DOCUMENT RESUME ED 475 605 SO 034 686 TITLE High School Social Studies Needs Assessment Report. INSTITUTION Alberta Learning, Edmonton. Curriculum Standards Branch. ISBN ISBN-0-7785-2542-2 PUB DATE 2002-09-00 NOTE 162p.; Alberta Learning, Curriculum Branch, 6th Floor, East Devonian Building, 11160 Jasper Avenue, Edmonton, AB T5K OL2. Tel: 780-427-2984; Fax: 780-422-3745; e-mail:
[email protected]; Web site: http://www.learning.gov.ab.ca/. PUB TYPE Guides Non-Classroom (055) EDRS PRICE EDRS Price MF01/PC07 Plus Postage. DESCRIPTORS Educational Assessment; Foreign Countries; High Schools; *Needs Assessment; *Program Development; Questionnaires; Secondary Education; *Social Studies; Surveys IDENTIFIERS *Alberta ABSTRACT In 2001, Canada's Alberta Learning embarked on development of a new provincial high school social studies program by conducting a province- wide needs assessment survey. Its purpose was to gather data, input, and suggestions to guide curriculum developers in the development of the new program. A needs assessment questionnaire was the primary tool for gathering qualitative and quantitative data from educational partners and stakeholders. During the needs assessment process, respondents submitted 1526 questionnaires, including feedback from Aboriginal and Francophone respondents. This report enumerates the results, summarizing the areas of concern surrounding the existing high school social studies program, as identified by questionnaire respondents and consultation participants. The report cites as areas of concern: program content; program rationale; curriculum overlap; quantity of curricular content; and skills and processes. It also provides general advice and input provided by questionnaire respondents, and consultation participants, regarding breadth of coverage, depth of coverage, program focus, program content, skill development, two course sequences, learning and teaching resources, and stakeholder participation.