COMMONWEALTH
OF VIRGINIA
DEPARTMENT
OF EDUCATION
P.O.
BOX 2120
RICHMOND,
VIRGINIA 23218-2120
SUPTS. MEMO NO. 210
INFORMATIONAL
|
TO: |
Division Superintendents |
|
FROM: |
Jo Lynne DeMary Superintendent of Public 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 Educations website 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 website, 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 website will be available in Spring 2005.
7. A
fiveday 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/administrators/superintendents_memos/2004/inf210a.doc
http://www.doe.virginia.gov/administrators/superintendents_memos/2004/inf210b.doc