Social Studies
Sample Graduation Standards & Performance Indicators
Note: Items in red need further review
The following Graduation Proficiencies and Performance Indicators are aligned with the learning
standards required by the Vermont State Board of Education. These should be seen as a tool to
assist Vermont schools and districts in developing learning requirements for their students to
comply with requirements of Rule 2000, the Education Quality Standards. As such, framing local
learning standards in this format is not required although using this framework would promote
compliance and, as will happen, consistency across districts for transfer students.
Each Graduation Proficiency has three sets of Performance Indicators differentiated by grade
clusters—elementary, middle and high school. These are presented as clusters of grades to enable
increased personalization and flexibility for instruction and learning. Each set has between 5 and 8
Performance Indicators.
This structure builds off of the Vermont Agency of Education Proficiency Based Learning Simplified
Pyramid Grid. Specifically, student achievement of the Graduation Proficiencies through the
Performance Indicators will demonstrate student achievement of the expected standards. This tool
can also be used to help build curriculum, although this listing of standards should not be
GRADUATION
PROFICIENCIES
1. INQUIRY
1A. Students make sense
of the world around them
through questioning.
PERFORMANCE INDICATORS—ELEMENTARY
SCHOOL
a. Asking relevant and focusing questions based on
what they have seen, what they have read, what
they have listened to, and/or what they have
researched.
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misconstrued as a curriculum. In addition, this tool can be used to steer assessment development
to be used to demonstrate proficiency, but it should also not be misconstrued as outlining the full
assessment activities in which teachers and students engage. Specifically, we would encourage
students and teachers to make heavy use of formative assessments looking at numerous additional
and more specific learning standards in order to support deeper learning for each student. We
would also note, assessment methodologies will vary in accordance with the types of standards
requiring schools and school unions to develop a myriad of assessment strategies including the
overt use of performance assessments—which may assess multiple Performance Indicators
through a single assessment.
These content area Graduation Proficiencies should also be understood in combination with the
Vermont Transferable Skills Graduation Proficiencies. This other set of Graduation Proficiencies
outlines students skills and habits that cross content areas, and as such, should be woven into daily
learning whenever possible. Assessments focused on content area Performance Indicators can
simultaneously provide data and insight into achievement of the Graduation Proficiencies aligned
with the Transferable Skills.
PERFORMANCE INDICATORS—MIDDLE SCHOOL
a. Asking focused, probing, and significant questions
that encourage inquiry around an issue of personal,
community, or global relevance.
PERFORMANCE INDICATORS—HIGH SCHOOL
a. Asking focused, probing, and significant questions that
encourage inquiry around an issue of personal,
community, or global relevance.
GRADUATION
PROFICIENCIES
PERFORMANCE INDICATORS—ELEMENTARY
SCHOOL
1B. Students analyze
information to develop
reasonable explanations
that support a social
studies inquiry.
a. Determining the validity and reliability of the
document or information. [NEED
APPROPRIATE GRADE LEVEL WORDING]
b. Revising explanations as necessary based on
personal reflection, peer critique, expert
opinion, etc.
c.
Explaining the relevance of their findings.
d. Proposing solutions to problems and asking
other questions.
1C. Students communicate
in ways that foster the
exchange of ideas in a
democratic society.
2. HISTORY
Students use historical
inquiry, including the use
of primary and secondary
sources, to gather
information about the past
that will help them make
decisions about the future.
a. Giving an oral, written, or visual presentation
that summarizes their findings.
b. Defining their own rights and needs – and the
rights and needs of others – in the classroom,
school, and community
a. Explaining differences between historic and
present day objects and identifying how the
use of the object and the object itself changed
over time. [PROGRESSING FROM IDEAS
TO WAYS OF LIFE TO OBJECTS…??]
b. Identifying and using various sources for
reconstructing the past, such as documents,
letters, diaries, maps, textbooks, photos, and
others.
c.
Differentiating among fact, opinion, and
interpretation in various events. [??]
d. Making predictions and/or decisions based on
an understanding of the past and the present.
e. Identifying an important event in their
communities and/or Vermont, and describing
a cause and an effect of that event.
f.
