Bill Text: MS SB2788 | 2023 | Regular Session | Introduced

Mississippi Senate Bill 2788 (Prior Session Legislation)

Introduced

Bill Title: Social studies high school graduation requirements; revise.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)

Status: (Failed) 2023-01-31 - Died In Committee [SB2788 Detail]

Download: Mississippi-2023-SB2788-Introduced.html

MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE

2023 Regular Session

To: Education

By: Senator(s) McDaniel

Senate Bill 2788

AN ACT RELATING TO CIVIC EDUCATION CURRICULUM; REVISING THE SOCIAL STUDIES HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION CREDIT REQUIREMENT; REQUIRING THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION TO DEVELOP OR APPROVE AN INTEGRATED CIVIC EDUCATION CURRICULUM THAT MEETS CERTAIN REQUIREMENTS; REQUIRING THE DEPARTMENT TO USE ORAL HISTORY RESOURCES TO BE USED ALONG WITH SUCH CURRICULUM; REQUIRING THE DEPARTMENT TO APPROVE THE CIVIC EDUCATION CURRICULA SUBMITTED BY LOCAL SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND CHARTER SCHOOLS; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI:

SECTION 1. (1) Beginning with the 2023-2024 school year, the standard high school diploma, course and assessments requirements shall include three (3) credits in social studies. A student must earn one (1) credit in United States History; one (1) credit in World History; one-half (1/2) credit in Economics; and one-half (1/2) credit in United States Government, which must include a comparative discussion of political ideologies, such as communism and totalitarianism, that conflict with the principles of freedom and democracy essential to the founding principles of the United States. The United States History EOC assessment constitutes thirty percent (30%) of the student's final course grade.

(2) To help families, civic institutions, local communities, district school boards and charter schools prepare students to be civically responsible and knowledgeable adults, beginning with the 2023-2024 school year, the State Department of Education shall:

(a) Develop or approve an integrated civic education curriculum that school districts and charter schools must incorporate as part of regular school work in Kindergarten through Grade 12. The civic education curriculum must assist students in developing:

(i) An understanding of their shared rights and responsibilities as residents of the state and of the founding principles of the United States.

(ii) A sense of civic pride and desire to participate regularly with government at the local, state and federal levels.

(iii) An understanding of the process for effectively advocating before government bodies and officials.

(iv) An understanding of the civic-minded expectations, developed by the State Board of Education, of an upright and desirable citizenry that recognizes and accepts responsibility for preserving and defending the blessings of liberty inherited from prior generations and secured by the United States Constitution.

(b) Curate oral history resources to be used along with the civic education curriculum which provide portraits in patriotism based on the personal stories of diverse individuals who demonstrate civic-minded qualities, including first-person accounts of victims of other nations' governing philosophies who can compare those philosophies with those of the United States. This paragraph may be cited as the "Portraits in Patriotism Act."

(c) Approve integrated civic education curricula submitted by local school districts and public charter schools that meet the requirements of this subsection.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2023.