NEWS RELEASE
For Immediate Release: January 5, 2022
JACKSON, Miss. – The Mississippi Department of Education (MDE) will hold a public hearing about proposed revisions to the state’s academic standards for social studies at 9 a.m. Jan. 28 at the Mississippi Agricultural Museum Sparkman Auditorium in Jackson. The proposed changes are available through the Secretary of State website: https://www.sos.ms.gov/adminsearch/ACProposed/00026052b.pdf.
The MDE, in consultation with Mississippi educators, periodically reviews and updates the state’s academic standards, which are called the Mississippi College and Career Readiness Standards (MCCRS). Academic standards outline the skills and knowledge expected of students in each grade and subject. Local school districts set their own curriculum.
The MCCRS for Social Studies were last updated in 2018. As schools began to implement the standards, teachers said some standards needed more clarity and the content examples distracted from objectives. More than 40 Mississippi educators participated in the revision process for the 2021 social studies standards, which clarified the learning goals and identified content examples to be moved to an instructional planning guide scheduled for release in May. The core standards remain unchanged.
Just like the 2018 social studies standards, the 2021 standards focus on the mastery of the five social studies strands: civics, economics, geography, civil rights and history. All learning objectives remain centered on conceptual understanding, fostering inquiry, collaboration and action, and integration of content skills. The MCCRS for Social Studies 2021 create a framework for high quality social studies instruction for all Mississippi students.
“Mississippi educators have been implementing higher academic standards for nearly a decade, which has led to unprecedented student achievement,” said Dr. Carey Wright, state superintendent of education. “We greatly value their experience and input as we further strengthen our academic standards.”
Mississippi residents wishing to speak at the hearing must register by 9 a.m. Jan. 25. Speakers are expected to address the content of the Mississippi College and Career Readiness Standards for Social Studies 2021.
Feedback about the Mississippi College and Career Readiness Standards for Social Studies 2021 may also be submitted to the MDE in writing via email, jcornett@mdek12.org, or mail, Mississippi Department of Education, Attn: Jen Cornett, K – 12 Social Studies Director, P.O. Box 771, Jackson, MS 39205.
Jan. 28, 2022 – Public Comment Hearing Handout
