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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: DULUTH HIGH           Principal: Eric Davidson
District Strategic Priorities/Goals Rationale Action Steps
(Implementation Design)		 How will you measure growth?
Growth Factors (Baseline & Targets)
Empathy 1.B - Staff and Student Well Being

Duluth High School believes that facilitating a positive school culture creates an environment in which students and teachers feel comfortable achieving their full potential both academically and professionally.
  1. Duluth High School will promote staff wellbeing by:
    1. Implementing a tiered new teacher support and mentoring system.
    2. Participating in Social Emotional Learning (SEL) breakout groups with teachers on digital days.
  2. Duluth High School will promote student wellbeing by: 
    1. Rewarding students who make mature decisions  with incentives and rewards for attendance. 
    2. Gathering and valuing student input regularly.
    3. Increasing representation of all student groups in classes and programs.
    4. Designing Advisement lessons with an SEL focus and training teachers to institute SEL practices in instruction.
    5. Creating and implementating of the PBIS plan for the school.
  3. Duluth High School will build parent capacity by:
    1. Providing support and information to parents in transition phases.
    2. Supporting parents with their child's academic and social emotional learning.

Percent of students chronically absent:
Baseline: 12% in 2021/22                   
2022/23: 16%   
Target: 10%   

Positive response to Educational Effectiveness Student Survey (EES) Items:
“I feel safe at this school.”
Baseline: 63% in 2021/22 
2022/23: 54% 
Target: 66%                                               

“I enjoy coming to this school”
Baseline: 43% in 2021/22  
2022/23: 46%
Target: 48%

“Work I do in this school is useful and interesting to me.”
Baseline: 36.5% in 2021/22                  
2022/23: 47%
Target: 49%

Positive response to the Cultural Proficiency Educational Effectiveness Staff Survey (EES) items:
“When there is a problem in my school, we talk about how to solve it.”
Baseline: 83% in 2021/22                       
2022/23: 86%
Target: 88% 

“I incorporate social emotional instruction into my daily instructional delivery.”
Baseline: 70% in 2021/22                    
2022/23:74%
Target: 76%

“I receive training on instruction to support social emotional learning.”
Baseline: 73% in 2021/22             
2022/23: 76%
Target:78%

“Instruction is personalized to meet the needs of each student.”
Baseline: 75% in 2021/22                    
2022/23: 71%
Target:  78%

 
Equity 2.A - Multi-tiered System of Supports

Duluth High School recognizes the need to provide differentiated interventions and supports to meet the diverse needs of each and every student.
  1. Duluth High School will offer the following academic supports:
    1. The 9th Grade Academy model.
    2. Continue targeted, multi-tiered interventions during lunch/advisement.
    3. Evaluating intervention effectiveness using the MTSS Air Rubric as a tool.
    4. Dedicated advisement and interventions for Special Education student and English Language Learners.
    5. Use of technology and software to provide differentiated instruction and remediation.
    6. Duluth Summer Program and dedicated credit recovery/GOC/local module lab for students to make up failed credits.
  2. Duluth High School will offer various non-academic supports:
    1. Opportunities for student leadership as well as targeted mentoring and student groups.
    2. Teacher guidelines for effective classroom management and incorporation of SEL work in the classroom.
    3. Behavior Intervention Room for students to work on affective skills such as conflict resolution, attendance, goal setting, and self-reflection.
  3. Duluth High School will leverage District Assessment data to inform instructional decisions.
    1. Course teams will disaggregate district assessment data together to inform decision about how best to focus their efforts instructionally. 
  4. Duluth High School will increase parent capacity by providing support and information to parents regarding their child's acadmemic and social learning. 

 

Percent of students who are universally screened for wellbeing during the first screening window.
Baseline: 93%
Target: 94%
 
Percent of 9th and 10th students universally screened for additional support in Math and ELA during the first screening window.
Baseline: 94%
Target: 95%
Percent of all Milestone tests in which students scored a Beginning level
Baseline: 30.2% in 2021/22                                     
2022/23: 22.6%
Target: 20%
 
Difference in percent of Hispanic students scoring at Beginning level on the Milestone tests and the general Overall students.
Baseline: 11.0% in 2021/22                                     
2022/23: 10.3%
Target: 8%

English Language Learner progress towards English proficiency as measured by the ACCESS Test:
Baseline: 72.08% in 2021/22                                   
2022/23: 49% (District avg 61%)
Target: 52%
Equity 2.B - Opportunity and Access

Duluth High School prioritizes the expansion of student opportunity and access to high quality, rigorous and relevant coursework in an effort to best position our students for success in college and career.

Duluth High School will expand and prioritize student opportunities through:
1.    Open enrollment in Advanced Placement (AP) classes in which students are invited to participate and encouraged to take the AP exams. 
2.    Promotion of literacy across all curriculum areas.
3.    Targeted parent meetings with underrepresented student groups to encourage more AP participation. 
4.    Support for parents and students with transitioning to Dual Enrollment, enrolling in Grayson Tech or Maxwell High School, signing up for Work-Based Learning, etc.

