San Francisco Unified School District and County Office of Education
Board Policy 6142.94
History-Social Science Instruction
This Board Policy applies to the San Francisco Unified School District and the County Office of Education.
The Governing Board believes that the study of history and other social sciences is essential to prepare students to engage in responsible citizenship, comprehend complex global interrelationships, and understand the vital connections among the past, present, and future. The district’s history-social science education program shall include, at appropriate grade levels, instruction in American and world history, geography, economics, political science, anthropology, psychology, and sociology.
(cf. 6115 – Ceremonies and Observances)
(cf. 6141 – Curriculum Development and Evaluation)
(cf. 6141.2 – Recognition of Religious Beliefs and Customs)
(cf. 6142.3 – Civic Education)
(cf. 6142.4 – Service Learning/Community Service Classes)
(cf. 6143 – Courses of Study)
(cf. 6146.1 – High School Graduation Requirements)
The Board shall adopt academic standards for history-social science which meet or exceed state content standards and describe the knowledge and skills students are expected to possess at each grade level.
(cf. 6011 – Academic Standards)
The Superintendent or designee shall develop and submit to the Board for approval a comprehensive, sequential curriculum aligned with the district standards and consistent with the state’s curriculum framework for history-social science. The curriculum shall be designed to develop students’ core knowledge in history and social science and their skills in chronological and spatial thinking, research, and historical interpretation. History-social science instruction shall also include an explicit focus on developing students’ literacy in reading, writing, speaking, listening, and other language skills.
(cf. 6142.91 – Reading/Language Arts Instruction)
(cf. 9000 – Role of the Board)
The Board shall adopt standards-aligned instructional materials for history-social science in accordance with applicable law, Board policy, and administrative regulation. In addition, teachers are encouraged to supplement the curriculum by using biographies, original documents, diaries, letters, legends, speeches, other narrative artifacts, and literature from and about the period being studied.
(cf. 0400 – District Technology Plan)
(cf. 1312.2 – Complaints Concerning Instructional Materials)
(cf. 6161.1 – Selection and Evaluation of Instructional Materials)
(cf. 6161.11 – Supplementary Instructional Materials)
(cf. 6162.6 – Use of Copyrighted Materials)
(cf. 6163.1 – Library Media Centers)
Personal testimony from persons who can provide first-hand accounts of significant historical events is encouraged and may be provided through oral histories, videos, or other multimedia formats. If oral history is used for instruction related to the role of Americans in World War II or the Vietnam War, such testimony shall exemplify the personal sacrifice and courage of the wide range of ordinary citizens who were called upon to participate in the war, provide views and comments concerning reasons for participating in the war, and provide commentary on the aftermath of the war in Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union. (Education Code 51221.3, 51221.4)
The Superintendent or designee shall provide a standards-based professional development program designed to increase teachers’ knowledge of adopted instructional materials and instructional strategies for teaching history-social science.
(cf. 4131 – Staff Development)
The Superintendent or designee shall regularly evaluate and report to the Board regarding the implementation and effectiveness of the history-social science curriculum at each grade level, including, but not limited to, the extent to which the program is aligned with state standards, any applicable student assessment results, and feedback from students, parents/guardians, and staff regarding the program.
(cf. 0500 – Accountability)
(cf. 6162.51 – State Academic Achievement Tests)
The Superintendent or designee shall ensure that the development of curriculum and programs conform to all relevant Board resolutions that describe historical content, events, and persons. This includes:
- Board Resolution 111-11A2, In Observation of the Fred Korematsu Day of Civil Liberties and the Constitution, which encourages all schools and teachers to observe the Fred Korematsu Day of Civil Liberties and the Constitution on or around January 30 of each year, and to conduct activities commemorating the spirit and meaning of Fred Korematsu’s life and recognizing the importance of preserving and protecting our civil rights and liberties, even in times of real or perceived crisis.
- Board Resolution 158-25A1, In Support of Countering Human Trafficking and and Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children and Board Resolution 164-26A2, In Support of the Inclusion of the History of Comfort Women into the Statewide History Curriculum, which directs the Superintendent or designee to incorporate an educational component on the history of “Comfort Women” of WWII under the Japanese military to educate the community on the harmful effects of sexual trafficking in its historical and modern day context.
- Board Resolution 161-12A2, In Support of Staff Training, Curriculum, and Services to Meet the Needs of SFUSD Students with Incarcerated Parents, which calls for the consolidation and integration of curriculum relating to children with incarcerated parents, the impacts of incarceration more broadly into the appropriate courses and grade levels, and make such curriculum available to schools and libraries.
- Board Resolution 1612-13A1, Commemorating the Korean War Memorial and Encouraging Related Curriculum, which requests that the Superintendent encourage middle and high school staff in history, social science, and related fields to incorporate curriculum about the Korean War into their syllabi and encourages all staff to organize field trips to the Korean War Memorial as part of this curriculum.
Legal Reference:
EDUCATION CODE
33540 History-social science curriculum framework
51008-51009 Instruction on farm labor movement
51204 Course of study designed for student’s needs
51204.5 History of California; contributions of men, women, and ethnic groups
51210 Course of study, grades 1-6
51220 Course of study, grades 7-12
51220.2 Instruction in legal system; teen or peer court programs
51221 Social science course of study, inclusion of instruction in use of natural resources
51221.3-51221.4 Instruction on World War II and Vietnam War; use of oral histories
51225.3 High school graduation requirements
51226.3 Instruction on civil rights, genocide, slavery, Holocaust, and deportation to Mexico
51226.7 Ethnic studies
60040-60051 Criteria for instructional materials
60119 Public hearing on the sufficiency of instructional materials
60200-60206 Instructional materials, grades K-8
60400-60411 Instructional materials, grades 9-12
60640-60649 California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress
99200-99206 Subject matter projects
Management Resources:
CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION PUBLICATIONS
History-Social Science Framework for California Public Schools, Kindergarten Through Grade Twelve, 2016
Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts and Literacy in History-Social Studies, Science, and Technical Subjects, 2013
California English Language Development Standards, 2012
Model Curriculum for Human Rights and Genocide, 2000
History-Social Science Content Standards for California Public Schools, Kindergarten Through Grade Twelve, October 1998
NATIONAL COUNCIL FOR THE SOCIAL STUDIES PUBLICATIONS
College, Career, and Civic Life (C3) Framework for Social Studies State Standards: Guidance for Enhancing the Rigor of K-12 Civics, Economics, Geography, and History, 2013
WEB SITES
CSBA: http://www.csba.org
California Council for History Education: http://www.csus.edu/al/cche
California Humanities: http://www.calhum.org
California Council for the Social Studies: http://www.ccss.org
California Department of Education: http://www.cde.ca.gov
California History-Social Science Course Models: http://www.history.ctaponline.org
California Subject Matter Project: http://csmp.ucop.edu/chssp
National Association for Multicultural Education: http://www.nameorg.org
National Council for History Education: http://www.nche.net
National Council for the Social Studies: http://www.socialstudies.org
Please note that compare references, or “cf”, refer to CSBA model policies and do not necessarily indicate that the San Francisco Unified School District has adopted the referenced policy.