Florida Department of Education
 Adult General Education
Curriculum Framework

GED® PREPARATION SOCIAL STUDIES	
Program Title	GED® Preparation	
Program Number	9900130	
Course Title	GED® Social Studies	
Course Number	9900132 	
CIP Number	1532020207	
Grade Level	30, 31	
Program Length	Varies	

PURPOSE

Adult General Education Program: The Florida Department of Education (FDOE) administers the Adult General Education (AGE) Program in accordance with the statutory framework outlined in the following state and federal laws: Section (s.) 1004.02 Florida Statutes (F.S.), s. 1004.93, F.S., and Title II of the Workforce Investment and Opportunity Act (WIOA), also known as the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act (AEFLA).

As administered by the FDOE, AGE encompasses the following programs, services and activities:

•	Academic Skills Building (ASB) Program
•	Adult Basic Education (ABE) Program
•	Adult High School (AHS) Program
•	Adult English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) Program
•	GED® Program
•	Integrated Education and Training (IET) Service Approach
•	Integrated English Literacy and Civics Education (IELCE) Service Approach
•	2-Generation and Family Literacy Service Approaches
•	Workforce Preparation Activities

The AGE Program is designed to serve the following objectives:

•	Provide literacy instruction to adults to obtain the knowledge and skills necessary for employment and economic self-sufficiency.
•	Facilitate adult learners to attain a secondary school diploma and progress to postsecondary education and training, including career pathways.
•	Empower parents to obtain the education and skills that are necessary to participate as full partners in the educational development of their children and to achieve sustainable economic opportunities for their families.
•	Deliver English language instruction to adult English language learners whose native language is other than English or who live in a family or community environment where a language other than English is the dominant language, to achieve competence in reading, writing, speaking and comprehension of the English language.

GED® Preparation Program: The purpose of the GED® Preparation Program is to prepare students to pass the GED® Test and be awarded a State of Florida High School Diploma. The program prepares students in four content-areas: Reasoning through Language Arts (RLA), Mathematical Reasoning, Science and Social Studies.

STUDENTS

Per State Board Rule 6A-6.014, Florida Administrative Code (F.A.C.) - General Requirements for Adult General Education, students eligible to enroll in the GED® Preparation Program are those who:

•	Are 16 years of age or older.
•	Are not enrolled in the K12 educational system.
•	Obtain pre-test scores that place them within National Reporting System (NRS) ABE Levels 5 or 6.

Per 1003.435(4), F.S., “A candidate for a high school equivalency diploma shall be at least 18 years of age on the date of the examination, except that in extraordinary circumstances, as provided for in rules of the district school board, a candidate may take the examination after reaching the age of 16.”

EDUCATIONAL FUNCTIONING LEVELS

Educational Functioning Level (EFL) is a term found in WIOA (Code of Federal Regulations Title 34 Subtitle B Chapter IV Part 462) that refers to the literacy levels in the GED® Social Studies program. The GED® Social Studies program has two EFLs, each representing a specific set of GED® Social Studies skills. Additional information on the term EFL is available in the official NRS Technical Assistance Guide.

Table 1: NRS EFLs for the GED® Social Studies course in relation to the Grade Equivalent for each level

Course Title	NRS Educational Functioning Levels	Grade Equivalent	
GED® Social Studies	ABE Level 5	9.0 – 10.9 	
GED® Social Studies	ABE Level 6	11.0 – 12.9 	

PROGRAM LENGTH 

The maximum number of instructional hours recommended by the FDOE for the GED® Social Studies course is 250 hours per EFL. Acknowledging the individualized nature of learning, some students may finish an EFL in fewer (or more) hours than the recommended maximum duration indicated. 

Table 2: Recommended Maximum Number of Hours by Educational Functioning Level

Course Title	NRS Educational Functioning Levels	Recommended Maximum Hours	
GED® Social Studies	ABE Level 5	250	
GED® Social Studies	ABE Level 6	250	

CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTION

The FDOE disseminates the GED® curriculum framework to agencies statewide, empowering local agency personnel to craft a curriculum relevant to the objectives of their students and instructors. Below is a structured outline of elements to consider when creating the local agency’s curriculum:

