AHA researcher Scot McFarlane will testify on behalf of the AHA to the Maine Department of Education regarding the state’s current social studies standards. In a public hearing in Augusta on April 29, McFarlane will share prepared remarks. “Maine’s social studies standards… emphasize skills with little specificity about content. This is a missed opportunity. State-level social studies standards can help teachers engage their students by placing local, state, and regional history in a context that connects to national and global themes,” his testimony states. “Good, history-rich standards can guide parents, teachers, and school administrators as they prepare future generations of Maine students for success in a complex and interconnected world.”

Scot McFarlane – AHA Testimony, Public Hearing on Existing Maine Social Studies Standards

My name is Scot McFarlane. I am speaking today on behalf of the American Historical Association, for whom I work as a researcher studying the landscape of secondary history education nationwide. I am also a downriver resident in Bowdoinham and a parent of two children entering Maine public schools.

The American Historical Association is in the process of completing the most comprehensive study of history education in the United States since the 1990s. We have interviewed hundreds of teachers and administrators, surveyed more than 3,000 teachers, and appraised all of the current state standards. We are involved in standards revisions in other states and would be happy to share our expertise and historical perspective as Maine revises its standards.

Maine’s social studies standards differ from frameworks in many other states. They emphasize skills with little specificity about content. This is a missed opportunity. State-level social studies standards can help teachers engage their students by placing local, state, and regional history in a context that connects to national and global themes.

Coverage of Wabanaki history is a useful example. There are multiple reasons why Maine’s 2001 law mandating instruction about Wabanaki history and culture has yet to be fully implemented. Paying minimal attention to specific content, the current generalized framework offers little guidance to educators who are not already versed in Indigenous history. For example, a more specific discussion of the birchbark canoe as a key technology and tool for resistance during the colonial period would provide teachers with a helpful starting point to ground their lessons. Historians can suggest many more such points of entry.

This specific topic points to the broader possibility of transforming Maine’s standards from a very general document to a useful resource. Maine’s standards might sketch out what our social studies teachers already teach in common and identify content areas where they would like more information.

Good, history-rich standards can guide parents, teachers, and school administrators as they prepare future generations of Maine students for success in a complex and interconnected world. The AHA and its members are here to help.

Thank you for this opportunity to comment.