Standards of Learning for History & Social Science

News & Announcements

Release of History and Social Science Instructional Guides

In the upcoming weeks, VDOE will release history and social science instructional guides as companion documents to the 2023 History and Social Science Standards of Learning – amplifying each standard by defining the core knowledge and skills in practice, supporting teachers and their instruction, and serving to transition classroom instruction from the 2015 History and Social Science Standards of Learning to the newly adopted standards.  Instructional supports are accessible in #GoOpenVA to assist school divisions in making decisions about local curriculum development and how best to help students meet the goals of the standards. The local History and Social Science curriculum should include a variety of information sources, readings, learning experiences, and forms of assessment selected to create a rigorous instructional program.  

Instructional guides include five distinct sections: Changes and Revisions, Understanding the Standard, Supporting Questions, Skills in Practice, and Concepts and Connections aligned to each standard.  

The first release date is November 15, 2024 (Civics and Economics). Department staff will provide professional learning sessions through multiple means to ensure that teachers and those that support them (e.g., principals, central office personnel, directors) will learn about the purpose, intention, structure, content, and context for implementation.   

Educators should monitor the History and Social Science webpage for additional information. 

2023 Standards of Learning

On April 20, 2023, the Virginia Board of Education approved the 2023 History and Social Science Standards of Learning for Kindergarten - Grade 12. The standards incorporate content from earlier drafts and include new content to tell a more complete story about how the past has shaped the commonwealth, the nation and the world. 

For more information about the standards by grade/course, refer to 2023 History and Social Science Standards of Learning.

For information about the process, refer to History and Social Science Standards of Learning Revision.

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Standards of Learning

The History & Social Science Standards of Learning (SOL) are designed to develop knowledge and skills in history, geography, civics and economics to prepare students for informed participation in shaping the nation’s future.

Standards of Learning Documents - Adopted 2015

The Standards of Learning and Curriculum Framework comprise the history and social science content that teachers in Virginia are expected to teach and students are expected to learn.

Standards of Learning Documents - Adopted 2008