The ASA continues to work on projects to enhance the quality and consistency of high school sociology courses; to make linkages between high school teachers and college sociology faculty; and to develop useful teaching materials for the high school course.
While it is important that the ASA as a national organization undertake initiatives with high schools, our influence only goes so far. High school education is state-based, with state and local education committees, supervisors, and guidelines directing teacher certification and curricula. Each state has a different set of requirements for teachers and for content standards. The ASA wants to better understand those state-based requirements and to find high school sociology teachers with whom to collaborate. To that end, the ASA advertised for volunteer college faculty in 11 states—California, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Massachusetts, Missouri, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Texas, and Wisconsin—to serve as representatives in their state.
Each faculty member will partner with a high school teacher currently teaching sociology. This team would work at the state level to:
- Assess the certification requirements, both opportunities and obstacles, in that state.
- Work with the state sociological association, if any, and with other colleges and universities in the state on high school sociology and teacher training.
- Lead or coordinate some continuing education or professional development for high school sociology teachers in the state.
- Attend and participate in the state chapter of the National Council on the Social Studies (NCSS) meeting, or a regional chapter meeting.
- Identify any programs that offer college course in high school.
- Get a sense of the interest (or resistance) of college faculty to offering introductory sociology for college credit (or possible prerequisite credit).
- Learn about the relationship between education schools and sociology departments to answer questions such as how future K-12 teachers prepare and how sociology departments can become more involved.
- Identify barriers to sociology being taught (e.g., requirements to become a teacher, student admission requirements at state universities).
- Find or develop materials of use to high school teachers to post on the ASA website.
- Provide periodic email updates to ASA and the coordinators in other states.
Anyone who is interested in helping with these state-based efforts to enhance high school sociology is encouraged to contact apap@asanet.org.
California
Michael DeCesare, California State University-Northridge
Florida
Kathy Borman, University of South Florida
Todd E. Bernhardt, Broward Community College - A. Hugh Adams
Georgia
Barbara Karcher, Kennesaw State University
Charissa S. Crook, Parkview High School
Indiana
Keith Roberts, Hanover College
Thomas L. Steiger, Indiana State University
Massachusetts
Ingred Semaan, Mount Wachusett Community College
Michigan
Denise Reiling, Eastern Michigan University
Missouri
Darlaine Gardetto, St. Louis Community College-Meramac
North Carolina
Janice G. Rienerth, Appalachian State University
Cindee Pratt, Appalachian State University
Meredith Parks, Watauga High School
New York
David Baronov, St. John Fisher College
Morten G. Ender, United States Military Academy
Ohio
Diane L. Bryant, Sandusky High School
Lada Gibson-Shreve, Stark State College
Dawn Hall, Sinclair Community College
Texas
D.R. Wilson, Houston Baptist University
Wisconsin
Anne Cross, Metropolitan State University
