The purpose of this study was to compare the social studies curriculum of Illinois schools with recommendations presented by the National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) Task Force on Scope and Sequence which appeared in "Social Education," April, 1984. Courses offered during the 1981-82 school year in 483 junior high schools and 716 high schools were compared with course listings by grade level found in the Task Force report table of "Optional Sequences for Grades 7-12." (In this table, four optional sequences are offered to meet the needs of different school districts and communities). Following an examination of 250 different social studies course offerings, it was shown that Illinois schools offer courses in social studies that correlate very closely with the first option described in the NCSS report--U.S. history being taught most often in grade 8, U.S. history and government in grade 11, and world cultures/history in grade 10. Sociology and psychology courses in Illinois are offered most often during the 12th grade, consistent with NCSS recommendations that a series of options be offered during grade 12. The survey also showed that Illinois schools offer relatively few courses in the history of women, minority studies, or Russian history. Limitations of comparing lists of social studies courses are discussed and studies analyzing the content of courses are recommended. Tables include a simplified version of the NCSS "Optional Sequence for Grades 6-12" and a tally of course offerings in Illinois junior and senior high schools. (LH)