Frequently Asked Questions
What are the Learning Standards for Social Studies?
New York State has five specific content areas standards:
- History of the United States and New York
- World History
- Geography
- Economics
- Civics, Citizenship, and Government
Taken together, these content standards, their key ideas and the performance indicators, define the Learning Standards for Social Studies for all students.
What are key ideas?
Key ideas are the major domains (skills, knowledge, or ideas) that define fields of study or areas of learning. They define the respective learning standards in social studies.
What are performance indicators?
Performance indicators are descriptions of student achievement expectations on the developmental levels of elementary (grades K-4), intermediate (grades 5-8) and commencement (grades 9-12).
What is a core curriculum?
The core curriculum is a content outline providing an additional level of specificity to the Learning Standards for Social Studies. Its guidelines assist local school districts in developing a PreK – Grade 12 social studies program.
Additional information on New York State core curricula is available online.
What are the high school graduation requirements for social studies?
According to Part 100 of the Regulations of the Commissioner of Education relating to general education and diploma requirements, students must have 4 units of credit in social studies, which includes:
- 1 unit in American history; and
- 1/2 unit of credit in Economics and 1/2 unit of credit in Participation in Government or their equivalent as approved by the local public school superintendent or his or her designee or by the chief administrative officer of a registered non-public high school.
In addition, students must pass the following Regents examinations:
- Global History and Geography or an approved alternative
- United States History and Government or an approved alternative
For a Regents-endorsed diploma, a score of 65 shall be considered passing.
For students with disabilities who fail the Regents examination in Global History and Geography, the local diploma requirements may be met by passing the Global Studies Regents Competency Test. For students with disabilities who fail the Regents examination in United States History and Government, the local diploma requirements may be met by passing the United States History and Government Regents Competency Test. This provision shall apply only to students with disabilities who are entitled to attend school pursuant to Education Law sections 3202 or 4402(5).
What social studies tests are given to PreK–12 students in New York State?
All students are required to take the following State examinations:
- Grade 5 Elementary-Level Social Studies Test – administered in November
- Grade 8 Intermediate-Level Social Studies Test – administered in June Global History and Geography Regents – administered in June, August, and January
- United States History and Government Regents – administered in June, August, and January
What are the dates for the 2009-2010 social studies assessments?
Grade 5 Elementary Assessment-November 16-17, 2009
Make-up Dates: November 18-20, 2009
Intake Dates: November 23-24, 2009
Scoring Dates: November 30th; December 1-4, 2009
Grade 8 IntermediateAssessment – June 14-15, 2010 Make-up Dates: June 16-17, 2010
Intake Dates: June 18, 2010
Scoring Dates: June 18-23, 2010
Fall High School Regents Week: January 26-29, 2010
Spring High School Regents Week: June 15-23, 2009
Are the State assessments translated in other languages?
Yes, the Grade 5 Elementary-Level Social Studies Test and the Grade 8 Intermediate-Level Social Studies Test are available in Spanish, Chinese, and Haitian-Creole.
The Global History and Geography Regents and the United States History and Government Regents are available in Spanish, Chinese, Haitian-Creole, Korean, and Russian.
All social studies tests administered in August are available in English and Spanish.
What are the approved alternatives to high school State assessments in social studies?
The AP World History Test is an approved alternative to the Global History and Geography Regents with a score of 3 or higher.
The AP United States History Test is an approved alternative to the United States History and Government Regents with a score of 3 or higher.
The SAT II United States History Test is also an approved alternative to the United States History and Government Regents with a score of 560 or higher. In addition to achieving the established score, students must complete a multi-source, in-depth research project that demonstrates the ability to use primary and secondary sources.
What are the requirements in social studies for a student who wishes to earn a Regents diploma with advanced designation?
In social studies, the student needs to complete the requirements for a Regents diploma.
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