March 1, 1996

Press Contact: Helen Dalrymple (202) 707-1940

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Media Advisory: Symposium Aims To Rejuvenate History Education in America

Leading Historians Will Speak

WHAT: "Advancing History in America's Schools," a multidisciplinary symposium

WHEN: March 1, 1:15 p.m., through March 2, 5:00 p.m.

WHERE: Mumford Room, 6th Floor, Madison Building, Library of Congress

Teachers of history from every state will meet with distinguished historians at the Library of Congress on March 1-2, 1996, to launch a national campaign to restore history education to its central role in the American classroom. Sponsored by the Library, the National Council for History Education (NCHE) and the Council for Basic Education, the Symposium on Advancing History in America's Schools is a response to recent studies showing that most Americans' knowledge of history is far below historical American and current world standards, and still declining. The symposium will produce a set of recommendations for revitalizing history education in all 50 states.

One of the meeting's unique aims is to unite teachers from every state and every level of American education--kindergarten through university--with leading American historians. The 60 teachers participating were selected by NCHE from a nationwide pool of applicants. Historians and authors addressing the meeting include David McCullough, William McNeill, Mary Beth Norton, Theodore K. Rabb and Lewis Lapham. The symposium begins at 1:15 p.m., Friday, March 1 and closes at 5:00 p.m., Saturday, March 2 in the Mumford Room, 6th floor, Madison Building. It was devised by Librarian of Congress James H. Billington and Princeton University Professor of History Theodore K. Rabb. Members of the press are welcome to cover the event, although it is open by invitation only.

The agenda for the two-day meeting follows:

National Council for History Education, Inc.

Symposium on

Advancing History in America's Schools
Library of Congress
The Madison Building
Washington, D.C.
March 1-2, 1996

**Preliminary Agenda**

Friday, March 1 - Afternoon: Mumford Room, 6th Floor, The Madison Building

1:15 - 1:30 Welcome -- James H. Billington, Librarian of Congress; Theodore K. Rabb, Chair, National Council for History Education

1:30 - 2:15 PANEL 1: David McCullough, Pulitzer Prize-winning author; Carol Gluck, Professor of History, East Asian Institute, Columbia University; Richard Moe, President, National Trust for Historic Preservation; W. Chris Stewart, Director, English and History Curriculum Framework Project, District of Columbia Public Schools; Geno Flores, Teacher-Consultant, Center for Research on Evaluation, Standards, and Student Testing; Moderator, Theodore Rabb, Professor of History, Princeton University

2:15 - 2:30 Q & A of the panelists

2:30 - 2:45 Break, move to Small Groups

2:45 - 3:45 Small Group Discussions:

Classroom Practice I
Teacher Preparation and Professional Development I
Resources for History Instruction I
Updating History Content in the Classroom I
The History Curriculum: Scope and Sequence I

4:00 - 4:45 PANEL 2: Claudia Hoone, Elementary School Teacher, Indianapolis Public School #58; John Lewis Gaddis, Professor of History, Contemporary History Institute, Ohio University; Barbara Fields, Professor of History, Columbia University; Spencer Crew, Director, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution; Lewis Lapham, Editor, Harper's Magazine; Moderator, D. Stephen Elliott, Vice President, The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation

4:45 - 5:00 Q&A of the panelists

5:15 - 6:15 Classroom Resource: The Library of Congress National Digital Library

Dinner on your own.

Saturday, March 2 - Morning: Mumford Room, 6th Floor, The Madison Building

8:30 - 9:00 Coffee, Rolls

9:00 - 10:00 PANEL 3: An Independent Review of the Voluntary National History Standards by the Council for Basic Education; Jeannette LaFors, Teacher, Carlmont High School, Menlo Park, California; Maris Vinovskis, Professor of History, University of Michigan at Ann Arbor; Allison Blakely, Professor of European and Comparative History, Howard University; John Voll, Professor, Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding, Georgetown University; Moderator, Stephanie Soper, Editor and Policy Analyst, Council for Basic Education

10:00 - 10:15 Break

10:15 - 11:00 PANEL 4: William McNeill, Professor of History Emeritus, University of Chicago; Mary Beth Norton, Professor of History, Cornell University; Akira Iriye, Professor of History, Harvard University; Tom Dunthorn, State Social Studies Specialist, Florida Department of Education; Louise Ano Nuevo Kerr, Professor of History, University of Illinois at Chicago; Moderator, Byron Hollinshead, President, American Historical Publications and National History Day

11:00 - 11:15 Q&A of the panelists

11:30 - 12:30 Small Group Discussions

Classroom Practice II
Teacher Preparation and Professional Development II
Resources for History Instruction II
Updating History Content in the Classroom II
The History Curriculum: Scope and Sequence II

Saturday, March 2 - Afternoon

12:30 - 1:45 Lunch at the Library of Congress--Remarks: Vartan Gregorian, President, Brown University

2:00 - 3:00 General Session: Small Groups report back to the whole on their findings and recommendations; final adoption of the recommendations--Facilitator, Sherrin Marshall, Senior Policy Analyst, Office of Educational Research and Improvement, U.S. Department of Education

3:00 Planning for Curriculum Campaigns, Bringing Business Leaders into the Campaign, Adjournment--Theodore K. Rabb

This Symposium is being convened by the Library of Congress, the National Council for History Education, and the Council for Basic Education.

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PR 96-27
3/1/96
ISSN 0731-3527