The 1980s were years of concern about the curricula in elementary and secondary schools. Throughout the decade educators in the social studies, as well as in other fields of knowledge, formed curriculum study groups to assess the status quo and to recommend improvements in widely distributed reports. This ERIC Digest examines: (1) four social studies curriculum reform reports of 1989; (2) the treatment of geography and history in these reports; (3) challenges to the expanding environments curriculum; and (4) implementation of recommendations for curriculum reform. (Author)