SBE and the Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) hosted a webinar last week featuring Linda Drake (SBE Director of Career- and College Readiness) and Jerry Price (OSPI Social Studies Program Supervisor) about new graduation requirements around social studies. Please find a video recording of the presentation here: Webinar Recording.

Social studies requirements for the Class of 2020 and beyond at a glance: 

• Three (3) social studies credits
• Two credits of prescribed courses, plus one credit of social studies electives
  • One credit of US history or its equivalent.
  • One-half credit in Contemporary World History, Geography, and Problems (CWP), or its equivalent.
  • One-half credit in Civics. Districts must offer Civics as a stand-alone course by 2020-21, and student in the Class of 2024 must meet the requirement through a stand-alone course. 
• Washington State History and Government is required, but not for credit.
  • May be waived by principal for students who 1) successfully completed a state history course in another state, or 2) is in the 11th or 12th grade and did not complete Washington State History and Government because of previous residence outside the state.

Quick links to resources: 

• New Social Studies Standards
• Open Education Resources, including Civics Model Courses, can be found on OSPI's Washington State OER Hub
• Information, materials, and resources for the new Civics graduation requirement
• SBE FAQ (updated based on questions received during the webinar)

Don't forget that January 16 is Temperance and Good Citizenship Day! #FutureVoter