Kentucky Revised Statute (KRS) KRS
158.197 establishes that the Kentucky Board of Education will create
standards for a social studies course that will include:
- An elective social studies course on the Hebrew Scriptures, Old Testament of the Bible;
- An elective social studies course on the New Testament of the Bible; or
- An elective social studies course on the Hebrew Scriptures and the New Testament of the Bible.
For more information on the Kentucky Academic Standards
Historical and Cultural Influences of the Bible Elective Social Studies Course, visit the
KDE Historical and Cultural Influences of the Bible webpage.
Kentucky Revised Statute (KRS) 158.141 establishes that beginning in July 2018, a student must
pass a civics test composed of 100 questions in order to graduate from a public
high school with a regular diploma. For more information on the Civics Test, visit the KDE Civics Test webpage.
Pursuant to legislation passed by Congress, educational institutions receiving Federal funding are required to hold an educational program pertaining to the United States Constitution on September 17 of each year. This Congressional initiative is authorized by Section 111 of Division J of Pub. L. 108-447, the ''Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2005,'' Dec. 8, 2004; 118 Stat. 2809, 3344-45 (Section 111).
Holocaust and Other Cases of Genocide
In 2018, the Kentucky
General Assembly passed House Bill 128 (2018). HB 128 (2018) amended
KRS 156.160 to require every public middle and high school’s curriculum to
include instruction about the Holocaust and other cases of genocide, as defined by the United Nations Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, that a court of competent jurisdiction, whether a court in the United States or the International Court of Justice, has determined to have been committed by applying rigorous standards of due process. For more information, visit the Required Instruction of the Holocaust and Other Cases of Genocide webpage.
The Kentucky General Assembly per KRS 158.175 has required that the Kentucky Department of Education create instructional materials related to the appropriate display of the flag. This webquest was created for teachers to use in response to that legislative mandate.
Veterans Day Programs
Per KRS 158.075, all schools shall observe Veterans Day. This law states the following: On Veterans Day, or one (1) of the five (5) school days preceding Veterans Day, one (1) class or instructional period shall be devoted to the observance of Veterans Day. To develop a Veterans Day program, Kentucky public schools are encouraged to seek advice from the Kentucky Department of Veterans' Affairs and veterans' service organizations, including but not limited to the American Legion and the Veterans of Foreign Wars. For more information, please visit the Veterans Day Programs resource.
Voting and Elections
As established in KRS
158.6450 it
is essential for all Kentucky students to acquire the knowledge of procedures
for voter registration and participation in elections. Instruction in election procedures should be consistent with the goals of responsible citizenship established in KRS 158.6451.
Every secondary school shall provide students in the twelfth grade information on:
(a) how to register to vote;
(b) how to vote in an election using a ballot; and,
(c) how to vote using an absentee ballot.
A school may provide this information through classroom activities, written materials, electronic communication, Internet resources, participation in mock elections and other methods identified by the principal after consulting with teachers.
Resources are available to assist teachers with this legislative requirement: access to downloadable voter registration cards, election ballots and lesson plans. Learning experiences should be designed to align with the Kentucky Academic Standards for Social Studies, the minimum content standards required for all students before graduating Kentucky public high schools.
Please email the social studies team with any questions.