Continuous School Improvement Plan

We have seen remarkable movement in our mathematics data this quarter. At the start of the year, only 14% of our students were performing at or above grade level in math. In our most recent check-in, that number has more than doubled to 29%. We are also successfully reducing the number of students who are significantly behind, with the percentage of students three or more grade levels below falling from 10% to 7%. Orchard View Elementary is seeing incredible literacy growth this quarter. Our Lexia Core5 data shows students are mastering reading skills at an accelerated pace. At the start of the year, 23% of students were performing at or above grade level; today, we are at  29% on grade level and have reduced the number of students who are two grade levels or more below from 54% to 34%. This success is widespread, with 85% of all students completing at least one full level of literacy improvement.

What This Means for Students: These numbers represent real growth in the classroom. Because our teachers are meeting three times a week to plan together and align their lessons with state standards, students are receiving more consistent and high-quality instruction. By using "Learning Check-ins" (common formative assessments) every week, teachers can immediately spot when a student is struggling and provide extra help right away.

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.

This year, we have embraced innovative tools to give our teachers more time back in their day. By integrating Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools like Gemini and Axio, our staff can automate time-consuming tasks like drafting rubrics or differentiating reading materials for different grade levels. We have also strengthened our "Sunshine Committee" and social activities to foster a sense of team spirit and collective joy within our building. 55.5% of staff have reported the Staff Olympics and Social Committee events have a positive impact on morale.

What This Means for Students: When teachers feel supported and have the right tools, they can bring more energy and creativity to the classroom. Our mentoring program also pairs every new teacher with a veteran educator, ensuring that even our newest staff members have the guidance they need to provide a stable, high-quality environment for our students.

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.

Our most recent classroom walkthroughs show that our teachers are excelling at aligning their lessons with what students need to know. In our Literacy "Skills" sessions, alignment with state standards rose from 81% to 86%. Even more exciting is the growth in student participation and ownership of their learning, which jumped from 55% to 75% this quarter. In our Language Arts sessions, student engagement scores saw a massive increase from 15% to 63%.

What This Means for Students: Students aren't just sitting and listening; they are becoming active participants in their education. This shift toward "Student Ownership" means children are learning how to track their own progress and understand what they need to do to reach the next level.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

The impact of our school-wide "Positive Behavior Support" (PBIS) system has been incredible. Between August and November, we recorded 137 instances of interruptive behavior; between December and February, that number plummeted to just 36 incidents. This 73% reduction is a testament to our students' hard work and our staff's commitment to clear expectations. 70% of staff responded through a schoolwide survey that they agree or strongly agree that the PBIS initiatives are positively impacting student behavior. Additionally, our family engagement is thriving: our International Multicultural Night saw nearly 300 attendees, and our January Math Games and Pizza Night brought in nearly 240 family members a significant increase from our already successful fall events.