Charters of Freedom, 2010 - 2013, is a collaboration among four Missouri school districts.  The Parkway, Rockwood, Union, and Valley Park School Districts, located in the proximity of historic St. Louis, Missouri, are partnering with the Center for the Constitution, the Bill of Rights Institute, the Franklin D. Roosevelt Library and Museum, the Organization of American Historians, and historians from Webster University offering a three year professional development opportunity to:

• Provide content knowledge via historians, libraries, museums, and nonprofit history and humanities organizations to promote expertise in the Charters of Freedom with a specific focus on traditional American history for 5th grade (the Revolution and the New Nation), 8th grade (Expansion and Reform), and high school (Modern America and the World Wars) teachers.
  
• Introduce the research-based instructional strategies identified by Advanced Placement and the Foundation for Critical Thinking while utilizing lesson study to perfect the application of those strategies in the teaching of American history.
  
• Improve student engagement and achievement in traditional American history via knowledgeable classroom teachers and exceptional classroom practice.
  
• Create an open access resource page of unit plans, lesson plans, and online resources.  This resource will be created for use by the teachers during the grant and will continue to be available and accessed after the grants has been successfully completed.
  
• Establish vertical articulation teams who will work together to determine the implementation and application of the Charters of Freedom at each grade level.  These teams will continue to promote an aligned and guaranteed 5th grade, 8th grade, and high school American history curriculum after the life of the grant.
  
• Establish school based content experts who will provide professional development and support for their colleagues who did not participate in grant related activities to perpetuate the benefits of Charters of Freedom after the life of the grant.

The goal of Charters of Freedom is for 5th grade, 8th grade, and high school American history teachers to develop a deep knowledge of the Charters of Freedom (Declaration of Independence, Constitution of the United States, and Bill of Rights) and how these documents influenced and were influenced by American presidents throughout pivotal periods in American history.  In addition, the teachers will learn effective instructional practices to engage students in historical thinking in the classroom.

The Charters of Freedom Teaching American History Grant is in the amount of $735,017.00.  The Parkway School District will be the lead district in this grant.