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Illinois Social Science Standards & Mandates

Revisions to the Illinois Social Science Standards for 2022-23 School Year

The Joint Committee on Administrative Rules, a bipartisan legislative oversight committee created by the Illinois General Assembly, approved revisions to the K-12 Illinois Social Science standards. The changes were created by a committee of educators representing the diversity of the Land of Lincoln under the leadership of Elizabeth Hiler, Principal Consultant of Social Science, and Erica Thieman, Director of K-12 Curriculum and Instruction at the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE). The revised standards impact the 2022-23 school year. The Illinois Civics Hub has created a google document for each grade band, placing the current standards and proposed revisions side by side to help plan for curriculum shifts.

Resources Aligned to Instructional Shifts of Revised Standards

ISBE has identified six competencies aligned with the revised Illinois Social Science Standards in 2022. This document provides resources and strategies that teachers can incorporate into their practice aligned to each competency.

Revisions to the IL Instructional Mandates

Several additions have been made to the Illinois course mandates, including social studies, K-12. Please review the latest mandate overview document from the Illinois State Board of Education to inform any curriculum shifts necessary.

Deconstructed Middle School Civics Standards

The Illinois Regional Civics Instructional Coaches have deconstructed the revised Illinois civics content standards for middle school. Each document suggests possible essential questions and student-friendly "I Can" statements to guide curriculum revisions and the curation of materials. The documents are advisory in nature to help local implementation of the revised civic standards with fidelity.

Middle School Civics Course Audit

Middle School educators can use this form to audit their current civics instruction to discern opportunities for growth in meeting the IL civics course mandate.

High School Civics Audit

High School educators can use this form to audit their current civics instruction to discern opportunities for growth in meeting the IL civics course mandate.