Teaching students to act as citizens significantly enhances preparation for college and career. It is incumbent upon the National Council for the Social Studies to provide guidance to states and local districts to develop social studies standards to achieve this goal. The recommendations presented here focus on the principle that standards development must maintain the intent and integrity of the social studies by engaging in processes that are scholarly, collective, and transparent. The development and implementation of high-quality social studies standards have been primarily the responsibilities of state education agencies (SEAs) since the early 1990s. Primary goals of this work include improving instruction and increasing learning for all students regardless of school district and zip code. The realization of these goals hinges in large part on implementation efforts including, but not limited to, professional development opportunities that ensure that educators engaged in this work follow a thoughtful process for standards revision and implementation.