The American Historical Association has published American Lesson Plan: Teaching US History in Secondary Schools, a groundbreaking journey through curriculum mandates and classroom practices in our nation’s public schools. The report draws on the most comprehensive study of secondary US history education undertaken in the 21st century. AHA researchers appraised standards and legislation in all 50 states, conducted a survey of over 3,000 middle and high school US history educators, interviewed over 200 teachers and administrators, and reviewed thousands of pages of instructional materials from small towns to sprawling suburbs to big cities. A key takeaway: the AHA did not find indoctrination, politicization, or classroom malpractice.
James Grossman, AHA executive director, said, “This report establishes a factual basis for the debate over history education that has attracted attention from state legislators, school boards, parents, and media across the country. Perhaps too much attention, as there has been—until now—far more heat than light. Our goal is to provide empirical evidence and rigorous analysis to inform current debates over how history is taught in our schools.”