Most standards exhibit an alarming dearth of specific U.S. and world historical content, especially at the elementary level, but also in the upper levels. And the 1994 NAEP assessment of history results show that, for the nation as a whole, few students exhibit mastery of grade-level knowledge and skills. Our American society has a diverse cultural heritage, but the common bond among our citizenry is our democratic inheritance. Study of U.S. history nurtures an essential understanding of our common democratic heritage, and study of the world provides insight into the roots of our American democracy. Moreover, if we intend to educate students to become citizens capable of exercising mature political judgment, students need to recognize and accept their responsibility for preserving and extending our democracy.
World history can help students understand what it takes to foster and preserve democracy.
Learning about places and people who live under different systems of government can help students appreciate the value of life in a democratic nation as well as promote a desire to protect our system of government. Standards development is a continual process. In past editions of Making Standards Matter , we have urged states to continually engage in revising and improving their standards documents. In this foundational role, standards must be solid enough to support the structures build upon them. In 1995, several states led the country with standards that were the clearest and most specific at the time.