Mirrors and Mechanisms of Power: Nine States-Based Kindergarten Social Studies Standards

• In Event: Early Childhood Policy across States

Abstract

This paper investigates how political ideologies shape kindergarten social studies standards across nine U.S. states. In a decentralized education system, states wield significant control over curricula, especially in social studies, which remain outside national standardization efforts like Common Core. Using discourse analysis, this study examines how state-level standards reflect conservative, liberal, and progressive values, influencing how children learn about history, citizenship, and national identity. We explore how political climates, public debates, and educational discourses drive ideological differences, affecting representations of civic duty, authority, and marginalized groups. Findings reveal that early learning standards are not neutral but encode moral and political agendas, reinforcing divergent visions of American identity and shaping children’s civic understanding from the outset of their education.

Author

• Sara Michael-Luna, University of Central Florida