Indiana Department of Education recommends incorporating social justice standards into curriculum
Teachers across Indiana are now being encouraged to incorporate social justice standards into their curriculum.
The Indiana Department of Education issued a memorandum to school administrators, educators, curriculum directors and school counselors last week stating that it "recommends that educators and schools reflect on social justice education in the context of Indiana’s Academic Standards (IAS) and student instruction."
The department said it has identified areas were social justice and Indiana's academic standards intersect. Schools who choose to implement social justice standards must still meet Indiana's academic standards.
In June 2013, Teaching Tolerance at the Southern Law Poverty Center released 20 National Social Justice Standards that it had created. The standards were grouped into four topics: identity, justice, diversity and action. The standards are based on skills of action and student self-awareness, the IDOE wrote in its memorandum.
The IDOE believes the National Social Justice Standards can be implemented into Indiana's Academic Standards in a variety of ways, including through sociology, world language, U.S. history, social studies, English and U.S. government courses.
To read the full memorandum from the IDOE, click here.