Explaining how communities throughout time
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PERFORMANCE INDICATORS—MIDDLE SCHOOL
PERFORMANCE INDICATORS—HIGH SCHOOL
a. Determining the validity and reliability of the
document or information.
b. Revising explanations as necessary based on
personal reflection, peer critique, and/or expert
opinion.
c. Formulating recommendations and/or making
decisions based on evidence [OR SAME AS HIGH
SCHOOL?].
d. Proposing solutions to problems based on findings,
and asking additional questions.
a. Determining the validity and reliability of the document or
information.
a. Soliciting and responding to feedback.
a. Soliciting and responding to feedback.
b. Pointing out possibilities for continued or further
research.
b. Pointing out possibilities for continued or further research.
c.
b. Identifying different types of primary and secondary
sources.
Evaluating the credibility of differing accounts of the
same event(s).
d. Identifying how technology can lead to a different
interpretation of history.
e. Making predictions and/or decisions based on an
understanding of the past and the present.
f.
c.
Identifying important events in the United States
and/or world, and describing multiple causes and
effects of those events.
g. Analyzing a current or historic issue related to
Predicting and/or recommending how conclusions can be
applied to other civic, economic or social issues.
d. Proposing solutions to problems based on findings, and
asking additional questions.
c.
After examining issues from more than one
perspective, defining and defending the rights and
needs of others in the community, nation, and world.
a. Describing ways that life in the United States and/or
the world has both changed and stayed the same
over time; and explaining why these changes have
occurred
c.
b. Revising explanations as necessary based on personal
reflection, peer critique, and/or expert opinion.
After examining issues from more than one perspective,
defining and defending the rights and needs of others in
the community, nation, and world.
a. Explaining historical origins of key ideas and concepts and
how they are reinterpreted over time.
b. Locating appropriate primary and secondary sources to
support an historical inquiry.
c.
Evaluating the credibility of differing accounts of the same
event(s), both past and present.
d. Using technology to analyze historic information.
e. Making predictions, decisions, or taking a public stand
based on an understanding of the past and present
f.
Identifying why certain events are considered pivotal and
how they cause us to reorder time.
g. Analyzing the impact of a current or historic issue related
to human rights, and explaining how the values of the time
or place influenced the issue.
GRADUATION
PROFICIENCIES
PERFORMANCE INDICATORS—ELEMENTARY
SCHOOL
have promoted human rights [CHANGE
FROM GE…??]
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PERFORMANCE INDICATORS—MIDDLE SCHOOL
human rights, and explaining how the values of the
time or place influenced the issue
PERFORMANCE INDICATORS—HIGH SCHOOL
GRADUATION
PROFICIENCIES
3. GEOGRAPHY
Students use geographic
tools and analyze
geographic data to
understand and propose
solutions to local and world
issues.
PERFORMANCE INDICATORS—ELEMENTARY
SCHOOL
a. Observing, comparing, and analyzing
patterns of national and global land use over
time to understand why particular locations
are used for certain human activities;
speculating as to which areas might be used
in the future and the impact of that usage.
b. Interpreting and analyzing a variety of
effective representations of the earth such as
maps, globes, and photographs [??].
c.
Gather information and analyze different
viewpoints regarding resources use in the
U.S. and world in order to draw conclusions
and recommend actions.
d. Analyzing the contributions of various cultural
groups to the world, both past and present,
including immigrants and native peoples.
PERFORMANCE INDICATORS—MIDDLE SCHOOL
a. Observing, comparing, and analyzing patterns of
national, and global land use to understand why
particular locations are used for certain human
activities.
b. Interpreting a variety of effective representations of
the earth such as maps, globes, and photographs
and project future changes.
c.
Evaluating different viewpoints regarding resource
use in the U.S. & world [same as HS?]
d. Describing the contributions of various cultural
groups to the world, both past and present.
PERFORMANCE INDICATORS—HIGH SCHOOL
b. Observing, comparing, and analyzing patterns of
local and state land use to understand why particular
locations are used for certain human activities.
c.
Interpreting a variety of effective representations of
the earth such as maps, globes, and photographs.
d. Describing a community or state environmental issue.
e. Describing the contributions of various cultural
groups to Vermont and the U.S.”
f.
Identifying ways in which culture in Vermont has
changed.
e. Analyzing how location and spatial patterns
influence the spread of culture.
a. Analyzing how location, spatial patterns, and
technology influence the spread of cultural
traits and hypothesize about the impact of the
globalization of culture.
