The Kentucky Department of Education's Office of Teaching and Learning shared revisions to the Kentucky Academic Standards for Social Studies with the General Assembly's Interim Joint Committee on Education at a June 2 meeting, according to Kentucky Teacher.

The presentation represents the latest phase of an ongoing standards review process. Under Senate Bill 1 (2022), which created KRS 158.196, the Kentucky Department of Education is required to incorporate fundamental American documents and speeches into middle and high school social studies standards.

The revised Kentucky Academic Standards for Social Studies were previously approved by the Kentucky Board of Education in December 2022 and became effective in September 2023, with implementation beginning in the 2023-2024 school year. The standards were designed to focus on critical knowledge and skills needed for global competitiveness while resulting in fewer but more in-depth standards to facilitate mastery learning.

The 24 fundamental documents and speeches named in the legislation include The Mayflower Compact, The Declaration of Independence, The Gettysburg Address, and the Atlanta Exposition Address by Booker T. Washington, among others.

The presentation to state legislators provides an opportunity for lawmakers to review the standards revision work before any potential further updates or regulatory changes move through the legislative process.