The mission of "New Directions for Education in Delaware" is to improve students' academic achievement so that their knowledge and skills will enable them to be successful, productive citizens in the 21st century. "New Directions for Education in Delaware" is an initiative for improving academic achievement throughout the state based on the principles that: (1) every student has the opportunity to participate in real and meaningful educational experiences; (2) every student is held to high expectations (standards) of knowledge and performance; (3) every student's performance/achievement is measured against the standards; and, (4) help is provided to every student to attain the standards. Content standards for each grade cluster are identified. Each grade level designation contains sections for the core disciplines (civics, economics, geography, and history). Samples of performance assessment tasks at different grade levels are given to illustrate in detail how the standards are applied and assessed. The guide considers that each of the core disciplines in social studies offers a distinct strategy for examining the world and provides students with specific intellectual and conceptual tools for analyzing causes and consequences. The four core disciplines are the essential focus for citizenship education. (BT)