What does it mean to be an RCSD Graduate through a 'Social Studies' lens?

Rochester graduates are active citizens in our democratic society who are agents of change that advocate for themselves as well as our community.  They are critical thinkers, action takers, and change makers. RCSD Scholars ask questions, actively research who they are, what they think, and how they feel. They know that making mistakes is ok and part of learning. RCSD graduates reflect on the past and create a better present as well as a greater future.

So what Will we ask students to do every day?

New Visions for Public Schools has taken the NYS Practices and distilled them into student friendly language that represents the kinds of actions that students should be regularly engaged in during social studies instruction. This is intended to provide a common language that can be used to teach, learn, and refine critical thinking skills needed to excel in social studies. (https://curriculum.newvisions.org/social-studies/

New Vision Student Social Studies Practices

What will we do to help students achieve this vision?  

The prioritized actions and associated “look-fors” below are intended to be anchors and guides that shape the work of classroom teachers as we support students in embodying our Vision of a Social Studies Graduate.  

These “Look Fors” are intended to be examples of practices aligned to our instructional priorities in social studies classes.  References to the Danielson rubric are made, but are not all-inclusive and are not intended as a replacement for supervision or evaluation purposes.