The National Council for the Social Studies National Standards for the Preparation of Social Studies Teachers are intended to provide guidance for a number of different audiences who are either responsible for assuring the competence of social studies teaching professionals (e.g., institutions of higher education, NCATE/CAEP reviewers, state agencies that approve teacher education programs, state licensure offices, testing organizations) or in need of such assurance as they decide which teacher preparation institution to attend or which prospective teachers to employ (e.g., prospective social studies teachers, school system employers, students, parents, citizens). For several decades NCSS has formulated standards for the preparation of social studies teachers. The latest revision occurred in 2002.  
 
This draft of the NCSS National Standards for the Preparation of Social Studies Teachers aligns with the 2011 Specialty Areas Studies Board (SASB) Guidelines by adopting a five-principle organizing framework based on the 2011 InTASC Model Core Teaching Standards. These four principles are: Content Knowledge, Instructional Practice, The Learner and Learning, and Professional Responsibility. The standards and elements in this draft also attempt to integrate concepts and practices from the College, Career, and Civic Life (C3) Framework for Social Studies State Standards in order to better align the expectations for social studies teacher candidates and social studies state standards.
 
Feedback on the NCSS National Standards for the Preparation of Social Studies Teachers  is being solicited from CUFA members, state consultants, NCSS auditors, and social studies teachers. You can access the survey at www.bit.ly/ncssteacherprep 

If you have any specific questions about the standards, please feel free to contact, Dr. Alexander Cuenca, chair of the NCSS Task Force on Teacher Education Standards at acuenca@slu.edu