These guidelines, which set standards for social studies programs K-12, can be used to update existing programs or may serve as a baseline for further innovation. The first section, "A Basic Rationale for Social Studies Education," identifies the theoretical assumptions basic to the guidelines as knowledge, thinking, valuing, social participation, and commitment to human dignity. The second section lists nine general guidelines, each with a set of specific guidelines to clarify its meaning: 1) the program should be directly related to the concerns of students; 2) the program should deal with the real social world; 3) the program should draw from currently valid knowledge representative of man's experience, culture, and beliefs; 4) objectives should be thoughtfully selected and clearly started in such form as to furnish direction to the program; 5) learning activities should engage the student directly and actively; 6) strategies of instruction and learning activities should rely on a broad range of learning resources; 7) the program must facilitate the organization of experience; 8) evaluation should be useful, systematic, and comprehensive; and 9) social studies should receive vigorous support as a vital part of the school program. The third section is a checklist intended to encourage assessment of specific programs seeking to implement the rationale. (MBM)