Social Studies 2013-2014

Submitted: April 2013

Department Action Team: Social Studies

Our mission: Making lives better by supporting a mindset of achievement for all students regardless of gender, race or socio-economic status.

4 M Goal (Made First, Most Important, Measurable, and Manageable):

Reduce the achievement gap by placing a focus on Free and Reduced students who are struggling to succeed at CNHS and Northside Middle School.

Area of Focus / Team Members / Action Plan
(What should happen?) / Possible Strategies
(Steps to make it happen) / Timeline / Formative Data / Summative Data/Product
Habits of Mind/ PBIS
Literacy
PBIS/ Habits of Mind/ UDL / SS Dept.
SS Dept.
SS Dept. / Each teacher will identify who their Free and Reduced students in each classroom.
Teachers identify their own personal mindset as either being fixed or growth oriented. Teachers begin to use the growth mindset model in their classrooms each and every day. Teach the difference to students. Use Habits of Mind
Improve literacy skills (reading and other critical skills such as vocabulary recognition).
Support students in learning and using new Habits of Mind as teachers practice and improve classroom instruction via UDL. / Teacher summer reading: Mindset- The New Psychology of Success, How we can learn to fulfill our potential.
-Use Doug Lemov’s Teach Like a Champion Part II- Chapter 10- “How All Teachers Can and Must be Reading Teachers” as the basis of a couple of workshops to focus on literacy within the Social Studies classroom. We will hold monthly workshops facilitated by Social Studies teachers as is our culture. We enjoy learning together using a team approach.
-Teaching & Using Essential Vocab in SS classroom
Investigate the current CNHS data- Provided by CNHS Guidance Dept.
-Explore more Habit of Mind and UDL strategies that are designed to help male students succeed in the classroom.
-Stand at our doorways and meet and greet each student by name.
-Use Jenae as a consultant via the ICT- Instructional Consultation Team.
-Use the books, Teaching with Poverty in Mind and Turn Around Tools for the Teenage Brain by Eric Jensen as the basis of our monthly workshops. / August- October 2013
Summer 2013- completed prior to start of school in August.
Sept- May 2014 / Power Teacher Data
How many students begin with a fixed mindset vs. those that use a growth mind set.
9 week Grade checks comparing Free and Reduced student grades to non-Free and Reduced student grades. / -Determine how many students are able to demonstrate usage of a growth mindset by end of the year. Anecdotal evidence secured by teachers.
-Reduced number of student referrals to Dean’s office for behavioral issues.
-End of year overall GPA check comparing Free and Reduced students to non-Free and Reduced Social Studies students.
-Enroll more Free and Reduced students in AP level SS classes.
-.
Provide list of Best Practices to CNHS faculty by end of year. Add to What Does a 3 or 4 Look Like document started in April of 2013.

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