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A previous version of this article incorrectly said that the State Board of Education has been drafting new social studies standards for the D.C. schools. It is the Office of the State Superintendent of Education that is drafting them, with input from the state board. The article has been corrected.

For the past several months, the D.C. education officials  have been drafting a new set of social studies standards for the city’s 96,000 students, an exercise that hasn’t been done since 2006.

Unlike other jurisdictions, D.C. does not have a law that mandates how frequently its education standards must be updated, said Allister Chang, who represents Ward 2 on the State Board of Education. But members in 2019 began discussing the need for an update, and the Office of the State Superintendent of Education started writing new guidelines the following year.

“The old way that we were framing a lot of this stuff is so problematic and archaic,” Chang said about the current curriculum. With the proposed new standards, students in kindergarten through 12th grades will cover roughly the same material — including the foundations of U.S. government, consequences of global conflict and D.C. history — but with updates that reflect a more modern understanding of history.

The new standards include increased representation of the experiences of people of color and a more direct examination of racism and white supremacy. Students would understand how groups, including enslaved Africans and Indigenous groups, resisted slavery and colonization, as well as the contributions of the LGBTQ+ community. They also outline more rigorous standards for elementary school students and challenge students to critique the credibility of sources.

Officials have collected feedback from parents, students and teachers, and expect to adopt new standards this spring.

The standards may undergo more changes before they are implemented during the 2024-2025 school year, but for now, here are grade-level summaries of what students can expect. The complete <a href="https://osse.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/osse/publication/attachments/DCPS-horiz-soc_studies.pdf" target=_blank>current</a> and <a href="https://osse.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/osse/page_content/attachments/OSSE%20Social%20Studies%20Standards%20Draft%20for%20Public%20Comment.pdf" target=_blank>proposed</a> standards can be found on the state board’s website.

Similarities: In both the old and new curriculum, children start to learn about themselves and how they fit into their communities. They use words like “close” and “far away” to describe locations. They also identify historical figures who improved their communities, and gain an understanding of why people work and how money is used.

Differences: The old curriculum asks students to describe the events and people celebrated on national holidays, including D.C. Emancipation Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Columbus Day — which the D.C. Council <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2019/10/10/indigenous-peoples-day-replace-columbus-day-district-other-jurisdictions/" target=_blank>renamed in 2019 </a>as Indigenous Peoples’ Day.

The new curriculum outlines how students can understand their racial, ethnic, religious and gender identities. Students also identify different kinds of family structures, including single-parent, grandparent-headed, multiracial and LGBTQ+. Children begin learning the skills they need to have “respectful and productive” conversations.

Similarities: Students learn how to interpret maps, using them to locate D.C., as well as mountain ranges, oceans and continents.

Differences: The old curriculum asks students to identify symbols and traditions associated with the United States. Children recite the Pledge of Allegiance, learn the words to national songs and gain an understanding of the president’s job. Students begin to understand the characteristics of Mayan, Incan and Aztec civilizations.

The new standards introduce students to civics. Students will learn how communities are run, what government leaders do and why national holidays are celebrated. They identify significant leaders in the United States and D.C., including the president and mayor. Children also describe communities and how individuals within one can work together to achieve a shared goal.

Similarities: Students dive deeper into geography and understand themselves within the context of the larger world. They work with maps and globes to identify important locations and describe landforms.

Differences: The old curriculum dives into civics — students learn how someone becomes a U.S. citizen and what it takes to be a good citizen. Students explain governmental institutions, how rules and laws are formed and the consequences of breaking them. Children also examine biographies of prominent historical figures who “acted righteously” to make a difference in others’ lives. They describe the landscape of North America and its various Indigenous groups.

The new curriculum places special focus on giving students an understanding of the geography of Indigenous nations. They get familiar with primary and secondary sources, and examine artifacts — such as photos and petroglyphs — to learn about the past and consider how human life has changed over time. Students explore early civilizations in Egypt, China, Rome, the Americas and modern-day Iraq. They also learn about sustainability and investigate how humans’ relationship with the environment has changed over time.

Similarities: Students learn the geography of their home, D.C. They use maps to identify bodies of water and land forms — as well as major monuments and historical sites. Students work to understand their relationship with local resources. They also discuss how city government is structured, the local economy and how D.C. has changed over time. Students unpack political movements, such as the Poor People’s March of 1968.