1.	Educational Outcomes:
•	Clearly defined outcomes that students are expected to achieve upon completion of the course. 
2.	Core Instructional Materials:
•	A set of materials (both print and digital) aligned with the defined educational outcomes. This can include textbooks, workbooks, online resources and multimedia materials.
3.	Needs Assessment Tools:
•	Create a set of needs assessment tools to help teachers identify the specific learning needs and educational goals of individual students. This will aid in prioritizing standards and tailoring instruction to meet the varying needs of learners.
4.	Supplementary Textbooks:
•	Provide workbooks covering the content of the GED® Social Studies course. 
5.	Pacing Guides and Matrices:
•	Develop pacing guides and matrices that outline the scope and sequence of the curriculum. This helps in organizing the content over the duration of the course and ensures a logical progression of skills.
6.	Recommended Resources:
•	Compile a list of recommended websites, films and dictionaries that can be utilized by teachers to supplement the curriculum. Ensure that these resources are relevant, up-to-date and support the varying needs of adult learners.
7.	Overview of Content:
•	Provide an overview of the content of the GED® Social Studies course.
8.	Learning Activities:
•	Describe a variety of learning activities that can be used regularly for reinforcement. Include a mix of individual and group activities, hands-on projects, discussions and real-world application exercises.
9.	Vocabulary Lists:
•	Utilize widely available vocabulary lists designed specifically for the GED® Social Studies course.
10.	Grammar and Language Skills:
•	Provide instructors and students with widely available free educational products from the GED® Assessment Guide for Educators designed specifically to enhance skills in grammar and language relevant to the Social Studies course.

It is recommended to continuously assess and update the agency’s curriculum based on feedback, changes in educational standards and the evolving needs of learners. Regular collaboration with instructors and seeking input from the FDOE Bureau of Adult Education can further enhance the quality and effectiveness of the agency’s curriculum.

Instructors are not obligated to follow the standards sequentially. The distinct needs of each group of students can guide instruction, empowering instructors to modify the sequence of teaching the standards.

ASSESSMENT
For guidance on the assessment guidelines and requirements for GED® Social Studies, see State Board Rule 6.A-6.014, F.A.C.

References for Assessment and Reporting: For complete information regarding assessment procedures and policies, see the Florida DOE Assessment Technical Assessment Paper. For guidelines on the procedures for reporting data related to student test results, see the Florida DOE Division of Career and Adult Education (DCAE) Office of Research and Evaluation.

Pre-testing: Federal and state regulations mandate that local adult education agencies conduct pre-tests for all new students within the initial 12 hours of enrollment activity. The Florida DOE defines a new student as someone not previously enrolled in the local agency during the current or preceding program year. GED® Social Studies students are required to pre-test and obtain a score at or above NRS EFL 5 in reading. The agency is responsible for submitting the pre-test results to the FDOE in accordance with the guidelines outlined by the DCAE Office of Research and Evaluation.

Post-testing: Agencies are not required to post-test students enrolled in the GED® Social Studies course for NRS reporting purposes, however, students will benefit from a variety of assessments to gauge their knowledge and skills. The GED® Ready Test is an appropriate tool for determining when the student is likely to be able to pass the GED® Test.

Course Completion: Students complete the GED® Social Studies course when they pass the GED® Social Studies subtest. Upon passing all subtests of the GED®, the agency is responsible for reporting the course completion date as reflected by the date on the student’s diploma. The agency is responsible for reporting the post-test results to the Florida DOE following the guidelines outlined by the DCAE Office of Research and Evaluation.

ACCOMMODATIONS
Federal and state legislation requires the provision of accommodations for students with disabilities to meet individual needs and ensure equal access. Adult students with disabilities must self-identify, provide documentation and request such services. Students with disabilities may need accommodations in areas such as instructional methods and materials, assignments and assessments, time demands and schedules, learning environment, assistive technology and special communication systems. Documentation of the accommodations requested and provided should be maintained in a confidential file.

ADULT EDUCATION INSTRUCTOR CERTIFICATION

Per 1012.39 (1)(b), F.S., each school district shall establish the minimal qualifications for part-time and full-time teachers in adult education agencies.

FLORIDA DOE IET SERVICE APPROACH

The Florida DOE promotes the planning, development and implementation of an IET service approach that provides concurrent and contextualized adult education and literacy activities in combination with workforce preparation activities and workforce training for a specific occupation or occupational cluster for the purpose of educational and career advancement. 

Florida’s IET service approach is well-suited for meeting the specific needs of GED® Social Studies students. Agencies are encouraged to create opportunities that seamlessly integrate education and career-focused content and deliver workforce preparation and training for GED® Social Studies students.

The IET service approach provides students at all levels of adult education with the opportunity to acquire the skills needed to:

•	Progress to and complete postsecondary education and training programs.
•	Obtain employment and advance in employment leading to economic self-sufficiency.
•	Exercise the rights and responsibilities of citizenship.

All IET Programs must include the following three components as noted in the following sections of WIOA.

