OVERARCHING SCHOOL GOAL: George Washington Middle School will achieve an increase on all ACPS and VDOE accountability benchmarks for students that reflects achievement pre pandemic levels. To achieve this measure all EL and Students Receiving Specialized Services will experience gains on EOY SOL of 16% points in Language arts and Math. Status Options: (1) Completed, (2) Completed-Ongoing, (3) In Progress What ACPS Equity for All 2025 Strategic Plan Goal Areas Systemic Alignment
Social Emotional and Academic Learning Recovery ☐ MTSS (RULER) ☐ Literacy Grades K-4 ☐ Math Recovery ☐ SST Support Expansion
Instructional Excellence
Middle School Educational Experience ☐ Scheduling ☐ Math Pathways ☐ Middle School Transitions (Grades 5-6 & 8-9)
Hispanic Males ☐ Academic Enrichment and Advancement ☐ Early Warning System ☐ Internships, Externships, and Workforce Development
Student Accessibility and Support Strategic
Talented and Gifted ☐ Identification Process ☐ Service Model ☐ Annual Plan
Resource Allocation
Early College ☐ Partnerships with NOVA and VA Tech ☐ Course Sequencing ☐ Program Development
Family and Community Engagement
Academic Disparities ☐ Talent and Gifted ☐ PreK-2 Literacy ☐ Students With Disabilities (SWD) Emotional Disabilities (ED) - Black Students ☐ Hispanic Male Graduation Rates
STRAND I: TEACHING FOR LEARNING
VCSIP - Secondary
School Name | Alexandria City Public Schools 2021-2022 Continuous School Improvement Plan
page 1
OVERARCHING SCHOOL GOAL: George Washington Middle School will achieve an increase on all ACPS and VDOE accountability benchmarks for students that reflects achievement pre pandemic levels. To achieve this measure all EL and Students Receiving Specialized Services will experience gains on EOY SOL of 16% points in Language arts and Math. Status Options: (1) Completed, (2) Completed-Ongoing, (3) In Progress
Additional Data Disaggregation
VCSIP - Secondary
School Name | Alexandria City Public Schools 2021-2022 Continuous School Improvement Plan
page 2
OVERARCHING SCHOOL GOAL: George Washington Middle School will achieve an increase on all ACPS and VDOE accountability benchmarks for students that reflects achievement pre pandemic levels. To achieve this measure all EL and Students Receiving Specialized Services will experience gains on EOY SOL of 16% points in Language arts and Math. Status Options: (1) Completed, (2) Completed-Ongoing, (3) In Progress DOMAIN: English Language Arts SMART Goal(s): 1. By the end of the 2021-2022 school year, GW students will increase the percentage of students who pass the Spring Reading SOL exam from _70____% to ___75__%. 2. By the end of the 2021-2022 school year, GW Sub Group 2 students (African American students) will increase the percentage of students who pass the Spring Reading SOL exam from _50____% to __64___%. 3. By the end of the 2021-2022 school year, GW Sub Group 3 students (Hispanic students) will increase the percentage of students who pass the Spring Reading SOL exam from __38___% to _51____%. 4. By the end of the 2021-2022 school year, GW students with disabilities will increase the percentage who pass the Spring Reading SOL exam from _30____% to __41___%. 5. By the end of the 2021-2022 school year, GW English Language Learners will increase the percentage who pass the Spring Reading SOL exam from ___7__% to _15____%. *Although GW students outperformed the District and the State during the 2020-2021 SOL overall (GW, 70%; Division, 57%; State, 69%), analysis of data showed the need to focus on our specific subgroups. Therefore, projections are based on re-establishing 2018-2019 baselines or recovery from learning loss.
Status Q1 Q2 Q3EOY
ACTION PLAN 1. Essential Action/Research-Based Strategy: Embed Writer’s Workshop and writing composition instruction across grades 6-8 English classrooms with an instructional focus on teaching the features of the two domains of writing (i.e., composing/written expression and usage/mechanics) in quarterly formal and daily informal writing activities to develop students who demonstrate control in each domain in alignment with the VDOE writing scoring rubric and checklist in order to increase writing SOL scores and writing performance across the curriculum.
Status Q1- 2 Q2- 2 Q3EOY-
Evidence driving the need for this essential action: Classroom assessment of student writing and historical writing SOL data show disparities in writing achievement between White students and Sub Groups 2, 3, SWD, and EL students. Additionally, instructional data reveal the lack of direct instruction and opportunities for student practice within the two writing domains, specifically within grades 6 and 7 (grades with non-SOL writing participation).
