Illinois' civics and history curriculum standards are inadequate, the Fordham Institute reports. Illinois is one of twenty states that failed to pass an acceptable level, the group said.
To ensure that every American student has access to a rich and balanced civics and U.S. History education, the foundation encourages states to:
- Maximize attention to civics and U.S. History in elementary and middle school and require at least one year of U.S. History and one semester of Civics in high school;
- Provide comprehensive and detailed guidance in both subjects;
- Take a user-friendly approach to the organization and presentation of their standards; and
- Put more emphasis on writing, argumentation, problem analysis, and the connections between core content and current events.
Illinois' civics and history class standards don't do that, they said. An overhaul should take place.
"Illinois’ civics and U.S. History standards are inadequate. The 'disciplinary concepts' are so general as to be useless to teachers, students, parents, curriculum planners, and assessment designers. A complete revision is recommended," the report says.
Indeed, the criticism gets stronger, the farther one reads in the new report.
"Illinois’ civics standards are a faint shadow of what state civics standards could and should be," it says. "Illinois’ U.S. History standards are almost nonexistent, providing insufficient guidance for educators who have the responsibility to teach American history."
Pretty harsh, one might think. On the other hand, homeschooling parents need not worry about keeping up with the public schools in these two areas. Teaching anything about civics and U.S. History surpasses the state's standards.
Read Fordham Institute's report on Illinois' standards HERE.
https://khqa.com/news/state/national-report-gives-illinois-k-12-an-f-in-civics-and-us-history?utm_source=sfmc&utm_medium=email&sfmc_id=1195425&utm_guid=96bd691e-1280-402b-b04e-19d779b48e0f&utm_campaign=DailyNews
