1.  Increase the use of writing in our classrooms to at least 3 times a week, specifically the use of primary documents, document analysis, essay writing, summarization and cause and effect.
Update:  All social science teachers at Manual Academy are writing at least 3 times a week, specifically using primary sources and writing during bell ringers and exit tickets.

2.  Social Studies vertical team will work to achieve a 93% graduation rate specifically targeting at-risk students in required senior and junior level class (i.e. American Government, Economics and U.S. History).  Teachers will monitor EWI data and identify students as well as monitoring the students in their class; Teachers will also compile lists of students who are at risk to be turned in the counselors of the Business and Health academies.
Update:  At the progress reports for first quarters 44 of 119 seniors were failing a class (F) or in danger of failure (D).  As of 11/5/2012 only 41 of 119 seniors were failing a class or in danger of failure, which is a 3% reduction.

3.  Teachers will increase the scores of students in the Reading Informational Texts strand of the NWEA tests.  The students who will be included in our goal are students who are enrolled in a social studies class for at least one semester during the 2012-13 school year and are in the 7th through 11th grade.  The students who are at or above grade level will be expected to maintain or increase their NWEA scores one to two points.  Students who are below grade level are expected to make gains of two to three points on the NWEA tests taken in the winter of the 2012-13 school year.
Update:  In general our students have decreased from their Spring 2012 scores to their Fall 2012 scores, which is quite common as their grade level increases.  For example, Mr. Flauter saw 55/107 students decrease in either reading comprehension or reading informational text.  Though all of the decreases in Rit scores were very slim and students continue to increase throughout the year.  This shows that are students are capable of reaching higher scores than they received at the beginning of this school year.