In response to House Joint Resolution No. 60, an assessment of the teaching of Virginia history and government in the public schools was conducted by the Department of Education. On October 11, 1979, after a careful analysis of findings in the statewide assessment, the Board of Education adopted specific recommendations to enhance the availability of instructional materials on Virginia history and government and approved the recommendation that the creation of such materials should be coordinated by the Department of Education. Specific recommendations approved by the Board are as follows:

Recommendation 1:

It is recommended that the Department of Education, with public and local school involvement, establish procedures to develop basal textbooks for use at the 4th grade level.

Recommendation 2:

It is recommended that supplementary instructional materials be developed for use at the 7th grade level. These materials would include the development of student materials based on the teacher's guide of the ETV series titled, Virginia! A TV Social Studies Experience, and materials currently being developed in the Hanover/Commonwealth Project.

Recommendation 3:

It is recommended that the Department of Education direct the development of a series of publications (5) on Virginia history from the settlement of the New World to the present. This series would include publications of about 70 pages each for student use similar to the document developed by the Department of Education titled, The Road to Independence: Virginia 1763-1783. These materials would serve as supplementary documents to the adopted textbooks in American history at the llth grade level.

Recommendation 4:

It is recommended that the Department of Education work with organizations, such as the State Chamber of Commerce and the league of Women Voters, which are producing materials on Virginia government to determine if the materials could be adapted for student use on a statewide basis. These publications could serve as supplementary documents to the adopted textbooks in United States government at the 12th grade level.

Recommendation 5:

It is recommended that the Department of Education develop two filmstrips on local and state government for use at the 4th and 7th grades and two films on Virginia history for use at the 7th and 11th grade levels.

Recommendation 6:

It is recommended that the Department of Education develop guidelines for the study of Virginia history, government, and geography in conjunction with institutions of higher learning. These guidelines would:

a. assist teachers in gaining competence in Virginia studies;*

b. provide a framework for organizing college preparatory courses to include content on Virginia studies;

c. serve as a guide for non-college credit courses in Virginia studies; and

d. provide an organizational framework for teachers who are teaching Virginia history, government, and geography in the public schools.
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* Virginia studies hereafter refers to Virginia history, government, geography, and related content areas.