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Accountability and flexibility are hallmarks of Gwinnett County Public Schools' success. Key to that success is ensuring that each school community understands the progress being made by its schools, as well as what plans will drive improvement. Each school creates a collaborative Local School Plan for Improvement (LSPI) to increase student achievement results, with targeted goals based on the four strategic priorities within the district’s Blueprint for the Future: Empathy, Equity, Effectiveness, and Excellence. All schools across the district will focus on goals 2A- Multi-tiered Systems of Support and 2B- Opportunity and Access. Additionally, schools are required to select one goal from each of the other strategic priorities. LSPI goals are dynamic, like our schools, and are updated to reflect changes that occur in schools. Multiple data points are used to determine areas needing improvement and to identify specific, measurable, annual objectives. Schools then determine how to use research-based strategies to achieve these goals, using flexibility as needed. The LSPI development process involves teachers, parents, students, and community members, so the entire school community has the opportunity to be involved in conversations about school improvement.

 

2023 - 2024 Local School Plan for Improvement (LSPI)


School: IVY CREEK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL           Principal: Melanie Terris
District Strategic Priorities/Goals Rationale Action Steps
(Implementation Design)		 How will you measure growth?
Growth Factors (Baseline & Targets)
Empathy 1.A - Cultural Competence

Cultural competence is recognizing, valuing, and leveraging differences in order to interact effectively and better serve our students, staff, and community.  The demographics of the district and Ivy Creek Elementary are ever changing.  Increasing our cultural competence is an important step in creating a culture of belonging for our families, students and staff.  
  1. We will enhance and improve school-wide events that highlight and celebrate the cultures of Ivy Creek, such as our Cultural Heritage Night, Hispanic Heritage Month, Black History Month, and Asian American Pacific Islander Month.  
  2. We will hold workshops and parent nights for families in their native languages to help increase their knowledge of how access their child's education and to highlight resources available to our families.  
  3. We will increase our outreach programs to the communities represented at Ivy Creek to highlight ways to volunteer at school and to be involved in the PTA.  
  4. We will enhance our Student Ambassador program.  Our Student Ambassadors welcome and mentor new students

EES Survey Data:

Adults in this school value and respect my racial/cultural identity.  Baseline: 88% Positive Responses  Target:  90% Positive

My parents/family feel welcome to visit this school.  Baseline:  69% Positive Responses  Target:  72% Responses

In my school, I feel that I belong to a group of friends.  Baseline:  59% Positive Responses,   Target: 62% Positive Responses

 

 

 
Equity 2.A - Multi-tiered System of Supports

MTSS is a framework that is used to support students based on their individual needs.  There are many gaps  in students' social emotional and academic learning that continue as a result of the pandemic.  MTSS enables us to work on both academic press and supportive community to improve student achievement.  By looking at individual student academic and wellness data, are are able to adjust our instruction to fit the needs of each and every  student.  
  1. We will administer a universal screener assessment.  This assessment will report areas of strength and areas of need for each student.  Our teachers will be able to provide enrichment or remediation opportunities based on this information.  
  2. We will administer a wellness screener to each student.  This screener will provide the teachers and staff with information on each student's social/emotional strengths and weaknesses.  This will help the school provide support to students based on individual needs.  
  3. We will implement attendance incentives for students who struggle to consistently attend school.  School attendance for students is an important indicator of school success. We want to motivate our students to have high attendance rates.  
  4. We will use the Multi Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) to meet the needs of each and every student.  For students who need additional support, a team consisting of staff and parents will come together to develop a plan on how to best support the student.  
  5.  The MTSS leadership team, consisting of administration, counselors, and interventionists, will meet regularly to assess strengths, weaknesses, and next steps.  The AIR rubric will be used to facilitate this process.  
  1. Increase the percentage of students performing at the proficient and distinguished level on the Georgia Milestones.  
Grade Math Baseline Math Target ELA Baseline ELA Target
3 72% 75% 69% 72%
4 78% 81% 63% 66%
5 74% 77% 77% 80%

   2. Increase the percentage of students performing at the distinguished level on the Georgia Milestones.

Grade Math Baseline Math Target ELA Baseline ELA Target
3 37% 40% 41% 43%
4 44% 47% 34% 37%
5 42% 45% 31% 34%

   3. Decrease the percentage of students performing at the beginning level on the Georgia Milestones

Grade Math Baseline Math Target ELA Baseline ELA Target
3 5% 3% 11% 8%
4 3% 1% 13% 10%
5 8% 5% 9% 6%
Equity 2.B - Opportunity and Access

