Listening sessions for NH Social Studies standards to take place this winter

The Department of Education is working to update New Hampshire’s social studies standards which have not been updated since 2006. It is currently working on a draft to be reviewed by the State Board of Education. After the Board completes its review, regional listening sessions will be held for families, educators, and others to share their thoughts on the proposed standards. It is anticipated that these community listening sessions will take place in the winter of 2019.

  • Some feel social studies hasn’t received the attention it requires to maintain the rigor that other subjects like math and science have.
  • The DOE Social Studies Leadership Team is looking at other states that have recently updated their curricula, including Massachusetts’ social studies standards which reference “having students become “literate” in a number of topics including leadership, unity, current events, media, data and social science, in addition to diversity.” They have also looked at the “C3” college, career and civic life effort developed by a group of social studies educators across the country and other resources as part of their review.
  • As a local control state, each school district in New Hampshire will develop their own curriculum based on the new standards when they are approved.
  • “Rogers Johnson, chairman of the Governor’s Council on Diversity and Inclusion, said if parents and educators truly want to see a diversity and inclusivity reflected in their children’s education, then they will need to be active in the public process when the draft standards come out of the DOE.”

Read the full article from Seacoast Online here. 

Wondering why we have academic standards? Check out our learning standards resources here for a simple explanation and view our easy-to-understand infographic that breaks it all down for families, students and others who just want the facts!