Social Studies C&I Update #19

Summer K-12 social studies professional learning opportunities have been posted on Randa PD! Check out the vast offerings and make plans to attend! 

PD offerings may be found on the following link: http://knoxschools.org/Page/14004

If you are attending a College Board Advanced Placement summer training or other out-of-district PD, please submit an Out-of-District request to ensure proper credit is granted.

Thank you in advance to Rebecca Nutter, Lou Gallo, Gordon Sisk, Ashley Corey, Kristin Risdahl, Audra Gurtler, Dr. Betty Blanton, Katherine Petko, Tami Russell, Amber Moser, Lisa Oakley (East Tennessee History Center), Studies Weekly, Gibbs-Smith Publishing, and to the following UTK professors- Dr. Charles Sanft, Dr. Vejas Liulevicius, Dr. Marina Maccari-Clayton, Dr. Margaret Andersen, and Dr. Amadou Sall, for contributing content support for our teachers at the upcoming summer social studies PD!  The department is grateful for the vast community of support extended to our teachers.

Additional local pd opportunities are listed on our Schoolwires webpage and include multiple offerings at East TN History Center, including Teaching With Primary Sources, June 9-10, Support for TN History Standards, June 30, and National History Day support in July; contact Lisa Oakley with ETHC for additional information. 

The department extends a shout out to Austin East and Fulton High APUSH students and teachers for participating in the 2015-2016 UTK Bridge to Advanced Placement United States History Program! We also extend our gratitude to the UTK History professors for supporting our APUSH students and teachers.

Congratulations to all Advanced Placement teachers selected to serve as AP readers and to all elementary, middle, and high school teachers selected to serve on TDOE Social Studies content, item, and passage review teams. Thank you in advance for this important work!

Congratulations to Lou Gallo, Karen Stanish, and Katherine Petko- all three will represent Knox County Schools on various TDOE Social Studies Standards Review committees. Thank you for contributing in this capacity!

Civics Committee- Linda Stooksbury, Jyl Smithson-Riehl, Mark Chenot, Dean Burress, Paula Franklin, Paegan Turner, and Gordon Sisk comprise the local Civics Committee. These elementary, middle, and high school teachers will help guide our district as we ensure each fourth, eighth, and tenth grade student engages in a Civics PBL/PBA. Additional information, including curriculum resources and teacher training, will be shared during summer and fall PD. 

High School US Government and Civics Teachers: Additional information, including the local Plan of Action, will be shared with all stakeholders, regarding State of Tennessee, PUBLIC CHAPTER NO. 499 HOUSE BILL NO. 10

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 49, Chapter 1; Title 49, Chapter 2 and Title 49, Chapter 6, relative to civics education.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:

SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 49, Chapter 6, Part 4, is amended by adding the following language as a new section:

(a) Beginning January 1, 2017, except as provided in subsection (c), a student, during the student's high school career, shall be given a United States civics test composed of questions from the one hundred (100) questions that are set forth within the civics test administered by the United States citizenship and immigration services to persons seeking to become naturalized citizens.

(b) An LEA shall prepare a test for its students composed of at least twenty-five (25) questions and no more than fifty (50) questions from those questions described in subsection (a). The LEA may prepare multiple versions of the test for use in different schools and at different times.

(c) A public high school may provide each student with the opportunity to take the test as many times as necessary for the student to pass the test. A student who has an individualized education program (IEP) under which the civics test is determined to be an inappropriate requirement for the student shall not be required to take and pass the civics test.

(d) A student shall pass the test if the student correctly answers at least seventy percent (70%) of the questions.

(e) A school all of whose seniors receiving a regular diploma, except for those exempted from taking the test under subsection (c), make a passing grade on the United States civics test required under subsection (a) shall be recognized on the department's web site as a United States civics all-star school for that school year.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect January 1, 2017, the public welfare requiring it.

To all K-12 social studies teachers- thank you for the many contributions to our Schoolwires teacher resource files. Please continue to submit electronic copies of your standards-based resources to either Judy or Katherine.

Contacts:

Judy Newgent  judy.newgent@knoxschools.org

Katherine Petko  katherine.petko@knoxschools.org

Vickie Beckers  vickie.beckers@knoxschools.org

 865.594.1730 (Office)