Social Studies News and Advocacy
Be a Social Studies Advocate
Join the NCSS Advocacy Conversation. Join our Social Studies Advocacy Group on the NCSS Connected Site! http://connected.socialstudies.org/SOCIALSTUDIES/SOCIALSTUDIES/Directory...
What can you do now?
Visit your U.S. House of Representative and State Senators during their district or state “home work periods “and reinforce the NCSS ESEA reauthorization message, view detailed information on NCSS key advocacy points and tips on scheduling your appointments below, and illustrate with your own personal examples.
In Summary, NCSS ESEA reauthorization recommendations are:
-Current ESEA law be revised to explicitly state in its basic program requirements that each of the core disciplines: English/Language Arts, Math, Science and Social Studies (civics, economics, geography and history) are key to a well-rounded education.
-ESEA recognize that proficiency in each of these subjects is needed for US students to be prepared for college, career, and citizenship in the complex and globally interdependent world.
-The narrowing of the curriculum and the civic achievement gap be addressed by including provisions for social studies assessment and professional development in the reauthorization of ESEA that require states to outline plans to address social studies as key to the K-12 curriculum, as well as plans to invest some portion of their professional development funds in social studies educators.
-New accountability rubrics in the law are as inclusive of the “multiple measures” approach considered in draft legislation in 2007 and move toward the use of growth models.
-Any revision or consolidation of the structure of ESEA Title II programs (i.e. Teaching American History Grants, Academies for American History and Civics, National History Day, Close-Up Fellowships, Excellence in Economic Education, etc.) results in an increase in resources for front-line social studies teachers.
-At least $2.00 per student, or $100 million per year invested in civic education, as an important first step in restoring the civic mission of our schools.
-The structure and plans of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) be modified such that social studies be a component of the two-year testing cycle that reading and mathematics are
-NAEP history, civics, geography, and economics, be conducted, one each year, such that each discipline area would be tested every four years with a sample size large enough to yield disaggregated data.
- For the full NCSS Letter of Recommendations to the Senate please visit:* http://www.ncssleaders.org/pub/Main/WebHome/NCSS_ESEA_Recommendations_to...
Use the follow resources to help set up your at home Congressional Visits!
Steps to follow when setting up an at home visit:* http://www.ncssleaders.org/Main/A
Example of a meeting request letter:* http://www.ncssleaders.org/Main/MeetingRequest-SampleLetter
Example of at home meeting talking points:* http://www.ncssleaders.org/Main/CongressionalVisitTalkingPoints-Example
Useful Links:
To determine who your Representative is, enter your zipcode at the prompts provided at:* http://www.house.gov
A listing of all Representatives can be found at:* http://www.house.gov/house/MemberWWW_by_State.shtml
To determine who your Sentors are, follow the database prompts available at:* http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm
District and State Work Period Calendars:
To determine current year “District Work Periods” when your Representative will be available at the District Office see the calendar at: http://www.house.gov/house/House_Calendar.shtml.
To determine current year “State Work Periods” when your Senator will be at the home state office see the calendar at: http://www.senate.gov/pagelayout/legislative/one_item_and_teasers/2010_s...
Useful NCSS Advocacy Resources
NCSS Advocacy Toolkit
Our toolkit will help you advocate for social studies education in your school, your community, and your nation.
Advocacy Toolkit
NCSS Advocacy Checklist
If you can check 4 or more items on this list, then you get an A+ as
an advocate for social studies education! Advocacy Checklist
Join the NCSS Advocacy Conversation. Join our Social Studies Advocacy Group on the NCSS Connected Site! http://connected.socialstudies.org/SOCIALSTUDIES/SOCIALSTUDIES/Directory...
Advocacy Links:
- ED's ESEA Reauthorization Blueprint: http://www2.ed.gov/policy/elsec/leg/blueprint/index.html
- Common Core Standards Initiative: http://www.corestandards.org/
- Council of Chief State School Officers: http://www.ccsso.org/
- National Governors Association: http://www.nga.org
- Information on ARRA programs: http://www2.ed.gov/policy/gen/leg/recovery/implementation.html
- ED’s FY 2011 Budget Request: http://www2.ed.gov/about/overview/budget/budget11/index.html
- House Education and Labor Committee: http://edlabor.house.gov/
- Senate HELP Committee: http://help.senate.gov/
- House Appropriations Committee: http://appropriations.house.gov/
- Senate Appropriations Committee: http://appropriations.senate.gov/
Campaign for the Civic Mission of Schools
National Council for the Social Studies is pleased to be part of the Campaign for the Civic Mission of Schools--a coalition of 40 organizations committed to improving the quality and quantity of civic learning in American schools. The Campaign's goal is to increase and improve civic learning in grades K-12 by working for policies that implement the recommendations of the Civic Mission of Schools report.
Civic Mission of Schools Website
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