The NCSS Board of Directors approved the following resolutions at its March 2017 meeting:

• 16-01-1 Representation of Associated Groups

• 16-02-1 NCSS to Encourage Education on the Issue of DC Statehood

• 16-02-2 Affirming Support for Alternatives to the USCIS Naturalization Test as a Measure of Civic Knowledge, Skills, and Dispositions

• 16-02-4 Resolution for the Explicit Support of NCSS for the Inclusion of LGBTQ+ Issues In the Social Studies Classroom

• 16-02-5 NCSS to Support Greater Inclusion of and Emphasis on Indigenous Peoples and Nations in Social Studies Education

• 16-03-1 NCSS to Encourage and Support Teaching about Islam and in Teaching against Islamophobia

• 16-03-2 No Citizen Left Behind

• 16-03-3 Professional Development and Resources to Support Teaching Uncomfortable/Controversial Topics and Current Events

• 16-04-02 NCSS to Encourage the United States Government to Include Support for Human Rights Education In Public Schools As Part of Its Commitment to Honor Various Ratified Treaties and Approved Declarations Regarding Human Rights and Humanitarian Law

You can view each of these resolutions here.

Each resolution was initially approved at the 60th Annual Meeting of the House of Delegates, the representative assembly and annual business meeting of NCSS. Each year, the House of Delegates provides a forum at the Annual Conference for the NCSS general membership, as represented by its Associated Groups, Communities, and Affiliated Councils,  to bring ideas, principles, beliefs, and actions regarding social studies education to the attention of the Board of Directors. Resolutions are the framework through which the NCSS membership at-large makes recommendations to the Board.

NCSS President Peggy S. Jackson said, “The process of NCSS resolutions in the House of Delegates replicates a representative assembly where valuable discussions examine and illuminate the tenets to be considered for adoption by our organization.”  

R. Eugene Earsom, 2016 Co-Chair of the House of Delegates Resolutions Committee and a volunteer leader for more than 20 years, said, "I am always encouraged by, and proud of NCSS members for their creativity and dedication to addressing issues that have an impact on our students and the social studies classroom. This year was no different, with resolution topics ranging from more accurate depiction of Indigenous Peoples in our curricula to creating teaching toolkits addressing DC statehood and the expansion of democratic participation -- with lots of "stops" in between."

NCSS Executive Director Dr. Lawrence Paska, a former Chair of the Resolutions Committee, said, “This year’s resolutions show the breadth and depth of issues that are important to the social studies profession at this time. Each resolution builds a shared voice of advocacy for our teachers and students and supports our mission to promote civic competence.”

Any NCSS member can submit a resolution following the guidelines established by the House of Delegates. Resolutions that are passed by the House of Delegates during the Annual Conference are discussed and voted on by the Board of Directors following the Annual Conference at the Board’s spring meeting. The Board votes on each resolution individually, to determine if it will help NCSS reach its short and long-term strategic goals.

Current resolution sponsors and co-sponsors have been invited to participate in a pilot initiative aimed at raising the profile and impact of resolutions by exploring the development of professional learning resources for the social studies community based on their resolution topic. For more information, please contact NCSS Director of Communications Ana Post at apost@ncss.org.