•	Adult education and literacy activities (WIOA Section 203(2)).
•	Workforce preparation activities (WIOA Section 203(17)).
•	Workforce training services (one or more) for a specific occupation or occupation cluster (WIOA Section 134(c)(3)(D)).

To meet the “integrated” requirement of IET, all services must include the following:

•	Adult education and literacy activities run concurrently and contextually with workforce preparation activities and workforce training for a specific occupation or occupational cluster for the purpose of educational and career advancement.
•	Activities are of sufficient intensity and quality and based on the most rigorous research available, particularly with respect to improving reading, writing, mathematics and English proficiency of eligible individuals.
•	Occur simultaneously.
•	Use occupationally relevant instructional materials.

The IET program must have a single set of learning objectives that identifies specific adult education content, workforce preparation activities, workforce training competencies and that the program activities function cooperatively. 

The GED® Social Studies Standards Practices and Themes 

The GED® Social Studies course is structured around two parts, the Social Studies Practices and the Social Studies Themes. The Social Studies Practices delineate the major skills that are essential for students to successfully pass the GED® Social Studies subtest.

Table 3: The Social Studies Practices 

Social Studies Practices 	
SSP.1	Draw Conclusions and Make Inferences 	
SSP.1.a.	Determine the details of what is explicitly stated in primary and secondary sources and make logical inferences or valid claims based on evidence. 	
SSP.1.b.	Cite or identify specific evidence to support inferences or analyses of primary and secondary sources, attending to the precise details of explanations or descriptions of a process, event or concept.	
SSP.2	Determine Central Ideas, Hypotheses and Conclusions 	
SSP.2.a.	Determine the central ideas or information of a primary or secondary source document, corroborating or challenging conclusions with evidence. 	
SSP2.b.	Describe people, places, environments, processes and events and connections between and among them.	
SSP.3	Analyze Events and Ideas 	
SSP.3.a.	Identify the chronological structure of a historical narrative and sequence steps in a process. 	
SSP.3.b.	Analyze in detail how events, processes and ideas develop and interact in a written document; determine whether earlier events caused later ones or simply preceded them. 	
SSP.3.c.	Analyze cause-and-effect relationships and multiple causations, including action by individuals, natural and societal processes and the influence of ideas. 	
SSP3.d.	Compare differing sets of ideas related to political, historical, economic, geographic or societal contexts; evaluate the assumptions and implications inherent in differing positions.	
SSP.4	Analyze Meanings of Words and Phrases	
SSP.4.a.	Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in context, including vocabulary that describes historical, political, social, geographic and economic aspects of social studies. 	
SSP.5	Analyze Purpose and Point of View 	
SSP.5.a.	Identify aspects of a historical document that reveals an author’s point of view or purpose (e.g., loaded language, inclusion or avoidance of particular facts) 	
SSP.5.b.	Identify instances of bias or propagandizing.	
SSP.5.c.	Analyze how a historical context shapes an author’s point of view.	
SSP.5.d.	Evaluate the credibility of an author in historical and contemporary political discourse.	
SSP.6	Integrate Content Presented in Different Ways 	
SSP.6.a.	Integrate quantitative or technical analysis with qualitative analysis in print or digital text. 	
SSP.6.b.	Analyze information presented in a variety of maps, graphic organizers, tables and charts; and in a variety of visual sources such as artifacts, photographs, political cartoons. 	
SSP.6.c.	Translate quantitative information expressed in words in a text into visual form (e.g., table or chart); translate information expressed visually or mathematically into words.	
SSP.7	Evaluate Reasoning and Evidence 	
SSP.7.a.	Distinguish among fact, opinion and reasoned judgment in a primary or secondary source document.	
SSP.7.b.	Distinguish between unsupported claims and informed hypotheses grounded in social studies evidence.	
SSP.8	Analyze Relationships between Texts 	
SSP.8.a.	Compare treatments of the same social studies topic in various primary and secondary sources, noting discrepancies between and among the sources. 	
SSP.9	Write Analytic Response to Source Texts	
SSP.9.a.	Produce writing that develops the idea(s), claim(s) and/or argument(s) thoroughly and logically, with well-chosen examples, facts or details from primary and secondary source documents.	
SSP.9.b.	Produce writing that introduces the idea(s) or claim(s) clearly; creates an organization that logically sequences information; and maintains a coherent focus. 	
SSP.9.c.	Write clearly and demonstrate sufficient command of standard English conventions.	
SSP.10	Read and Interpret Graphs, Charts and Other Data Representation 	
SSP.10.a.	Interpret, use and create graphs (e.g., scatterplot, line, bar, circle) including proper labeling. Predict reasonable trends based on the data (e.g., do not extend trend beyond a reasonable limit).	
SSP.10.b.	Represent data on two variables (dependent and independent) on a graph; analyze and communicate how the variables are related. 	
SSP.10.c.	Distinguish between correlation and causation.	
SSP.11	Measure the Center of a Statistical Dataset 	
SSP.11.a.	Calculate the mean, median, mode and range of a dataset. 	

