LM Feb 2022

Re-examiningSocial ScienceLearningStandards The Inclusive American History Commission is charged with reviewing educational resources that teachers can use that “reflect the racial and ethnic diversity” of Illinois and the Unit- ed States, providing guidance for educators on how to ensure

“If a parent is concerned, I would say, Inclusive History is making sure we are including perspectives from a multitude of stories,” Dr. Leak said. “As a parent, we are making sure that your family’s history is shared and integrated with the fullness of our overall history as a country.” LearningStandards, Professional Learningand ResourceReview

that their class content is not biased in favor of certain cultures and providing guidance on how to identify resources for “non-domi- nant cultural narratives.” The commission has been meeting since September 2021 to improve the understanding and implementation of Illinois’ updated social science learning standards. At the end of this month, the com- mission will submit its final report to the Illinois General Assembly. One of the most important things school administrators should know, Dr. Leak said, is the initiative is not intended to be an unfunded mandate on schools. “We are not expecting school districts to purchase all new

We are not expecting school districts to purchase all new social science curriculum.... Our commission is working to identify materials that are easily accessible to school districts at little or no cost.

Shortly after its inception, the committee was split into four different subcommittees: Learning Standards, Professional Learning, Resource Review and the Report subcommittee. The Learning Standards subcommittee is creating a document that breaks down the 2016 social science standards connected to the 2021 social science standards. The sub committee is working on a document that will showcase the differences by topic and grade level. The Professional Learning

social science curriculum. The current resources are just that—one set of resources,” Dr. Leak said. “Our commission is working to identify materials that are easily accessible to school districts at little or no cost. The Resources Subcom- mittee has been working on identifying organizations like the Smithsonian and Library of Congress that support the need- ed resources for districts to incorporate into their lessons.” QuestionsAbout HowtoAddressCRT Dr. Leak is also aware superintendents might face questions and allegations about teaching Critical Race Theory (CRT) in schools. She strongly believes that the work of the Inclusive American History Commission is not promoting CRT. “Critical Race Theory is a collegiate course that we do not teach in K–12 schools,” she said. “You’re not going to find it in any schools in Illinois now or in schools next year.” If superintendents are questioned by community members, Dr. Leak encouraged her peers to explain that the new standards simply address more non-dominant cultures the same way we have included other historical lenses over time. For example, women’s contribution to history has been added over the years to expand student understanding.

Committee is determining how to best support teachers—as well as administrators—on how to adjust classroom lesson plans to meet the new standards. Partnerships with the Regional Offices of Education, professional organizations and other professional development opportunities will be included in the rollout. “We want to leverage different entities across the state,” Dr. Leak said. “We’re also aware that Illinois is a diverse state so the needs in Cook South might look different than the needs in Three Rivers or another region.” The Resource Review Committee is responsible for creating a hub of free online content that school districts can utilize to teach the new standards. Once the final report is submitted, the hub will be posted on the Illinois State Board of Education website. The Report SubCommittee is working on the final document to be presented to the General Assembly. “The work we have been doing is quite remarkable,” Dr. Leak said. “I am very proud to be part of such a diverse and passionate team. At the end of the day, we’re still at the beginning of this process. We can’t fix the whole thing in six months, but we’re moving things in the right direction.”

7 LM February 2022