ACPS: Measuring What Matters 2021–22

Measuring

SIMPLY THE BEST

from Interim Superintendent

The power that comes with perseverance has been exhibited in many ways over the 2021-22 academic year as Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS) proved once again it is “simply the best.” We have simply the best students, simply the best staff and simply the best school community. Ushering in the new school year, ACPS’ 18 schools reopened for five days a week of in-person learning with the option of Virtual Virginia, emerging from online instruction amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Under the leadership of Superintendent Dr. Gregory C. Hutchings, Jr., mitigation measures helped keep our schools safe for students and staff. Addressing the impact of the pandemic among our students, ACPS provided focused time in our schools for social, emotional and academic learning (SEAL) which continues today

Responding to the needs of our ACPS families, with more than half of them speaking a language other than English at home, the division expanded its interpretation services with Language Line Direct Response. This new service allows families who speak Spanish, Amharic, Arabic, Farsi and Pashto to contact our schools with a qualified interpreter already on the phone line. Ask@ACPS makes it easier for families to share comments or concerns with division leadership and get a timely response.

Understanding the importance of reaching out to our families, ACPS hosted its first annual State of the Schools event in March of 2022. We shared updates on the school division’s work to fulfill goals of the ACPS 2025 Equity for All Strategic Plan and the 2021-22 Areas of Focus. We also underscored how the launch of the Equity Dashboard and Equity Climate Survey were vital to the Strategic Plan’s success. Then, showing appreciation for our essential workers, the division shined the spotlight on Alexandria City firefighters, police officers, health care professionals and school staff in celebrating Alexandria City Essential Workers Appreciation Week.

New beginnings emerged within ACPS throughout 2021-22 as live theater performances returned at Alexandria City High School (ACHS) for the first time since Fall 2019. The Titans won their first home football game of the season in the newlyrenovated Parker-Gray Memorial Stadium following a ribboncutting ceremony for the multi-use venue. On June 4, 2022, the

We have simply the best students, simply the best staff and simply the best school community.”

Dr. Melanie Kay-Wyatt Interim Superintendent of Schools

Titan Class of 2022 received diplomas at George Mason University’s EagleBank Arena, returning to its pre-pandemic venue for the first time since 2019. The 809 graduating seniors became the first to graduate from ACHS since its name change became official in July 2021 as part of The Identity Project. The division is proud to say that 403 seniors, 43% of the class, graduated with an Advanced Studies Diploma, the highest percentage of ACHS students to do so.

Over the course of the year, ACPS officially closed on the purchase of the 1703 N. Beauregard Street property which will help accommodate our growing student population. The division also broke ground for the new ACHS Minnie Howard campus. Expanding on our partnership, ACPS and Virginia Tech launched a pilot program at James K. Polk Elementary School with Virginia Tech’s Innovation Campus to strengthen STEM opportunities for students.

Many ACPS endeavors drew accolades for equity in education including the Silver Prize in the 2022 National School Boards Association Magna Awards for the Identity Project campaign to rename two division schools. The ACPS Department of School & Community Relations received eight awards for outstanding work in school communications from the National School Public Relations Association (NSPRA). Two of these honors were Golden Achievement Awards, one for the ACPS 2021-25 Strategic Communications and Community Engagement Plan and the other for the ACPS Vision, Integrity and Passion (VIP) Awards employee recognition program developed by the Department of Human Resources and promoted by the Office of Communications. Highlighting the contributions made by our school counselors and their impact on student achievement, the ACHS Department of School Counseling was named a Recognized ASCA Model Program (RAMP) by the American School Counselor Association (ASCA).

As we move forward, I have continued the good work Dr. Hutchings began during his tenure. This includes moving forward with SEAL support for our students in preschool through grade 12, addressing learning loss amid the pandemic, absenteeism and our high school graduation rate, in particular, among Hispanic male students. The division will also continue to strengthen teacher recruitment and retention efforts while providing resources for staff to grow their careers. I will also ensure that ACPS remains true to its commitment to place racial equity at the heart of all decision making in keeping with the 2025 Strategic Plan and promoting our programs, staff and students as “simply the best.”

Dr. Melanie Kay-Wyatt Interim Superintendent of Schools

2021-22 School Board

District A

Jacinta Greene Vice Chair

Michelle Rief

Willie F. Bailey, Sr.

District B

Kelly Carmichael Booz

Tammy Ignacio

Ashley Simpson Baird

District C

Meagan L. Alderton (Chair)

Abdel-Rahman Elnoubi

W. Christopher Harris

School Board Student Representatives: Emily Milton, Sylvia Rahim

Central Office Administrators

2021-22

Departments:

ACCOUNTABILITY AND RESEARCH

Dr. Clinton Page Chief of Accountability and Research

FACILITIES AND OPERATIONS

Dr. Alicia Hart

Acting Chief of Facilities and Operations

FINANCIAL SERVICES

Dominic Turner

Chief Financial Officer

HUMAN RESOURCES

Dr. Melanie Kay-Wyatt

Acting Chief of Human Resources

SCHOOL AND COMMUNITY RELATIONS

Julia A. Burgos

Chief of School and Community Relations

STUDENT SERVICES AND EQUITY

Dr. Julie Crawford

Chief of Student Services and Equity

TEACHING, LEARNING AND LEADERSHIP

Dr. Terri Mozingo

Chief of Teaching, Learning and Leadership

TECHNOLOGY SERVICES

Dr. Elizabeth Hoover

Chief Technology Officer

OFFICE OF THE SCHOOL BOARD Susan Neilson, School Board Clerk

2021-22 Measuring What Matters Highlights

Reopening Schools for In-Person Learning

• Teaching, Learning and Leadership–In-person and Virtual Virginia; learning in quarantine plans

• Facilities and Operations–heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC); signage; enhanced cleaning; meals

• Student Services–on-site testing; vaccination clinics

• Communications and engagement–virtual town halls; FAQs

• In-person graduation back at George Mason University (GMU) arena

Advancing Capital Planning and Operational Initiatives

• Ribbon-cutting at the newly renovated Parker-Gray Stadium

• Purchase of 1703 N. Beauregard building

• Addition of electric buses to ACPS fleet

• Launch of High School Project

Sharing 2021- 22 School Year Academic Spotlights

• Record number of advanced degrees; Recognized ASCA (American School Counselor Association) Model Program (RAMP) designation; national recognition of school leaders

• Governor’s Health Sciences Academy graduates first class in 2022

• ACPS-VA Tech partnership launches pilot elementary school program

Focusing on ACPS Student and Staff Well-being

• Students benefit from daily social, emotional and academic learning (SEAL) and multi-tiered system of support (MTSS) in schools

• Employee wellness and appreciation

f Vision, Integrity and Passion (VIP) Awards launched

f Finding Fit wellness program revamped

f Essential workers recognition

Advancing the ACPS Commitment to Racial Equity

• National School Board Association (NSBA) Magna award for The Identity Project

• Results announced for first-ever Equity Climate Survey

AWARDS RECEIVED BY ACPS

• Two National School Public Relations Association (NSPRA) Golden Achievement Awards

• Two NSPRA Awards Of Excellence

• Two NSPRA Awards Of Merit

• Honorable Mention NSPRA Award

Fast Facts

SY 2022-23 Data

Enrollment Numbers

15,732 Total Division (PK - 12)

4,506 High School (all 9-12)

Demographic make-up of students by race/ethnicity

Total Membership

3,228 Middle School (all 6-8)

7,692 Elementary (all K-5)

306 PreK

119 Countries of Birth

124 Home Languages Spoken

8,589 Students Eligible for Free/Reduced Meals*

25.0% (3,937) Black

5,609 English Learners

37.7% (5,928) Hispanic

*Official numbers submitted by School Nutrition Services through the 10/31/22 Federal Report Filing.

1,600 Special Education Students**

**The Child Count Report, submitted in December each year, is the official count of students receiving Special Education services in the Division. This number will be updated upon submission of the Fall 2022 Child Count Report submitted in December 2022.

