COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
P.O. BOX 2120
RICHMOND, VIRGINIA 23218-2120
PRINS. MEMO NO. 44
October 19, 2004
ELEMENTARY/MIDDLE/SECONDARY
|
TO: |
Principals |
|
FROM: |
Linda M. Wallinger Assistant
Superintendent for Instruction |
|
SUBJECT: |
Technical Assistance Opportunities for United States History to 1877,
United States History: 1877 to the
Present, and Civics and Economics |
The
Virginia Department of Education is pleased to inform you of a series of
technical assistance opportunities related to fifth-, sixth-, seventh-, and
eighth-grade history and social science courses.
1. The Virginia Department of Education is sponsoring four regional
one-day teacher academies November 9, 11, 16, and 18, 2004, for teachers of
United States History to 1877 and United States History: 1877 to the Present.
Each academy will provide presentations in instructional strategies designed to
assist teachers as they prepare their students for the course assessment. Attachment A to this memorandum provides a
schedule of sites and a registration form.
For further information, please contact Betsy Barton (bbarton@mail.vak12ed.edu), history and social science specialist,
Office of Elementary Instructional Services, at (804) 225-3454.
2. The Virginia Department of Education is sponsoring two regional
one-day instructional leadership symposiums for division personnel with
leadership responsibilities in history and social science instruction. The purpose of these symposiums will be to
make available technical assistance related to United States History to 1877,
United States History: 1877 to the
Present, and Civics and Economics. Attachment B to this memorandum provides a
schedule of sites and a registration form.
These symposiums are scheduled for Roanoke on November 30, 2004, and
Richmond on December 2, 2004. For further
information, please contact Beverly Thurston (bthursto@mail.vak12ed.edu), history
and social science and international education coordinator, Office of Middle
Instructional Services, at (804) 225-2893.
3. The History and Social Science Enhanced Scope and Sequence is
available in Word and .pdf formats on the Department of Education’s Web site at
http://www.doe.virginia.gov/VDOE/EnhancedSandS/. This resource is intended to help teachers
align their classroom instruction with the History and Social Science Standards
of Learning that were adopted by the Board of Education in March 2001.
4. United States History Connects, an interactive online course for
Virginia teachers, will be offered during fall and spring semesters each
year. This class supports the Standards
of Learning for teaching United States History to 1877 and United States
History: 1877 to the Present. The class is free for Virginia teachers who
wish to earn up to 45 license renewal points, or it may be taken for three
graduate credits through Old Dominion University. Registration information is available at http://historyconnects.pwnet.org/.
5. A resource CD-ROM in Word and .pdf formats will be produced and
disseminated to all teachers of United States History to 1877, United States
History: 1877 to the Present, and Civics and Economics during December
2004. This resources catalog will
contain copies of all Virginia Department of Education documents pertinent to
the targeted History and Social Science Standards of Learning. It will include the standards, the History
and Social Science Enhanced Scope and Sequence, blueprints, and key
informational memorandums.
6. A resource Web site, entitled United States History: Connecting the Past to the Present,
is currently being designed to support the Standards of Learning for teaching
United States History to 1877 and United States History: 1877 to the Present. The Web site will include content
information for students and teachers, lesson plans, video clips, ready
resources for the classroom, pictures, primary documents, Internet links,
graphics, and maps. This Web site will
be available in Spring 2005.
7. A five–day Summer Academy for teachers of United States
History to 1877, United States History:
1877 to the Present, and Civics and Economics will be sponsored by the
Virginia Department of Education in 2005.
This core content academy is tentatively scheduled at James Madison
University. The focus of the academy
will be to provide professional development opportunities to teachers in the
appropriate content areas. More
information will be available in early 2005.
If you need further information about any of these professional
development opportunities or teaching tools, please contact Beverly Thurston (bthursto@mail.vak12ed.edu), history
and social science and international education coordinator, Office of Middle
Instructional Services, at (804) 225-2893 or Betsy Barton (bbarton@mail.vak12ed.edu), history
and social science specialist, Office of Elementary Instructional Services, at
(804) 225-3454.
JLD/yba
http://www.doe.virginia.gov/VDOE/prinsmemos/2004/ems044a.doc
http://www.doe.virginia.gov/VDOE/prinsmemos/2004/ems044b.doc