Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, October 6, 1995 TAG: 9510060071
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JOEL TURNER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Virginia's new history and social studies standards are so "severely flawed" that they should not be used to evaluate students, teachers and school systems, a retired Virginia Tech professor said Thursday.
"I think these [standards] are doomed to failure. They are not doable," said Dan Fleming, professor emeritus in social studies education.
"If we are going to fail students, teachers and school systems, we need top quality standards of learning. And we don't have them here," Fleming said.
The standards put too much emphasis on ancient history, traditional content and memorization of facts, he said. There is too little attention on critical thinking and interpretation skills, and contemporary global issues, he said.
Del. James Dillard, R-Fairfax, said he shares some of Fleming's concerns and the General Assembly might consider changes in the academic standards during its next session.
"If there are glaring errors, it might be possible to make some revisions," said Dillard, who is in line to become chairman of the House Education Committee if Republicans gain a majority in the legislature.
Fleming and Dillard appeared on a panel to discuss the standards at a meeting of the Virginia Consortium of Social Studies Specialists and College Educators in Roanoke.
The academic standards are benchmarks of what students should learn at each grade level in a subject. In June, the state Board of Education approved new standards of learning for social studies, math, science and English.
Drafting of the social studies standards triggered charges that the Allen administration tried to tailor them to fit a conservative political ideology.
Fleming, who worked with a task force that sought to resolve differences over the standards at one point, told the social studies educators they should not quietly accept them. Many said they don't like the standards.
During the final drafting stages, Fleming said, the board took over the process and made changes in the rush to get the standards approved by June 30, before two new members were appointed.
"Some parts of the standards are incoherent and need editing," he said. "There are some silly things in them."
It is unfortunate that the board did not send out a draft of the proposed standards to a few pilot schools to identify and correct the problems, he said.
At the elementary level, the standards ignore chronological terms and skills, eliminate the study of self and community, and focus on the ancient world while virtually excluding the modern world and current events, Fleming said.
The omission of the study of other cultures and global connections "flies directly in the face of all evidence that we are entering a new age of global interdependence," he said.
Fleming said traditional political and economic history is emphasized over social history.
"Participation, group interaction and the enhancement of self-esteem are absent, which will dismay many elementary and middle school teachers," he said.
Fleming said educators who want a curriculum to provide everyday life skills, such as planning a family budget or understanding practical law, will not like the new standards.
Dillard suggested that the social studies educators could take the leadership in urging the General Assembly to revise the standards. He said they should contact their delegates and senators once the election is over.
Dillard said the legislature will consider whether to make the standards mandatory for all school systems, as Gov. George Allen has requested. He said it is ironic that Allen wants the standards to be state mandates while he champions local control of schools.
Kevin Hughes, an assessment specialist with the state Department of Education, said the board is considering testing students in grades three, five, seven, nine and 11 in all subjects for which new standards have been adopted.
The board is considering holding schools accountable for test results, but it has not agreed on the sanctions. Testing probably would begin in 1997.
by CNB