Fast Facts (cont.)

Implementation

Accomplishments during SY 2021-22

• School Board Budget Priorities, ACPS Areas of Focus, and School and Department planning documents all aligned directly to the Equity for All Strategic Plan.

• Monitoring enhancements continued with the creation of new school-level dashboards displaying Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and Equity for All survey results at the school level. This will allow schools to understand directly how they contribute to division-level results, identify strategic areas of focus, and monitor their progress throughout the life of the plan. This work coincides with the existing work of continuing transparent and honest conversations with the Board and all stakeholders on division-level data and identifying aligned areas of focus based on data.

• Creating a “living and breathing” strategic plan that remains responsive to the division’s needs through a diverse stakeholder group, Strategic Planning Annual Review Committee (SPARC), continuing along with goal leaders and strategy managers to go through a review process and recommend necessary adjustments to the strategic plan.

• Gaining diverse student perspectives, insights and voice in understanding what specific behaviors they associate with the core values identified within the strategic plan. This work will directly inform additional internal definitions and behavioral “look fors” to be rolled out to staff associated with each Core Value.

Next Steps

• Continue to prioritize alignment of Department Improvement Plans (DIP) with strategic plan strategies to identify potential gaps and to allow for formative monitoring of the implementation of strategies through existing DIP reporting structures.

• Leverage behaviors identified by students for each core value to become explicit as an organization for what each core value truly means in ACPS and how they show up in our day-to-day interactions as staff.

• Refine learning structures with schools and departments in the use of KPI and Equity for All dashboards in how these data inform their decision-making moving forward. Also, identify how KPI data will be presented visually across years as we now approach our third year of KPI data to allow for a more transparent view of trends in the data across years.

• Continue to engage SPARC, goal leaders and strategy managers to best inform the third year revision process in the spring.

Key Milestones and Where We Are Today

September 2021: Alignment of School Board Budget

Priorities and ACPS Areas of Focus to Equity for All strategic plan.

March 2022: School-level Equity Dashboard launched to report and monitor inequities formatively within the Equity for All Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) coinciding with the division-level data being reported to the Board and stakeholders.

October 2021:

Launch of new Equity for All staff learning modules focused on racial equity at the heart of our work and focusing in on the Core Values within the strategic plan and their direct connection to our anti-racist journey as an organization.

April-June 2022: SPARC, goal leaders, strategy managers and School Board engage in the second annual review and revision process of the Equity for All strategic plan.

Administration of second annual Equity for All Climate Survey for staff, students and families along with the roll-out of schoollevel dashboards displaying survey results in an interactive analytic tool to facilitate learning and to monitor

Accomplishments during SY 2021-22

Phase I Completed: Equity Audit Review & Development of Recommendations

• ACPS policy categories A, I and J were reviewed by the Equity Audit Team and included a report from the Intercultural Development Research Association (IDRA EAC-South) consultants.

• ACPS partnered to update the School Board in collaboration with the policy revision consultant.

Key Milestones and Where We Are Today

Phase II In Progress: Board Review and Policy Revision Process

• Seven School Board committee meetings were held to review and revise policies based on focus group feedback and audit team analysis and recommendations.

• Review tier two policies with a focus on the policies in need of code revisions and Virginia School Board Association (VSBA) model policy changes.

• Focus groups were conducted with two students, two administrators and two family groups and feedback was collected and taken into account to add to the School Board committee revisions.

• Focus groups for students and families included diverse voices from historically marginalized populations.

• A policy services consultant joined the team to support the policy revision process.

• The Equity Audit Process was revised based on feedback from the policy revision consultant.

Next Steps

Phase II Continued: Board Review and Policy Revision Process

In the 2022-23 school year the audit team will continue to:

• Review tier two policies through an equity lens and prioritize the VSBA model policies that have high priority code changes.

• Engage the School Board Committee in the revision process of approximately 100 policies completed per academic year.

• Conduct additional focus groups of stakeholders with a focus on historically marginalized populations.

Hispanic Males

Accomplishments during SY 2021-22

• Academic Enrichment and Advancement

• Early Warning System

• Work-Based Learning (WBL) opportunities (Externships and Internships)

• Jobs for Virginia Graduates (JVG)

Key Milestones and Where We Are Today

Steady increase of students who participated in WBL.

Next Steps

• Monitor the local labor market and develop additional WBL opportunities with school division partners to address regional workforce needs.

• Use the new Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) Career Strategies code (22250) to coordinate Career and Technical Education (CTE) courses with Internship opportunities (240 hours) that allow students to have early release from school and receive credit while working.

College

Accomplishments during SY 2021-22

The ACPS/Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA) working team is continuing to finalize details regarding start-up associate degree pathways for the initial cohort year as landscapes change with governing bodies for both K-12 and higher education. Additional considerations have been given to the NOVA-George Mason University ADVANCE programming and local high school project for pathway selections. ACPS summer learning in 2022 targeted and included college and career pathway exploration to heighten student exposure, awareness and interest in specific pathways for future consideration. During this time and with the support of our Virginia Tech Innovation Campus partner, students were afforded various field experiences and a robust Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) fair that allowed students to engage with simulations and local business experts from various career fields.

Key Milestones and Where We Are Today

Future work includes confirming actual contributing services from each party, program pathways and start-up cohort location. Working group and regular team meetings will reconvene to address summer learning programming and communication for stakeholders.

Next Steps

Fall 2022-Spring 2023

• ACPS and NOVA Leadership meeting to determine final Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) details and funding allocation.

• Identification of space and usage consideration afforded for start-up cohort.

• Spring 2023: Summer Learning program targets, communication plan for students, staff and families.

• Initial pathway selection based on current Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) and State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV) policy changes and the ACPS High School Project.

Talented and Gifted

Accomplishments during SY 2021-22

• During the 2021-22 school year, schools increased the number of Young Scholars (YS) referred for higher levels of talented and gifted (TAG) services.

• The TAG office expanded automatic referral criteria to include achievement and expanded ability test scores.

Key Milestones and Where We Are Today

The groundwork was started to update the philosophy and definition of giftedness to move to Advanced Academic services, which also aligns with the Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS) service model.

ACPS has moved towards an electronic screening process to ensure greater screening accuracy with record keeping and data analysis.

Professional learning has focused on the Math Workshop Model, Young Scholars, Differentiation for Gifted Learners, Document Based Questions (DBQs) and Empowering Underrepresented Gifted Students.

Next Steps

• Revise the Local Plan for the Gifted to include updated goals, service models, and identification procedures.

• Adopt a gifted observation scale that is more culturally, linguistically and economically responsive.

• Update the gifted screening matrix to include growth measures for English learners.

• Continue to increase access to the TAG screening process by expanding automatic referrals to include all Young Scholars in Grades K-5.

• Expand automatic referrals to include third-grade students who are already eligible for General Intellectual Aptitude (GIA) services to be automatically included in screening for Specific Academic Aptitude (SAA) services in Language Arts and Math for fourth grade in 2023-24.

OF FOCUS

Middle School Educational Experience

Accomplishments during SY 2021-22

The Middle School Project Work developed its work team during the 2021-22 school year. The work team consists of school leadership and teacher representation from Francis C. Hammond Middle School, George Washington Middle School, Patrick Henry K-8 School, and Jefferson-Houston PreK-8 IB School. The culmination of the work conducted during the 2021-22 school year resulted in research conducted on the middle school educational experience areas of focus, the development of the rationale, data analysis and success metrics.

Key Milestones and Where We Are Today

Next Steps

Next steps for the Middle School Project will include reconvening the work team to continue research, conducting focus groups with families and students, finalizing recommendations, and developing an implementation timeline.

Social, Emotional and Academic Learning

Accomplishments during SY 2021-22

• During the 2021-22 school year, ACPS focused on laying a strong foundation for the division-wide implementation of social, emotional and academic learning (SEAL). All ACPS schools and campuses have received the Recognizing, Understanding, Labeling, Expressing and Regulating (RULER) curriculum training and are working on implementation with staff and students.