GED® Social Studies Themes and Content Topics
The two Social Studies Themes encompass four Content Topics which provide the basis for measuring the skills defined in the Social Studies Practices.

•	Theme I – Development of Modern Liberties and Democracy
o	Civics and Government.
o	United States History
o	Economics
o	Geography and the World
•	Theme II – Dynamic Responses in Societal Systems
o	Civics and Government.
o	United States History
o	Economics
o	Geography and the World

Table 4: The GED® Social Studies Themes and Content Topics

Themes	Content Topics	Sub-Content Areas	
Development of Modern Liberties and Democracy	Civics & Government 50%	1.	Types of modern & historical government.	
		2.	Principles that contributed to development of American constitutional democracy.	
		3.	Structure and design of US Government.	
		4.	Individual rights and civic responsibilities.	
	U.S. History 20%	1.	Key historical documents that shaped American constitutional government.	
		2.	Revolutionary and Early Republic Periods.	
		3.	Civil War & Reconstruction.	
		4.	Civil Rights Movement	
	Economics 15%	1.	Economic events shaping U.S.  government and policies.	
		2.	Relationship between political and economic freedoms.	
	Geography and the World 15%	1.	Development of classical civilizations.	
Dynamic Responses in Societal Systems	Civics & Government 50%	1.	Political parties, campaigns and elections in U.S.  politics.	
		2.	Contemporary public policy.	
	U.S. History 20%	1.	European population of the Americas.	
		2.	World Wars I & II and The Cold War.	
		3.	American foreign policy since 9/11.	
	Economics 15%	1.	Fundamental economic concepts.	
		2.	Microeconomics & macroeconomics.	
		3.	Consumer economics.	
		4.	Economic causes & impacts of wars.	
		5.	Economic drivers of exploration and colonization.	
	Geography and the World 15%	1.	Relationship between environment & social development.	
		2.	Borders between peoples and nations.	
		3.	Human migration.	

GED® SOCIAL STUDIES STANDARDS

The GED® Social Studies course primarily emphasizes guiding students in acquiring essential reasoning skills within a social studies context. The GED® Social Studies Standards emphasize essential social reasoning, balancing conceptual understanding, procedural skill and fluency for practical application.

Social Studies Standards	
	Civics and Government	
CG.1 	Describe types of modern and historical governments that contributed to the development of American constitutional democracy. 
CG.1.a. Direct democracy 
CG.1.b. Representative democracy 
CG.1.c. Parliamentary democracy 
CG.1.d. Presidential democracy 
CG.1.e. Monarchy and other types 	
CG.2 	Describe the principles that have contributed to the development of American constitutional democracy. 
CG.2.a. Natural rights philosophy 
CG.2.b. Popular sovereignty and consent of the governed 
CG.2.c. Constitutionalism 
CG.2.d. Majority rule and minority rights 
CG.2.e. Checks and balances 
CG.2.f. Separation of powers 
CG.2.g. Rule of law 
CG.2.h. Individual rights 
CG.2.I. Federalism 	
CG.3  	Analyze the structure and design of United States Government. 
CG.3.a. Structure, powers and authority of the federal executive, judicial and legislative branches 
CG.3.b. Individual governmental positions (e.g., president, speaker of the house, cabinet secretary, etc.) 
CG.3.c. Major powers and responsibilities of the federal and state governments 
CG.3.d. Shared powers 
CG.3.e. Amendment process 
CG.3.f. Governmental Departments and Agencies 	
CG.4 	Describe individual rights and civic responsibilities. 
CG.4.a. The Bill of Rights 
CG.4.b. Personal and civil liberties of citizens 	
CG.5 	Describe political parties, campaigns and elections in American politics. 
CG.5.a. Political parties 
CG.5.b. Interest groups 
CG.5.c. Political campaigns, elections and the electoral process	
CG.6 	Define contemporary public policy 	

