Social Studies and the
No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Law:
NCSS Advocacy and Collaboration

The reauthorization of the “No Child Left Behind Act” (NCLB) looms sometime between 2007 and 2009, depending on a long list of political variables. In preparation for that event, the National Council for the Social Studies and JA Worldwide^tm (Junior Achievement) convened a two-day summit, September 20-21 2006, inviting representatives from several national organizations related to the core social studies disciplines currently named in NCLB: civics, economics, geography, and history. The purpose of the meeting was to exchange views and to identify areas of agreement regarding the reauthorization of NCLB. The meeting resulted in the formulation of a working group, with a representative from each discipline pledging to begin to try to develop a unified position on the NCLB reauthorization.

The organizations at the meeting included: American Bar Association, Division of Public Education; American Historical Association; Center for Civic Education; Civic Mission of Schools Campaign; Constitutional Rights Foundation; Constitutional Rights Foundation Chicago; National Coalition for History; National Council for Geographic Education; National Council for History Education; National Council on Economic Education; National Geographic Society; National History Day; Organization of American Historians; and the World History Association.

In subsequent work, the Working Group developed a Joint Statement on NCLB, that was signed by several members of the group. This statement was sent to the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions on March 28, 2007 (read the cover letter to Senators Kennedy and Enzi here) and shortly thereafter to Representatives George Miller and Buck McKeon, chair and ranking member respectively, of the House Committee on Education & Labor. Thus, the statement is part of Congress's deliberations on NCLB, which are ongoing.

These documents and other information related to NCLB are listed below

• Social Studies in the Era of No Child Left Behind
• Discussion Draft of the Majority of Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act
• This Week in Washington, August 27, 2007
• This Week in Washington, August 20, 2007
• Education Report, August 17, 2007
• Education Report, August 10, 2007
• This Week, August 8, 2007
• Education Report, August 3, 2007
• California CSS Position Paper on NCLB
• NCSS_to_Kennedy_Enzi_NCLB
• Working Group of Social Studies
  Discipline Organizations
  Joint Statement on NCLB - March 28, 2007
• Education Report January 26, 2007
• Education Report-December 15, 2006
• Education Report-December 8, 2006
• Hearing on Supplemental Education Services Provisions in NCLB - September 21, 2006
• Joint Organizational Statement
  on No Child Left Behind - October 21, 2004
• NCSS Signed Joint Organizational Statement on NCLB