agenda is centered on ensuring that all students graduate prepared for postsecondary education and career opportunities. The New York State Education Department (SED) is committed to continuous improvements in teaching and learning to make that goal a reality.

Each instructional content area must include standards and frameworks that describe the knowledge and skills required for students to progress toward college- and career-readiness. SED has taken steps to align the current social studies core curriculum with the requirements of the Common Core State Standards. This work has been developed in consultation with teachers and leaders in P-12 schools and higher education institutions, representing all five New York State Learning Standards for Social Studies (United States and New York State History; World History; Geography; Economics; and Civics, Citizenship, and Government). The draft New York State Common Core K-8 Social Studies Framework is the result of these efforts. That draft is posted on-line for public review and comment at http://engageny.org/resource/new-york-state-common-core-k-8-social-studies-framework.

Current Social Studies State Resources

The existing New York State Learning Standards for Social Studies were adopted by the Board of Regents in 1996 and serve as the foundation of the K-8 Social Studies framework. In addition, most of the topical coverage in the Social Studies Resource Guide with Core Curriculum has been maintained. However, these resources have been reorganized and conceptualized in the K-8 Framework to reveal the necessary progressions across grade levels and to focus on broad Key Ideas and Conceptual Understandings.

Revised Structure

The K-8 Framework integrates existing New York State Learning Standards and curricula into a single document with an emphasis on Key Ideas and Conceptual Understandings for each grade-level. This differs from the 1996 New York State Learning Standards, where Content Understandings were provided at each grade level. Common elements across all grades, derived from National Council for the Social Studies themes, Common Core Literacy Skills, and Social Studies Practices, unify the framework, strengthen the progression of skills across the K-8 continuum, and establish a consistent design approach that aligns with the demands of the Common Core Learning Standards.

This K-8 Framework document is targeted to ensure:

• Students develop an understanding of concepts and key ideas, driven by an in-depth analysis of primary and secondary source documents and an examination of patterns of events in history.
• Students are assessed on their understanding of key ideas, as well as conceptual understandings.
• Students are instructed across the K-8 spectrum using a coherent set of themes, key ideas, and concepts.
• Districts and teachers have the ability to select the best pathways to teach and illustrate conceptual understandings and key ideas.

 
Public feedback on this draft will be incorporated into the final recommendations to the Board of Regents. Once approved by the Board, the framework will guide the future development of P-12 curriculum modules for social studies, as described in New York State’s Race to the Top (RTTT) application (available at http://usny.nysed.gov/rttt/). The framework can be used for the development of local school district social studies curricula, and for the development of future statewide social studies assessments.

For the 2012-13 school year, curriculum and assessments will be based on the existing standards and core curriculum guidance, available at http://www.p12.nysed.gov/ciai/socst/.

Comments may be submitted until 11:59 PM EDT on Thursday, October 11, 2012 via any of the following:

Online survey: https://www.research.net/s/GCWFVLV

E-mail: ssframework@mail.nysed.gov

Phone: (518) 474-5922

Mail:

New York State Education Department
Office of Curriculum and Instruction
Attn.: Comment on Draft New York State Common Core K-8 Social Studies Framework
89 Washington Avenue, Room 320 EB
Albany, New York 12234

Thank you for taking the time to provide comment on the draft social studies frameworks.