The district’s social studies program is designed to prepare students for active citizenship in a democratic society. The success of the program is contingent upon developing criticalthinking skills. The exchange of ideas in cooperative learning groups is an integral part of the experience. There need not be agreement in a democratic society. There need only be questioning which tests the logic of ideas.

The New York State Education Department has established United States history, world history, geography, economics, and civics as the learning standards for social studies. The K-12 curriculum is aligned with these standards and staff development has focused on methodology needed to meet these standards and prepare students for the new assessments, which are required for graduation. In addition, high school students have the opportunity to study at Regents, Honors, and Advanced Placement levels. Electives include ethics, law, psychology, human rights, historical research and New York State History.