Advocating for Social Studies Education in Ohio:

• Since January, the OCSS board has been working to make sure that the revised draft of the Ohio Academic Content Standards will meet the needs of Social Studies teachers and students entering the 21st Century workforce. We will updateing our February OCSS position statement In this statement, OCSS addressed:

  • Ohio Academic Content Standards Revision
  • Proposed Assessment Program Revisions: End of Course exams, 5th and 8th grade assessments
  • Inclusion of 21st Century Skills
  • The timeline of standards adoption
  
  
  Read The State of of K-12 Social Studies Instruction in Ohio article from the Social Stuides Research and Practice Journal.

   

  Update! Current OCSS Advocacy Efforts:

  
  As the premier professional organization in Ohio for social studies educators OCSS continues to advocate with ODE officials, the Ohio State School Board, and legislators to accomplish the following goals and return social studies education to an equal among the “core 4” subjects within Ohio’s schools.
  
  
  • Restore K-8 assessments
  
  There is ample research and evidence to illustrate that schools reduce the instructional time and resources for social studies when it is not part of the state assessment program. The “suspension” of the 5th and 8th grade Ohio Achievement Tests for social studies will likely continue (according to legislators) in the next biennium and will erode the social studies program K-8, leaving Ohio’s students unprepared for more rigorous studies at the high school or college level.
  
  • Require world studies as part of the 3 required social studies credits
  
  By including world studies in the Ohio Graduation Test, Ohio assured that all Ohio public school students would receive a survey course in modern world studies. The assessment program that is replacing the OGT may focus only on American History and American Government, relegating world studies to an elective status. We believe that students cannot be prepared for college, careers, or engaged citizenship without a basic understanding of modern world events and trends, such as globalization. Currently, Ohio Revised Code lists ½ credit in American History and ½ credit in American Government as requirements. Since there are three Carnegie Units in social studies required, adding world studies to the required courses would not add to what schools currently offer, and because schools already staff for world studies, it would not add costs to schools.
  
  • Require assessment of world studies as part of the high school assessment program.
  
  World studies is currently assessed on the OGT and needs to remain part of the assessment program as Ohio transitions to the end-of-course exams. Please continue to contact your state legislators, especially those on the education committees.

   

  How do I contact my state legislator?

  • Find your state legislator's contact information at the following site: http://www.legislature.state.oh.us/

  • Governor Strickland's contact information can be found at http://governor.ohio.gov/Contact/tabid/153/Default.aspx

   

  State Budget News:

  The recent state budget that was pass by the legislature postpones 5th and 8th grade social studies OAT testing for the next two years.  Be sure to contact your state legislators and share how important social studies education is to the residents of Ohio!

  • If you want to look into any details of the budget, you can find the documents here.

  • To access the education items in the state budget, click here.

  • The actual language of the budget bill (approximately 4,000 pages) can be found here.

  Page last updated: February, 2010