Skip to content

What does a student learn in ?

Mastery Learning Standards
The required skills a student should display by the end of Grade 10.
Inquiry Skills
  • Construct Compelling Questions

    Grades 9-10

    Develop compelling questions that promote sustained inquiry into significant social science topics.

  • Evaluate Sources and Use Evidence

    Grades 9-10

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

  • Communicate Conclusions

    Grades 9-10

    Communicate conclusions and take informed action through writing, speaking, and other media.

  • Take Informed Action

    Grades 9-10

    Apply social science knowledge to identify and address issues in the local, national, or global community.

Civics
  • Civic and Political Institutions

    Grades 9-10

    Understand the purpose, structure, and function 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 and Financial Literacy
  • Economic Decision Making

    Grades 9-10

    Use economic decision-making to evaluate alternatives and their costs and benefits.

  • Exchange and Markets

    Grades 9-10

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

  • The National and Global Economy

    Grades 9-10

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

  • Financial Literacy

    Grades 9-10

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

Geography
  • Geographic Tools

    Grades 9-10

    Use maps, photographs, and geographic information to investigate places and regions.

  • Place and Environment

    Grades 9-10

    Analyze the physical and human characteristics of places and how environments shape and are shaped by human activity.

  • 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