Differences: Under the old curriculum students gain an understanding of their local economy, including what taxes are and the types of jobs and businesses that exist within a community. Children construct a timeline of key people and events in D.C.'s history since the late 18th century, and explain how D.C. was selected as the U.S. capital.

In the new curriculum, students discuss the importance of “affirming spaces,” which are safe places for people to express their identities. They explore how recent urban planning has affected the health and composition of various communities in D.C. Students will spend time learning about the city’s evolving history — from the role of D.C. during the Civil War, to the lives of formerly enslaved people who settled in the city, to the cultural impact of Black U Street and go-go music. Children are taught the impacts of early European colonization and the displacement of Indigenous nations, and the contributions of Piscataway and Pamunkey peoples to the D.C. region. Students also learn about the Home Rule movement and discuss how a lack of statehood affects residents.

Jahi Chikwendiu

Similarities: Children learn about the early societies of the Americas, their technological achievements, cultural practices and ways of life. Lessons revolve around the arrival of Europeans, life in the colonies, the American Revolution and founding and structure of the U.S. government.

Differences: The old standards ask students to identify the “entrepreneurial characteristics” of early explorers and the technological developments that made their journeys possible. They also discuss the “cooperation” that existed between colonists and Native Americans during the 17th and 18th centuries, as well as the religious and social institutions that evolved throughout the colonial era.

The updated curriculum includes the word “colonization,” which is absent from the old fourth-grade standards. Students explore the “impact of European colonization and oppression on the human rights of Indigenous Nations,” examining the legacies of explorers such as Christopher Columbus. Students will understand the lasting impact of the Europeans’ arrival in the Americas. They learn the significance of 1619 — the year that marks the dawn of American slavery — as well as the experiences of those who were enslaved. Students discuss the technological and cultural contributions of people of African descent.

Similarities: Students understand the growth of slavery and how various groups of people — including Mexican, Chinese and Irish immigrants — settled throughout the United States. They describe the causes and consequences of the Civil War and key figures of the abolitionist movement. They examine the successes and failures of Reconstruction, explore the rise of white supremacist groups and gain an understanding of the 13th, 14th and 15th amendments. Students also examine the country’s expansion into the West — along with the role Chinese and Irish laborers played in the development of the Transcontinental Railroad — and the Great Migration. Both curriculums outline lessons about the Black Renaissance period, World War I and II, and the civil rights movement. Students learn about the rise of fascism and Nazism in Europe.

Differences: The word “colonization” is now introduced in the old standards. Enslaved Africans are referred to as “enslaved immigrants from Africa” as students learn about their lives between the 1790s and 1820s. The new curriculum asks students to consider the “importance of language when discussing challenging topics,” for example, using the term “enslaved person” instead of “slave.” The curriculum prescribes that students learn how laws protected chattel slavery and resistance to the institution. They should also understand D.C.'s role in the underground railroad, and how popular music genres can be traced to enslaved people.

Lessons on the 13th, 14th and 15th amendments are expanded in the new curriculum to explore the “promise and shortcomings” of each measure. Students analyze the rise of Black art, businesses and queer culture. Students explain the causes of World War II and understand how “bias and prejudice led to the scapegoating of marginalized groups in Europe,” including Jews, disabled, LGBTQ+ and Romani people — referred to in the old curriculum by a term now widely understood to be a slur.

Similarities: Children discuss world history and geography, including how borders were created and the ways people affect and are affected by their environment. They also discuss the shortcomings of maps and how they can be used to convey a certain point of view. Students learn to explain the lives and cultural contributions of groups across North and South America, Europe, Africa, Asia and Oceania.

Differences: The 2006 standards asks students to “acquire a framework for thinking geographically” by demonstrating the ability to locate continents, major bodies of water and other prominent features on Earth. Students explain migration patterns, as well as the world’s major religions and languages. The curriculum does not use the terms “climate change” or “global warming,” but students consider human-made threats to the environment, such as pollution, deforestation and urban sprawl.

The new standards ask students to consider who is harmed by border policies, how racism, privilege and bias affect the way resources are distributed (and how that distribution has influenced racism and imperialism) and “the extent to which a European worldview has dominated global society.” Students are also introduced to the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals, which address global challenges including poverty, climate change and justice.

