New Hampshire State Standards

The department of education in each state is intended to play a vital role in providing guidance in social studies, as there are no national social studies content standards. The national College, Career, and Civic Life (C3) Framework outlines only skills standards and specifically charges states with designing their own content standards. In many states, these content standards are heavily influenced by annual National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) testing, but New Hampshire no longer participates in NAEP testing in social studies and currently offers no statewide assessment of social studies at any grade level other than the U.S. citizenship test. The state social studies standards provide the only state-level guidance for school districts as to what should be taught in this core subject. 
 

New Hampshire Social Studies Frameworks 

These state social studies standards have a long and tumultuous history. The last revision of the standards was completed in 2006. When the NH Board of Education officially adopts revised social studies frameworks, the “Moose on the Loose” team will make any necessary adjustments to keep the "Moose" aligned with them.  

New Hampshire Model Competencies

In addition to state standards, New Hampshire has also adopted competency-based instruction. Competency-based instruction has been implemented haphazardly across the state, although many elementary schools have used it for some time. The NH Department of Education currently has model competencies in English language arts, math, and science, but not social studies. Some districts have developed their own model competencies to guide their social studies programs. The “Moose on the Loose” team at the New Hampshire Historical Society has developed model social studies competencies and shares them here until such time as the NH Department of Education produces its own.