Social Studies
- New York State Social Studies Learning Standards
- Social Studies Resource Guide and Core Curriculum (1998)
- Frequently Asked Questions
- K-12 Social Studies Framework
- Social Studies Assessment
- Social Studies Archive
- Social Studies News
- Social Studies Related Links
- Civic Readiness Initiative
- Social Studies Awards and Scholarships
Civic Readiness Initiative
The New York State Board of Regents is committed to civic education that empowers all students to make informed decisions for the public good as members of a culturally diverse, democratic society in an interdependent world. Civic education facilitates the development of civic competencies, which are needed for a democratic society to flourish. Through civic education, students learn how to identify and address problems in their community or school community. Students also learn how to demonstrate respect for the rights of others, respectfully disagree with other viewpoints, and provide evidence for a counterargument. Civic education can strengthen the relationships of schools and students with parents, families, civic leaders, and organizations and community partners.
In January 2020 The Civic Readiness Task Force appointed by the Board of Regents presented their recommendations to the Board of Regents. The recommendations include a Seal of Civic Readiness, a definition of Civic Readiness and the elements of a Civic Capstone Project.
Name | Title | Organization |
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Allison Armour-Garb | Senior Advisor P-20 Policy Coordination and Strategic Planning | New York State Department of Education |
Dawn Bartz | Director of Social Studies | Yonkers CSD |
Laura Bierman | Executive Director | New York State League of Women Voters |
Brian Carlin | Social Studies Instructional Coach | New York City Department of Education |
Michael Coppoteli | Associate Superintendent Public Policy and Student Services | Archdiocese of New York |
Cheryl Couser | Deputy Director of Public Information | New York State Board of Elections |
Barry Derfel | Assistant Superintendent for Instruction | Tompkins-Seneca-Tioga BOCES |
Michael DiMezza | Director of Career Technical Education | Hamilton-Fulton-Montgomery BOCES |
April Francis | Social Studies/Online Learning Curriculum and Staff Development Specialist | Putnam Northern Westchester BOCES |
DeNora Getachew | New York City Executive Director | Generation Citizen |
Bill Hecht | District Superintendent | Orange-Ulster BOCES |
Joseph Karb | Middle School Social Studies Teacher | New York State United Teachers |
Jessica Karnes | Coordinator of Staff Development, Curriculum, Differentiated Instruction and Data, K-12 Social Studies | Erie 1 BOCES |
Lisa Kissinger | Academic Administrator for Social Studies, Grades 6-12 | Shenendehowa CSD |
Steve LaMorte | Director of Social Studies | Rochester City SD |
Debra Lesser | Director | Justice Resource Center |
Tony Lopez | Executive Director | Zone 126 Neighborhood Community Schools |
Nicholas Norman | Field Liaison | United Federation of Teachers |
Kamorudeen Olayokun Jr. | Assistant Principal | PS 78, Staten Island |
Aruna Patel | Instructional Specialist | New Visions for Public Schools |
Charles Perreaud |
Jury Commissioner for the NY State Courts in Monroe Co. and Court Interpreting Coordinator |
7th Judicial District |
Christy Radez | Associate, Office of Curriculum and Instruction, Lead Facilitator for the Civic Readiness Initiative | New York State Department of Education |
Michael Rebell | Executive Director, Center for Educational Equity, Chairman of the Civic Readiness Task Force | Teachers College, Columbia University |
Joe Rogers | Director of Public Engagement, Senior Researcher, Center for Educational Equity | Teachers College, Columbia University |
Jenna Ryall | Social Studies Instructional Coach | NYC DOE |
Peter Sawyer | History Department Chair, Director for Service Learning and Civic Engagement | Hudson Valley Community College |
Joe Schmidt | Social Studies Instructional Coach | New York City Department of Education |
David Scott | Law and Civics Educator Coordinator | Northport CSD |
Chris Sperry | Director of Curriculum, Project Looksharp | Ithaca College |
Ellen Sullivan | Assistant in Educational Services | New York State United Teachers |
Tara Thibault-Edmonds | School Media Library Specialist | Roundout CSD |
Christine Zapata | Social Studies Instructional Lead, District 31 | New York City Department of Education |
Joseph Zaza | Founding Principal | Nicotra Early College Charter School |
- The Seal of Civic Readiness may be a 4+1 pathway.
