Social Studies Evaluation Report
Arlington Public SchoolsSocial StudiesEvaluation ReportPrepared by the Office of Planning and EvaluationResponse from the Social Studies OfficeMay 2015
Table of ContentsTable of Contents . iList of Tables . iiList of Figures . iiiList of Appendices . ivSECTION 1: BACKGROUND . 1Social Studies Program Description - Prepared by the Social Studies Office . 1Methodology. 13SECTION 2: FINDINGS . 20Evaluation Question #1: How effectively was the Social Studies program implemented? . 20Evaluation Question #2: What were the outcomes for the targeted populations? . 53SECTION 3: SUMMARY OF FINDINGS . 72Delivery of Instruction . 72Quality of Instruction . 73Student Participation . 74Resources/Support for Instruction . 75Student Outcomes . 76SECTION 4: RECOMMENDATIONS. 78SECTION 5: STAFF ACTION PLAN – Prepared by the Social Studies Office . 79The executive summary is available at www.apsva.us/evaluationreports.i
List of TablesTable 1: Social Studies Office Staff and Responsibilities. 7Table 2: Status of Recommendations Made in Previous Evaluations . 10Table 3: Social Studies Evaluation Design . 14Table 4: Reasons Elementary Social Studies Observations Did Not Take Place . 22Table 5: Frequency with which Best Practices in Technology were Utilized during Social StudiesInstruction, 2013-14. 25Table 6: CLASS Domains and Dimensions . 34Table 7: Percentage of strategies observed that provide students with opportunities to constructmeaning of content, learn or apply skills. . 37Table 8: Social Studies Enrichment Activities . 40Table 9: High School Enrollment in Advanced Social Studies Courses by Race . 42Table 10: Total Number of Teachers who Have Participated in History Alive! Training since 2000 . 48Table 11: Elementary Social Studies SOL Pass Rates by Grade and Race/Ethnicity, 2010-11 through 2013–14 . 55Table 12: Elementary Social Studies SOL Pass Rates by Demographic Groups, 2010-11 through 2013–14. 55Table 13: Middle School Social Studies SOL Pass Rates by Grade and Race/Ethnicity, 2010-11 through2013–14 . 58Table 14: Middle School Social Studies SOL Pass Rates by Demographic Groups, 2010-11 through 2013–14 . 58Table 15: High School Social Studies SOL Pass Rates by Grade and Race/Ethnicity, 2010-11 through2013–14 . 61Table 16: High School Social Studies SOL Pass Rates by Demographic Groups, 2010-11 through 2013–14. 61Table 17: AP Social Studies Exam Pass Rates by Race/Ethnicity, 2009-10 through 2013-14 . 65Table 18: AP Social Studies Exam Pass Rates by Demographic Groups, 2009–10 through 2013–14 . 66Table 19: IB Social Studies Exam Pass Rates by Race/Ethnicity, 2009–10 through 2013–14 . 67Table 20: IB Social Studies Exam Pass Rates by Demographic Groups, 2009–10 through 2013–14 . 68Table 21: Total PAT Scores by Grade and Race/Ethnicity . 70Table 22: Total PAT Scores by Demographic Groups . 70ii
List of FiguresFigure 1: Social Studies Delivery Model by Elementary Grade Level. 21Figure 2: Frequency with which Elementary Teachers Integrate Other Content Areas with their SocialStudies Instruction, by Grade Level . 23Figure 3: Frequency with which Secondary Social Studies Teacher Collaborate with Teachers in OtherSubject Areas on Cross-Curricular Lessons . 24Figure 4: Respondent Role for Social Studies Instruction . 27Figure 5: The Extent to which Classroom Teachers Received Support from another Teacher . 28Figure 6: The Extent to which Classroom Teachers received Social Studies Support from an Assistant . 28Figure 7: Percentage of Other Teachers or Assistants Utilized in the Social Studies Classroom. 30Figure 8: Extent to which Elements are Part of Co-Teaching Arrangements, High School . 32Figure 9: The Extent to which Classroom Teachers say Specific Elements are Part of their Arrangementwith Special Education Assistant . 32Figure 10: Average Social Studies CLASS Scores by Domain and Level, Spring 2014 . 35Figure 11: Frequency of Social Studies Enrichment Opportunities for Students by Level . 40Figure 12: High School Social Studies Enrollment by Course Type, 2009–10 through 2013–14 . 42Figure 13: 2013 Site-Based Survey Student Responses: “I enjoy learning about social studies.” . 44Figure 14: 2014 Community Satisfaction Survey Student Responses: “I enjoy learning about socialstudies.” . 44Figure 15: Level of History Alive! Training for Classroom Teachers . 48Figure 16: High School Social Studies SOL Results, 2010-11 to 2013-14 . 59Figure 17: Number of AP Social Studies Tests in 2009-10 and 2013-14 . 63Figure 18: AP Social Studies Exam Pass Rates, 2009–10 through 2013–14 . 65Figure 19: IB Social Studies Exam Pass Rates, 2009–10 through 2013–14 . 67Figure 20: PAT Results by Grade and Category. 69iii