• In July 2022 RULER implementation teams began to write school-based SEAL lesson plans to include RULER curriculum, Positive Behavioral Interventions and Support (PBIS) expectations, Restorative Practices community circles and the Collaborative for Academic Social and Emotional Learning (CASEL) standards.

Key Milestones and Where We Are Today

In order to implement SEAL and build the capacity of our staff to support all students, 13 schools and campus implementation teams received RULER training during the summer of 2021. This was the kickoff to division-wide implementation. The 13 schools and campuses joined the eight pilot schools and campuses in implementing the RULER curriculum.

To support each school, mental health specialists met with each school’s RULER implementation team to guide school-wide implementation.

As a supportive resource, mental health specialists provided K-12 SEAL lesson plans for school-based implementation.

Next Steps

• Continued support with RULER implementation at all schools based on their diverse levels of implementation.

• Each school-based implementation team is writing their school’s SEAL lessons with the incorporation of the RULER curriculum, PBIS expectations, Restorative Practices community circles and CASEL standards.

• Implementation of accountability measurements and fidelity walks are underway.

• Mental health specialists are engaging in cross departmental collaboration with teaching, learning and leadership to embed RULER in instruction throughout the academic day.

Literacy Grades K-4

Accomplishments during SY 2021-22

• Implemented a new phonics and phonemic awareness resource - Really Great Reading - in all K-2 classrooms.

• Engaged K-2 teachers in a year-long blended learning course of asynchronous learning and live webinars to build knowledge of systematic and explicit phonics instruction.

• Engaged Grade 3-5 Literacy Leadership Committee in reviewing resources for meeting the individual literacy needs of older students and developing research-based recommendations.

Key Milestones and Where We Are Today

• All ACPS teachers are equipped with lesson materials, student consumables, hands-on manipulatives and individualized software for teaching critical foundational literacy skills.

• High-quality instructional materials being piloted for core curriculum in grades 3-5.

• All ACPS teachers trained in differentiated assessment protocols to efficiently diagnose and progress-monitor students’ individual literacy needs.

Next Steps

• Enhance core phonics instruction in K-2 classrooms by sustaining and strengthening implementation of Really Great Reading’s explicit and systematic sequence of instruction.

• Build educator capacity in use of differentiated assessment and instruction protocols to accelerate student achievement through targeted small-group differentiated instruction.

• Facilitate continuous improvement of high quality tier one instruction by supporting collaborative communities of practice in learning together, studying classroom practice and employing instructional resources grounded in the latest reading research.

Math Recovery

Accomplishments during SY 2021-22

• Implemented Catalyzing Change Cohort with school administrators and instructional coaches.

• A central office team made up of the math, English learners (EL), and special education (SPED), talented and gifted (TAG) specialists completed the Harvard course, “Differentiated Instruction Made Practical” and developed a plan for differentiation in mathematics.

• Redesigned tier two and tier three Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS) to include Do the Math and DreamBox for grades K–5 and Math 180 for grades 6–8.

• Implemented a new tier three middle school math intervention program, Math 180 with above expected growth for participating students.

Key Milestones and Where We Are Today

• Provided ongoing professional learning including:

f Differentiated Instruction Made Practical secondary math cohort.

f Math Workshop for K-5 math classes.

f Addressing unfinished learning through grade-level content

f Development of increased scaffolds throughout the curriculum to support student access to grade-level content by using prerequisite knowledge.

f Implementation of the K-12 Mathematics Instructional Framework in all classrooms to include framing the learning, mini lesson, skill development, reflection and assessment.

Next Steps

• Year two of the Catalyzing Change Cohort with school administrators and instructional coaches as well as expanding the cohort to teachers.

• Expand the Differentiated Instruction Made Practical math cohort.

• Provide professional learning opportunities focused on using the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) Growth Assessment data.

• Continue to develop differentiated resources throughout the curriculum to support each student.

Implementation of Students with Disabilities Plan

Accomplishments during SY 2021-22

• COVID-19 Recovery

f Developed and implemented a data review protocol to identify students with disabilities who require COVID-19 recovery services.

f Developed and implemented Individualized Education Plan (IEP) procedures to document COVID-19 recovery services.

f Developed after-school COVID-19 recovery tutoring program at each school, as well as a Saturday centralized tutoring program, to implement services; staffed program with tutors, provided leadership opportunities for lead tutors and supervision/oversight for programming.

• Restraint and Seclusion Policy Implementation and Management

f Provided extensive professional learning and follow-up with school teams on the new documentation requirements related to restraint and seclusion policy.

f Provided professional learning to all ACPS staff related to awareness of restraint and seclusion regulations and strategies to de-escalate student behaviors.

f Provided Crisis Prevention Institute (CPI) advanced training (initial and refresher) to ensure school teams had required levels of staff trained to support students with challenging behaviors.

• Provided expanded summer learning options, above and beyond the required Extended School Year (ESY) offerings, to meet the COVID-19 recovery and intervention needs of students with disabilities in the areas of reading and math.

Key Milestones and Where We Are Today

• Developed and phased in implementation of progress monitoring tool.

• Developed and implemented a process for addressing needs of students with challenging behaviors prior to, or to prevent the need for, referral for special education eligibility (Comprehensive Coordinated Early Intervening Services - CCEIS).

• In collaboration with the Department of Accountability, implemented Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) new Virginia Alternate Assessment Program (VAAP).

f Provided professional learning on Virginia Essential Standards of Learning (VESOL).

f Developed resources for providing instruction aligned with VESOLs to students with significant cognitive impairments.

f Developed an Individual Student Testing Plan document to ensure students were prepared for assessment when the window opened.

f Provided professional learning on conducting the Virginia Alternate Assessment Program (VAAP).

f Provided staff support for implementing the VAAP program as well as transcribing student responses as needed.

Next Steps

• Provide customized school-based support to staff and students aligned with priorities outlined by individual school administrators.

• Provide targeted professional development in the co-teaching cadre and implementation of the progress monitoring tool.

• Continue oversight of system-wide and school-based compliance with special education regulations and requirements for providing services to students with disabilities.

Student Support Team (SST)

Accomplishments during SY 2021-22

• SST worked to remove barriers to student achievement with supportive tiered interventions that addressed the physical health and safety, mental health and social emotional development of students as we returned to in-person learning from the pandemic.

f School health services staff monitored COVID-19 cases and worked in partnership with the Alexandria Health Department (AHD) to provide up-to-date information and mitigation measures in partnership with Department of Facilities and Operations to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in our schools.

f Provided Narcan administration training for school health staff and provided Narcan to the school health clinics to support students with severe substance abuse concerns.

f SST monitored daily student attendance as well as chronic absenteeism. Central office staff joined school-based intervention meetings as an additional layer of support for implementation of tiered interventions. Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funding was also used to case manage and follow-up on students who were having significant attendance concerns.

f SST supported the school-wide implementation of social, emotional and academic learning (SEAL), Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) and restorative practices through classroom lessons, small groups and individualized meetings with students.

• SST provided tiered training to staff.

f Approximately 68% of SST members were trained in at least one Tier II/III intervention including Bounce Back/ SSET, Kimochis and Social Thinking.

Next Steps

• Currently in the process of disaggregating the Devereux Student Strengths Assessment (DESSA) data to better understand the needs of our students, and in turn, utilize these data to support SEAL lessons, individual and group support to students, as well as classroom instruction led by members of the SST at each school level. Additional student data will be collected through the Spring DESSA Rating Window set for March 2023.

• In collaboration with the Department of Accountability and Research, an attendance and chronic absenteeism data dashboard has been created. This will allow for greater monitoring of aggregate attendance data as well as allow SST to drill down by individual students to provide interventions and support.

• Current Section 504 process will become more efficient as we will utilize an electronic database to document our efforts around supporting students with Section 504 plans. This shift will allow for greater systemic alignment in record keeping and access to student plans while also maintaining the privacy of our student data.

f Approximately 80% of those trained utilized the intervention in a small group or individual session.

