The Impact of NCLB and Accountability on Social Studies: Teacher Experiences and Perceptions about Teaching Social Studies

Abstract

This article illustrates the challenges of teaching curriculum within the guidelines of No Child Left Behind. Nine school teachers write and speak about their experiences, what influences their curriculum choices, and how they attempt to incorporate social studies in the elementary classroom. The teachers completed a background survey, wrote about their experiences, and talked about what they went through during a focus group discussion. Teachers believed that accountability measures taken at their schools had affected the amount of instructional time dedicated to social studies and that students’ access to civic knowledge and participatory education have been diminished along with the resources and professional development necessary to teach the subject competently.

Keywords:

• accountability
• civic competence
• high-stakes testing
• No Child Left Behind
• social studies

Notes

1. Traditionally, more time is increasingly allotted to social studies after third grade. Middle school teachers devote the majority of their time to their single subject matter than would be expected of elementary school teachers.