List of AppendicesAppendix A: Definitions . .A1Appendix B: ObservationsB1: Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS) . .B1B2: Alignment of CLASS with APS Best Instructional Practices . .B6B3: CLASS Domain and Dimension Scores . . B8B4: Social Studies Observation Checklist B21Appendix C: Stakeholder FeedbackC1: Social Studies Staff Survey C1C2: Site-Based and Community Satisfaction Surveys. . . C34C3: Student Focus Groups . . . C37Appendix D: Student ParticipationD1: High School Social Studies Enrollment .D1D2: Social Studies Enrichment Activities . . .D15Appendix E: History Alive! Training .E1Appendix F: Student OutcomesF1: Standards of Learning . . .F1F2: Impact Evaluation (Hanover Research). . .F29F3: Advanced Placement . .F50F4: International Baccalaureate . . .F58F5: Performance Assessment Tasks . .F63Appendix G: Literature Review .G1Appendices are available at www.apsva.us/evaluationreports.iv
SECTION 1: BACKGROUNDThe evaluation of the Social Studies Program began in 2012-13 with the development of a programevaluation design. A planning committee met regularly throughout the year to develop the evaluationquestions that would guide data collection for this report. Committee members included staff fromPlanning and Evaluation, the Social Studies Office, and schools; as well as community members from theSocial Studies Citizens Advisory Committee. Data collection for the evaluation occurred during the 201314 school year and the fall of 2014. This evaluation employed various methodologies to collect data withwhich to examine the success of the Social Studies program over time. In particular, this reportaddresses the following three components outlined in Arlington Public Schools (APS) policy andprocedures (45-3) for accountability and evaluation:1. A description of the department, program, or service.2. Evaluation questions that aska. How effectively was the Social Studies program implemented?b. What were the outcomes for the targeted populations?3. RecommendationsThe executive summary and appendices that contain definitions, original data sets, and various reportsused to inform this evaluation are located online at www.apsva.us/evaluationreports.Social Studies Program Description - Prepared by the Social Studies OfficeProgram OverviewThe Social Studies Office provides system-wide leadership for curriculum, professional development,and required social studies instruction at the elementary, middle, and high school levels. The SocialStudies Office serves students in grades K-12, including students enrolled in Advanced Placement,International Baccalaureate, dual enrolled, English for Speakers of Other Languages/High IntensityLanguage Training (ESOL/HILT), and special education courses.The primary mission of the Social Studies Program is to offer a rich and rigorous K-12 curriculum thatdevelops essential knowledge, 21st century thinking skills, and values in the social sciences throughmeaningful, engaging, and challenging instruction that enables students to understand the relevance ofhistory and the social sciences and to become informed, responsible, and reasoned citizens of ademocratic society and an interdependent world.Goals and ObjectivesThe Social Studies Office operates within the Department of Instruction to meet APS Strategic Plan goalsand DOI process goals. APS develops six-year strategic plans with staff and community involvement toidentify focus areas for school system improvement. Each year the School Board and the public receivereports on the progress made within each Strategic Plan goal area during the preceding year, with theopportunity for modifications to the Strategic Plan as warranted.1