Key Milestones and Where We Are Today

• Utilization of Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funds to support the work of school counselors to address significant social emotional and academic needs of our students.

• Certified nursing assistants (CNA) were added at school sites to ensure student and school nursing support were appropriate to meet the needs of our students.

• The Devereux Student Strengths Assessment (DESSA) universal screener was administered to students using the DESSA Mini (teacher evaluation of students) at each elementary and K-8 school. The DESSA HSE- SSR (student self report) was provided to students at the Alexandria City High School (ACHS) campuses to include Minnie Howard, King Street, Satellite and Chance for Change (CFC).

• Continuation of professional learning of three curriculums for Student Support Team (SST) members:

f Kimochis: A social-emotional curriculum that uses its characters/pillows to teach kids about emotions and how to communicate their feelings with others.

f Student Success Skills: This curriculum focuses on developing key skills and attitudes in an environment of caring, support and encouragement that increases student confidence and effort contributing to student success including goal setting, progress monitoring, success sharing; creating a caring, supportive and encouraging classroom; memory skills; performing under pressure and healthy optimism.

f Social Thinking Curriculum: Teaches key concepts of flexible thinking, using our whole body to listen, how to remain in a group, etc.

• Review of the threat assessment protocols to incorporate updates and provided professional learning to SST members and administrators in collaboration with the Office of Safety and Security Services to support a safe and engaging learning environment in each school.

• Narcan administration training has been expanded to include school administrators and school security

Budget

Budget: FY 2022

Budget: FY 2022 (Revenue)

Class of 2022

Class of 2022

Data released by the Virginia Department of Education show that ACPS’ 2022 graduates achieved an 83.3% four year ontime graduation rate with a dropout rate of 8.8%. Among graduating seniors at Alexandria City High School (ACHS), 404 graduated with an Advanced Studies Diploma. As of June, 5, 2022, 582 members of the class of 2022 said they are planning to attend one of 131 colleges or universities. Twenty-eight Titan athletes signed letters of intent to compete in collegiate athletics in 10 sports.

The graduates are receiving $1,734,500 in merit scholarships awarded from the following organizations: Questbridge College Match, POSSE, Akerson Family Foundation, Cameron Impact, Future of STEM Scholars Initiative (FOSSI), Harry F. Byrd Jr. Leadership, Educational Opportunities for Alexandrians, Regeneron Science Talent Search, Virginia State University Alumni Association and The Dream U.S. National. Scholarships were awarded to 205 students from the Scholarship Fund of Alexandria totaling $600,450 for their first year of college with renewal throughout their four years of study.

Fourteen students have indicated a commitment to serve in the U.S. military. At least 14 students plan to attend trade schools to study technical, Heating Ventilation Air Conditioning (HVAC), dental assistant, electrical apprenticeship, and automotive service trades. Gap years have been planned by at least 33 students through the following organizations: Year Up, Americorps, employment/internships.

During their four years of competing as Titans, ACHS students have won a State Championship in volleyball, 17 District titles and four Regional titles in athletics.

Class of 2022 Highlights

2022 Graduates Class diversity of the 902 ACHS graduates:

American Indian/Alaska Native (non-Hispanic): 0%

Asian (non-Hispanic): 5.5%

Black/African American (non-Hispanic): 27%

White (non-Hispanic): 29.7%

Multi (non-Hispanic): 2.4%

Hispanic all races: 34.7%

582 members of this class have reported planning to attend college or university (as of 6/5/22)

They will attend 131 colleges and universities

28 Titan athletes signed letters of intent to compete in collegiate athletics in eight sports

404 seniors graduated with an Advanced Studies Diploma

14 students at this time, have indicated a commitment to serve in the U.S. military

They are receiving $1,734,500 in merit scholarships awarded from the following organizations:

• Questbridge College Match

• POSSE

• Akerson Family Foundation

• Cameron Impact

• Future of STEM Scholars Initiative (FOSSI)

• Harry F. Byrd Jr. Leadership

• Educational Opportunities for Alexandrians

• Regeneron Science Talent Search

• Virginia State University Alumni Association

• The Dream U.S. National

The Scholarship Fund of Alexandria ($600,450)

At least 33 seniors have planned gap years through the following organizations: Year Up, Americorps, employment/internships

During their four years of competing as Titans, they have won:

State Championship in volleyball

17

At least 14 students will attend trade schools to study HVAC, dental assistant, electrical apprenticeship, technical, and automotive service trades

District titles in athletics

4 Regional titles in athletics

Accomplishments Student

High Schools

Alexandria City High School

2021-22 Student Accomplishments

Alexandria City High School senior Wisdom Williams claimed the state championship with a new record in the women’s shot put at the Virginia High School League Class 6 State Indoor Track & Field Championships Feb. 26 at the Virginia Beach Sports Center. Williams’ record-setting throw of 48-01.75 easily eclipsed the runners up in this field.

Athletes of the Year

Wisdom Williams, Shotput

Williams dazzled with the shot put and was a model of resilience. Working through a back injury early in the season, she broke the state record with a throw of 48 feet 1.75 inches at the Virginia Class 6 championships. Her tenacity in aiming for personal records made her one of the top athletes in the region. Next up: the University of Iowa.

Akira Hamilton, Indoor Track and Field

Schools

• Alexandria City High School King Street Campus (Grades 10-12)

• Alexandria City High School

Minnie Howard Campus (Grade 9)

• Alexandria City High School

Satellite Campus at ACPS Central Office

• Chance for Change (CFC)

Alternative Programs and Schools

• Northern Virginia Juvenile Detention Center School

Alexandria City High School senior Akira Hamilton claimed the state championship at the Virginia High School League Class 6 State Indoor Track & Field Championships Feb. 26 at the Virginia Beach Sports Center. She claimed the women’s state championship with a 7.11 run in the 55-meter.

Milan Rex, Volleyball

1st Team All Patriot District, Patriot District Player of the Year, 1st Team All Occoquan Region, 6C All Region Player of the Year and All-VHSL Class 6 State Volleyball First Team.

Alternative Programs and Schools

Northern Virginia Juvenile Detention Center

• Student participant in American University Panel Discussion: One student served as a panel member at the American University 2022 Summer Institute on Education, Equity and Justice. The title of the panel discussion was Racism and School Discipline: Schools as a Prison.

Middle Schools

Grades 6-8

Francis C. Hammond Middle School

• Jammica Reindorf was selected to be an Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) student speaker for the AVID Regional Conference. AVID student speakers are selected based on students whose path to college and career success was made clearer and whose skills were strengthened by AVID educators dedicated to their success.

Schools

Grades 6-8

• Francis C. Hammond Middle School

• George Washington Middle School

• 57 students from our Class of 2022 eighth grade class were selected for the President’s Education Awards which honors middle school students for their achievement and hard work. The award provides individual recognition from the president and the U.S. secretary of education to those students whose outstanding efforts have enabled them to meet challenging standards of excellence.

• We had students advance to the regional and state National History Day Contest as well as students who advanced to the regional Science Fair.

George Washington Middle School

• The 2022 National French Exam results indicate George Washington Middle School (GWMS) French students set records once again in the 2022 National French Exam, Le Grand Concours. This year’s students competed with more than 42,000 others across the country and sailed away with a record six medals and a whopping 18 honorable mentions. “Félicitations” for their hard work and stupendous results.

f Gold Medal: Sydney Jennings

f Silver Medals: Wesley Anderson, Sean McBride(GW), Sadie Peri

f Bronze Medals: Nadia Akintuyi, Arjen Lopez Lopez

f 18 Mentions d’honneur: Thomas Callejas, Allyson Castillo, Maya Fitzgerald, Camille Harris, Juliette Haynie, Ayoub Ismael, Sofia Katz, Alexander Morris, Allison Maravilla, Gabriel Muldoon, Angeleen Salvatierra Mendez, Gaia Sidahmed, Daisy Soisuvarn, Sol Taimanglo, Gabriel Torres Lopez, Henry Trigg, Kate Wise, Cooper Zissman

• On Saturday, April 23, nine GWMS students competed in the Virginia History Day Competition. Last year’s students competed from both public and private schools. Arthur Dalton placed third in the Individual Exhibit category. Josiah

Baldwin and Sean McBride won the National Maritime History Award and placed second in the Group Website Division. Josiah and Sean advanced to the National History Day 2022 National Contest which was held virtually June 12-18, 2022.

