Earlier this month, the Alabama State School Board announced that the standards for teaching social studies in elementary, middle, and high schools will change for the first time since 2010.

The decision was made during the Alabama State School Board meeting.

In 2026, there will be more emphasis on teaching state history than in the past. The current standards require Alabama teachers to teach Alabama History only in the fourth grade, but the new standards add grades three and five to the requirements.

Another significant change will be the amount of time devoted to educating students on the Holocaust. State Superintendent Dr. Eric Mackey said students will explore what led up to the Holocaust, the devastation it caused, and how it impacted the state, nation, and world. He expressed that knowing more about the horrors caused by the Holocaust and the events leading up to it will equip students with the knowledge needed to prevent future atrocities.

Alabama High Schools will be required to continue teaching U.S. History, World History, and Government Economics despite the board’s discussions to drop World History. More time will also be devoted to teaching about the role civil rights leaders have played in shaping Alabama’s history. The history of Native American tribes will be covered, and middle school students will learn about Western civilization.