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EducationState revises high school graduation requirementsStudents will need twoU.S. history courses toearn diplomaby Sarah Gilberteducation@thecharlotteweekly.comThe N.C. State Board of Educationapproved changes to state social studiesstandards last week, including splittingU.S. History into two courses andemphasizing financial literacy.Freshmen entering high schoolin 2012-13 will be the first studentsrequired to meet the new high schoolstandards to graduate.Students will have to pass two U.S.history courses instead of one, increasingthe total number of required socialstudies courses from three to four.When the new standards are implemented,the current U.S. History courseAARP ® MedicareSupplement Plansmake it easier towill be split into U.S. History I, whichwill outline the discovery of the NewWorld through the Reconstruction Era,and U.S. History II, which will studythe 19th century through contemporaryAmerica.“We received a lot of concerns aboutthe amount of content in U.S. History,”said Cindy Bennett, director of curriculumand instruction at the Departmentof Public Instruction. “People askedget fit and be healthy!Join one of the nation’s leading exercise programs designed exclusively for olderadults, the SilverSneakers ® Fitness Program. Your AARP ® Medicare SupplementPlan, insured by UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company, makes SilverSneakersavailable to you for no additional cost. It’s easy to get fit, have fun and makefriends using your complimentary SilverSneakers membership at more than 10,000participating locations nationwide.For more information on SilverSneakers, call toll-free at866-248-5476 or visit www.silversneakers.com/aarp.The services provided by the SilverSneakers program are made available as a courtesy to AARP members insured byUnitedHealthcare Insurance Company (United) and are not part of insurance coverage and may be discontinuedat any time. AARP and United do not endorse and are not responsible for the services or information provided bythis program. Consult a health care professional with questions about your health care needs.SS-2how we could cover such a large amountof time with any depth and understandingin only one year. By developing twocourses, we’ll have time to go deeperinto the content.”Administrators at some school districtsare concerned about adding courses duringthe budget crunch, Bennett said.“The bottom line is that it will be upto principals to determine the best planof attack,” Bennett said. “The state willmake sure everyone has what they need,including instructional resources andprofessional development, and they’llhave until 2012-13 to determine thebest plan.”Bennett said districts’ options couldinclude adding teachers, assigning U.S.History teachers to teach both of thenew courses, using online instructionsystems and allowing students to takerequired courses at community colleges.“Some principals are concerned thatadding courses may force them to cutother courses and limit their offerings,but we’ll be working with districts to rollthis out,” Bennett said. “We’re lookingat all of our options and determining thebest way to execute the plan.”The revised standards also requirea stronger focus on financial literacythroughout the curriculum from kindergartenthrough 12th grade.“(Financial literacy) is embeddedintentionally into the social studies curriculumso that students understandthe fiscal impacts of events in U.S. andworld history,” Bennett said. “The newstandards won’t mean new courses. Therenewed focus will be integrated intoexisting courses.”The new standards also emphasizeN.C. history in fourth grade, U.S. historyin fifth grade and world civilizations andgeography in sixth and seventh grades.“Our students cannot become productivecitizens without an understanding ofthe people and events that have shapedour nation and our world,” June Atkinson,superintendent of the state boardof education, said in a news release.“The curriculum that will be taught inour classrooms reflects the importanceof these lessons as well as a high level ofinput from teachers, historians, parents,students and the citizens of this state.”Under the new state standards, studentswill need 22 credits to graduatefrom high school, but Charlotte-MecklenburgSchools’ standards are moredemanding.Under the current district requirements,students need 28 credits to graduatefrom high school, including threesocial studies credits.Find more about the new standardsat the state’s website, www.ncpublicschools.org/acre/standards/phase2/. qPage 14 • Dec. 17-23, 2010 • South Charlotte Weeklywww.thecharlotteweekly.com