The National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) states “social studies is the study of individuals, communities, systems, and their interactions across time and place that prepares students for local, national, and global civic life.” Effective social studies education challenges students to be prepared for responsible civic engagement in the future. The founders of the United States emphasized that the vitality and security of a democracy depends upon the education and willingness of its citizens to participate actively in society. By developing discipline-specific inquiry skills, students apply their conceptual knowledge through questioning, investigating, using evidence and communicating conclusions so they are equipped with the knowledge and skills needed to be civically, economically, geographically and historically informed, engaged citizens. Achieving this aim is the mission of social studies education in Kentucky.
Announcements
Constitution Day
Tuesday, September 17 is Constitution Day and Citizenship Day! This day commemorates the September 17, 1787 signing of the U.S. Constitution.
Each educational institution that receives Federal funds for a fiscal year is required to hold an educational program about the U.S. Constitution for its students.
The Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) does not mandate or prescribe particular curricula or lesson plans. The information below contains links to learning resources created and maintained by other public and private organizations. This information is provided for your convenience and as examples of resources on Constitution Day that you might find helpful.
To assist students and educators in their studies, the National Archives and Records Administration offers a variety of resources on Constitution Day on its Observing Constitution Day webpage. Additional resources include:
Revised Kentucky Academic Standards for Social Studies Adopted for 2023-2024 School Year
Section 4(3)(a) of Senate Bill 1 (2022) created
KRS 158.196, which requires the Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) to incorporate fundamental American documents and speeches into the grade-level appropriate middle and high school social studies academic standards and align corresponding assessments. KDE brought together educators from across the state who serve on the social studies Advisory Panels and Review Committee to incorporate the fundamental documents into the Kentucky Academic Standards (KAS) for Social Studies (2022). The revised
KAS for Social Studies were approved by the Kentucky Board of Education in December 2022 and became effective in September 2023 with the final regulatory adoption. The newly adopted standards will be implemented in Kentucky classrooms beginning in the 2023-2024 school year. A
Social Studies Standards At a Glance document and a revised
KAS for Social Studies Glossary of Terms are provided to support educators in understanding how the KAS for Social Studies (2022) were revised to meet the requirements of KRS 158.196. Additionally, A Getting to Know Your KAS for Social Studies module is available on KYstandards.org under
Social Studies Professional Learning Modules to support educators in the implementation of the social studies standards.