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What does a student learn in ?

Mastery Learning Standards
The required skills a student should display by the end of Grade 10.
Inquiry
  • Develop Questions and Plan Inquiries

    Grades 9-10

    Develop compelling and supporting questions and plan inquiries that promote sustained investigation of social studies topics.

  • Apply Disciplinary Concepts and Tools

    Grades 9-10

    Apply civics, economics, geography, and history concepts and tools to investigate compelling and supporting questions.

  • Evaluate Sources and Use Evidence

    Grades 9-10

    Evaluate the credibility of primary and secondary sources and use evidence to develop and support claims.

  • Communicate Conclusions and Take Informed Action

    Grades 9-10

    Communicate conclusions through writing, speaking, and other media, and take informed action on issues at the school, community, state, or national level.

Civics
  • Civic and Political Institutions

    Grades 9-10

    Understand the structures and functions of civic and political institutions at the local, state, federal, and international levels.

  • Participation and Deliberation

    Grades 9-10

    Apply civic virtues and democratic principles to participation in school, community, and political life.

  • Processes, Rules, and Laws

    Grades 9-10

    Apply civic processes, rules, and laws to current public issues and decision-making.

Economics
  • Economic Decision Making

    Grades 9-10

    Analyze how scarcity, incentives, and trade-offs shape personal and policy decisions.

  • Exchange and Markets

    Grades 9-10

    Analyze how markets, prices, and competition allocate resources in a free-market economy.

  • National and Global Economy

    Grades 9-10

    Analyze how government, central banks, and the global economy influence economic outcomes.

  • Personal Finance

    Grades 9-10

    Apply principles of personal financial literacy, including saving, spending, credit, and investing.

Geography
  • Geographic Representations

    Grades 9-10

    Use maps, photographs, and geographic information to investigate places, regions, and human-environment interactions.

  • Human-Environment Interaction

    Grades 9-10

    Analyze how physical environments shape and are shaped by human activity, including in Vermont's working landscapes.

  • Movement and Migration

    Grades 9-10

    Analyze patterns of human movement, settlement, and cultural diffusion across regions.

History
  • Change, Continuity, and Context

    Grades 9-10

    Analyze change, continuity, and context across historical eras and across regions of the world.

  • Perspectives

    Grades 9-10

    Analyze multiple perspectives on historical events and the ways those perspectives have shaped understanding.

  • Historical Sources and Evidence

    Grades 9-10

    Evaluate historical sources and use evidence to develop and support historical claims.

  • Causation and Argumentation

    Grades 9-10

    Analyze causes and consequences of historical events and construct arguments using historical evidence.

No state assessments at this grade
Students take their next one in Grade 12.
National Monitoring

NAEP (National Assessment of Educational Progress)

Federally administered sample-based assessment in reading, mathematics, science, and writing. NAEP results inform state-by-state comparisons rather than individual student or school accountability.

When given:
biennial in winter
Frequency:
every two years
Official source