Wally Cole introduced our speaker, Jeff Niedenthal who presented on the work being done to review social study standards in Minnesota. Jeff encouraged all of us to provide input to the process. He is happy to address any questions or issues that may arise and can be reached at niedenthaljeff@netscapte.net. He also provided his PowerPoint presentation to Wally Cole who can make it available to you upon request.
Prior to the program, input had been sought from the Minnesota Department of Education on this process and the following e-mail was received from the Department on the Monday following the program, reprinted in its entirety:
"Thanks for reaching out and giving us an opportunity to share information about the social studies standards review process. In accordance with Minnesota Statutes, Minnesota’s academic standards are reviewed and revised on a 10-year cycle. During the 2020-21 school year, Minnesota’s social studies standards are up for review and revision. It is important to know that the standards are drafted for Minnesota public schools, by Minnesotans. Last spring and summer (March 2-June 30, 2020), an application period was open for Minnesotans to apply to be on the standards committee. Minnesota Statutes outline who must be represented on this committee, including parents, teachers, school board members, postsecondary institution faculty, business community members and more. In July, Minnesotans with varying perspectives and backgrounds were selected for the committee.
The committee began meeting in September. The initial early draft of the social studies standards was released on December 1. This draft was not a “first draft” of a final product. The draft was a reflection of where the committee was at in the review and revision process as of December 1. A public comment period on the draft was open from December 1-January 4. The public comment received was intended to inform the development of the next draft. As noted in the introduction of the draft standards document, the committee focused first on the social studies standards themselves, and had not yet dug in to the benchmarks underneath each standard. An academic standard is a summary description of student learning in a content area. Academic standards are comprised of one or more benchmarks. A benchmark is the specific knowledge or skill that a student must master to complete part of an academic standard by the end of a grade level or grade band. The benchmarks listed in this first draft are simply examples of what could be included under each standard. Historical U.S. events like WWII and the Holocaust are being taught in Minnesota schools and will continue to be taught.
Since releasing the first draft in December, the department has received significant feedback from throughout Minnesota. To provide time to review all of the public comments, the department is building more time into the process of revising the standards. The second draft of Social Studies Standards will be published later this spring. This will provide the time needed to thoroughly review the feedback received. We know that our students’ education is at its strongest when Minnesotans are engaged in the planning process. During the standards review process, all committee meetings are open for the public to observe. It is still early in the process of revising the social studies standards. Visit the Social Studies Standards webpage for the Minnesota Department of Education, for information and updates on the revision process, future public comment periods, and meetings."