Examining the connections among teacher characteristics, instructional decision-making, and student learning in social studies education are both complicated and contentious. In the current study, we shed light on middle grades social studies teaching and learning--a black hole of research in the subject area. Using data from the National…

Current plans to use National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) results to compare and rank states may lead to a perception of NAEP as a national achievement test representing a national curriculum. NAEP procedures should be reformulated to enhance curriculum coherence, instruction, and participation by local and state educators. (TJH)