Importance of Social Studies to Student Learning and Achievement

 

The District 11 Vision statement states “The Colorado Springs School District No. 11 community empowers every student to become a successful, educated, lifelong learner and responsible citizen.”  Educating for citizenship is the main focus of social studies curriculum. The social studies community works to empower students to be responsible citizens by learning about the world in which they live.

 

D11 Board Policies Support the Mission:

 

    Board Policy IHA

  • The program of instruction in the elementary schools shall include the language arts (reading, writing, spelling, and oral and written communication), the social sciences, mathematics, science, physical education, health, music, and arts and crafts. Each of the subject matter fields shall include instruction in study and work habits, library usage and integration of educational technology.

  • The basic middle school instructional program represents requirements which provide a solid foundation in the academic areas of language arts, mathematics, science and social studies.  This goes on to state a requirement of 12 quarters for every student.

    Board Policy IKF

  • Graduation Requirements include 6 credits of social studies (United States History and Civil government required; World Historyrecommended) and 1 credit of Economics in grades 11 or 12.

 

Research Supports District 11 Board Policies:

  • Irrespective of students’ reading ability, high prior knowledge of a subject area or key vocabulary for a text often means higher scores on reading comprehension measures (Langer, 1984; Long et al., 1989; Stevens, 1980).
  • Good reading instruction should not supplant content-area learning.  Instead it should be integrated into the study of science, social studies, math, literature, and the arts as students move past the primary grades. (Whole-Language High Jinks  Louisa Cook Moats  01/29/2007 Fordham Foundation)
  • …literature … suggests that teaching comprehension in the context of specific academic areas--for example, social studies--can be effective.  National Reading Panel. (April, 2000).


District 11 Continues to Support Development of Responsible Citizens
In an effort to meet minimum reading requirements on state tests, many schools across the country have diminished or abandoned teaching social studies.  While District 11 remains committed to educating the whole child and preparing students not only to be good test takers, but also to be successful in college, career and citizenship. The overall national commitment to this goal is discouraging, according to the following statistics:

 

  • “Under the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, the federal government fails to attach the same level of importance to social studies as it does mathematics, reading and language arts. Schools are not penalized for failing to turn out solid citizens, nor are they rewarded when they do. The irony is not lost.”  ~ Civics Lesson: Teaching Kids To Be Involved
     Salt Lake Tribune Editorial; 05/15/2007 
  • “…44%% of districts surveyed reduced time for social studies somewhat or to a great extent.” ~ Center on Education Policy, August 2007
  • According to a NIH study of 2500 students in 1st, 3rd and 5th grades released 3.28.07, “…13% of instructional time is devoted to social studies in elementary classrooms.”
  • "...denying our children access to the skills and content which make democratic citizenship possible consigns them to second class citizenship and economic hardship."  George Wood, Director of the Forum for Education and Democracy and school principal (August 13, 2007)