A r c h i v e d I n f o r m a t i o n

FOR RELEASE:  a.m. papers                Contact:  Kathryn Kahler November 11, 1994                                  (202) 401-3026

STATEMENT BY UNDER SECRETARY OF EDUCATION MARSHALL S. SMITH

Regarding Release of World History and K-4 History Standards

The proposed world history standards seek to incorporate new historical scholarship, from the discovery of "Lucy" to the "global influence of CNN," while striking a balance between the broad sweep of history and the need to understand important and specific historical turning points. Like the recently released voluntary standards in the arts and geography, these standards challenge students to practice their brain power.

Taken together, these standards and the recently released American history standards could be used as one of several models to incorporate new scholarship into the teaching of history. We encourage parents, teachers, educators and the broader American public to participate in the process of evaluating these standards and deciding how they can best be used by each state and local school community.

The proposed standards place a special emphasis on giving students the "tools" to do historical thinking and recognize the growing use of new information technologies (laserdiscs, CD-ROMs, computer software) to make history come alive for students of all ages. In this sense, these standards reflect a new demanding rigor, combining the need to know the "facts of history" with the task of "doing" history -- thinking through how history impacts our lives today.

The proposed K-4 history standards recognize the power of a child's imagination, the need for classic literature, and roots a child's sense of history in family and place with strong emphasis on "living history." The K-4 history standards represent a solid building block for future student achievement.

The release of the proposed K-12 world history standards and K-4 history standards by the UCLA National Center for History in the Schools marks the completion of the first stage of continuing efforts to reinvigorate the study of history. These documents, along with the recently released U.S. history standards, offer educators at the state and local level a beginning framework to strengthen the study of history in the American classroom.

The U.S. Department of Education is forbidden by federal law from imposing standards, endorsing standards, or undermining state and local control of school curriculum.