Advocating for Rigorous History and Social Science Instruction in ACPS

Sarah Harris

After months of controversy, the Virginia Board of Education approved new history and social science standards of learning in April 2023.

According to Virginia Board of Education member Anne Holton on Twitter:

"We made big improvements to flawed draft Administration put forth in November — we added back in Indigenous Peoples Day, restored Africa and Asia to third grade world history...Included [recommendations] from African American History Education Commission, did better on labor history and stories of our immigrant communities, highlighted suppression of [African American] voting rights and [economic] opportunities through much of 20th Century, and more."

"These changes would not have happened without vigorous engagement from parents, teachers and community activists across VA. Thank you! Sadly we were not able to return to inquiry-based, curiosity-inspiring, thoughtful approach [recommended] in Aug ’22 by nonpartisan professional process, but considering obstacles, final result is strong on many scores."

It’s not perfect – we would have much preferred that the Board adopt the Collaborative Draft as it was presented by historians, educators, and experts – but it’s certainly an improvement from earlier drafts presented by former Superintendent Balow. 

And there's some good news locally:

Virginia code does give local divisions some degree of control over their own curriculum. Neeley Minton, lead social studies coach for ACPS, has made it clear that “we will maintain excellence by EXCEEDING the VDOE history standards” and that the SOLs are just the floor upon which the ACPS curriculum can be built.

For example, Reframing the Narrative is a series of Inquiry units designed by ACPS educators that begin with the standards but take kids so much deeper into the topics by having them use primary source documents to defend a position around a central compelling question. 

Reframing the Narrative is currently being piloted in several grade levels across several schools in the division but teacher interest and impact on student engagement has been so high that we hope it will begin a full roll-out process beginning next fall. ALL kids should have inquiry-based lessons that invite deep, critical thinking; strengthen literacy skills; engage learners; and help facts STICK! 

In addition to Reframing the Narrative, ACPS also participates in a state-wide program for History and Social Sciences inquiry learning at the high school level.

And here's more good news:

• Many ACPS educators were involved in developing these units.

• These state-developed inquiries are in line with Reframing the Narrative.

• These units are rigorous! Inquiry-based learning starts with a compelling question and challenges the student to come to an answer based on their investigation of primary-source documents, discussion, and deliberation. The process concludes with a project or argumentative/persuasive writing through which students defend their answers.

• Inquiry learning is engaging! It gets the kids involved in the learning process more than simply listening to lectures and regurgitating the information on a standardized test.

• Inquiry learning helps close achievement gaps (educators at Monticello HS have seen this among their English language learners!). Because it is centered less on rote memorization and more on critical thinking, students can draw on their own personal experiences to deepen their understanding of these complex topics.

• English learners at the secondary level enrolled in inquiry-based courses showed, not only higher academic outcomes, but they also outperformed peers on a language proficiency test following this academic inquiry-based coursework. (George Lucas Educational Foundation)

Here's the better news:

• New this year: Since ACPS opted in to Social Studies Inquiry learning, ACPS students in grades 9-12 NO LONGER HAVE TO TAKE THE HSS SOL TESTS. Performance on their inquiry assessments will serve as credit verification.

• Students who do not achieve credit verification through the inquiry unit assessment may still take the SOL.

Now, here's the challenge:

• Inquiry learning requires a new way of teaching: teachers have to be able to effectively teach students not just what to think, but HOW to think.

• In order to effectively teach inquiry units, teachers need more support. Some may need smaller classes and more in-class support from SPED/ESOL teachers to be able to meet students where they are as individual learners. Some may need more professional development support.

• Because inquiry-based teaching is not as simple as lecturing and running a multiple choice answer sheet through a grading machine, HSS teachers need more time to plan and to grade their students' assessments.

We know that project-based inquiry learning is good for kids. We also know that project-based inquiry learning is good for closing achievement gaps. We want our kids, and ALL kids, to graduate from ACPS knowing how to read and comprehend complex texts, how to write compelling and persuasive arguments, and how to THINK. And we know that inquiry learning, particularly in history and social studies classes, can help kids build those skills needed for them to become active and engaged members of our civic society.

We also know that too much testing, and teaching to the test, isn't good for kids or learning or equity.

So what can you do?

Speak up! Let your high school principal, Superintendent Haas, and the School Board know that you support inquiry-based learning in all grade levels, K-12. let them know that you support a full roll-out of Reframing the Narrative and Inquiry-based learning in high school. 

Also, be sure to encourage them to listen to teachers: What do they need to effectively teach inquiry lessons in their classrooms? How can we give them the time and support this teaching requires? How can the division and the community support this important work?