Social Science Department Overview

FCIS Self-Study

2001-2002

 

Analysis

 

The Social Science Department through a core curriculum and electives offers a wide range of subjects. The graduation requirement is three Social Science classes: World Civilization II, United States History, and an elective. The Department offers nineteen different courses of multiple sections in 6th  through 12th  grades including multiple sections of nine Advanced Placement courses. Driven by student interest, independent studies and id internships are available options. The Department faculty includes fifteen instructors, eleven of whom are Mi-time. The Department has developed a common website with links to each individual teacher’s website. The faculty is enthusiastic, well versed, and stay abreast of their subjects by attending and presenting at conferences and conventions. Four teachers are consultants to the College Board’s Advanced Placement.

Grades 9-12 are housed in the Institute for Civic Involvement (Id), which includes seven classrooms, 175-seat auditorium, a Social Science workroom, and the ICI Library. While all classrooms have presentation stations, three classrooms include presentation projectors.

 

The Social Science Department through the Id offers an array of various activities in which students can put

into practice what they have learned in the classroom: including a Washington trip, a Tallahassee trip, a

Holocaust Awareness program, a Congress of Vienna, a League of Nations, a Model United Nations, a

International Relations Club, Florida International University Model United Nations, Florida Atlantic Model United Nations, Harvard University United Nations, University of Chicago Model United Nations, the Id

Newsletter, Teenage Republicans, Young Democrats, and the Political Forum.

 

 

Courses:

 

Sixth Grade Social Studies

American Government (Grade 7)

World Civilizations I (Grade 8)

World Civilizations II (grade 9) and Honors

United States History and Honors

United States AP

20th Century America

Psychology

Psychology AP

Sociology

Economics

Economics AP

Macro and Micro Economics AP

Economics, Geography, and Issues

Human Geography AP

Modem European History AP

American Government and Politics AP

Comparative Government AP

ICI Internship Independent Study Upon Approval

 

Strengths

 

1.   Course offerings are diverse and of high quality.

2.   Social Science faculty is well prepared and enthusiastic. Teachers serve as positive role models and mentors and contribute to other areas of school and community Ilk. This encourages the students to be involved in the community as well.

3.   The Department is continually expanding extra curricular activities and integrating them into the classroom.

4.   Camaraderie within the department encourages discussion and sharing of ideas and materials.

5.   The ICI building promotes a healthy learning environment, implements the use of technology by students and faculty, and facilitates a cohesive faculty environment.

6.   Dialogue between instructors and students develops and encourages a positive and enlightening learning atmosphere.

7.   Students take an active role in the learning process because the faculty provides opportunities that enrich and challenge them to go beyond classroom requirements and share their enthusiasm and experience with their peers.

8.   Rubrics enhance evaluation of students for placement in accelerated courses.

9.   The Department provides divisional and departmental interaction through hosting a Mock Presidential Convention for grades 7 through 12 and a Mock Presidential Election for grades Pre-K through 12.

10. Independent learning is encouraged though multiple interdisciplinary research, simulations and projects as well as the ICI internship program.

 

Recommendations

 

1.   Given the department’s emphasis on analytical writing skills, the teaching day should be limited to five periods to promote the highest quality instruction.

2.   The school day should be limited to eight periods instead of nine to promote the highest quality instruction.

3.   Teachers should be limited to a maximum of three academic preparations to ensure highest quality instruction.

4.   Continue to find ways to manage enrollment in popular electives and AP classes to maintain the ideal class size.

5.   Enhance and improve access to Social Science resources through the return of the ICI Library.

6.   Enhance and improve achievement of department and Institute goals through restoration of Lecture Hall management to the Id.

7.   Enhance and improve academic achievement in Social Sciences through restoration of seminar rooms for ICI and Department use.

8.   Establish a Department technology coordinator as a Social Science resource and a liaison to the Technology Department.

9.   Classrooms need to be continually upgraded to keep up with evolving technological innovations.

10. The ICI building needs an elevator to be accessible to those impaired or injured and abide by the standards of the ADA.

 

  

Analysis of Instructional and Organization Effectiveness

  

 

1.       The strengths of Pine Crest School are its talented and professional faculty, curriculum, and the talented and diverse student body as evidenced by college acceptance, standardized test scores, and student participation in the community.

 

2.       The limitations of Pine Crest’s instructional practices and/or organizational conditions are teachers being required to teach too many classes, teachers having too many preparations, class size, and class imbalances.  Evidence of these limitations can be seen in the limited number of classrooms, student enrollment, and number of teachers.

 

3.       The Department did not find any additional or major aspects of Pine Crest’s instructional practices and/or organizational conditions addressed in the seven categories in the Survey of Instructional and Organizational Effectiveness.

 

4.       To a great extent students are provided with a coherent instructional system to support their achievement by the fact that courses are sequential and that a system of rubrics have been created to help place students in individual classes.

 

5.       To some extent the dimensions of the school’s organizational system are congruent with each other.

 

6.       The Department believes that the school’s assessment and evaluation procedures are consistent with the school’s policies and that the curriculum is aligned with the school’s vision for student learning.

 

 

Defining Goals for Building/Strengthening the Capacity of the School’s

Instructional and Organizational Effectiveness

  

 

1.       The most appropriate target goals for building/strengthening Pine Crest’s instructional practices and organizational conditions to support student achievement of the Desired Results of Student Learning would include limiting the teaching day to five classes with no more than three preparations.

 

2.       We can build on our strengths to further maximize their benefits in supporting student achievement by cutting the academic day from nine periods to eight.

 

3.       We can effectively address our limitations and areas in need of improvement in order to strengthen our capacity to support student achievement by limiting teachers’ preparations, limiting the teaching day to five classes and cutting the academic day from nine periods to eight.

 

4.      The highest level of priority should be assigned to each of these goals in order to promote the highest level of instruction.