K-12 Social Studies Market 2024-2025

Report Overview

Simba Information’s K-12 Social Studies Market 2024-2025 report offers an extensive examination of the U.S. social studies education sector, exploring the latest curriculum trends, market dynamics, educator preferences, and legislative influences impacting the market. Simba determined that the market is expected to grow to more than $760 million in 2024, with both federal and state funding fueling the demand for diverse instructional materials.

 

A standout finding highlighted in the report is the limited adoption of AI by social studies educators. However, when AI is being incorporated into classrooms, lesson planning and personalized learning support are the primary drivers of adoption. The report captures key insights from a Simba Information survey, in partnership with EdReports, which was distributed to 30,000 teachers, principals, and administrators in October 2024. The survey revealed that standards alignment, student engagement, and usability are top priorities when selecting core social studies materials.

Emerging trends emphasize a shift toward practical skills, with additions such as civics, financial literacy, and media literacy now prominent in curricula. State-driven legislative changes, particularly in states like Texas and Florida, continue to shape the landscape, with publishers adjusting content to align with specific mandates on Critical Race Theory (CRT) and other so-called “divisive topics”. Publishers, including market leaders Pearson and McGraw Hill, remain dominant in core materials, while companies like Scholastic, Discovery Education, and IXL Learning are gaining traction with flexible, digital-first supplemental resources that support multicultural perspectives and digital literacy.

Simba’s K-12 Social Studies Market 2024-2025 report further examines the competitive landscape of social studies materials providers, noting a trend toward AI-enhanced, personalized content to drive engagement and support inquiry-based learning. It discusses the unique challenges and opportunities within the market for educators, policymakers, and content providers, particularly as they navigate evolving cultural expectations and legislative demands. Simba Information’s report synthesizes data from primary research, national surveys, and interviews to offer strategic recommendations for content developers, encouraging adaptability in the face of policy changes, investment in AI-driven learning, and a focus on inclusive content to meet diverse student needs.

Definition of Social Studies

The National Curriculum Standards for Social Studies (NCSS) defines the discipline as:

“…the integrated study of the social sciences and humanities to promote civic competence. Within the school program, social studies provide coordinated, systematic study drawing upon such disciplines as anthropology, archaeology, economics, geography, history, law, philosophy, political science, psychology, religion, and sociology, as well as appropriate content from the humanities, mathematics, and natural sciences. The primary purpose of social studies is to help young people make informed and reasoned decisions for the public good as citizens of a culturally diverse, democratic society in an interdependent world.”

The American Institutes for Research (AIR) – a nonpartisan, not-for-profit organization that conducts behavioral and social science research – conducted a 2023 study that covers the major disciplines that are incorporated in each state.

Shifting Curriculum Standards

The content, skills, and structure of state standards in social studies education vary widely from state to state. National guidance on what to include in pre-K through twelfth grade social studies programs is provided by the NCSS through a framework that lists ten themes that can be used to organize curricula. Those themes are:

• Culture
• Time, Continuity, and Change
• People, Places, and Environments
• Individual Development and Identity
• Individuals, Groups, and Institutions
• Power, Authority, and Governance
• Production, Distribution and Consumption
• Science, Technology, and Society
• Global Connections
• Civic Ideals and Practices

Other valuable resources that states are using to support their standards and revisions include national content organizations – such as the UCLA Public History Initiative’s National History Standards, the Center for Civic Education’s National Standards for Civics and Government, Voluntary National Content Standards in Economics, National Geography Standards, and the National Curriculum Standards for Social Studies – along with the National Assessment of Educational Progress’s (NAEP) frameworks in civics, economics, geography, and US history.

The current landscape of social studies education in the US is undergoing significant changes at the state level, reflecting broader educational trends and responding to various legislative mandates and societal needs. Some of the most notable changes have occurred in Minnesota, California, Texas, Colorado, and Arkansas.

Overview of Core and Supplementary Materials

Social studies curricula are comprised of core materials (like textbooks and comprehensive digital platforms) and supplementary ones (including primary source documents, multimedia content, and interactive tools). The former provide the foundational knowledge and structure for social studies education, while the latter enhance and expand upon this foundation by offering diverse perspectives and engaging formats. A survey by the American Institutes for Research (AIR) highlights the reliance on teacher-created and commercially produced materials at different educational levels. At the elementary level, 51% of educators reported creating their own curriculum materials weekly, but also utilizing resources like Teachers Pay Teachers and BrainPOP. In contrast, secondary educators use a mix of self-created and commercial materials; McGraw Hill resources are popular choices for US and world history.