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The National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS or Council), established in 1921, was buffeted by demands for change in the late 1960s and early 1970s. From its birth, this professional association had served as a "big tent" for various social studies constituencies, disciplines, and philosophical orientations. It was a "stable," "solid," and "traditional" organization, which fostered consensus rather than providing dynamic leadership for the social studies field. As the Council approached the half-century mark, there was a growing frustration with the association's establishment that paralleled the societal discontent of this period. This article presents a critical decision in the history of the National Council for the Social Studies.

Geography at elementary and middle schools in Louisiana, USA., remains a social studies strand along with civics, economics, and history, with no state-required geography course at any level. But because schools may require more geography than the state standard, this research examines the extent to which K-12 students are exposed to geography in Louisiana, using an electronic survey and an interview with state department of education officials. Results suggest that geography remains underemphasized, but the 2011 implementation of new social studies standards, the Advanced Placement Human Geography course, and other initiatives offer promise for more geographically literate Louisiana citizens.

This study focuses on a seminal moment in the history of the College and University Faculty Assembly (CUFA)--the founding of its voice, "Theory & Research in Social Education" ("TRSE"). This historical study uses archival documents to construct a narrative of the journal's origins. This publication was born during a contentious period of reform in the early 1970s. In spite of skepticism from both within and without CUFA, this fledgling assembly managed to create an independent journal. Several individuals made significant contributions toward "TRSE's" founding, including Cleo Cherryholmes, Jack Nelson, Anna Ochoa, and Jo Ann Sweeney. Their efforts culminated in a new forum dedicated to the publication of scholarly research in the social studies field.

The National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS or Council), founded in 1921, is the premiere professional association in the social studies field. This treatment of a transformative period in the institutional history of the Council is intended to serve as a partial antidote to the social studies field's longstanding case of "historical amnesia" (Hertzberg 1981) among scholars regarding the history of the NCSS. This account was constructed using archival documents obtained from the Dolph Briscoe Center for American History at the University of Texas at Austin (the location of the NCSS archives), articles from "Social Education" and "The Social Studies Professional" (the Council's flagship journal and newsletter, respectively), as well as participant interviews of leaders in the NCSS during the period under study. Specifically, this article responds to Ronald W. Evans (2003/2004, pp. vii-viii) appeal for "full, rich, and multisided" accounts of social studies past.

The article offers information on the history of the National Council for the Social Studies. Topics discussed include its constituencies, disciplines, and philosophical orientations towards social studies; its relationship with the National Education Association (NEA); and information on the memberships of NEA which includes school administrators, college professors, and assorted nonteachers.

The article focuses on the enhancement of the English/Language Arts (ELA) canon with historical fiction and informational texts. Topics include the Common Core State Standards, issued by the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices and Council of Chief State School Officers, on the use of informational texts in teaching, as of January 2014, interests and development of the middle level student and the Applebee's concept of conversation between texts, readers and idea.

The article discusses reforms within the U.S. National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) enacted during the 1960s and 1970s. Particular focus is given to changes in the organization's publications program and to its adoption of social issue activism. According to the author, these reforms marked the NCSS's transformation from a traditional professional association into a progressive one. Details on the NCSS Task Force Report, a 1969 document outlining recommended reforms, are presented. Other topics include curriculum guidelines, decision making, racial justice, and social justice for women.

The article focuses on the history and reforms of the National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) supporting social studies education in the U.S. It informs that NCSS restructured its committee system enlarging and realigning committees in the late 1960s. It mentions that NCSS was a stable professional association in 1968 which was led by a board of directors. It discusses the Task Force Report of 1969 which recommends testing of all actions of NCSS in racism and social justice cases.