Plan to Assess Progress: Progress will be monitored through PLC dialogue and discussions on fidelity of “essential action” implementation. Student work samples will be reviewed and analyzed regularly using the VDOE writing scoring rubric and checklist. Quarterly inter-rater reliability PLC exercises will be utilized in analysis to ensure shared goals for providing student feedback and increasing student writing achievement across all three grade levels. Focus Area Strategic Plan Goal
VCSIP - Secondary
Action Steps
Person(s) Responsible for Implementation
Timeframe (Beginning to End Dates)
Evidence of Progress/Completion (Artifacts required)
Person(s) Responsible for Monitoring and Frequency
School Name | Alexandria City Public Schools 2021-2022 Continuous School Improvement Plan
Status
page 3
OVERARCHING SCHOOL GOAL: George Washington Middle School will achieve an increase on all ACPS and VDOE accountability benchmarks for students that reflects achievement pre pandemic levels. To achieve this measure all EL and Students Receiving Specialized Services will experience gains on EOY SOL of 16% points in Language arts and Math. Status Options: (1) Completed, (2) Completed-Ongoing, (3) In Progress Please provide a brief description
● Instructional Excellence (All students in grades 6-8/All ELA teachers)
Instructional Excellence (All students in grades 6-8/All ELA teachers)
Instructional Excellence (All students in grades 6-8/All ELA teachers)
VCSIP - Secondary
●
●
Engage in the recursive writing process and utilize the essentials of Writer’s Workshop to include a mini-lesson, independent student writing, teacher conferences, peer-editing and sharing, and reflection to increase student writing achievement
Implement regular informal and formal writing activities in class, including responses to texts with reflection and analysis
Instruct students in the features of the two domains of writing (composing/written expression and usage/mechanics), utilizing VDOE scoring rubrics and checklists regularly
All Teachers in ELA PLCs Aisha Ortiz Veronica Blunt Blanca Mata
All Teachers in ELA PLCs Aisha Ortiz Veronica Blunt Blanca Mata
All Teachers in ELA PLCs Aisha Ortiz Veronica Blunt Blanca Mata
September 2021 – June 2022
Evidence: ● Quarterly student writing tasks aligned to VDOE writing rubric with teacher feedback Artifacts: ● Lesson plans detailing the writing component ● Peer conference set up
Jesse Mazur, Principal Aisha Ortiz, 7th Grade/ELA Academic Principal Veronica Blunt, Instructional Literacy Coach Blanca Mata, ELA Department Chair
Using the essentials of the Writer’s Workshop program, students will have increased opportunities to practice the writing process.
September 2021 – June 2022
Evidence: ● Increased activities in lesson plans directed toward writing. Artifacts: ● Student artifacts with teacher feedback (NoRedInk)
Jesse Mazur, Principal Aisha Ortiz, 7th Grade/ELA Academic Principal Veronica Blunt, Instructional Literacy Coach Blanca Mata, ELA Department Chair
Teachers will utilize various texts to promote written responses, reflections and analysis in writing.
September 2021 – June 2022
Evidence: ● Teacher scored writing assignments with feedback, analyzed in PLCs Artifacts: ● Teacher lesson plans outlining written instruction components; VDOE aligned rubric
Jesse Mazur, Principal Aisha Ortiz, 7th Grade/ELA Academic Principal Veronica Blunt, Instructional Literacy Coach Blanca Mata, ELA Department Chair
Teachers will directly instruct students regarding the 2 domains of writing using VDOE rubrics and checklists.
School Name | Alexandria City Public Schools 2021-2022 Continuous School Improvement Plan
page 4
OVERARCHING SCHOOL GOAL: George Washington Middle School will achieve an increase on all ACPS and VDOE accountability benchmarks for students that reflects achievement pre pandemic levels. To achieve this measure all EL and Students Receiving Specialized Services will experience gains on EOY SOL of 16% points in Language arts and Math. Status Options: (1) Completed, (2) Completed-Ongoing, (3) In Progress
● Instructional Excellence (All students in grades 6-8/All ELA teachers)
Collaborate with the social studies department to best ensure the construction of multi-paragraph essays that are not prescriptive in length or formulaic writing (i.e., five paragraphs), yet effectively incorporate elements of the DBQ protocols for alignment in vocabulary and purpose
All Teachers in ELA PLCs Social Studies department head Aisha Ortiz Veronica Blunt Blanca Mata
September 2021 – June 2022
Evidence: ● Teacher graded rubrics for DBQ Artifacts: ● DBQ instructions aligned to VDOE rubric and expectations for writing
Jesse Mazur, Principal Aisha Ortiz, 7th Grade/ELA Academic Principal Veronica Blunt, Instructional Literacy Coach Blanca Mata, ELA Department Chair
2. Essential Action/Research-Based Strategy: Analyze current data as found on the MAP assessment and common summative assessments within our research-based adapted protocols (“Here’s What! So What? Now What?” and “Atlas”) to provide collaborative structures within the professional learning communities (PLCs) to plan for targeted re-teaching, remediation, intervention, extension, and enrichment. Design lesson plans that align with the aforementioned and focus on the Essential Knowledge, Skills, and Processes as described in the VDOE Curriculum Framework and research-based school wide-initiatives that impact academic achievement for all students to include Kagan, AVID and GLAD Strategies, Specially Designed Instruction and differentiation of instructional techniques with an explicit focus on differentiation and small-group instruction appropriately designed and delivered in the Block schedule framework.
