Is critical race theory being taught in SC schools? Here’s what state law calls for

In recent years, controversy over how K-12 students are taught controversial topics such as the racism and LGBTQ+ issues have occupied an increasing size of the political conversation.

S.C. lawmakers have introduced several bills that seek to regulate how teachers can educate about the lingering effects of racism and sexuality/gender identity. Parents have been showing up to school board meetings to speak out against topics they believe are taught in class.

Namely, the topic of critical race theory — an niche area of study in some higher education disciplines — has drawn anger from conservatives. Critical race theory argues public policies, such as banking, the interstate highway system, policing policies and more, contribute to racial inequality. Critics say it makes students feel bad for acts they didn’t commit.

Teachers have said repeatedly K-12 schools do not teach critical race theory, but parents continue to approach them with incorrect ideas about what is being taught in class.

So what are K-12 students learning in schools?

The State studied the S.C. K-12 state academic standards to find out. The state standards, approved by a committee of parents, educators and more, go through public review before the S.C. General Assembly gives final approval.

The standards are very specific as to what topics students must learn, but are less specific about how the topics are taught.

The social studies standards were updated in 2019. The list below describes which topics are required to be taught to each grade in schools. For brevity, this list includes only topics of race, racism and slavery in America. It does not include other, adjacent issues such as the Holocaust, imperialism, the history of Africa or WWII. The list is also not a summary of everything taught in a grade level, but rather is a summary of topics that mention race, racism or slavery in the U.S. For more information on K-12 curricula, go to https://ed.sc.gov/instruction/standards-learning/social-studies/standards/2019-south-carolina-social-studies-college-and-career-ready-standards/

Race, racism and slavery in America K-12

Second grade: The first time ethnicity is mentioned in the K-12 curricula is in second grade. The standards call for students to be able to “identify cultural and ethnic groups” in the U.S. and be able to say how values like compassion, honesty and respect lead to a healthier society.

Fourth grade: The first mention of slavery or colonization in the state standards is in fourth grade. In the fourth grade, students are taught how European colonization of the U.S. changed how Native Americans, Europeans and enslaved African people interacted. Fourth-graders are taught how the transatlantic slave trade affected enslaved Africans and how S.C. developed as a result of its relationships with various socioeconomic groups. Students also learn the role Native Americans and African Americans played in the Revolutionary war, the effects of the westward expansion, and how slavery led to the Civil War. They also are taught about the Emancipation Proclamation and the effects of Reconstruction.

Fifth grade: Fifth grade students learn how immigration changed American culture and the affects of the civil rights movement and desegregation.

Sixth grade: Students are taught how political ideologies and economic conditions perpetuated the transatlantic slave trade and how the practice affected Europe, the Americas and indigenous peoples.

Eighth grade: Students learn about trade with Native Americans and the expansion of slavery. They study how life for Native Americans changed because of colonization, and they learn about clashes between settlers and indigenous peoples. They study how westward expansion, Reconstruction and Jim Crow changed the lives of marginalized peoples. Regarding the Civil War, students should read “a variety of primary and secondary sources to analyze multiple perspectives on the effects of the Civil War within South Carolina and the United States,” according to the state standards. Students learn how the civil rights movement and support for Nixon’s Southern strategy re-aligned U.S. political parties in the mid-20th century. The standards also call for learning about the modern civil rights movement.

High school classes

Human Geography (Grade 10): Students learn about the factors that cause groups of people to migrate and how that affects places that both generate and receive migrants.

U.S. History and Constitution (Grade 11): Students learn how pro-republic ideas developed in early America and influenced government. These pro-republic ideas at the time helped some people, but other marginalized people were left behind, according to the state standards. Students learn about how foreign affairs policies affected Native Americans. Students learn about the abolitionist movement and the women’s rights movement. In lessons about post-Civil War America, students learn about the Indian Removal Act and indigenous efforts to preserve tribal rights. During discussions about the Gilded Age, students learn about immigration policies, the establishment of ethnic neighborhoods and how race, poverty and other factors influenced immigration policy. Students are taught how nativism, prejudice and economic woes shaped the 1920s and 1930s. Students also learn how the civil rights movement has changed over time.

This story was originally published January 26, 2022 at 12:00 AM.