The current Strategic Plan runs through 2016-17 and focuses on five important goal areas:Goal 1: Ensure that Every Student is Challenged and EngagedGoal 2: Eliminate Achievement GapsGoal 3: Recruit, Retain and Develop High-Quality StaffGoal 4: Provide Optimal Learning EnvironmentsGoal 5: Meet the Needs of the Whole ChildThe Social Studies Office also works to address the following DOI core services:Establishing instructional best practicesDesigning the curriculum for implementationSelecting instructional resourcesDeveloping the Program of StudiesProviding instructional support for schoolsDesigning and delivering professional learningMonitoring curriculum and pedagogy implementationProgress in each of the areas of responsibility is monitored through a cycle of program improvement andevaluation as well as annual supervision and evaluation within DOI.At both the elementary and secondary levels, the goals and objectives for Social Studies instruction inAPS reflect the Standards of Learning (SOL) adopted by the state of Virginia and the standards from theNational Council for the Social Studies. In addition to the strategic goals set forth by APS, the SocialStudies Program aims to: prepare each student to succeed in a diverse, changing world through curriculum andinstruction that focuses on 21st century skills and other school experiences responsive to eachstudent’s talents, interests, and challenges;provide teachers and students with access to technology and other resources that support highquality social studies instruction;engage teachers in professional development that focuses on best practice pedagogy and skillsfor the 21st century and beyond; andbuild effective relationships with parents and the community so that they know about andactively support the education of our students.Attributes of SuccessThrough successful implementation of the APS Social Studies Program, all students will: engage in meaningful, interactive, and challenging social studies instruction that is responsive totheir needs, talents and interests;acquire knowledge in history, geography, civics, and economics through the delivery of rich andrigorous curriculum aligned with state standards;2
acquire skills of higher cognition, information and media literacy, creativity, problem solving,collaboration and communication;experience rising achievement in social studies courses;enroll in higher-level social studies courses andparticipate in social studies activities that utilize varied resources and technology.Student progress in social studies is measured through 1) state and national standardized tests atvarious grade levels 2) district-level alternative assessments and 3) teacher-developed assessmentsbased on best practices in social studies education. Additionally, a series of performance assessmenttasks have been developed in grades 3-12 to address depth of understanding and critical thinking skills;these provide alternative and varied measures of academic progress.Through successful implementation of the APS Social Studies Program, all staff will: use and build upon their training in the History Alive!/Social Studies Alive! institutes andworkshops to strengthen consistent application of this common pedagogical framework;use best practices in instruction;extend their content knowledge on an ongoing basis;continue to use and build curriculum, technology, material, and human resources to maximizestudents’ acquisition of knowledge and skills;use performance assessment tasks as alternative and additional measures of students’ academicprogress;collaborate and communicate with each other to exchange ideas and build collegiality;engage with the community to address program needs and provide relevant programinformation; andprovide strategic support to principals and other administrators, teachers, the Social StudiesAdvisory Committee, and community groups.Program AttributesThe Social Studies Office provides system-wide leadership for social studies curriculum and instruction,as well as services to students, teachers, parents, principals, schools, and the community. The Officeguides the development of social studies courses to correlate with state and local standards forinstruction at the elementary and secondary levels. Additionally, the Office works collaboratively withother APS departmental programs including ESOL/HILT, Special Education, Gifted Services, EarlyChildhood, and Minority Achievement; and specific educational programs at the Career Center,Arlington Mill, Langston, and New Directions to provide students with the social studies skills they needto be successful in the 21st century.The Social Studies Office also oversees the coordination and support of all social studies summer schoolcourses for grades 6-12, including make-up and strengthening in World History I and II, WorldGeography, VA/US History, VA/US Government, Economics and Personal Finance, as well as new workfor credit in Economics and Personal Finance. Two virtual courses - Economics and Personal Finance andUS/VA History - are also available as new work for credit courses. At the middle school level, the Social3
