Date: August 7, 2003
Subject: The 0.5 credit solution

Beth Aune from the MDE advised us today that "In determining how many standards to create for each discipline, you might want to consider the new credit graduation requirements that high schools are required to implement by the 2007-08 school year. The law states that students must complete 3.5 credits in social studies, including at least [emphasis mine] 1 credit of U.S. history, 1 credit of geography, .5 credit of government and citizenship, .5 credit of world history, and .5 credit of economics." So our Government and Citizenship strand will have to keep in mind that the standards we ultimately create will have to be covered in a half-credit. A "credit" is defined in law as "the student's successful completion of an academic year of study or a student's mastery of the applicable subject matter, as determined by the local school district."