ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Saturday, November 30, 1996 TAG: 9612020009
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-6 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JOEL TURNER STAFF WRITER
Students in Roanoke County soon may have to know more than reading, writing and arithmetic to earn a high school diploma.
They will probably have to know lots of world history.
To graduate, students would have to study the Greeks, Romans, Magna Carta, Renaissance, French Revolution, Industrial Revolution, World War I, World War II and other events.
They also would have to analyze the cause and effects of the Russian Revolution, and the economic and military power shifts in the world since 1945.
School officials have recommended that all students be required to take a world history course for credit towards a diploma because of the state's new academic standards.
The course would be part of a two-year sequence of world history that would begin in the eighth grade.
In the eighth grade, students would study historical events and movements up to about 1000 A.D. But they would not earn a graduation credit for this class because eighth grade is not part of the high school curriculum.
In the ninth grade, they would cover events since 1000 A.D. and earn a credit.
David Wymer, supervisor for social studies for the county, said students should take the two-year sequence because they will be tested on world history as part of the state's new academic standards.
High school students now are required to earn three credits in history and social studies to get a diploma. All students must take American history in the 11th grade, and U.S. and Virginia government in the 12th grade. These courses provide two credits.
They can take either world geography in the ninth grade or world history in the 10th grade for the third credit in social studies. They can take both, but they aren't required to do so.
Ninety-nine percent of the county's ninth-graders are taking world geography this year. But only 34 percent of 10th graders are enrolled in world history.
"How can students pass the state's new tests if they don't take world history?" asked Garland Life, senior director of instruction for county schools.
Students will be tested on both world geography and world history in the testing program for the state's new academic standards.
"Since teachers and school administrators will be held accountable for students' performance, we think students should be required to take world geography and history," Life said.
Under the county's proposed new alignment, all students would be required to take world geography in the 10th grade in addition to world history in the ninth grade.
Students would be required to earn four credits in history and social studies to get a diploma. The School Board is expected to approve the four-credit plan soon.
County schools began the realignment of social studies courses this school year and will complete the process in 1998-99.
Wymer said half a dozen school systems in the state already have decided to require four credits in social studies, and nearly a dozen others are considering it.
Roanoke school officials are reviewing the social studies issue, but they have not made a decision, Superintendent Wayne Harris said.
Salem is holding off on requiring a fourth credit in history and social studies until the state decides whether to require it as part of the standards of quality for education.
Unlike the state's academic standards, which are benchmarks for the knowledge and skills that students should acquire, the standards of quality are legal requirements.
"Right now we're continuing to make world history available, but we're not requiring it," said Joe Kirby, director of instruction for Salem schools.
Kirby said 99 percent of Salem high school students take world geography and nearly two-thirds take world history.
Because of the relatively high percentage of students who voluntarily take both courses, Salem is waiting to see whether the state will require four credits, he said.
Salem began phasing in world history in the eighth grade this school year, Kirby said. Students will study civics part of the year and world history for the remainder.
Under the state's old academic standards, eighth-graders studied civics for the entire school year. Under the new alignment, they will have civics for the full year in the seventh grade and world history in the eighth grade.
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