- The Seal of Civic Readiness may also be a stand-alone diploma seal for students who choose a different 4+1 pathway.
Students who receive the NYSED Seal of Civic Readiness must earn a total of 6 points, with at least 2 points from column #1 (Criteria for Demonstrating Proficiency in Civic Knowledge) and at least 2 points from column #2 (Criteria for Demonstrating Civic Participation).
Criteria for Demonstrating Proficiency in Civic Knowledge | Criteria for Demonstrating Civic Participation |
Category | Pts. | Category | Pts. | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1a. Social Studies required for graduation:
Or the equivalent of these courses, as approved by the local public school superintendent or his or her designee or by the chief administrative officer of a registered nonpublic high school |
1 |
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1.5* |
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1.5* |
|
1* |
||
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1* |
|
.50* |
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.50* |
|
.50* |
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1 |
|
1* |
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|
4 |
*Students may receive these points more than once.
Testing accommodations recommended in an individualized education program or section 504 Accommodations Plan must be provided for all State and districtwide assessments administered to students with disabilities, as consistent with State policy. * Students in schools with an alternate pathway for graduation approved by the Commissioner will be held to those schools' criteria.
Civic Readiness for All Students
Definition:
Civic readiness is the ability to make a positive difference in the public life of our communities through the combination of civic knowledge, skills and actions, mindsets, and experiences. |
Background:
Civic Ready students use civic knowledge, skills and mindsets to make decisions and take actions for themselves, their communities, and public good as members of a culturally diverse, democratic society. Schools, therefore, must provide students meaningful opportunities to develop specific civic knowledge, skills, and mindsets—and to participate in authentic actions and experiences—that are necessary for them to function as productive civic participants within their schools, communities, states, our country and the world.
The New York State Education Department is committed to empowering the civic agency of students and ensuring all students achieve civic readiness as a result of their prekindergarten - 12th grade education. The Regents have also emphasized this position in their Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) Plan. The New York State Education Department (NYSED) understands that the results we seek for all our children can only be fully achieved by incorporating an equity and inclusion lens in every facet of our work.
Civic education strengthens the relationships between schools and students, as well as students’ relationships with parents, caregivers and families, civic leaders, community partners, and among each other. The responsibility of ensuring all students are Civic Ready is a chief aim of social studies education.
Civic Readiness Domains:
Civic readiness is continuously developed throughout students’ prekindergarten - 12th grade education and should include:
Demonstrate a fundamental and functional knowledge of government, law, history, geography, culture, economics, and current events. These may include inequities within our democratic system at the federal, state and local level. Students should know how to apply this knowledge to different circumstances and settings. |
Demonstrate a broad array of critical analytic, verbal, communication, media literacy and other skills and participate in a wide variety of actions. Students should practice such actions both inside and outside of school on a regular basis. |
Demonstrate the mindset of a participant in a democratic society. A civic mindset is a commitment to democratic interpersonal and intrapersonal values, virtues, attitudes, and beliefs and informed actions that promote and facilitate meaningful participation in civic life. It is an understanding of self as part of and responsible to larger social groups. |
Participate in developmentally appropriate civic experiences. Civic readiness should be developed in a variety of settings and ways—inside and outside of the classroom, across content areas, and for multiple purposes. Civic Readiness should be promoted by engaging students in relevant experiences that include students as active participants. |
Domain Examples:
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Fundamental civic knowledge in grade level appropriate forms includes:
- The structure and functioning of government, law, and democracy at the federal, state, local, and school levels, and how to participate therein;
- Civil and educational rights and responsibilities guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution, the Constitution of the State of New York, and federal, state and local statutes and regulations;
- History, geography, economics, and current events within our country and in our global society;
- The impact of individual and collective histories in shaping contemporary issues;
- View and analyze history and current issues from multiple perspectives
- The importance of civic rights and responsibilities, such as voting, volunteering, serving on a jury, and the importance of ensuring a free press;
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Critical intellectual and participatory civic skills students should develop and actions they should take in grade-level appropriate forms include the ability to:
- Demonstrate respect for the rights of others in discussions and classroom debates, and how to respectfully disagree with other viewpoints and provide evidence for a counterargument;
- Participate in activities that focus on a classroom, school, community, state or national issue or problem;
- Identify, describe and contrast the roles of the individual in opportunities for social and political participation in different societies;
- Work to influence those in positions of power to achieve extensions of freedom, social justice, and human rights;
- Fulfill social and political responsibilities associated with participation in a democratic society and the interdependent global community by developing awareness of and/or engaging in the political process;
- Analyze and evaluate news (news literacy), media, social media and other sources of information for accuracy, bias, reliability, and credibility.
