Background
In summer 2020, the DC State Board of Education (SBOE), in partnership with DC’s Office of the State Superintendent for Education (OSSE), embarked on a process to rewrite DC’s social studies standards last revised in 2006. Social studies includes history (world, American, DC); government and civics; geography; and economics. Learning standards delineate what all students are expected to know and be able to do at each grade level in each subject. Each state (and yes, DC functions as a “state” for some education purposes) adopts its own standards; these new social studies standards will apply to all DC public schools (DCPS and charter) and all grade levels PK-12. Once the new standards are adopted, school districts, like DC Public Schools, individual schools, teachers, community partners and vendors develop curriculum (what is actually taught in the classroom), aligned to these standards.
For those who believe it is critical for DC schools to do a better job of teaching students about the world, historically and in the present day, creating the right set of social studies standards is key. This is why Globalize DC identified these new DC standards as a priority policy action item.
The New Standards
At its June 21, 2023 monthly public meeting, the DC State Board of Education (SBOE) unanimously approved DC’s new K-12 social studies standards, downloadable HERE. Globalize DC was involved in this process from its beginning in 2020. The newly adopted standards reflect our advocacy in two ways:
Asian and Asian American Content
High school students from our afterschool Japanese language and culture program, Japanese Plus, created a #Stop Asian Hate Project which worked to ensure that the new social studies standards do a much better job of teaching DC students about Asia, Asians, and Asian Americans. Their advocacy – in both written and oral testimony – made a big difference in the outcome. Special thanks to Board member Allister Chang and Professor Sohyun An from Kennesaw State University for their crucial support for their efforts.
The Importance of Global Perspectives
From the beginning of this three-year process, Globalize DC’s goal was to ensure that the new standards incorporate a 21st century understanding of educating for global competence. Over numerous revisions, the technical writing committee added standards to expand global content and perspectives, and to apply a global lens across grade levels. In a last minute revision, the new standards added “Global Perspectives” as part of its Inquiry Arc that helps frame the entire document. This is a critically important addition; we have SBOE President Eboni-Rose Thompson to thank for this change. Here’s the language:
In today’s complex and deeply interconnected world, it is essential to cultivate opportunities to impart our youngest citizens with the content knowledge, skills, experiences and mindsets to take action on globally significant issues. The incorporation of an explicit and ongoing focus on global perspectives enables students to (1) see the connections between their own lives, their history, their society and the larger global world; (2) develop critical understandings of the context and connections between peoples of the United States and the rest of the world, historically and in the present; and (3) take action on matters of global concern. From the earliest grades, students will be given opportunities to develop core global competencies, including empathy, collaboration, appreciation for cultural difference, recognition of diverse perspectives, cross-cultural communication, flexibility and critical thinking rooted in scientific inquiry. These global competencies comprise the knowledge, dispositions and skills students need to thrive in careers in the global economy and to contribute as global citizens in a culturally diverse and globally interconnected world.
The new social studies standards were introduced into DC K-12 classrooms in SY2024-25.
You can find the new standards, by grade level and course HERE.
THE REVISION PROCESS – and Globalize DC’s role
SSSAC and the Guiding Principles
As a first step, the State Board created the Social Studies Standards Advisory Committee (SSSAC) to help develop a set of guiding principles to inform the rewriting of the standards. Globalize DC’s Executive Director, Sally Schwartz, served as a member of this advisory committee, and used her participation to focus attention on the need to incorporate adequate and meaningful global content and perspectives throughout the PK-12 standards. The resulting Final Social Studies Standards Guiding Principles were adopted by the Board in December 2020.
The State Board of Education Resolution SR20-15, Social Studies Standards Guiding Principles ends with this paragraph (taken from the document’s “Knowledge Framing: Global Perspective” principle):
“BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED THAT, the State Board advises the State Superintendent that they should ensure that an explicit, ongoing thread that provides students with a global perspective and global context for their own lives, their history, and their society; that equips students with the content knowledge, skills, experiences, and mindsets that will help prepare them for careers and engaged citizenship in a culturally diverse and globally interconnected world; that explores not just comparisons but connections between peoples of the United States and the rest of the world, historically and in the present is included in the new proposed standards.”
In addition to this statement expressing strong, explicit support for global content are additional principles with global education implications, including environmental literacy, digital literacy, human rights, hard history, recognition of underrepresented groups, and student agency. The Guiding Principles also make important statements in support of creating standards that are anti-racist; that significantly elevate critical understanding of African American history; that promote student understanding and appreciation of democratic principles and values, and the workings of the US government; and that create significant opportunity for civic engagement at all grade levels. This is important work that responds to the times we live in and offers a much-needed corrective to our old standards.
Download: Final Social Studies Standards Guiding Principles
The Writing Process: Globalize DC Input (2021-23)
The actual work of writing the new social studies standards was delegated to a Technical Writing Committee appointed and directed by OSSE. Globalize DC reviewed each draft for its treatment of global education, shared our findings with our wider community, and responded with written comments and oral testimony at public meetings of the State Board of Education.
You can track the progress of these drafts and critiques from Sally Schwartz and from Penelope Morris and Chamiya Carnathan (students from our Japanese Plus #Stop Asian Hate Project) below:
Sally Schwartz testimony – Jan 18, 2023
Penelope Morris testimony – Jan 18, 2023
Chamiya Carnathan testimony – Jan 18, 2023
Sally Schwartz comments to OSSE – Feb 2023
#Stop Asian Hate Project comments to OSSE – Feb 1, 2023
State Board of Education Letter to OSSE – Feb 26, 2023
Sally Schwartz testimony – Mar 15, 2023
Sally Schwartz comments on the March 2023 Draft