Page 315 - Powerful Social Studies for Elementary Students 4th Edition

CHAPTER 14 What Is the Research Base That Informs Powerful Social Studies Teaching? 287
consequences (paying for the tests themselves, test administration and scoring, test prep- aration materials, follow-up tutoring and other remediation materials and activities, and so forth, eats up a lot of budget and often leads to reduction or elimination of art and music programs, sports teams, and other nonacademic functions of schooling); both teachers and students get bored and frustrated with the heavy focus on test preparation in lieu of a richer curriculum; lower achieving students face the possibility of being retained in grade for another year in the short run, which markedly increases the likeli- hood that they will drop out of school in the long run; and a combination of poor fit between the curriculum and the tests, unrealistic expectations, and punitive policies toward schools and students that fail to meet them create unnecessary anxiety and frus- tration for all concerned.
Most of the reform movements that have come and gone in the past were fads supported by ideological rationales but not kept in place by legal mandates. However, even legal mandates will be reversed when they become political liabilities to their spon- sors. Because they are so unrealistic and counterproductive, many mandates resulting from reform movements are likely to be reshaped into something more sensible. Perhaps at that point, the nation will be ready for research-based guidance on curriculum and instruction.
So What Can You Do in the Meantime?
In the meantime, you will have to negotiate some kind of compromise between focusing exclusively on teaching for understanding and focusing exclusively on preparing students for high-stakes tests. You cannot ignore the standards, the tests, and the pressures asso- ciated with them, but there is no need to view them as the complete curriculum or to buy into the “grill and drill” mentality that focuses narrowly on test preparation. We suggest the following guidelines to help you act responsibly to include appropriate efforts to prepare your students for achievement tests, yet embed these efforts within a powerful social studies program.
Content
1. Accept the fact that the national and state standards identify content and skills to be taught at your grade level.
2. Familiarize yourself with these standards, including the content and skills specified for other grade levels. This will help you to do appropriate foreshadowing and reviewing at your grade.
3. Go beyond the content and skills allocated to your grade level in an effort to pro- vide meaningful context and enrichment to your units and lessons. Remember, the standards only specify minimum expectations.
4. As you plan your lessons and units, be aware of standards and benchmarks not only for social studies but for other core areas. Review these standards periodically so you can fill in the gaps. When you actively look for them, you will find many opportu- nities to address standards naturally in the process of developing social studies con- tent, as well as opportunities for adding standards-related content or skills in ways that make sense.
5. Plan authentic home assignments that match the social studies goals and actively engage students in learning opportunities that are not cost effective at school, but can involve students and their families in powerful ways. These assignments can promote student interest in social studies and enhance meaningfulness.
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