• PTA Reflection Winners:

f Students competed in a number of categories including Dance Choreography

f First: Saha Irwin, Underdog, Literature - First: Tess Sidley, One Step at a Time

f Second: Margaret Montero, The Letter of Fate

f Third: Sydney Jennings, We Choke Each Other

f Honorable Mention: Sadie Szamosfalvi, A Happy Note

f Honorable Mention: Paige Mattson, Dream

f Honorable Mention: Halle Mae Desmond, Smile

f Photography - First: Zoe Foster, Surprise at the Door

f Second: Cardin Babcock, Tying the Ribbons of Change

f Third: Blaine Paige, I Will Change the World by Protecting Our Forests

f Visual Arts - First: Eleanor Purugganan, A Tranquil Forest

f Second(tie): Sadie Szamosfalvi, A Happy Note

f Second (tie): Nora Beekman, I Can Make A Difference by Saving Our Pollinators

f Third: Khamille Muhammad, Letting Your Words Bloom

f Honorable Mention: Gabriella Barbacci, Vegetable Cow

f Honorable Mention: Isabel Craine, Clean Solitude

f Honorable Mention: Brenna Anderson, Reaching Out to You

f Honorable Mention: Kate Wise, Making the Right Choice

f Music Composition - First: Sadie Szamosfalvi, With a Smile

f Second: Amelia Ruth Parks, Universe

f Third: Evelyn Gennarelli, Trying Learning Trying Again

K-8 Schools

Grades K-8

Patrick Henry K-8 School

• Third grade scholars at Patrick Henry K-8 School demonstrated their engineering skills by creating innovative compound machines.

• Patrick Henry School’s seventh grade students participated in the Great Space Race. The students analyzed political cartoons, arranged timelines, collaborated on Document Based Question documents and dived into discussions about the scientific method/engineering process.

Grades PreK-8

Jefferson-Houston PreK-8 IB School

• Students entered the Creative Communication “Poetic Power” Contest and were published in the “Creative Communication” A Celebration of Poets Grades 7-8. Taina Rodriguez, Cahya Wilhoit, Abby Miller, Carlos Calderon, Madison Ingram, Nebel Abel, Sebastian Johnson, Nasiah Herring, and Kailyn Sims.

• Dersabel Gebrengus placed first in the ACPS Science Fair in the category of Energy: Sustainable Materials and Design. She went to the regionals.

• Farr Quinn was selected for the Virginia Council of Teachers of Mathematics (VCTM)’s William C. Lowery Math Educator of the Year for Middle School.

• J-H Band and Orchestra students Solomon Hughes, April Larico, and Lucio Toledo were honored and recognized by the Alexandria City Optimist Club for musical achievement in Band and Orchestra.

Schools

PreK

• Early Education Center (ECC)

Grades K-8

• Patrick Henry K-8 School

Grades PreK-8

• Jefferson-Houston PreK-8 IB School

Elementary Schools

• Charles Barrett Elementary School

• Cora Kelly School for Math, Science and Technology

• Douglas MacArthur Elementary School

• Ferdinand T. Day Elementary School

• George Mason Elementary School

• James K. Polk Elementary School

• John Adams Elementary School

• Lyles-Crouch Traditional Academy

• Mount Vernon Community School

• Naomi L. Brooks Elementary School

• William Ramsay Elementary School

Elementary and PreK Schools

Early Childhood Center (PreK)

• 100% of early childhood students receiving speech and language therapy made significant progress towards meeting their individualized communication goals.

• The Early Childhood Center and Early Childhood Programs launched a diversity-focused children’s literacy book club. Members read and developed discussion questions for equity-focused literacy lessons in preschool classrooms. The team also read and discussed articles, TedTalks, and utilized other research-based resources to increase anti-racist practices and instruction in preschool.

Charles Barrett Elementary School (Grades PreK-5)

• Elijah Fisher, fifth grader, received the 2022 Charles Barrett Elementary School’s Principal’s Award for tremendous overall growth and improvement over several years.

• Elle Brenner, fifth grader, received the 2022 Charles Barrett Elementary School North Ridge Citizenship award, given to a student on behalf of the North Ridge Citizens Association who exemplifies the qualities of a good citizen, including kindness, positivity and respect.

Cora Kelly School for Math, Science and Technology (Grades PreK-5)

• Second grader Jason Jurado completed LEXIA Core 5, all the levels.

William Ramsay Elementary School (Grades PreK-5)

• William Ramsay has received a Level 5 for Virginia Quality. This is the highest level of quality we could receive.

Grades K-5

Douglas MacArthur Elementary School

• Douglas MacArthur Elementary School’s third grade student Iria Luck won first place in The Links, incorporated National Poster Competition.

Ferdinand T. Day Elementary School

• Grade four student, Barkot Takele, was our school-wide poetry winner.

• The First Lego League Team won first place for Robot Design at the Division 1 Regional Qualifier.

• Ferdinand T. Day students got up and moving in a variety of ways. Thirty-six student members exceeded four million steps over the course of the year during Ferdinand T. Day Morning Movers Club.

George Mason Elementary School

• Students participated in “The Best” video for Teacher and Staff Appreciation week.

James K. Polk Elementary School

• Grade five students partnered with Virginia Teach for the Micro-bits Project. This unique experience gave students the opportunity to explore the world of coding.

John Adams Elementary School

• Fourth grade student Haydn Wixom won the John Adams’ school-wide spelling bee and went on to represent ACPS in the Fairfax County spelling bee.

• In April, our Sympatico students performed with the Alexandria Symphony Orchestra at Schlesinger Hall. They performed an original piece written by percussionist Brian Precthl of the Baltimore Symphony.

Lyles-Crouch Traditional Academy

• Lyles-Crouch Traditional Academy, a Core Knowledge School of Distinction, was written about again in Dr. E.D. Hirsch’s second book, American Ethnicity (the other book was How to Educate a Citizen) for the school’s continued academic excellence. It is the only public school featured in the book. Every student in every subgroup succeeds, meeting their benchmarks. Core Knowledge is the framework that addresses the opportunity gap.

Mount Vernon Community School

• Allie Cain was the 2021-22 ACPS Elementary School Poet laureate.

• Mariana Carpio won the ACPS poetry contest in the fifth grade category.

Naomi L. Brooks Elementary School

• Ryan Wood (grade four) was our ACPS Poetry Contest Winner for his creative and humorous poem about the feelings and life of a water bottle.

• Sophia Coleman (grade five) was the Spelling Bee winner.

Accomplishments Team

High Schools

Alexandria City High School (ACHS)

• Alexandria City High School (ACHS) initiated a fishing component for students at the ACHS Minnie Howard campus.

• The Alexandria City High School (ACHS) programs in band, orchestra and chorus received superior assessment ratings and the ACHS music program received the Blue Ribbon Award, the highest award given to school music programs in the Commonwealth of Virginia.

• The ACHS Theater Department was nominated for five Cappies Awards for their production of the musical “Little Shop of Horrors” and won in the category of “Props” at the 22nd annual Cappies Gala; the Cappies is a program that recognizes excellence in theater arts across the DC metro region.

Alternative Programs and Schools

Northern Virginia Juvenile Detention Center

• Won a grant from Running Brooke for a total of $5,000. This grant will fund stationary bicycles for the classrooms as well as elliptical devices that go under desks for students.

