DPS has received the Teaching American History Grant, almost $1 million for three years, in order to implement a district-wide professional development initiative in American history. The project will serve one-third of fifth-grade teachers and all of the district’s eighth-grade and high school level American history teachers.

DPS will be working in collaboration with the National Council for History Education, the Colorado Historical Society/Colorado Historical Museum, the University of Colorado at Denver History Department and School of Education, the Social Studies Education Consortium and ABC-CLIO (a web-based US history resource for classrooms).

The goal of the project is to advance student achievement in American history by providing teachers with periods of concentrated study in rich content, effective instructional strategies and teaching resources. These periods will be followed-up with activities to help teachers integrate all the material into their practice. Best of all, teachers will be paid for their time. They will receive materials, content and strategies they can employ in their classrooms.