(now the FASSS/FCSS Legislative Committee)
May 2001
Mission Statement (adapted from NCSS http://www.socialstudies.org/about/) :
Social studies educators teach students the content knowledge, intellectual skills, and civic values necessary for fulfilling the duties of citizenship in a participatory democracy. The mission of the Florida Council for the Social Studies is to provide leadership, service, and support for all social studies educators. FCSS is the largest association in the state devoted solely to social studies education, engaging and supporting educators in strengthening and advocating social studies. Membership is open to anyone with interest in the social studies.
Vision Statement : (adapted from NCSS)
“Social Studies is the study of the social sciences (history, geography, economics and government) and humanities to promote civic competence.”
Today’s social studies teachers help students to:
-- develop historic perspective and understand how things change and develop -- so they can make informed choices and decisions in the present.
-- understand how the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services is organized – so they can function effectively in an interdependent world economy.
-- understand the historical development of structures of power, authority, and governance and their evolving functions in contemporary society -- so they can develop civic competence.
May 2001
Mission Statement (adapted from NCSS http://www.socialstudies.org/about/) :
Social studies educators teach students the content knowledge, intellectual skills, and civic values necessary for fulfilling the duties of citizenship in a participatory democracy. The mission of the Florida Council for the Social Studies is to provide leadership, service, and support for all social studies educators. FCSS is the largest association in the state devoted solely to social studies education, engaging and supporting educators in strengthening and advocating social studies. Membership is open to anyone with interest in the social studies.
Vision Statement : (adapted from NCSS)
“Social Studies is the study of the social sciences (history, geography, economics and government) and humanities to promote civic competence.”
Today’s social studies teachers help students to:
-- develop historic perspective and understand how things change and develop -- so they can make informed choices and decisions in the present.
-- understand how the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services is organized – so they can function effectively in an interdependent world economy.
-- understand the historical development of structures of power, authority, and governance and their evolving functions in contemporary society -- so they can develop civic competence.
-- analyze the realities of global interdependence and connections – so they are prepred to find solutions to persisting and emerging global issues.
-- understand civic ideals and practices across time and in diverse societies – so they can participate fully in our society.
-- develop awareness of cultures – systems of beliefs, values and traditions – so they can relate to people in our nation and throughout the world.
-- to comprehend the formation, control and influences of institutions – so they can work through institutional change for the common good.
What Educational Goals Do We Support?
¨ The Sunshine State Standards for Social Studies should be added to the statewide FCAT assessment program. (FS 229.57 should thus be amended to include Social Studies). In asking for this, we are reminded that:
a. The Free Enterprise and Consumer Education Act (1974) constituted Florida’s first statewide assessment program.
b. Social Studies was added to the statewide Minimum Testing Program a decade ago, but this program was eliminated before the program could go into effect.
c. There is a vital need to assess civic competency in the face of Florida’s increasingly diverse student population.
d. Many districts are no longer providing K-12 instruction to children in social studies because it is not assessed on FCAT. This is a recipe for disaster!
¨ We recommend that the Program Specialist position within the Florida Department of Education be restored with a person who is social studies certified.
¨ We recommend that all reporting of Social Studies progress on the FCAT be reported in the subcategories of History, Geography, Economics, and Government – the four standards comprising the state curriculum.
¨ We recommend that funding from the legislature shall be categorically allocated to support the implementation of required instruction mandates so that needed resources and professional development may be provided to teachers to better enable them to teach these vital topics. This would ensure that students would have an in-depth understanding of the Constitution and the major documents which form the basis of our government, and would also make them familiar with the contributions that African Americans, Women, Hispanics, and Veterans have made to Florida and the United States.
a. currently few if any statewide resources exist for the above areas, despite their being mandated by law. Textual materials, by themselves, are insufficient to equip teachers with such resources. Finally, training institutes should be available to provide teachers with up-to-date materials and methodology to teach the mandates.
¨ We recommend that the Program Specialist position within the Florida Department of Education be restored with a person who is social studies certified.
¨ We recommend that all reporting of Social Studies progress on the FCAT be reported in the subcategories of History, Geography, Economics, and Government – the four standards comprising the state curriculum.
¨ We recommend that funding from the legislature shall be categorically allocated to support the implementation of required instruction mandates so that needed resources and professional development may be provided to teachers to better enable them to teach these vital topics. This would ensure that students would have an in-depth understanding of the Constitution and the major documents which form the basis of our government, and would also make them familiar with the contributions that African Americans, Women, Hispanics, and Veterans have made to Florida and the United States.
a. currently few if any statewide resources exist for the above areas, despite their being mandated by law. Textual materials, by themselves, are insufficient to equip teachers with such resources. Finally, training institutes should be available to provide teachers with up-to-date materials and methodology to teach the mandates.
b. the legislature and Department of Education should use the model formerly utilized to address the lack of materials about the HOLOCAUST for these additional mandated areas.
¨ We recommend that the FS 232.245 regarding “pupil progression, remedial instruction, and reporting requirements” be amended to include social studies.
As a core curriculum area, social studies instruction provides a rich basis for student learning and has as its goal the application of knowledge and attitudes to enable students to learn civic responsibility. Without a foundation in each of the four major areas represented in the Sunshine State Standards for social studies, a student’s education is incomplete. As so many recent surveys can attest, we can no longer afford the luxury of assuming students are learning about the heritage of our nation or that they possess the essential economic, civic, geographic and historic competencies to equip them for the role they will ALL assume upon graduation – that of citizen!
