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Continuous School Improvement Plan

Frederick County Public Schools is dedicated to continuous improvement. Our school principals lead efforts to plan, implement, and review their goals, using a variety of data to make sure we’re always moving in the right direction. School and division plans are monitored for progress and updated quarterly to support our commitment to our students and their families.

This information keeps families informed about our progress and the status of school goals. You’ll find updates and insights as we work together to improve student learning and school performance.

School Profile Information

School: Orchard View Elementary School
Principal: Michael Dardaris
Enrollment: 446

School Vision Statement

An innovative community where caring relationships and authentic learning inspire all students.

School Mission Statement

We believe that all children should be given every opportunity to reach their fullest potential.  Our purpose is to provide quality instruction of mastery of basic skills, and development of higher level thinking skills.  We will ensure that students, parents, teachers, and school administrators work together to nurture the growth and progress of our children in order that they become productive citizens.  This will be achieved by adjusting curriculum to fit the needs of all students and by using a variety of teaching strategies and programs to reach every child.

Goal #1

By May 2026, Orchard View Elementary will demonstrate student growth in core academic areas. Specifically, 80% of students will meet their annual typical or stretch growth targets as measured by iReady in reading and math. Additionally, kindergarten students will demonstrate growth on the Virginia Kindergarten Readiness Program (VKRP), and all students in K-5 will show growth on the Virginia Assessment of Literacy and Learning Systems (VALLS), Lexia, and UFLI assessments.

Date Status Progress Narrative
November 2025 On Track Instructional Playbook: The Instructional Playbook has been successfully developed, and teachers adhere to its purpose and use, establishing a consistent guide for instructional expectations across the school.
Curriculum Alignment: Teachers are consistently dedicating mandatory planning time to aligning all instruction and assessments with the Virginia Standards of Learning (SOLs) and FCPS curriculum maps.
Team Planning: Teams are meeting 3 times weekly as scheduled, ensuring dedicated time for collaboration.
Formative Assessment & Re-teaching (Concern Area): The use of weekly common formative assessments to identify learning gaps and conduct explicit re-teaching has significantly declined after an initial strong start. This is largely attributed to scheduled planning time being repurposed for professional development (PD). Action needed to protect assessment and re-teaching discussion time.
March 2026    
June 2026    

 

Goal #2

By June 2026, Orchard View Elementary will improve teacher retention and professional fulfillment by reducing documented instances of teacher burnout by 15% and increasing staff satisfaction survey scores by 20%. This will be accomplished through the strategic use of AI to reduce planning burdens, the implementation of a comprehensive "grow our own" model, and the creation of a supportive, collaborative school culture.

Date Status Progress Narrative
November 2025 On Track

Teachers are actively embracing AI tools, particularly Gemini, to streamline numerous high-impact tasks. This integration is occurring organically during team planning time, showing immediate utility in reducing planning hours.

  • Key Utilization: Teachers are using AI for:
    • Creating unit plans and activities.
    • Differentiating materials and skills for varied learners.
    • Automating lesson plans and generating rubrics.
    • Developing assessment questions aligned with standards.
    • Drafting parent communication.
  • Next Steps: The school is preparing for formal AI Professional Development (PD) rollout.
  • The "Sunshine Committee" has successfully implemented regular social opportunities using a dedicated budget, including staff gatherings.
    • The introduction of Community Assemblies is successfully fostering positive interactions between students and staff.
    • Staff Olympics were successfully implemented as a fun team-building initiative.
  • Concerns: Challenges include scheduling conflicts, balancing activities with instructional time, managing student overstimulation, and addressing the perception of "forced fun" among a few staff members.
  • The county mentor program is set up for new teachers.
  • Team planning time is naturally fostering collaboration and the sharing of ideas between colleagues.
March 2026    
June 2026    

 

Goal #3

By June 2026, 100% of Orchard View Elementary School's professional staff will demonstrate increased proficiency in implementing high-quality, standards-based Tier 1 instruction, effective formative assessment practices, and proactive classroom management. This will be measured by a minimum of a 15% increase in teacher performance on the "Instructional Practice" and "Assessment & Data" components of the Frederick County Public Schools (FCPS) walkthrough tool. Furthermore, teachers will show a 10% increase in confidence in using the Orchard View Playbook for strategic data analysis, as indicated by a school-wide survey, and a reduction in classroom discipline referrals by 5% as a direct result of improved classroom management. This professional growth will contribute to a 5% increase in student growth scores on the Virginia Growth Assessments (VGA) in both Reading and Math.

Date Status Progress Narrative
November 2025 Not Started

The implementation of weekly, coach-supported co-planning meetings to develop standards-aligned lessons, create common assessments, and analyze data has shown positive impact in Mathematics but reveals a critical need for intensive intervention in Literacy.

  • Positive Impact (Math):
    • iReady data is more positive this year compared to last year.
    • The number of students achieving 70-100% success on iReady lessons passed has increased in the past month.
    • Conclusion: The structure of weekly co-planning and coaching has made a positive impact on math instruction and student success.
  • Critical Need (Literacy):
    • Only 21% of students are working on grade-level content in Lexia Core5.
    • A significant 60% of students require instruction two grade levels below their current placement.
    • This performance is consistent with SOL and VALLSS data, indicating a large population needing intensive reading intervention.
March 2026    
June 2026    

 

Goal #4

By June 2026, instances of interruptive student behavior impacting learning will decrease by 10% as evidenced by data from the behavior tracking form and office referral data. Additionally, family engagement will increase, with attendance at school events and workshops growing by 20% and a 15% increase in positive feedback from the annual parent/guardian survey.

Date Status Progress Narrative
November 2025 On Track Exceptional Family Engagement & Attendance
Our commitment to connecting with families has yielded outstanding results, exceeding minimum targets.
  • High Event Participation: The first two family engagement events saw strong and increasing attendance:
    • The initial Parent Night drew 196 participants for classroom sessions and 194 for the Title I presentation.
    • The subsequent International Multicultural Night was a huge success with nearly 300 attendees, demonstrating growing family interest and community connection.
Enhanced Communication
We have significantly improved the volume and relevance of communication to help families support learning at home.
  • Increased Frequency: We have moved from monthly to weekly communications home.
  • Focus on Learning: These communications deliberately include content updates and actionable strategies that empower families to support their student's learning in the classroom.
Sustained Positive Behavior Support (PBIS)
The school-wide commitment to PBIS is being sustained through engaging, themed initiatives that promote positive behavior.
  • Themed Initiatives: We have successfully launched a school-based incentive program where students earn recognition based on their individual or classroom behavior, contributing to a school-wide goal.
    • Marking Period 1: Focused on the theme "Filling The Orchard With Kindness."
    • Marking Period 2: The current theme is "Building a Thankful Snowman," where students earn "snowballs" toward their collective goal.
  • Impact: This system provides consistent, visual, and community-based reinforcement for positive student behavior.
  • Increased implementation of behavior tracking documents is yielding more reliable data.
March 2026    
June 2026    

 

For more information about Orchard View Elementary School's Continuous Improvement Plan please join us at our quarterly events or reach out to the school principal.

Quarterly Events

  • November 17 from 6-7:45 p.m. - Family Engagement Night (Multicultural Night)
  • January 22 from 6-7:30 p.m. - Family Engagement Night (Mathnasium)
  • March 25 from 6-7:45 p.m. - Family Engagement Night