Schools

• Alexandria City High School

King Street Campus (Grades 10-12)

• Alexandria City High School Minnie Howard Campus (Grade 9)

• Alexandria City High School

Satellite Campus at ACPS

Central Office

• Chance for Change (CFC)

Alternative Programs and Schools

• Northern Virginia Juvenile Detention Center School

• Earned a grant from Dept of Juvenile Justice to house a mobile kitchen. This $17,000 grant award will allow students to enhance their culinary skills while detained.

• Saw an 84% reduction in discipline referrals for the 2021-22 school year. This is attributed to beginning our work with the RULER program, a new advisory period, as well as increased SEAL work with all students.

Middle Schools

Grades 6-8

Francis C. Hammond Middle School

• Instructional coaches did cutting edge and innovative work on developing a coaching model.

Schools

Grades 6-8

• Francis C. Hammond Middle School

• The first school to bring Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) Excel to ACPS and the state of Virginia. AVID Excel is a branch of the AVID system that specifically focuses on our English learners to help accelerate academic language acquisition.

• George Washington Middle School

George Washington Middle School

• AVID program was expanded to support the hopes and dreams of its first-generation college going students.

• Dual Language grew as a vibrant and rich program that now serves grades six through eight.

K-8 Schools

Grades K-8

Patrick Henry K-8 School

• Middle school orchestra and band students from Patrick Henry K-8 School performed in April for the Optimist Club including Santiago Grande-Delgado, Michelle Nketia, Elijah Pasco and Kumibea Sarkodee-Addo.

Grades PreK-8

Jefferson-Houston PreK-8 IB School

• Mandisa Byrant-Morris and Curtis Murray received honorable mention from The Alexandria PTA Council for the Golden Apple Award in Excellence in Community & Family Engagement.

• Mr. Van der Sluis, J-H’s Teacher of the Year, was recognized as Principal Violist (solo) for the Prince George’s Philharmonic.

Elementary and PreK Schools

Early Childhood Center

• The Early Childhood Center was granted a Virginia Quality Certificate for Level 5 status, which is the highest level possible.

Charles Barrett Elementary School (Grades PreK-5)

• Charles Barrett hosted its first Spring Talent Show since 2019.

Schools PreK

• Early Education Center (ECC)

Grades K-8

• Patrick Henry K-8 School

Grades PreK-8

• Jefferson-Houston PreK-8 IB School

Elementary Schools

• Charles Barrett Elementary School

• Cora Kelly School for Math, Science and Technology

• Douglas MacArthur Elementary School

• Ferdinand T. Day Elementary School

• George Mason Elementary School

• James K. Polk Elementary School

• John Adams Elementary School

• Lyles-Crouch Traditional Academy

• Mount Vernon Community School

• Naomi L. Brooks Elementary School

• William Ramsay Elementary School

Cora Kelly School for Math, Science and Technology (Grades PreK-5)

• Dr. Lauren Holthaus was the award winner for Virginia Association of Elementary School Principals (VAESP) assistant principal of the year in the state of Virginia.

• The encore team helped welcome ACPS and Alexandria City essential workers as part of the Essential Worker recognition day.

William Ramsay Elementary School (Grades PreK-5)

• Started a Roadrunners Club with funds awarded by Running Brooke. This was in addition to the garden and yoga clubs started in the previous school year.

Grades K-5

Douglas MacArthur Elementary School

• Congratulations to Katherine “Katie” Davidson for being a nominee for the inaugural 2022 Optimist Teacher of the Year representing Douglas MacArthur.

Ferdinand T. Day Elementary School

• Worked collaboratively through a variety of family engagement events and these events led to the completion of 268 home visits this year. In addition, three family literacy events, three family Math events, two STEM Nights and a technology night were held virtually with a total of 318 families participating.

• The FTD STEM program grew to include seven rounds of DAYscovery where students engaged in cross-curriculum threaded engineering design projects, FLEX STEM lab lessons that included 3D printing, Glowforge engraving, ZSpace AR investigations, circuit construction, and coding with Microbits.

George Mason Elementary School

• 2021 Marine Corps Marathon winner earned $1,000 for the school.

• Fun Run- The JKP PTA partnered with the PTAs at Patrick Henry and Douglas MacArthur to plan a FUN Run for students. The 1st Tri-School Fun Run Event occurred on Saturday, April 23. Students, parents and some administrators ran from Patrick Henry to Polk. This event was well attended by members of each school community and it was a huge success!

• Kindergarten/Curriculum Success Nights - Each grade level hosted a virtual grade level/curriculum night. Teachers modeled specific strategies that parents could utilize to assist students with the exploration of grade level objectives. Each event was well attended by parents.

John Adams Elementary School

• Three John Adams’ staff members officially became Certified Project Guided Language Acquisition Design (GLAD) trainers after countless hours of personal professional development, classroom demonstrations, and collaboration with ACPS and Project GLAD staff. These staff members are DL Coach: Yenny Lugo, EL Teacher: Juliet Harris, 3rd Grade DL Teacher: Edwin Velez.

• With the support of our Community in Schools liaison, John Adams staff, and community partnerships we were able to offer multiple after school experiences for our students including recreational soccer, Inova Healthy Plate Club, Spitfire Club, and Students Occupationally and Academically Ready (SOAR) tutoring.

Lyles-Crouch Traditional Academy

• Lyles-Crouch Traditional Academy is an internationally recognized Core Knowledge School Of Distinction. It achieved highest academic excellence awards from the Core Knowledge Foundation as a School of Distinction for academic rigor and content integration. It is only one of 10 of the nearly 2000 Core Knowledge Schools to achieve this prestigious honor.

• Valencia Chenier, fourth grade teacher, was featured in a presentation by Curriculum Associates based on her extraordinary success in using I-Ready in her classroom. Her students outperformed the nation in every category in mathematics.

• Cafeteria manager, Laura Purdy, won Virginia’s No Kids Hungry Lunch Hero Award for her hard work and dedication to the children of Lyles-Crouch Traditional Academy. She makes sure that not only are the meals balanced and nutritious, but that the cafeteria is a kid-friendly place to be.

Mount Vernon Community School

• Winner of the Trex Plastic Film Recycling Challenge for the 2021-22 school year

Naomi L. Brooks Elementary School

• 103 students in K-5 participated in After School Intervention, 11 first grade students participated in the Book Buddies program and 12 students participated in the Kindergarten Reading Readiness program.

• First Annual Student Council Association Fun Run which raised money to support Student Council President Sophia Coleman’s campaign promise of ice cream for all students.

• Inaugural year as Naomi L. Brooks Elementary School.

Samuel W. Tucker Elementary School

• Held its first full Intersession since the Fall of 2018. We were able to add back our enrichment courses like French, coding, bridge building, jewelry making and swimming.

• Was awarded from the City of Alexandria a $10,000 matching grant for our Community Garden. Our PTA has matched these funds, $20,000 in total.

Accomplishments Department

Department Accomplishments

Accountability and Research

• Expanding our definition of data and seeking and coaching opportunities for voice, narratives, and perspectives frequently silenced and ignored to increase understanding and deepen learning for all.

• Creating and leveraging data dashboards for our Key Performance Indicator(s) (KPIs) to guide improvement work formatively at the division and school level.

• As a team the pursuit of progress, adaptability and learning forward through discomfort.

• Living Our Values within the Strategic Plan: identifying through student voice the behaviors they associate with each strategic plan value.

ACPS Departments

• Accountability and Research

• Facilities and Operations

• Financial Services

• Human Resources

• School and Community Relations

• Student Services and Equity

• Teaching, Learning and Leadership

• Technology Services

• Equity for All Dashboard: Delivery of formative dashboards at the school level during the year allowing greater alignment and improvement efforts with the strategic plan. Also, adapting measures to meet the needs and inform decision making.

• Maintaining Alignment to our Core: Keeping the equity learning and work done with leaders and school staff seamlessly meshed with the strategic plan and continuous improvement.