4. CIVICS AND
GOVERNMENT
Students act as
responsible citizens by
understanding how various
forms of government relate
to human and civil rights,
and use this understanding
to advocate for positive
change around current
local and world issues.
a. Identifying and debating issues surrounding
the basic principles of American democracy.
a. Describing the basic principles of American
democracy.
b. Identifying the rights and responsibilities of
citizenship in a school and local community.
b. Evaluating how and why rules and laws are
created, interpreted, and changed; establish
rules and/or policies for a group, school, or
community.
b. Describing how rules and laws are created.
c.
c.
d. Knowing the basic rules and laws for school and
community.
c.
Analyzing the principles in key U.S. and
international documents and how they apply
to their own lives.
d. Describing how government decisions
directly impact citizens locally, nationally, and
internationally.
e. Explaining and defending their own point of
view on issues that affect themselves and
society, using information gained from
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Identifying key documents on which U.S. laws are
based and where to find them.
Explaining what makes a just rule or law.
d. Describing how government decisions impact and/or
relate to their lives.
e. Describing how characteristics of good leadership
and fair decision-making affect others.
e. Explaining and defending their own point of view on
issues that affect themselves and society, using
information gained from reputable sources.
f.
f.
Illustrating how individuals and groups have brought
about change locally, nationally, or internationally.
g. Identifying examples of interdependence among
Explaining their own point of view on issues that
affect themselves and society.
g. Identifying problems planning and implementing
solutions in the classroom, school or community. [??
Not at higher levels?]
h. Identifying examples of interdependence among
GRADUATION
PROFICIENCIES
PERFORMANCE INDICATORS—ELEMENTARY
SCHOOL
reputable sources; explaining, critically
evaluating, and defending views that are not
one’s own.
f.
PERFORMANCE INDICATORS—MIDDLE SCHOOL
PERFORMANCE INDICATORS—HIGH SCHOOL
states and nations.
h. Explaining conflicts and ways in which they can be
resolved peacefully.
individuals and groups.
i.
Explaining conflicts and ways in which they can be
resolved peacefully.
Illustrating how individuals and groups have
brought about change locally, nationally, or
internationally.
g. Analyzing the impact of interdependence
among states and nations.
a. Explaining conditions, actions, and
motivations that contribute to conflict within
and among individuals, communities, and
nations; proposing and defending ways to
ease tensions and/or peacefully resolve
conflicts.
5. ECONOMICS
Students use an
understanding of the
interaction between
humans, the environment,
government, and the
economy to make
economic decision.
a. Explaining patterns and networks of
economic interdependence that exist
nationally and globally.
a. Explaining how goods and services around the
world create economic interdependence between
people in different places.
b. Examining how producers in the U.S. and/or
world have used natural, human, and capital
resources to produce goods and services
and comparing and contrasting the findings.
b. Examining how producers in the U.S. and/or world
have used natural, human, and capital resources to
produce goods and services, and predicting the
long-term effects of these uses.
c.
c.
Drawing conclusions about how choices
within various economic systems affect the
environment in the state, nation, and/or
world;
Evaluating and debating the ideological
underpinnings of government and economic
programs.
d. Analyze and interpret global economic issues
and problems through an economic lens.
e. Examining the causes and long term effects
of people’s needs and/or wants exceeding
their available resources, and proposing
possible solutions.
f.
Developing and utilizing a budget.
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Drawing conclusions about how choices within an
economic system affect the environment in the
state, nation, and/or world.
d. Define and apply basic economic concepts such as
supply and demand, price, market and/or
opportunity cost in an investigation of a regional,
national, or international economic question or
problem.
e. Examining the causes and long-term effects of
people’s needs and/or wants exceeding their
available resources, and proposing possible
solutions.
f.
Comparing price, quality, and features of goods and
services.
b. Tracing the production, distribution, and consumption
of goods in Vermont.
c.
Describing how producers in Vermont have used
natural, human, and capital resources to produce
goods and services.
d. Describing the causes and effects of economic
activities on the environment in Vermont.
e. Examining factors that influence supply and demand.
f.
Explaining ways people meet their basic needs and
wants.
g. Comparing prices of goods and services.
h. Explaining how people save.
GRADUATION
PROFICIENCIES
PERFORMANCE INDICATORS—ELEMENTARY
SCHOOL
PERFORMANCE INDICATORS—MIDDLE SCHOOL
a. Analyzing the impact of media on buying,
spending, and saving.
g. Analyzing influences on buying and saving.
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PERFORMANCE INDICATORS—HIGH SCHOOL