- Engagement in working toward the public good
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Key civic mindsets students should develop in grade-level appropriate ways include:
- Valuing equity, inclusivity, diversity, and fairness;
- Recognizing the need to plan for both current needs and the good of future generations;
- Empathy, compassion, and respect for the views of people with other opinions and perspectives;
- Committing to balancing the common good with individual liberties;
- Demonstrating a sense of self as an active participant in society, willing to contribute to solving local and/or national problems;
- Respecting fundamental democratic principles, such as freedom of speech, freedom of the press and the rule of law.
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Examples of civic experiences in which students should be able to participate in grade-level appropriate ways include:
- Completing a civic readiness capstone or, civic engagement project;
- Engaging in service-learning;
- Engaging in civil discourse around controversial issues;
- Engaging with news and digital tools, such as social media, responsibly;
- Participating in civic-centered co-curricular and extracurricular activities such as Model UN, Student Government, Debate Club, Moot Court, Student Journalism or Mock Trial;
- Participating in school governance;
- Voting, volunteering and participating in community organizations and governmental systems, such as community boards, youth advisory councils, etc., to promote continuous improvement;
- Engaging with local officials and government institutions through activities such as providing public comment before a government agency, or meeting with public and elected officials.
Participation in government and in our communities is fundamental to the success of American democracy[1]. Students choose to complete the Civic Readiness Capstone project to demonstrate their readiness to make a positive difference in the public life of their communities through the applied combination of civic knowledge, skills and actions, mindset, and experiences. Through this project, students will apply knowledge and skills they have learned through their P-12 Social Studies education, as well as other subject areas.
In this Civic Readiness Capstone project, students will:
- Identify a civic issue (problem) facing them, their school, or their community
- Analyze a civic issue (problem), evaluate alternative solutions, design and/or execute a solution for this problem.
- Take informed action to address the civic issue.
- Reflect on what they have learned about their school or community from the Capstone project.
- Make a presentation about their Civic Readiness Capstone project
High School Capstone Projects completed for the Civic Readiness Diploma Seal include these essential elements based on the Definition of Civic Readiness:
Essential Elements |
Civic Knowledge |
Civic Skills |
Civic Mindset |
---|---|---|---|
Examine Community |
Demonstrate an understanding of the structure and function of government and democracy at the appropriate level, and how to participate therein. Identify, describe, and evaluate the relationships between people, places, regions, and environments by using geographic tools to place them in a spatial context.
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Define and frame questions about events and the world in which we live, form hypotheses as potential answers to these questions, use evidence to answer these questions, and consider and analyze counter-hypotheses. |
Identify opportunities for and the role of the individual in social and political participation in the school, local, and/or state community. |
Identify Issues |
Integrate alternate, divergent, or contradictory perspectives or ideas. Describe the impact of individual and collective histories in shaping contemporary issues.
|
Analyze a civic issue (problem) in the community
Integrate evidence from multiple disciplines into Capstone Project. |
Reflect on how different cultures have values, norms and beliefs that shape how they understand their communities and the problems they face. |
Conduct Research |
Describe how the issue affects the daily lives and shapes the perspectives of similar and different stakeholder groups.