Facilities and Operations

• The Office of Capital Programs, Planning and Design (CPPD) successfully investigated, negotiated and acquired 1703 N. Beauregard Street to act as future swing space for the upcoming George Mason and Cora Kelly modernization projects. Additionally, CPPD began construction on the new Douglas MacArthur Elementary School and Minnie Howard modernization project. The successful continuation of our modernization program helps us address long-standing capacity issues and provides innovative and sustainable facilities for our students.

• The Office of Pupil Transportation and Fleet Management (PTFM) successfully applied for and received a grant to purchase five electric buses (to include the necessary charging infrastructure.) The five electric buses were placed into service last school year. In addition, PTFM also applied for and received a second grant to purchase another 10 electric buses. These buses will be acquired and placed into service during SY22-23. Acquiring electric buses is placing us on the right path toward sustainability in our transport systems.

• The Office of Maintenance and Custodial Services successfully procured, distributed and maintained Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) throughout the 2021-22 school year. This PPE included disposable, reusable and KN95 masks that were provided to both students and staff. In addition, the team maintained various mitigation measures throughout the school year to include HEPA air-purifiers for all division classrooms, preventative maintenance and repairs on HVAC systems, installation of bottle-filling stations and temperature screening devices. The provision of PPE and continuation of mitigation measures allowed schools to remain open through the various phases of COVID-19.

• The Office of Safety and Security Services applied for and received grant funding to complete digital mapping of all school facilities. Digital mapping creates a highly accurate base map of information (with the use of a gridded overlay and high-resolution imagery) into one map using floor plans and building access points together. This is an important step to standardize floor plan imagery and include everything that first responders will need to know to coordinate an emergency response within a school building. Proactive measures such as this notes continuous improvement of our security posture for the division.

• The Office of Educational Facilities successfully initiated and executed the comprehensive Facilities Condition Assessment (FCA) process for the division. This effort allowed for the physical condition of all ACPS buildings to be assessed and be provided with an index score. The index score for each facility measures the efficacy of current building systems to help the division better plan, prepare and fund short and long-term capital repairs and replacements.

• The Office of School Nutrition Services (SNS) developed and designed a comprehensive electronic meal ordering system to support our Virtual Virginia students as well as students in quarantine. Additionally, SNS engaged the support of our city partners to establish a partnership for meal deliveries. Lastly, the recent Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS) review for the Commodity Distribution Program generated no infractions for the Office of School Nutrition Services which is a major achievement.

Financial Services

• Provided on average a 5.25% raise for all staff and a one-time bonus payment .

• Increased P-card usage division-wide, resulting in a rebate check to ACPS roughly $40K larger than previous year.

• Clean audit opinion for FY 2022.

• Increased community participation with budget forums.

Human Resources

• Developed and implemented Vision, Integrity and Passion (VIP) Awards Program to recognize more staff across the scales.

• Implemented new process ACPS Compliance Trainings in new program called :Vector Solutions Al Compliance Training in Vector Solutions.

• Revised Recruitment plan doubling hiring efforts -18 fairs scheduled in the Spring, two additional in process (20 total) including four Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) and Latino fairs. 10 scheduled last year. 40% increase.

School Community and Relations

• Recognized for seven National School Public Relations Association (NSPRA) awards that include:

f Two Golden Achievement Awards for the Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS) 2021-25 Strategic Communications and Community Engagement Plan and for the ACPS Vision, Integrity and Passion (VIP) Awards employee recognition program developed by the Department of Human Resources and promoted by the Office of Communications.

f Five Publications and Digital Media Awards, with two Awards of Excellence for the ACPS 2022 Black History Month social media campaign and the superintendent’s “Unapologetic Talk with the Supe” podcast, two Awards of Merit for the ACPS 2020-21 Measuring What Matters annual report and the Alexandria City Essential Workers Appreciation Week video, and an Award of Honorable Mention for a nomination video for the Virginia Association of Elementary School Principals’ national distinguished principals awards program.

f ACPS was awarded four new Department of Education 21st Century Community Learning Center (21 CCLC) grants to support the facilitation of LINK Club, the division’s high-quality afterschool program serving students based on socio-

economic and academic need. These grants provide $790,008 annually for three years and fund programming at three Title I schools and four community-based sites located in underserved communities. f ACPS was awarded $497,830.00 to provide middle school students a highly enriched after school STEM experience.

Student Services and Equity

• Congratulations to Nurse Jodi Bobbitt who was named as the Virginia Association of School Nurse of the Year.

• Supported the Covid-19 response through partnership with the Alexandria Health Department (AHD) to organize seven Covid-19 testing sites in the schools to offer antigen testing and vaccine pods to make it easier for students and staff to access testing and vaccinations.

• Worked in collaboration with school leaders, school health staff and the School & Community Relations team to distribute hundreds of Covid-19 notifications to staff and families to keep them informed and mitigate the spread of Covid-19 in our schools and buildings.

• 205 students were identified as experiencing homelessness during the 2021-22 school year. These students received support with immediate enrollment, transportation, school supplies, free breakfast and lunch, field trips and extracurricular activities per the McKinney-Vento Act and Project Hope. Collaborated closely with local homeless shelters to assess the needs and provide ongoing support to Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS) students living in shelters.

Teaching, Learning and Leadership

• Samuel W. Tucker Elementary School Principal Rene Paschal was recognized at the Virginia Association of Elementary School Principals (VAESP) National Distinguished Principal Of The Year for 2021-22.

• Francis C. Hammond Middle School Physical Education (P.E.) staff implemented a biking unit for all students in Grade 6 and an inline skating unit for all students in Grade 7.

• The Bicycling in the Schools (BITS) program was offered through P.E. to students in Grade 3 at all elementary schools for the first time, in an effort to bring equity to all.

• The Office of Early Childhood, ACPS Facilities department, and the William Ramsay team worked collaboratively to design an outdoor learning classroom for the preK students to explore the natural environment and take part in hands-on experiential learning.

• ACPS Planetarium Teacher Dr. Melissa Hamilton, was accepted into the Fulbright Teachers for Global Classrooms Program.

• Implemented pilot program with Virginia Tech focused on embedding micro:bits in fifth-grade classrooms as part of the ACPS partnership with Virginia Tech.

• The Talented and Gifted office (TAG) began the transition to electronic screening which enables screening to be more accurate, time efficient, and responsive to parents and students.

• Schools increased the amount of referrals for General Intellectual Aptitude (GIA) and Specific Academic Aptitude (SAA) services for students receiving Young Scholars services.

• Trained teachers and administrators across the school division in Project Guided Language Acquisition Design (GLAD) strategies, a first step toward ACPS becoming a regional training center for Project GLAD.

• Implemented Language Line Direct Response, a new service that allows ACPS families who speak Spanish, Amharic, Arabic, Farsi and Pashto to contact our schools with a qualified interpreter already on the line.

• A data tracking system was developed to monitor yearly progress on the English Learner Writing Benchmark formative assessment for teachers, as well as a template to support teachers in documenting and monitoring interventions for students on expected language growth.

• Developed and implemented a data review protocol to identify students with disabilities who require COVID-19 recovery services.

• Developed and implemented Individualized Education Program (IEP) procedures to document COVID-19 recovery services.

• Developed after school COVID-19 recovery tutoring program at each school, as well as a Saturday centralized tutoring program, to implement services; staffed program with tutors, provided leadership opportunities for lead tutors and supervision/oversight for programming.

• Provided expanded summer learning options, above and beyond the required extended school year (ESY) offerings, to meet the COVID-19 recovery and intervention needs of students with disabilities in the areas of reading and math.

• Developed and implemented a process for addressing needs of students with challenging behaviors prior to, or to prevent the need for, referral for special education eligibility (Comprehensive Coordinated Intervening Services CCEIS).

• Provided customized school-based support to staff and students aligned with priorities outlined by individual school administrators.

• In collaboration with the Department of Accountability, implemented Virginia Department of Education’s (VDOE) new Virginia Alternate Assessment Program (VAAP).

• The grade 3-5 Literacy Task Force reviewed research-based resources for meeting the individual literacy needs of older students and identified high quality tier one curriculum resources to pilot in the 2022-23 school year.

