THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, July 14, 1994 TAG: 9407140625
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B4 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JON GLASS, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NEWPORT NEWS LENGTH: Medium: 66 lines
Nobody tried to reinvent the wheel. But educators who gathered in a Ramada Inn conference room agreed Wednesday that the teaching of social studies in Virginia's public schools could use a retread.
Their findings are part of a wide-ranging effort by Gov. George F. Allen's administration to reform the state's schools by a return to tougher academic standards and teaching basic skills.
For nearly 60 teachers and school administrators, the four-day conference in Newport News offered a rare opportunity: to help draw a state blueprint for what students are taught in social studies classes such as world history, geography and U.S. government. The educators were joined by experts from institutions such as the Virginia Association of Museums and the Virginia Geographic Society.
Five years have passed since state officials last revised the standards of what students should learn in social studies.
``We're bringing the perspective of the '90s to it,'' said Harvey Carmichael, social studies specialist with the state Department of Education.
Participants who examined the existing social studies guidelines reached a consensus that radical changes were unnecessary. But they said revisions are needed in several key areas from elementary grades to high school.
``There needs to be a sense of continuity, each grade level building on the next,'' said conference participant Elizabeth Nicol, a representative of the Home Educators Association of Virginia.
Among major recommendations was that Virginia require students to pass courses in geography and world history to earn a high school diploma.
The revisions are essential if students are to succeed, members said. More emphasis, they agreed, should be placed on technology.
The group recommended, for example, that students in kindergarten through third grade learn about new technology and how it affects their world.
``You can tell the standards of learning are dated, because they don't talk about computers,'' said Gretchen Surber, a social studies teacher from Prince William County. ``Kids can't go to college nowadays without knowing about computers. I view this as a real mission for us.''
Since U.S. business is growing dependent on a global economy to survive, they said, students must be taught to respect different cultures and learn how to practice good citizenship at home.
``Our students must learn to respect that which is different,'' said Mary Harrison, a world history teacher in the Powhatan County schools.
Teachers also must do a better job of showing how current events are shaped by the past, they said.
Newport News is one of four school systems heading up efforts to update standards on core subjects. Virginia Beach officials began a series of meetings this week to revise standards for reading and language arts. Fairfax County and Prince William County will take the lead in science and math.
Recommendations will be forwarded to the state Board of Education by this fall. Public hearings will be scheduled later. The new standards, which could be in place by the 1995-96 school year, would provide a framework for local school districts to develop course curricula.
Initial efforts are focusing on course content in the four core subject areas.
But the state plans to select other school systems to develop guidelines to assess student performance, William C. Bosher Jr., state superintendent of public instruction, said Wednesday. by CNB