NYS Guidance for Social Studies

New York State Education

New York State has five specific content areas for standards:

  • History of the United States and New York

  • World History

  • Geography

  • Economics

  • Civics, Citizenship, and Government


New York State has six specific skill areas for social studies practices:

  • Gathering, Interpreting, and Using Evidence

  • Chronological Reasoning and Causation

  • Comparison and Contextualization

  • Geographic Reasoning

  • Economics and Economics Systems

  • Civic Participation



Students enrolled in Global History and Geography II (grade 10) and United States History and Government (grade 11) will take the NYS Regents Examination in those respective courses.


Civic Ready students use civic knowledge, skills and mindsets to make decisions and take actions for themselves, their communities, and public good as members of a culturally diverse, democratic society. Schools, therefore, must provide students meaningful opportunities to develop specific civic knowledge, skills, and mindsets—and to participate in authentic actions and experiences—that are necessary for them to function as productive civic participants within their schools, communities, states, our country and the world.