2005 HISTORY-SOCIAL SCIENCE PRIMARY ADOPTION
PUBLISHERS’ BULLETIN: 2004-01
February 17, 2004
TO: Publishers Participating in the 2005 History-Social Science Primary Adoption of Instructional Materials
FROM: Thomas Adams, Director, Curriculum Frameworks and Instructional Resources Division
SUBJECT: Follow-up to May 16, 2003, Publishers' Briefing on the History-Social Science Framework and Criteria and Adoption Time Line
A publishers' briefing for the 2005 History-Social Science Primary Adoption, Kindergarten through grade eight, was held on May 16, 2003. At that briefing, Curriculum Commissioners and California Department of Education staff provided an overview of the History-Social Science Framework and Criteria for Evaluating Instructional Materials.
Several questions were posed during the briefing and in subsequent meetings with individual publishers. This bulletin responds to those questions.
Please be advised that there will be a formal Invitation to Submit Meeting held on January 11, 2005, in the California Department of Education building at 1430 N Street, Sacramento, CA 95814. Publishers will be notified of the time of the meeting through fax or mail, and an announcement will also appear on the Curriculum Frameworks and Instructional Resources (CFIR) web site.
The adopted time line for the 2005 History-Social Science Primary Adoption is enclosed as Attachment A. Please review the key dates carefully.
If you have additional questions regarding the 2005 History-Social Science Primary Adoption, please contact Suzanne Rios, Administrator, Instructional Resources Office, 916-319-0665 or by e-mail at srios@cde.ca.gov; or Susan Martimo, Publisher Liaison, 916-319-0446 or by e-mail at smartimo@cde.ca.gov.
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
Criteria for Evaluating Instructional Materials in History-Social Science
Category 1: History-Social Science Content/Alignment with Standards
Question 1: There are some differences between the History-Social Science Framework for California Public Schools and the History-Social Science Content Standards for California Public Schools. Does the Framework or do the Content Standards take precedence over the other?
The Standards provide the foundation and the Framework provides guidance on how to teach the Standards. Category 1, Criterion 1, calls for instructional materials that “provide instruction designed to ensure that students master all the History-Social Science Content Standards for the intended grade level. Analysis skills of the pertinent grade span must be covered at each grade level.” Criterion 2 states, “instructional materials reflect and incorporate the content of the History-Social Science Framework.” Instructional materials should align to both the Standards and Framework.
Question 2: The Framework and Content Standards include numerous specific examples. Must each example be included in the student materials?
Category 1, Criterion 15, states, “Instructional materials use biography to portray the experiences of men, women, children, and youths. Where the standards call for examples (or use ‘e.g.’), materials shall go beyond the listed examples and include the roles and contributions of people from different demographic groups…” All of the items listed in the Framework and Content Standards need to be included, but the materials may go beyond these examples when pertinent to the content.
Question 3: The last paragraph of the introduction to the Criteria on page 3 states, “History-social science instructional materials must support teaching aligned with the standards and framework. Materials that are contrary to or inconsistent with the standards, framework, and criteria are not allowed. Extraneous materials should be minimal and clearly purposeful.” Does this mean that our materials cannot include anything that is not specifically mentioned in the framework or standards?
There are many opportunities to include a variety of topics, selections, or activities in your instructional materials. However, they should be purposeful and focused on the content of the framework and standards. Also, see the answer to Question 2 above.
Question 4: When an excerpt from a primary source is included in the student materials, do we need to have the complete citation in the student text or is it sufficient to have the citation only in the teacher edition?
The complete citation must be included in both the student and teacher editions. Category 1, Criterion 6, refers to primary sources. It states, “Materials include sufficient use of primary sources appropriate to the age level of the students…” In discussing an excerpt from a primary source, this criterion also states, “When only an excerpt of a source is included in the materials, the students and teachers are referred to the entire primary source.” The text of the entire primary source does not need to be included. However, the full citation must be included in the student and teacher edition to lead them to the appropriate primary source material.
For example, if there is a quote from a collection of Lincoln’s letters, the materials must state what collection of letters it is taken from, such as, Abraham Lincoln to Mary Todd Clark, “September 5, 1856,” in Lincoln Letters edited by I.M. Smart, History Publications, 1997.
Question 5: Do we have to include the U.S. Constitution and Declaration of Independence at each grade level?
Not at every grade level. However, Category 1, Criterion 20, states, “Emphasis is placed on civic values, democratic principles, and democratic institutions, including frequent opportunities for discussion of the fundamental principles embodied in the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights. When appropriate to the comprehension of pupils, instructional materials shall include a copy of the U.S. Constitution and the Declaration of Independence.” The criteria do not specify where these documents must be located within the instructional materials. Nevertheless, there are content standards in grades one, three, four, five, and eight that specifically mention the U.S. Constitution and content standards in grades one, three, five, seven, and eight that specifically mention the Declaration of Independence.
Question 6: What does it mean in Category 1, Criterion 14, that, “Student writing assignments are aligned with the grade-level expectations in the English-Language Arts Content Standards… under the strands ‘Writing’ and ‘Written and Oral English Language Conventions’,” and in Category 3, Criterion 4, when it states “Student writing assessments are aligned with the grade-level requirements in the English-Language Arts Content Standards under the strands of ‘Writing’ and ‘Written and Oral English Language Conventions’?”
