Social Studies Department Mission Statement

            The ultimate goal of the department is to promote democratic thinking and ethical reflection in our students. In our instruction we encourage the development of each individual’s historic and civic voices. While in high school and beyond, we want our students to be active, ethical citizens in our democratic society.

            Towards those ends, students are engaged in a critical examination of the understandings contained within the Social Studies State Content standards. In keeping with the District Expected Schoolwide Learning Results, students are provided the opportunity to develop the critical thinking skills also named in the Social Studies State Skills Standards, and the literacy and communication skills named in the Language Arts Standards. Students are given opportunities to develop questions and employ research skills to solve real-world social problems. As a result, students are prepared to accept their civic responsibilities in their local to global communities.

            We seek individual growth for every student while honoring the need for community building in our diverse society. Thus, we see it as essential students begin and end their Social Studies education in a heterogeneous environment, and that every student is exposed to Social Studies instruction in each of their four years. By way of balancing competing interests, student choice is the determining factor for course selection in the sophomore and junior years.

            Finally, we are committed to using varied strategies of instruction to support students’ unique learning needs, with particular focus on the need to close the achievement gap.