The Council of State Social Studies Specialists (CS4) is an organization founded in 1965, with the primary goal of providing a vehicle for the exchange of ideas among the various states. Its members include the specialists, consultants, and supervisors who have responsibilities for social studies education in the various state departments of education/public instruction. The membership officially meets once a year just prior to the annual convention of the National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) where members discuss current trends in social studies education and collaborate on current endeavors. Other meetings are planned and held as is feasible and desirable.

State social studies specialists occupy positions that require a variety of skills and roles to support high-quality social studies instruction for students. State social studies specialists may work with local schools within the state; with the various bureaus, offices, and divisions of the state education department; with institutions of higher education within the state; with programs established by state and federal legislation; with professional organizations, and with public and private agencies outside of the state department of education. The various duties performed are summarized in the following sections relative to the roles and responsibilities of the state social studies specialists.

The purpose of the Council shall be to study, strengthen, and promote the leadership role of the state social studies specialists through such means as:

1. The exchange of ideas and the dissemination of information among the membership in matters regarding state programs, experimental studies, consultative or supervisory practices and services, and other items of general concern to the membership.
2. Cooperative study of problems pertaining to the work of the state social studies specialists.
3. Cooperation with organizations professionally interested in the extension and improvement of social studies instruction.

2024 CS4 Executive Board Vision 

The 2024 Council of State Social Studies Specialists (CS4)’s Executive Board is a committee that exists to organize, activate and inspire CS4 members through collaborative learning and community connections. We are committed, responsive, and inclusive leaders who work together to lead state social studies specialists. The CS4 Executive Board strives to regularly listen to the needs of its membership to ensure that members feel valued and heard. By working to address matters collaboratively and deliberately, we commit to creating a network of supportive professionals that serve states, districts, educators and students in accessing high-quality, representative social studies education.

We believe that social studies education is the ideal vehicle to foster civic virtue, apply inquiry practices, consider current issues, engage in civil discourse, build a civic identity and develop an awareness of international issues. The National Council for the Social Studies’ definition of social studies states:

“Social studies is the study of individuals, communities, systems, and their interactions across time and place that prepares students for local, national, and global civic life.”

In order to prepare young people for local, national, and global civic life, students must have knowledge of all of the social studies disciplines and an appreciation for the interconnectedness of all the disciplines. This is central to students’ preparation for a successful transition into civic life. To achieve a community that consistently works collaboratively with respect, the CS4 Executive Board will support our membership in having a layered communication network that provides opportunities for members to learn, collaborate and celebrate. We will work to ensure that every social studies specialist has the assistance, resources and information needed to support social studies education effectively and efficiently in their state. In an ever-changing and increasingly interconnected world, it is the mission of the CS4 Executive Board to support our stakeholders in becoming life-long critical thinkers and questioners who can undertake multidimensional, complex reasoning.

To support those we serve, we affirm that all students, as individuals and collectively, have the right to effectively engage with high-quality social studies education programs that enable them to become civically engaged, socially responsible and culturally aware. Social studies state leaders are critical to the effective implementation of a high-quality social studies education.