Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, August 23, 1995 TAG: 9508230069
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JOEL TURNER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
The state's new Standards of Learning for Social Studies will introduce children to history in kindergarten, and a heavy emphasis on history and government will continue throughout their school years, according to David Wymer, social studies supervisor for Roanoke County.
And the standards for language arts and English will require students to apply the skills they learn in English classes and do more writing in almost all courses.
The emphasis on history and writing is part of the back-to-basics approach and renewed focus on core academic subjects advocated by Gov. George Allen and some educators.
The new standards put less emphasis on students' attitudes and self-esteem than the outcome-based education philosophy that was popular a few years ago.
Wymer said Tuesday that the new standards require the teaching of a great deal more history and social studies during the early elementary grades.
Kindergartners will learn about George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Davy Crockett and Betsy Ross. First-graders will study Benjamin Franklin, George Washington Carver and others. Second-graders will study the contributions ancient Egypt and China made to civilization.
Children in the early elementary grades also will study civics, economics and geography.
"This is more content at these grade levels, and it will require changes, including more training for teachers," Wymer told the top administrators and principals in Roanoke County schools Tuesday.
The standards are the benchmarks for the knowledge and skills that a student should master at each grade. The state has adopted new standards in math, science, English and social studies.
Lorraine Lange, language arts supervisor for county schools, said the new standards will require students to do more writing in social studies and science courses as well as English.
"There will be lots of writing across the curriculum - in an integrated approach," Lange said.
She said the standards will help enhance the "integrated learning" approach that is being used more frequently in county schools.
During Tuesday's conference, two workshops were devoted to reports on integrated learning programs in elementary, middle and high schools.
In this approach, teachers in math, science, social studies and English team up to present integrated units of study, such as the history of the Roanoke Valley.
In the Roanoke Valley unit, the English teacher focused on the story of the valley; the math teacher concentrated on calculations of the Mill Mountain star; the social studies teacher focused on landmarks and government in the valley; and the science teacher focused on safety and the establishment of the first rescue squad.
Bobbie Caton, an English teacher at Northside Middle School, said another example of an integrated approach would be an English class reading the novel "The Red Badge of Courage" while a social studies class is studying the Civil War. Students could understand the connection between history and literature, she said.
Wymer said the county won't begin implementing the new learning standards until the 1996-97 school year because state education officials are still working on the assessments and accountability procedures.
The social studies standards were the most controversial and involved the most changes. The English standards caused some debate, but there was little controversy over the math and science standards.
Wymer said social studies teachers will meet this fall and determine the curriculum changes, teacher training and materials that will be necessary to implement the standards.
He said teachers will be asked to help rewrite the social studies curriculum next summer so the county can begin implementing the standards in the fall of 1996. New history and social studies books will be adopted in 1996. The standards will be fully implemented by 1998, he said.
School Board Chairman Jerry Canada and Frank Thomas, former chairman, also spoke at the conference.
Canada assured the principals and other officials that the board supports them, particularly on discipline issues. "You can count on us 100 percent. We stand behind you," he said.
Superintendent Deanna Gordon said the county's enrollment is expected to remain steady this year, perhaps increasing by 50 to 75 students. The enrollment in 1994-95 was about 13,500.
Construction and repair projects will be finished in time for all schools to open by Sept. 5, although work will continue on the new Glenvar Middle School.
Gordon hopes that construction can begin on a new gymnasium, auditorium and several classrooms at Northside Middle School within two months. School officials also will decide within the next few months whether to build a new Cave Spring High School or establish two high schools in the Southwest section of the county.
by CNB