Mission Statement

To engage in activities supporting educational work, which shall also include the coordination, promotion, development and maintenance of quality social studies programs at all levels of educational instruction in the State of Colorado.

Welcome to Colorado Council for the Social Studies

A MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT

Sara ShackettHappy fall! Starting school is always exciting; I look forward to catching up with colleagues, creating masterful unit plans and meeting new students. The freshmen in my economics and government classes come to me with naive notions. They think the lockers to which they’ve been assigned actually belong to them, that school administrators cannot search lockers for pot or evidence of bullying. I love that by the end of the year, my students will not only be able to accurately define ownership of lockers, but they will also write about the power of well-defined and enforced property rights to promote economic growth. They will analyze how rules provide incentives to affect choices. And they will learn that locker ownership is not the only right they inaccurately thought they possessed. By March, they’ll be able to understand the philosophical, historical, and modern reasons why their rights exist as they do. They will even learn the process of changing policy to affect the rights of themselves and others. I am excited for what lies ahead for my students, and I look forward to seeing dramatic progress throughout the year. Teaching social studies gives me the opportunity to prepare students to be successful in college, career, and most importantly, civic life. I can’t think of a better profession!

While this time of year is wonderful, I also find it exhausting. Starting a new school year takes energy and brainpower at a much higher level than requirements of the lazy days of summer. It is at this time that I am glad to tap into CCSS’s network of support. Because of budget cuts and being asked to do more with less, there is no better time to get active with the Colorado Council for the Social Studies.

• Communicate your thoughts about the structure and content of upcoming social studies statewide assessments by completing the online survey. By submitting feedback, you will help the CCSS Board draft a policy statement for the Colorado Department of Education once they create an assessment group to design plans. Express your ideas about which grades, standards, concepts, and skills ought to be assessed as well as the ideal format for the tests by filling out a simple form online.

• Make plans to attend our 25th annual conference on April 13, 2012. You will have opportunities to learn about new teaching strategies, visit with vendors while browsing through the latest resources, networking with other social studies professionals from the region, and stay rejuvenated through the spring.

• I also encourage you to submit a presentation proposal for the conference. Lead others in the exploration of big ideas with your favorite unit, lesson, or teaching strategy.

• Finally, “like” CCSS on Facebook! Then, watch your newsfeeds for current issues facing social studies professionals and stakeholders.

I wish you the best of luck this school year!
Sara Shackett

GET INVOLVED NOW!

Open the CCSS Autumn Newsletter

Professional Development

Council Seeks Input - SURVEY

Ready or not, a social studies assessment is on the horizon, scheduled to begin in 2014 (contingent upon funding) -- once at the elementary level, once at the middle level, once in high school. At this point that is all we know! What grades will be impacted? What standards should be assessed? How should they be assessed? CDE has yet to assemble a group to tackle these difficult questions, and when they do, we would like to be prepared with a policy statement crafted by our members and board.

This is your opportunity to contribute to the process, to have your voice heard, to participate in the decisions that must be made. If you have other ideas that do not fit within the parameters of the survey, please send these to Kent Willmann at kentwillmann@gmail.com or Peggy Altoff at paltoff@msn.com.

Please note that the purpose of the survey is for information gathering only; while the results will be used in an effort to influence policy, there is, by no means, a guarantee that this will happen.

You're invited to fill out the form Council Seeks Input on Assessment Policy. To fill it out, visit:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dGFsTGFnTmdvREZvQVJpc3VtdGhzSGc6MQ