Student opportunities to engage in and have access to high quality, rigorous, and culturally relevant curriculum needs to be expanded to address and reduce educational inequity, providing students and staff with targeted supports and enrichment that increase opportunities to succeed.  
  1. We will implement the EL language arts curriculum at all grade levels.  EL is a language arts curriculum that is based on the science of reading research.  This research is grounded the five essential components of reading - phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension.
  2. We will expand our Play 2 Learn program to include a second class.  Play to learn is a program for children ages birth through five.  Parents attend weekly sessions with their child.  Through the program parents will learn strategies to help their child develop the skills to be ready for school.  
  3. As part of PBIS we will teach and model what desired behaviors look like for students.  We will create a videos of students demonstrating behaviors, refine our matrix to define appropriate behaviors in areas such as the cafeteria, and will reward and incentivize students who demonstrate desired behaviors.  

 Increase the percentage of positive responses on EES Survey.

  1. All students have access to rigorous courses and supports.  Baseline:  34% positive responses  Target:  37% positive responses
  2. Work I do at this school is useful and interesting to me.  Baseline:  37% positive responses  Target:  40% positive responses
  3. My teachers help me learn by challenging me with interesting activities in class. Baseline:  45% positive responses  Target:  48% positive responses

Continue to develop and implement PBIS and the PBIS framework.

      1.  Baseline: Operational  Target:  Remain Operational

 
Effectiveness 3.A - Results-Based Evaluation System

School success is measured by both academic press and supportive community.  Addressing both areas will lead to school improvement and student growth.  
  1. Teachers will incorporate Social Emotional Learning (SEL) into classroom instruction daily to help enhance the classroom environment.  
  2. We will enhance our mentoring opportunities for students.  Identified students will be paired with a trusted adult within the building to help them with academic and/or SEL needs.
  3. We will increase leadership opportunities available to students through programs such as Mindful Cubs, Student Ambassadors, and peer mentoring.
  4. Teachers will participate in weekly Collaborative planning meetings to ensure lessons are aligned to the curriculum and consistent among the teachers of the grade level.
  5. Instructional Coaches will model best practices and provide instructional support.  
  1. ESS Data:  Increase the percent of positive responses on the student survey.

Student success is celebrated at this school.  Baseline:  48% positive responses  Target:  52% positive responses

I enjoy coming to this school.  Baseline:  42% positive responses  Target:  45% positive responses

  1. Increase the percentage of students performing at the proficient and distinguished level on the Georgia Milestones.  
Grade Math Baseline Math Target ELA Baseline ELA Target
3 72% 75% 69% 72%
4 78% 81% 63% 66%
5 74% 77% 77% 80%

   2. Increase the percentage of students performing at the distinguished level on the Georgia Milestones.

Grade Math Baseline Math Target ELA Baseline ELA Target
3 37% 40% 41% 43%
4 44% 47% 34% 37%
5 42% 45% 31% 34%

   3. Decrease the percentage of students performing at the beginning level on the Georgia Milestones

Grade Math Baseline Math Target ELA Baseline ELA Target
3 5% 3% 11% 8%
4 3% 1% 13% 10%
5 8% 5% 9% 6%

 

 
Excellence 4.A - Preferred Education Destination

Great schools build great communities.  We want families to view GCPS as THE place for students to receive a high-quality education.  We do this by focusing on individual student needs, anticipating skills students will need for future success, and providing excellent customer service to our families.  
  1. We will remain the district leader in Artificial Intelligence (AI).  AI goes beyond computer and technical skills to focus on "future ready skills".  Future ready skills include things such as creative problem solving, ethical thinking and collaborative learning.  
  2. We will create lesson plans to incorporate AI/future ready skills into the core academic areas of language arts, math, science and social studies.  This demonstrates for students that AI is not a separate skill students learn but an embedded part of all of their learning.  
  3. We will increase the opportunities for clubs and extracurricular activities.  Students who are engaged in their school experience are more successful.  After school activities is one way to promote student engagement.  These opportunities will include, Robotics Club, Drone Club, STEM Club, Kindness Club, as well as many others.  

EES Data:  Increase the percentage of positive responses on the student survey.

  • I am good at figuring out the best solution to problems I am facing.  Baseline:  38% positive responses  Target:  41% positive responses

EES Data:  Increase the percentage of positive responses on the parent survey.

  • My student is challenged with a rigorous course of study at this school.  Baseline:  81% positive responses  Target:  84% positive responses
  • This school is doing a good job of preparing my student for a successful future. Baseline:  88% positive responses  Target:  91% positive responses