Washington, DC—The DC State Board of Education’s Social Studies Standards Advisory Committee (SSSAC) meeting will meet virtually, Tuesday, September 8, 2020 from 5–7 p.m. The meeting is open to the public and can be livestreamed by visiting the State Board’s YouTube page.

The standards revision process presents an opportunity for the District’s social studies standards to be culturally responsive, anti-racist, to impart important social studies content in the early grades, strengthen student knowledge of democratic principles and values, and promote civic engagement. The social studies standards were last reviewed in 2006 and pre-date the existence of both the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) and the State Board of Education.

In the first two meetings of the SSSAC, committee members reviewed the strengths of the existing standards, the structure of the standards per grade level, and what should be constituted in the social studies discipline. 

On Tuesday, September 8, the Social Studies Standards Advisory Committee (SSSAC) will host a social studies panel of experts to provide perspectives on various social studies themes:

• Danielle Allen, PhD. – Director of Democratic Knowledge Project at Harvard University to share perspective and work related to civics education 

• Hasan Kwame Jeffries, PhD. – Historian and producer of the Southern Poverty Law Center podcast “Teaching Hard History” to share thoughts and ideas on the theme of teaching Hard History  

• Karen Thomas-Brown, PhD. – Member of C3 Framework Writing Committee to provide insights on and overview of the C3 Framework 

• Natalie Wexler – Author of the The Knowledge Gap to discuss the types of history and social studies knowledge that can fruitfully be addressed in early grades 

The Social Studies Standards Advisory Committee (SSSAC) continues its work in establishing guiding principles, building a knowledge base on social studies standards, developing a plan for engaging and receiving public feedback on the guiding principles, and eventually drafting a set of guiding principles for approval by the State Board in December 2020. 

Once the State Board approves the adoption of the guiding principles, OSSE will convene a technical writing committee to update and draft the new social studies standards. The new social studies standards will be implemented at the beginning of school year 2022–23. 

To follow along with all the work of the Social Studies Standards Advisory Committee (SSSAC), please visit the web page at sboe.dc.gov/page/social-studies-standards.

About the SBOE

The DC State Board of Education is an independent agency within the Government of the District of Columbia that advises the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE), the District’s state education agency. The State Board is comprised of nine elected representatives, each representing their respective wards, with one member representing DC at large, and two appointed student representatives. The State Board approves statewide education policies and sets academic standards, while OSSE oversees education within the District and manages federal education funding. More information about the SBOE can be found at sboe.dc.gov.

For the latest information on the District Government’s response to COVID-19, please visit coronavirus.dc.gov.

Contact: Milayo Olufemi

202-710-4641

[email protected]