The ELA department will continue to collaborate cross-content to promote writing in social studies and across the curriculum and provide authentic opportunities for students to apply their writing skills. Status Q1- 1 Q2- 1 Q3EOY
Evidence driving the need for this essential action: SOL and MAP data consistently show disparities between White students and Sub Groups 2, 3, SWD, and EL students. Additionally, qualitative data, to include lesson plans and feedback dialogue with specialists, also show that the use of small-group instruction, intentional planning for small-group instructional opportunities, and targeted differentiation can be improved and maximized to allow skill-deficits and areas for improvement to be addressed as informed by data analysis. Plan to Assess Progress: Progress will be monitored using MAP data and common unit summative assessments to include PLC data-tracking systems and spreadsheets for standards, subgroup, teacher, and classroom performance comparisons. Focus Area Strategic Plan Goal
VCSIP - Secondary
Action Steps
Person(s) Responsible for Implementation
Timeframe (Beginning to End Dates)
Evidence of Progress/Completion (Artifacts required)
Person(s) Responsible for Monitoring and Frequency
School Name | Alexandria City Public Schools 2021-2022 Continuous School Improvement Plan
Status Please provide a brief description
page 5
OVERARCHING SCHOOL GOAL: George Washington Middle School will achieve an increase on all ACPS and VDOE accountability benchmarks for students that reflects achievement pre pandemic levels. To achieve this measure all EL and Students Receiving Specialized Services will experience gains on EOY SOL of 16% points in Language arts and Math. Status Options: (1) Completed, (2) Completed-Ongoing, (3) In Progress ● Instructional Excellence (All students in grades 6-8/All ELA teachers)
●
Instructional Excellence (All students in grades 6-8/All ELA teachers)
Instructional Excellence
VCSIP - Secondary
●
Continue the implementation of PLC Unit backwards design planning to ensure a shared understanding of alignment with the 2017 ELA standards, alignment between lessons and end-of-unit summative assessments designed with Bloom’s Taxonomy and at grade level appropriateness, and sequence the standards based on VDOE Framework and logic to create a trajectory of learning
All Teachers in ELA PLCs Aisha Ortiz Veronica Blunt Blanca Mata
September 2021 – June 2022
Evidence: ● Lesson Plan Template, scored with a rubric ● Alignment and student performance on common summative assessments Artifacts: ● Unit planning artifacts ● PLC agenda document
Jesse Mazur, Principal Aisha Ortiz, 7th Grade/ELA Academic Principal Veronica Blunt, Instructional Literacy Coach Blanca Mata, ELA Department Chair
The PLC will continue to utilize common formative and summative assessments to collaboratively plan for improved instructional practices and for student remediation, extension, or enrichment through a reflective protocol.
Jesse Mazur, Principal
Teachers will create detailed
Continue ongoing implementation of and analysis of a PLC unit common formative and summative assessment to determine instructional implications, areas of strength and growth, areas for reteaching, extension, and enrichment, areas for standards-alignment refinement, Sub group proficiency level identification, and opportunity for SOL performance predictions using data triangulation, to include MAP, for timely intervention
All Teachers in ELA PLCs Aisha Ortiz Veronica Blunt Blanca Mata
September 2021 – June 2022
Evidence: ● DTI Spreadsheet with common summative assessment results ● Completed data analysis protocol document ● Lesson plan Template, scored with a rubric ● SchoolNet reports Artifacts: ● Lesson plan with evidence of planning for small group instruction ● Specialist lesson plan (EL/SPED) with focus on strategies for differentiation and scaffolding
Develop weekly lesson plans that include clear learning targets that align with the
All Teachers in ELA PLCs
September 2021 – June 2022
Evidence:
Jesse Mazur, Principal Aisha Ortiz, 7th Grade/ELA Academic Principal Veronica Blunt, Instructional Literacy Coach Blanca Mata, ELA Department Chair
Teachers will utilize backwards design planning to ensure appropriate alignment, rigor, and sequencing of standards.