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Analyze and evaluate news, media, social media and other sources of information for accuracy, bias, reliability, and credibility. |
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Analysis |
Analyze a civic issue (problem) in the community, describe past attempts to address the issue, generate and evaluate alternative solutions to a civic problem. |
Weigh appropriate evidence from multiple disciplines to support claims, which may include political science, history, natural sciences, economics, geography, and sociology. |
Reflect on how personal attitudes and beliefs are different and the same from those of other cultures and communities. Integrate what can be learned through engagement with diversity into the Capstone Project. |
Develop Strategies and Solutions |
Design and/or execute a solution for this problem. |
Evaluate the feasibility of proposed actions to address the community or civic issue.
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Analyze factors that influenced the perspectives of stakeholders involved in the civic issue central to the Capstone Project. Integrate alternate, divergent, or contradictory perspectives or ideas. |
Take Informed Action |
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Design and implement a Capstone Project that engages the school and/or out-of-school community.
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Communicate |
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Communicate in a civic context, showing the ability to express ideas, discuss, persuade, debate, negotiate, build consensus and compromise to organize and conduct civic action. Strategically use different forms of communication to persuade/advocate and express ideas. Demonstrate respect for the rights of others in discussions and debates; respectfully disagree with other viewpoints. |
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Reflection |
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Analyze Capstone Project experience, reflecting on the process that was implemented, challenges faced, project limitations, successes, future civic actions and transferable skills. Demonstrate and reflect on a sense of self as an active participant in society, willing to contribute to solving local and/or national problems. |
1Based on the New York State Social Studies Practices, Grades 9-12, the New York State Performance Level Descriptors for the Global History & Geography II and the U.S. History & Government Regents exam, the NYSED Definition of Civic Readiness, and the American Association of Colleges and University VALUE Rubric for Civic Engagement.
Relevant Definitions:
- Asset map: Asset Mapping is a tool that relies on a core belief of asset-based community development; namely, that good things exist in communities and that those things can be highlighted and encouraged — these are assets suited to advancing those communities. There are six categories of community assets: physical, economic, stories, local residents, local associations, local institutions. For more information about asset mapping, visit vistacampus.gov
- Communication methods include in-person/face-to-face, print, digital (i.e., social media)
- Perspective(s): outlook, point of view, position on or towards an issue
- Stakeholder: a member of a particular status group that holds a specific self-interest in regard to a particular social problem or public policy
Middle School Capstone Projects include these Essential Elements based on the Definition of Civic Readiness:
Essential Elements |
Civic Knowledge |
Civic Skills |
Civic Mindset |
---|---|---|---|
Examine Community |
Identify situations in which social actions are required. |
Participate in activities that focus on a classroom, school, community, state, or national issue or problem with the support of the classroom teacher. |
Identify opportunities for and the role of the individual in social and political participation in the school, local, and/or state community. |
Identify Issues |
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With the support of the classroom teacher, identify a civic issue (problem) in the community.
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Identify rights and responsibilities as a citizen of the community and the state. |
Conduct Research |
Describe how the issue affects the daily lives and shapes the perspectives of similar and different stakeholder groups.
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Analyze and evaluate news, media, social media and other sources of information for accuracy, bias, reliability, and credibility. |
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Analysis |
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With the support of the classroom teacher, evaluate alternative solutions to address the community problem. |
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Develop Strategies and Solutions |
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With the support of the classroom teacher, identify or develop solution(s) in the form of a public policy.
Communicate in a civic context, showing the ability to express ideas, discuss, and persuade when presenting ideas. |
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Take Action |
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With the support of the classroom teacher,
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Demonstrate respect for the rights of others in discussions and classroom debates; respectfully disagree with other viewpoints. Work to influence those in positions of power to strive for extensions of freedom, social justice, and human rights. |
Communicate |
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Participate in persuading, negotiating, and compromising in the resolution of differences and conflict; introduce and examine the elements of debate. Demonstrate respect for the rights of others in discussions and debates; respectfully disagree with other viewpoints. |
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Reflection |
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Analyze the experience, reflecting on the process that was implemented, challenges faced, successes, and future civic actions. |
Based on the New York State Social Studies Practices, Grades K-12