Amanda Andrade-Rhoades

Differences: The standards diverge significantly here. In the old curriculum students understand the origins of modern humans and track human migration from Africa and into Europe, Asia and other parts of the world. Most of these topics are now covered in ninth grade.

Moving forward, students would focus on U.S. history from the 15th century through Reconstruction. The term “European colonizer,” absent from the old standards, is introduced. Students discuss the “limitations of using European sources to understand the history and culture of Indigenous Nations.” Students understand the impact of Spanish colonization and resistance from Indigenous groups. They also learn about the experiences of enslaved and free Black people.

Seventh-graders also discuss the forces behind the movement for independence from Britain, the ideals of the Constitution, as well as the experiences of those who were denied full rights across the colonies. They discuss George Washington’s presidency, “including his legacy as an enslaver and as a leader who voluntarily relinquished political power.” Students begin to understand milestones including the women’s suffrage movement, Civil War, Reconstruction and rise of white supremacist groups.

Similarities: Students analyze the principles of the documents that have shaped U.S. government, including the Declaration of Independence, U.S. Constitution and Federalist Papers. They dive into the foundations of the country’s political system and understand how citizens can participate in it.

Differences: The old curriculum includes the religious, economic and political reasons for European immigration to America. Students identify the 13 colonies and life in colonial America, then how slavery developed and efforts to protect and abolish the institution. Eighth-graders examine the events that led to the nation’s founding, the causes and consequences of the American Revolution, the War of 1812 and major treaties with “Indian nations.” There are also lessons about the causes, events and consequences of the Civil War, Reconstruction and the rise of the Ku Klux Klan.

The new standards are designed to help students develop an understanding of civics and explain the purpose of government. They examine the Constitution and “investigate the extent to which some of those rights have been realized.” They learn how governments — in the United States and abroad — are structured. Students also learn how a bill becomes a law, examine the role of the Supreme Court and learn how to contact elected leaders. Students will then dive into the history of international alliances, as well as voter suppression and other issues related to access and power. Students learn how protest can lead to change and investigate how media and social media can shape the way the public understands an issue.

Similarities: Students analyze early civilizations and empires that rose and fell in the Americas, Europe, Africa and Asia.

Differences: The old standards ask students to examine the geographic, political, economic, social and religious structures of various societies throughout the Middle Ages. Students understand movements in Europe including the spread of Islam, the Renaissance and Reformation periods. Students also learn about the rise of the Ottoman Empire and supremacy of the Catholic church. They compare events including the American and French revolutions, and discuss the significance of the Haitian Revolution. Students gain an understanding of how Africa changed during the trans-Atlantic slave trade and “recognize that millions of Africans were forcibly removed” from the continent.

Moving forward, students will study an expanded list of early civilizations, now including societies in Oceania. Students use artifacts, images and other sources to understand how early humans lived and evolved. They track human migration from Africa and into other regions and learn how those humans adapted to their environments. Ninth-graders will explain how humans developed art, tools and belief systems that included “widespread worship of female deities.” They will compare the world’s major religions, examine early trade networks and how empires emerged and declined.

Michael Macor

Similarities: In both standards students learn about causes, events and consequences of global conflicts including World War I, World War II, and the Cold War. Students understand the rise of fascism in Europe, as well as the expansion of capitalism worldwide and the emergence of socialism and communism. They also go through lessons about industrial revolutions around the world, as well as the rise and fall of the Soviet Union. Students study struggles for independence in colonized regions throughout Asia, Africa and Latin America.

Differences: The old curriculum also has students learn about European art movements. They learn about the global depression of the 1930s before diving into major events of the 20th century including: the Chinese Civil War and establishment of the Chinese Community Party, dismantling of apartheid in South Africa and the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

In the new curriculum, students will continue to unpack Europe’s expanded influence in Africa, the Americas, Asia and Australia. Students are also asked to understand “Eurocentrism” and its lasting impacts on people of color, the invention of race as a social construct and how “primarily white men” fought for their rights “while simultaneously oppressing others.” Students understand the Holocaust, along with antisemitism in the 20th and 21st centuries. They explore how terms including “first/Third World” and developing/developed nation” are used to describe certain regions of the world.