School Name | Alexandria City Public Schools 2021-2022 Continuous School Improvement Plan
page 6
OVERARCHING SCHOOL GOAL: George Washington Middle School will achieve an increase on all ACPS and VDOE accountability benchmarks for students that reflects achievement pre pandemic levels. To achieve this measure all EL and Students Receiving Specialized Services will experience gains on EOY SOL of 16% points in Language arts and Math. Status Options: (1) Completed, (2) Completed-Ongoing, (3) In Progress (All students in grades 6-8/All ELA teachers)
unit’s/week’s target standards, and offer differentiation that will be supported with high yielding co-teaching models and plans for small group instruction appropriately designed for the Block schedule framework. Teachers will provide all students with all tiered support (1-3) during the block scheduled class time using small group instruction.
● Instructional Excellence (All students in grades 6-8/All ELA teachers)
VCSIP - Secondary
Utilize AVID (WIKOR) strategies and GLAD strategies in lesson planning and instruction to build the background knowledge and academic language of all learners, language acquisition for EL learners, content knowledge, student engagement, and improve student reading/literacy outcomes
●
Aisha Ortiz Veronica Blunt Blanca Mata
All Teachers in ELA PLCs Aisha Ortiz Veronica Blunt Blanca Mata
Lesson Plan Template, scored with a rubric ● Classroom observation feedback ● Cycle of professional development on differentiation and small group instruction Artifacts: ● Lesson plan template (specialists and generalists) ● Listed strategies for differentiation and/or targeted instruction on lesson plans
September 2021 – June 2022
Evidence: ● Peer to peer feedback with teacher to teacher observations ● Feedback from co-taught walkthroughs Artifacts: ● Lesson plan template (specialists and generalists) ● Observations ● Teacher anchor charts (digital) and student implementation
Aisha Ortiz, 7th Grade/ELA Academic Principal Veronica Blunt, Instructional Literacy Coach Blanca Mata, ELA Department Chair
Jesse Mazur, Principal Aisha Ortiz, 7th Grade/ELA Academic Principal Veronica Blunt, Instructional Literacy Coach Blanca Mata, ELA Department Chair
School Name | Alexandria City Public Schools 2021-2022 Continuous School Improvement Plan
lesson plans that demonstrate planning for targeted smallgroup instruction and differentiation with immediate feedback.
Teachers will use AVID strategies to include WIKOR and GLAD to facilitate academic language acquisition, content knowledge, and improve student engagement and learning.
page 7
OVERARCHING SCHOOL GOAL: George Washington Middle School will achieve an increase on all ACPS and VDOE accountability benchmarks for students that reflects achievement pre pandemic levels. To achieve this measure all EL and Students Receiving Specialized Services will experience gains on EOY SOL of 16% points in Language arts and Math. Status Options: (1) Completed, (2) Completed-Ongoing, (3) In Progress 3. Essential Action/Research-Based Strategy: Students receiving specialized services whose reading needs (as described in their IEPs and informed by multiple data points) must be supported or provided through Tier 3 intervention programs, will be appropriately placed in the Language Live and Just Words programs. Student growth will be monitored monthly to assess the effectiveness of the intervention.
Status Q1- 1 Q2- 2 Q3EOY
Evidence driving the need for this essential action: Multiple data points, including IEP educational achievement data, historical reading SOL data, Lexile scores, MAP scores, classroom observations, and common unit assessments indicate that students in these courses are at least two grade levels below, thereby requiring such placement. Plan to Assess Progress: Progress will be assessed through quarterly progress monitoring dialogue with Tier 3 teachers and instructional specialists and monthly progress monitoring dialogue with intervention teachers, instructional specialists and academic principals. Focus Area Focus Area Strategic Plan Goal
Action Steps
Person(s) Responsible for Implementation
Timeframe (Beginning to End Dates)
Evidence of Progress/Completion (Artifacts required) ●
All grades 6-8 students with Tier 3 reading intervention/ Language Live & Just Words teachers
Language Live teachers: Melanie Roberts Rendy Brown ●
Identify special education students who require Tier 3 interventions in Language Live and Just Words
Just Words teachers: Joseph Gillespie Pamela Shope Instructional Specialist: Paul Schnaufer
VCSIP - Secondary
●
September 2021 – June 2022 ●
●
Growth on benchmark assessments embedded in the programs Monthly documentation of student progress measured against the objectives of the program on Tier 3 data spreadsheet Quarterly meeting minutes from meeting with instructional specialist Student grades and alignment with IEP goals
Person(s) Responsible for Monitoring and Frequency
Jesse Mazur, Principal Aisha Ortiz, 7th Grade/ELA Academic Principal Snezana Buzesan, Special Education Lead Teacher
School Name | Alexandria City Public Schools 2021-2022 Continuous School Improvement Plan
Status Please provide a brief description
Teachers, coaches and specialist have conducted monthly progress monitoring updates for students receiving Tier III interventions.