• ACPS’ Literacy Leadership Cadre of literacy coaches and reading specialists developed differentiated assessment protocols to efficiently diagnose and progress-monitor students’ individual literacy needs.

• The Literacy team focused on implementing the Bookworms/shared reading.

• The Literacy team is piloting Words Their Way morphology resources for middle school.

Technology Services

• Using federal grant funding, the technology team expanded cellular services throughout Alexandria City High School’s King Street campus.

• Supported the process for COVID-19 contact tracing and vaccination collection through designing an electronic process to collect and report the data.

ACPS Principal & Teacher of the Year

ACPS Award Winners

PRINCIPAL OF THE YEAR

Michael J. Routhouska Principal, William Ramsay Elementary School

Michael J. Routhouska has been principal of William Ramsay Elementary School (William Ramsay) since 2015. He had previously served as an assistant principal at Patrick Henry Elementary School and William Ramsay.

Mr. Routhouska also was an administrative intern between Matthew Maury Elementary School (now Naomi L. Brooks Elementary School), George Mason Elementary School, and William Ramsay. He also served as a high school English teacher at the Minnie Howard Ninth Grade Center from 2000 to 2009.

Before joining Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS), Mr. Routhouska taught GED classes at the Potomac Job Corps Center in Washington, D.C. and had been a middle school language teacher in North Carolina. Mr. Routhouska earned a Bachelor of Arts in English and a minor in religious studies from Nazareth College of Rochester and a master’s in educational leadership from George Mason University. In 2022, Mr. Routhouska was named ACPS’ Principal of the Year, a finalist for The Washington Post’s Principal of the Year, and awarded The School Bell Award by the Virginia Association of Elementary School Principals.

TEACHER OF THE YEAR

Alexandra Bender

Teacher, John Adams Elementary School

Alexandra Bender was in her ninth year teaching first grade inclusion at John Adams Elementary School. She has a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from Indiana State University, and a Curriculum and Instruction master’s degree from George Mason University with a focus on teaching Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Learners.

Ms. Bender is passionate about building a classroom experience that is differentiated and inclusive for all students. She is masterful in the art of relationship building and holds herself personally responsible for the academic, social and emotional well-being of every student. Ms. Bender carefully crafts her instruction to maximize student learning and promote positive self-esteem.

Ms. Bender is an instructional leader. She has served as the first-grade team leader for the past four years. As a skilled facilitator, she guides her teammates in one of the most productive professional learning communities.

From left to right: Rene Paschal (VAESP National Distinguished Principal of the Year), Alexandra Bender (Teacher of the Year), Lauren Holthaus (VAESP National Assistant Principal of the Year), Michael Routhouska (Principal of the Year)

Equity Dashboard and Equity Climate Survey

Equity Dashboard and Equity Climate Survey

An Equity for All 2025 dashboard launched in March 2021 to present progress on division efforts at reducing disparities in student outcomes across student groups annually at mid-year and as of the end of the school year. Key Performance Indicators (KPI) for 2021-22 continue to show Hispanic, Economically Disadvantaged, current English Learners (but not former ELs), and Student with Disabilities student groups show the greatest rates of underrepresentation across KPIs. Within KPIs the Talented and Gifted Program identification and student suspension data have the largest disproportionalities across student groups.

Students in grades 6-12, staff members and families had the opportunity to share their views in the school division’s first equity climate survey. Nearly 7,000 ACPS stakeholders participated in the survey, which gathered vital feedback to help identify critical areas for improvement related to the ACPS 2025 Equity for All Strategic Plan.

The survey focused on six main themes: academic environment, equity, restorative practices, social-emotional supports and environment, stakeholder inclusiveness, and staff social environment. Key areas of strength include:

• Most families, staff, and students have positive perceptions of the learning environment, teachers, and school climate overall. 68% of students report that they feel welcome at school, 70% say they are encouraged to participate in learning, and 82% agree that teachers provide extra support when needed.

• Stakeholders also report positive impressions of the social-emotional environment and supports at their school. In particular, 79% of families say that adults at school care about all students, and the majority also agree that staff knows how to connect students with supports and help students with problems other than schoolwork.

Survey results indicate continued focus on feelings of safety as well as student and staff relationships.

The equity climate survey is part of ACPS’ ongoing action to address racial inequities and remove barriers to learning for all students.

Capital Improvements

Capital Improvements

Capital Programs, Planning and Design (CPPD)

• Ferdinand T. Day Gym

f The completed elevated gym achieved LEED Silver Certification.

• The High School Project (THSP)

f In 2021-22, THSP design efforts continued and began construction on the building:

 January 2022 - The Minnie Howard Redevelopment obtained Final Site Plan Approval from City Council.

 March 29, 2022 - Groundbreaking event was celebrated.

 April 2022 - Construction of the new Minnie Howard building commenced.

 April 2022 - Today - Construction of the new Minnie Howard continues:

 Site excavation and grading is on-going.

 Underground utilities work is beginning in Fall 2022.

 Concrete footers, foundations, and walls are underway and will continue into the fall.

• Douglas MacArthur Modernization Project

f July 2021 - Today - Construction of the new Douglas MacArthur Elementary School continues and will be substantially complete in summer 2023 and opening in fall 2023 to students.

• 1703 N. Beauregard

f February 2022 - ACPS completed the purchase of 1703 N. Beauregard which will be renovated into a swing space for the upcoming modernizations of George Mason and Cora Kelly.

• George Mason and Cora Kelly Modernization Projects

f June 2021

 The feasibility study for the modernization of Cora Kelly and George Mason is presented to the School Board.

Educational Facilities

• William Ramsay Library Renovation

f Renovation of the library at William Ramsay was completed as of March 2022.

• Francis C. Hammond Multi-Court Project

f The multi-court project at Francis C. Hammond was completed in 2021.

• Mount Vernon Kitchen/Cafeteria Project

f Renovations to the kitchen at Mount Vernon are complete.

• Mount Vernon Library Renovation

f Renovation of the library at Mount Vernon began in 2021.

• Cora Kelly

f Renovation of the second-floor restrooms with new sinks and countertops and new ceramic wall tile is complete.

f Initiation of new asphalt, paint and installation of new basketball hoops is complete.

• Lyles-Crouch Gymnasium Renovation

f Removal of vinyl composite tile in the gymnasium/ auditorium/multi-purpose room and installation of a luxury vinyl sports court is complete.

• Asbestos remediation and flooring installation projects completed at:

f John Adams

f Lyles-Crouch

f Francis C. Hammond

f James K. Polk

f Naomi L. Brooks

External Supports from Our Community

Partnership Numbers

We are so fortunate to have approximately 135 community partners that offer all types of student and family support, including emotional/social/tutoring/mentoring/STEM/literacy/math/family engagement, to all of our schools throughout the division.

70 Higher Education Partnerships

We have approximately 70 higher education intern partnerships throughout the division.

14,000 Volunteers

As of today, there are over 14,000 active volunteers. In addition, we have a strong partnership with Volunteer Alexandria as we work together to provide opportunities for our community.

$73M Grants

In 2021-22 we received over 73 million in grants. That is an increase of over 24% from the previous year.

Connect with ACPS

Family Information Line

Family liaisons and outreach assistants continued to connect families in need of assistance through the Family Information Line. Families can text or call the Family Information Line Monday-Friday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Language Line Direct Response

For English and Spanish, text or call 703-619-8055

For Amharic, text or call 703-927-6866

For Arabic, text or call 703-927-7095

A new language-support service makes calling ACPS schools easier for thousands of families who speak Spanish, Amharic, Arabic, Pashto, or Farsi. Language Line’s Direct Response service allows ACPS families to contact their school with interpretation service already on the line, eliminating language barriers they may have encountered in the past. ACPS is the first school system in Virginia and the third in the country to implement this Language Line service. Call us at 1-833-611-1667.

To share a concern or comment with ACPS leadership or to ask a question about division-wide issues, community members can write to ask@acps.k12.va.us.