Similarities: Students examine industrialization in the United States, the rise of organized labor and the feminist movement of the early 20th century. They study the events that led to the Great Depression and its consequences, including the New Deal. Students continue to understand the United States’ involvement in both world wars and its decision to drop atomic bombs. They also study conflicts in Latin America. Students examine the factors that influenced the Great Migration and its affect on American cities, along with the achievements of the civil and women’s rights movements. Students continue to study the scientific and cultural advancements of the late 20th century, as well as American foreign policy into the 21st.

Differences: Old standards outline how students understand the rise of democratic ideals in America. They discuss the events of the American Revolution, Civil War and Reconstruction. Students identify innovators of the 20th century and the economic contributions of immigrants — then track the country’s rise as a global superpower with the growth of cities, declining poverty, increased educational attainment and homeownership in the suburbs. Students understand the Jazz Age and major events of the 1960s and 1970s, including the assassination of President John F. Kennedy and the Watergate scandal. They examine the key events of several U.S. presidential terms, including those of Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush.

The new standards, meanwhile, guide students from Reconstruction through present, asking them to consider whether early American history fulfilled the promises of the Constitution. Eleventh-graders examine the testimonies of formerly enslaved people after the Civil War and understand the “systematized tactics” and violence from “mostly white men” throughout the south to reverse the gains of Reconstruction. Students discuss the Jim Crow era and learn how Black Americans forged cultural and social identities for themselves. They will also examine westward movement, including the implications of Native American boarding schools and lives of Mexican and Chinese Americans. Lessons about the civil rights movement includes an assessment of its “unfinished work.”

Similarities: Students’ final year of high school will remain split into two major subject areas: U.S. government and D.C. history. The first area outlines documents that are central to American democracy, such as the Bill of Rights. Students also examine how a bill becomes a law and understand how citizens can participate in that process. They discuss ongoing tensions within the county’s constitutional democracy and understand how public policy is formed.

The old and new D.C. history standards are largely similar, with students learning how early Indigenous groups interacted with Europeans and describing the lives of free and enslaved Black people in early D.C. Twelfth-graders explain how D.C. came to be the nation’s capital and how the city’s local government interacts with the federal governments. They also consider the way major events — such as Reconstruction, World War II and the emergence of Jim Crow laws — affected D.C. residents. Students understand how D.C.'s government has evolved over time, and explore movements for self-governance and the Home Rule Act. They are asked to consider the achievements and cultural contributions of Black Washingtonians, how the city’s population grew and became more diverse with the arrival of immigrants and how D.C. evolved as a global capital. Students explain the city’s challenges, including the financial crisis of the 1990s and gentrification.

Differences: The first part of the old standards asks students to compare the powers and structures of national, state, tribal and local governments. They gain a deeper understanding of the three branches of government, as well as the role of political parities and how candidates campaign for office. Students discuss the influence of American media on politics. They also investigate the legal and moral obligations of citizens. Students examine political systems around the world.

The new curriculum challenges students to consider the promises and shortcomings of democracy in the United States. They explore past and current efforts by marginalized groups to be protected by the Constitution, and explain different interpretations of it. High school seniors will investigate voting laws and rights, along with the ways BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and people of color) and queer youth are impacting change.

The new D.C. standards expand upon the earlier ones by asking students to understand the lives of specific Indigenous groups, the Nacotchtank (Anacostan) and Piscataway societies. They will also understand how the labor of free and enslaved Black people shaped the Chesapeake and Potomac regions. Students dive into the Black Renaissance of the 1920s and 1930s, then explain the “successes and shortcomings” of the fight for racial justice in D.C. Students will learn about the city’s cultural changes through the 1970s, population shifts, prominent institutions, the movement for statehood and how resources are spread across the city.

American University, MA journalism and public affairs

American University, BA public relations and strategic communication 

Lauren Lumpkin is a reporter at The Washington Post covering local schools. 

Lauren Lumpkin

washpost

D.C. is changing its 'archaic' social studies curriculum. Here's how.

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Illustration by Kat Rudell Brooks/The Washington Post; iStock

The Washington Post

D.C. is changing what is taught in social studies

Valerie Strauss

Jay Mathews

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