History-social science materials are not expected to address all of the English-Language Arts Content Standards, but as students progress in school, their writing assignments, even those in subjects other than English-language arts, should also progress in difficulty and be aligned to the appropriate grade-level standards for English-language arts. Student writing should also be graded and assessed in alignment with the appropriate grade-level content standards.
As an example, a fourth grade student could be expected to write an information report that would “include facts and details for focus” and “draw from more than one source of information” (English-Language Arts Content Standards, grade four, 2.0 Writing Applications, 2.3, p. 24) and at the same time would “place key events and people . . . in a chronological sequence” and “differentiate between primary and secondary sources” (History-Social Science Content Standards, “Kindergarten Through Grade Five: Historical and Social Science Analysis Skills,” p. 1). A sixth grade student, however, would be expected to “support the main idea or ideas with facts, details, examples, and explanations from multiple authoritative sources” (English-Language Arts Content Standards, grade 6, 2.0 Writing Applications, 2.3) and “assess the credibility of primary and secondary sources and draw sound conclusions from them” (History-Social Science Content Standards, “Grade Six Through Eight: Historical and Social Science Analysis Skills,” p.21).
Question 7: Category 1, Criterion 1, states, “analysis skills of the pertinent grade span must be covered at each grade level.” Could we include a separate booklet to teach the analysis skills for each grade level?
The introductions to each of the grade-level history and social science analysis skills in the History-Social Science Content Standards states “The intellectual skills noted below are to be learned through, and applied to, the content standards..” These skills are not to be taught in isolation, but integrated into the teaching of the content. Also, some historical issues and investigations lend themselves to more than one standard and more than one analysis skill.
Question 8: Category 1, Criterion 25, states, “All authors listed in the instructional program are held responsible for the content. If requested, authors must be willing to supply proof of authorship.” What is this about?
All people listed as authors need to be able to demonstrate that they participated in writing the program and are knowledgeable of the content of the program. This provides a demonstration of proof of scholarship and expertise in the content included.
Category 2: Program Organization
Question 9: Category 2, Criterion 6, states, “The relevant grade-level standards shall be explicitly stated in both the teacher and student editions. Topical headings reflect the framework and standards and clearly indicate the content that follows.” Where do these standards need to be located within the materials?
The criterion stated above does not call for placing these standards in a specific place in the materials. They could be listed inside the cover, at the beginning of each unit, or in a separate section. The reason for this criterion is to make the standards clear in both the student and teacher materials. Having the standards stated in the student materials helps both students and parents to understand what is included in that subject and grade level and why it is there.
When including the History-Social Science Content Standards for California Public Schools, include the exact wording from the state-adopted content standards, do not paraphrase or otherwise edit the standards.
Question 10: Category 2, Criterion 10, states, “materials explain how history-social science instruction may be improved by the effective use of library media centers and information literacy skills.” What does the state mean by each of those terms?
School libraries are called a variety of names, including library media center, media center, learning center, or the library. The criterion refers to whatever is defined in a given school as the school library.
Information literacy is simply defined as the ability to access, evaluate and use information effectively. There are several models of information literacy skills available, but no specific model is required. Many of the information literacy skills are included within the analysis skills in the History-Social Science Content Standards.
Category 4: Universal Access
Question 11: Category 4: Universal Access, Criterion 5, states that “Instructional materials are designed to help meet the needs of students whose reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills fall below the level prescribed in the English-language arts content standards and to assist in accelerating students’ skills to grade level. Those students whose skills are significantly below grade level in reading (two years or more) should be directed to intensive reading instruction.” What does this mean for my history-social science materials?
The Universal Access category was meant to address the range of students in most “regular” classrooms in California including students whose skills are slightly below or above grade level, English learners, and special education students. The sentence quoted above was included in the criteria to let you know that you are not expected to write a program for students who are reading at 2 grade levels or more below their grade level. These students should be assessed by their local school district and directed to intensive reading instruction.
Alternate Format
Question 12: If we are planning to produce Spanish versions of the history-social science texts, do we submit this information and/or the materials themselves at the same time we submit the English versions?
We will accept submission of alternate formats in languages other than English after the State Board makes its adoption decision in November of 2005. All alternate formats in languages other than English will be reviewed for accuracy in translation and language before they are approved for placement on the Price List and Order Form. Please allow for time to have the materials reviewed for accuracy of translation.
Standards Maps
Question 12: When will the standards map template be available for this adoption?
We expect a first draft of the grade Kindergarten through grade eight history-social science standards map template to be presented to the Curriculum Commission in the Spring of 2004 with approval in May of 2004.
Textbook Weight
Question 13: What about the textbook weight standards? Will the history-social science instructional materials have to meet the weight standards?
By July 1, 2004, the State Board of Education is required to adopt maximum weight standards for textbooks used by pupils in elementary and secondary schools. No decision has been made at this time as to what those standards will be or when they will take effect. As soon as the Board takes action, we will inform publishers.
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