Names, Numbers, and Narratives: Seeking Multicultural Content in U.S. History Standards

The 2010 controversy about the social studies TEKS curriculum standards in Texas generated intense national attention primarily because of the partisan and ideological context of their development.  Moreover, these standards exert a powerful pedagogical influence by establishing for the next decade the curricular foundation for adopted textbooks, classroom teaching and high-stakes standardized testing in Texas, as well as dozens of other states.   This investigation focused on a content analysis of these standards for two year-long United States history courses taught at the secondary level.   The purpose was to assess the extent to which these curriculum standards are accurate, relevant, and objective in their reflection of the diverse multicultural character of our nation.  In selected sections wherein these standards lack these qualities, some recommendations are made for improvement and modification intended for classroom practice.  The analysis includes selected comparisons with previous curriculum standards which were in effect for over a decade.