	United States History 	
USH.1 	Explain the ideas and significance of key historical documents that have shaped American constitutional government. 
USH.1.a. Magna Carta 
USH.1.b. Mayflower Compact 
USH.1.c. Declaration of Independence 
USH.1.d. United States Constitution 
USH.1.e. Martin Luther King’s Letter from the Birmingham Jail 
USH.1.f. Landmark decisions of the United States Supreme Court and other Key documents) 	
USH.2 	Describe the causes and consequences of the wars during the Revolutionary and Early Republic Periods. 
USH.2.a. Revolutionary War 
USH.2.b. War of 1812 
USH.2.c. George Washington 
USH.2.d. Thomas Jefferson 
USH.2.e. Articles of Confederation 
USH.2.f. Manifest Destiny 
USH.2.g. U.S. Indian Policy 	
USH.3 	Examine causes and consequences of the Civil War and Reconstruction and effects on Americans. 
USH.3.a. Slavery 
USH.3.b. Sectionalism 
USH.3.c. Civil War Amendments 
USH.3.d. Reconstruction policies 	
USH.4 	Identify the expansion of civil rights by examining the principles found in primary documents and events. 
USH.4.a. Jim Crow laws 
USH.4.b. Women’s suffrage 
USH.4.c. Civil Rights Movement 
USH.4.d. Plessy vs. Ferguson and Brown vs. Board of Education USH.4.e. Warren court decisions 	
USH.5 	Describe the impact of European settlement on population of the Americas. 	
USH.6 	Explain the significant causes, events, figures and consequences of World Wars I & II.
USH.6.a. Alliance system 
USH.6.b. Imperialism, nationalism and militarism 
USH.6.c. Russian Revolution 
USH.6.d. Woodrow Wilson 
USH.6.e. Treaty of Versailles and League of Nations 
USH.6.f. Neutrality Acts 
USH.6.g. Isolationism 
USH.6.h. Allied and Axis Powers 
USH.6.i. Fascism, Nazism and totalitarianism 
USH.6.j. The Holocaust 
USH.6.k. Japanese-American internment 
USH.6.l. Decolonization 
USH.6.m. GI Bill 	
USH.7 	Describe the significant events and people from the Cold War era. 
USH.7.a Communism and capitalism 
USH.7.b. NATO and the Warsaw Pact 
USH.7.c. U.S. maturation as an international power 
USH.7.d. Division of Germany, Berlin Blockade and Airlift 
USH.7.e. Truman Doctrine 
USH.7.f. Marshall Plan 
USH.7.g. Lyndon B. Johnson and The Great Society 
USH.7.h. Richard Nixon and the Watergate scandal 
USH.7.i. Collapse of U.S.S.R. and democratization of Eastern Europe 	
USH.8 	Analyze the impact of the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States foreign policy. 	
 
	Economics 	
E.1 	Describe key economic events that have shaped American government and policies. 	
E.2 	Explain the relationship between political and economic freedoms 	
E.3 	Describe common economic terms and concepts. 
E.3.a. Markets 
E.3.b. Incentives 
E.3.c. Monopoly and competition 
E.3.d. Labor and capital 
E.3.e. Opportunity cost 
E.3.f. Profit 
E.3.g. Entrepreneurship 
E.3.h. Comparative advantage 
E.3.i. Specialization 
E.3.j. Productivity 
E.3.k. Interdependence 	
E.4 	Describe the principles of Microeconomics and Macroeconomics. 
E.4.a. Supply, demand and price 
E.4.b. Individual choice 
E.4.c. Institutions 
E.4.d. Fiscal and monetary policy 
E.4.e. Regulation and costs of government policies 
E.4.f. Investment 
E.4.g. Government and market failures 
E.4.h. Inflation and deflation 
E.4.i. Gross domestic product (GDP) 
E.4.j. Unemployment 
E.4.k. Tariffs 	
E.5 	Describe consumer economics.
E.5.a. Types of credit 
E.5.b. Savings and banking 
E.5.c. Consumer credit laws 	
E.6 	Examine the economic causes and impact on wars. 	
E.7 	Describe the economic drivers of exploration and colonization in the Americas. 	
E.8 	Explain the relationship between the Scientific and Industrial Revolutions. 	
 
	Geography 	
G.1 	Describe how geography affected the development of classical civilizations. 	
G.2 	Describe the relationships between the environment and societal development. 
G.2.a. Nationhood and statehood 
G.2.b. Sustainability 
G.2.c. Technology 	
	G.2.d. Natural resources 
G.2.e. Human changes to the environment 	
G.3 	Describe the concept of borders between peoples and nations. 
G.3.a. Concepts of region and place 
G.3.b. Natural and cultural diversity 
G.3.c. Geographic tools and skills 	
G.4 	Describe the forms of human migration. 
G.4.a. Immigration, Emigration and Diaspora 
G.4.b. Culture, cultural diffusion and assimilation 
G.4.c. Population trends and issues 
G.4.d. Rural and urban settlement