Assessment Traps in K-12 Social Studies

Supporting Exemplary Social Studies Teaching in Elementary Schools

“…Such efforts conflict with the recommended practice of historical inquiry, which requires that students develop sophisticated interpretations of historical events and use complex thinking. These practices are difficult to implement because they take additional time and do not necessarily help students perform well on standardized tests (Pahl 2003;VanSledright 2002a).…”

Book Review: Teaching for Social Justice in Elementary Social Studies: A Review of Social Studies, Literacy, and Social Justice in the Common Core Classroom: A Guide for Teachers

“…6)". However, standardized test questions are almost exclusively simple and factbased, leading teachers to emphasize the memorization of isolated "truths" in their instruction (Au, 2009a(Au, , 2009bLoewen, 2007;Pahl, 2003). Rather than promoting democratic citizenship and multiple perspectives, this "standardization of knowledge constructs classrooms as spaces where only specific content and specific cultures and identities are recognized as legitimate" (Au, 2009a, p. 97).…”