Prior to the Virginian Standards of Learning Program most curriculum guidance was provided by the Board of Education through course requirement in-service sessions and through legislative action on mandated topics. The Standards of Learning Program gave Virginia teachers primary responsibility for establishing minimum competencies and assessment procedures for citizenship education. Local schools were directed by the Virginia State Department of Education to establish standards that could be used to determine eligibility for graduation. Definitional and curriculum issues in social studies were outlined. Teachers were selected to develop a manual outlining the social studies standards for each grade level, including specifications and instruments for assessing each standard. The results of the program revealed that social studies programs lacked a national focus; there was no fundamental understanding of what was taught or learned; the curriculum being taught was fragmented and ambiguous; and many state education departments were not responding to their leadership responsibilities and were deferring to local schools. (RM)