Studies Office offers a Google Lit Trip course as an enrichment opportunity. It also oversees thedevelopment and implementation of the Global Village Summit enrichment program for grades K-3.Additional enrichment opportunities for students include, but are not limited to, the NationalGeography Bee, The National History Bee, Model U.N., debate and discussion groups, the History Bowl,the Governor’s Economic Challenge, the National History Day Challenge, and field trips to events such asthe Youth Forum on Africa.Staff and the broader community are kept informed about Social Studies events and initiatives throughthe distribution of Vision, the Social Studies newsletter; the distribution of Social Studies Snapshots, a biweekly email; through social media; and through school-supported Social Studies Family Nights, parentworkshops, and other community forums. Community members are often involved in classroompresentations as guest speakers and participants in school events. The Social Studies Office also createsopportunities to engage
Social Studies Program Description - Prepared by the Social Studies Office Program Overview The Social Studies Office provides system-wide leadership for curriculum, professional development, and required social studies instruction at the elementary, middle, an
Social Studies - Kindergarten Kit with Big Book ISBN 015340584 Social Studies - Kindergarten Time for Kids Set ISBN 015361670 Social Studies - Grade 1 About My World; Harcourt Horizon; 2005 also 0153402199 Audio Text & 0153358661 Time for Kids Readers ISBN 0153402199 Big Book Social Studies - Grade 1
Rick MacDonald, Social Studies Consultant (1999-2002) Mary Fedorchuk, Program Co-ordinator P-12 (2002-2003) Bruce Fisher, Social Studies Consultant (2003-) Newfoundland and Labrador Smita Joshi, Social Studies Consultant (1999-2001) Victor Kendall, Social Studies Consultant (2001-) Jim Crewe, Independent Social Studies Consultant (1998-)
Social Studies Grade 5 1 IntroductIon to socIAl studIes k to 7 socIAl studIes k to 12 - At A glAnce K to Social Studies Kindergarten to Grade 7: required for all students 8 and 9 Social Studies Grades 8 and 9: required for all students 10 Social Studies 10: required for all students 11 Students must take at least one of the following courses to graduate: .
Social Studies Grade 2 1 IntroductIon to socIAl studIes k to 7 socIAl studIes k to 12 - At A glAnce K to Social Studies Kindergarten to Grade 7: required for all students 8 and 9 Social Studies Grades 8 and 9: required for all students 10 Social Studies 10: required for all students 11 Students must take at least one of the following courses to graduate: .
Social Studies Grade 6 1 IntroductIon to socIAl studIes k to 7 socIAl studIes k to 12 - At A glAnce K to Social Studies Kindergarten to Grade 7: required for all students 8 and 9 Social Studies Grades 8 and 9: required for all students 10 Social Studies 10: required for all students 11 Students must take at least one of the following courses to graduate: .
Alternative Assessment Methods in Social Studies Social Studies Education with Different Learning Environments . Teaching Social Studies with Creative Drama Method Analysis of Value Transfer in Social Studies Education Within Framework of The Principle of Causality Ways of Effective Teaching and Learning in Social Studies in Context of .
Social Studies Grade 4 13 INTRODUCTION TOSOCIAL STUDIES K TO 7 SOCIAL STUDIES K TO 12 – A TAGLANCE K to 7 Social Studies Kindergarten to Grade 7: required for all students 8 and 9 Social Studies Grades 8 and 9: required for all students 10 Social Studies 10: required for all students 11 Students must ta
Software Development , Scrum [11] [12], Scrumban [Ladas 2009 and several va-riant methods of agile]. The agile methodology is based on the “iterative enhancement” [13] technique [14]. As a iteration based methodology, each iteration in the agile methodology represents a small scale and selfcontained Software Development Life Cycle - (SDLC) by itself . Unlike the Spiral model [1] , agile .