page 8
OVERARCHING SCHOOL GOAL: George Washington Middle School will achieve an increase on all ACPS and VDOE accountability benchmarks for students that reflects achievement pre pandemic levels. To achieve this measure all EL and Students Receiving Specialized Services will experience gains on EOY SOL of 16% points in Language arts and Math. Status Options: (1) Completed, (2) Completed-Ongoing, (3) In Progress ●
All grades 6-8 students with Tier 3 reading intervention/ Language Live & Just Words teachers
Language Live teachers: Melanie Roberts Rendy Brown ●
Place students in appropriate intervention classes based on IEP services, SOL historical performance, and Lexile
Just Words teachers: Joseph Gillespie Pamela Shope
●
September 2021 – June 2022 ●
Instructional Specialist: Paul Schnaufer
● ●
All grades 6-8 students with Tier 3 reading intervention/ Language Live & Just Words teachers
Language Live teachers: Melanie Roberts Rendy Brown ●
Ensure that staff is trained to administer the program with fidelity by following program fidelity checklists
Just Words teachers: Joseph Gillespie Pamela Shope Instructional Specialist: Paul Schnaufer
VCSIP - Secondary
●
September 2021 – June 2022 ●
●
Growth on benchmark assessments embedded in the programs Monthly documentation of student progress measured against the objectives of the program on Tier 3 data spreadsheet Quarterly meeting minutes from meeting with instructional specialist Student grades and alignment with IEP goals Growth on benchmark assessments embedded in the programs Monthly documentation of student progress measured against the objectives of the program on Tier 3 data spreadsheet Quarterly meeting minutes from meeting with instructional specialist Student grades and alignment with IEP goals
Jesse Mazur, Principal Aisha Ortiz, 7th Grade/ELA Academic Principal Snezana Buzesan, Special Education Lead Teacher
The placement of students in Tier III is driven by data and remains a fluid school activity. Placement is based on multiple data points and is reviewed monthly.
Jesse Mazur, Principal Aisha Ortiz, 7th Grade/ELA Academic Principal Snezana Buzesan, Special Education Lead Teacher
The placement of students in Tier III programs is driven by data and remains a fluid school activity. Placement is based on multiple data points and is reviewed monthly.
School Name | Alexandria City Public Schools 2021-2022 Continuous School Improvement Plan
page 9
OVERARCHING SCHOOL GOAL: George Washington Middle School will achieve an increase on all ACPS and VDOE accountability benchmarks for students that reflects achievement pre pandemic levels. To achieve this measure all EL and Students Receiving Specialized Services will experience gains on EOY SOL of 16% points in Language arts and Math. Status Options: (1) Completed, (2) Completed-Ongoing, (3) In Progress ●
All grades 6-8 students with Tier 3 reading intervention/ Language Live & Just Words teachers
Language Live teachers: Melanie Roberts Rendy Brown ●
Monitor student progress based on program objectives through monthly collaborative Tier 3 committee dialogue and discussions
Just Words teachers: Joseph Gillespie Pamela Shope Instructional Specialist: Paul Schnaufer
VCSIP - Secondary
●
September 2021 – June 2022 ●
●
Growth on benchmark assessments embedded in the programs Monthly documentation of student progress measured against the objectives of the program on Tier 3 data spreadsheet Quarterly meeting minutes from meeting withthe iinstructional specialist Student grades and alignment with IEP goals
Jesse Mazur, Principal Aisha Ortiz, 7th Grade/ELA Academic Principal Snezana Buzesan, Special Education Lead Teacher
School Name | Alexandria City Public Schools 2021-2022 Continuous School Improvement Plan
The progress of students in Tier III intervention classes is driven by data and remains a fluid school activity. Placement is based on multiple data points and is reviewed monthly.
page 10