Disproportionality Index of Black students in exclusionary discipline:
Baseline: 1.28 in 2021/22                    
2022/23: 1.197
Target: < 1.2

Percent of Hispanic 12th graders completing an AP or Dual Enrollment course.  
Baseline: 28% in 2021/22               
2022/23: 33%
Target: 35%
Effectiveness 3.A - Results-Based Evaluation System

Duluth High School leverages data-driven decision making to facilitate conversations with all stakeholders to advance teaching and learning.
Duluth High School will continue to implement and support the following data-driven initiatives: 
1.   Wildcat Walk-Ins where teachers conduct peer observations to observe quality teaching practices within our school.
2.   Wildcat Chats to support SEL for staff, students, and families.  
3.   Additional paid collaborative planning days during the school year and summer for teachers to plan, analyze data, and design lessons. 
4.   Continued training of Department Chairs to serve as instructional leaders for their content area.
5.   Use the Collaborative Learning Team (CLT) rubric to monitor and improve course team effectiveness. 
6.   Instructional Leadership Meetings 4 times a semester with teacher leaders, Department Chairs, and administrators to participate and develop professional development surrounding instruction and formative assessment, deep dive into data from universal screeners and District Assessment data, address and learn SEL strategies, and develop meaningful learning to share with departments.
7. Providing support for parents and students with transitioning to Dual Enrollment, enrolling in Grayson Tech or Maxwell High School, signing up for Work-Based Learning, etc. 

 

 

Percent of student grades less than 70%.
Baseline: 8% in Spring 2022          
Spring 2023: 9%
Target: 5%

Improved performance on the CCRPI Progress component.
Baseline: Established in SY 2023

Positive responses to the Cultural Proficiency EES Staff Survey items.
“I incorporate social emotional instruction into my daily instructional delivery.”
Baseline: 70% in 2021/22                    
2022/23: 74%
Target: 76%


“I receive training on instruction to support social emotional learning.”
Baseline:73% in 2021/22                     
2022/23: 76%
Target: 78%
Excellence 4.B - Postsecondary and Workforce Readiness

Duluth High School understands the importance of preparing each and every student for post-secondary success in college and/or career through opportunities to reach their future goals.
Duluth High School will prepare students for postsecondary and workforce success by:
  1.  Partnering with local colleges to offer Dual Enrollment opportunities both on and off campus and hosting college information sessions and college fairs built into the school day. 
  2.  Increasing student access to and participation in industry-approved courses and certifications.
  3.  Engaging in early identification of students whose interests are aligned with Maxwell High School and Grayson Tech.
  4.  Continuing a partnership with the Sugarloaf Mills campus of Phoenix High School as an avenue for our non-traditional students
  5.  Providing hands-on work experience for students through Work-Based Learning and school enterprise opportunities
  6.  Expanding Advisory Council connections with local businesses. 
  7.  Providing support for parents and students with transitioning to Dual Enrollment, enrolling in Grayson Tech or Maxwell High School, signing up for Work-Based Learning, etc. 

 
Percent of 12th graders performing at college-ready levels on the SAT.
Baseline:16% in 2021/22       
2022/23: 26%
Target: 28%
 
Percent of students graduating in 4 years.
Baseline: 86.4%
2022/23:  *Official data not available until October 2023
Target: 88%
 
Difference in the graduation rate of Hispanic students and Overall students.
Baseline: Hispanic Student Grad Rate: 78.88%/ difference of 7.52% 
2022/23: *Official data not available until October 2023
Target: 4.52%
 
Percent of all 12th graders completing a CTE Pathway.
Baseline:17% in 2021/22 
Spring 2023: 17%
Target: 20%
 
Pass rate of CTE End of Pathway exams:
Baseline: 69% in 2021/22  
Spring 2023: 63%
Target: 72%
 
Percent of students participating in Maxwell/Grayson.
Baseline: 1.13% in 2021/22     
2022/23: 0.84%
Target: 1.45%
 
Percent of 12th graders eligible for the HOPE scholarship.
Baseline: 59% in 2020/21 (awaiting release of data for 2021/22)                     
Spring 2023: 54%
Target: 57%
 
Percent of 9th graders who are on track to graduate in 4 years at the end of their 9th grade year. 
Baseline: 89% in 2021/22 
Preliminary Data: 83% (*Data not available until July 2023)
Target: 92%
 
Percent of students participating in work-based learning.
Baseline: 0.5% in 2021/22            
2022/23: 0.34%
Target: 0.5%

 
Family Engagement/Building Parent Capacity -

We will build our parents' capacity to support their children's academic achievement by implementing the activities identified in The Plan/The Promise.
  1. Providing support and information to parents in transition phases.
  2. Supporting parents with their child's academic and social emotional learning, including attendance and discipline related issues. 
  3. Targeted parent meetings with underrepresented student groups to encourage more AP participation.
  4. Providing support for parents and students with transitioning to Dual Enrollment, enrolling in Grayson Tech or Maxwell High School, signing up for Work-Based Learning, etc.
  5. Wildcat Chats with parents quarterly to address on time information.
Positive responst to Parent Perception Survey results:
Increase the number of responses:
Baseline 21/22: 254 responses 
Target: 275
 
"Parents/families have input into plans for improving this school."
Baseline 21/22: 57%
Target: 60%
 
"The school tells me how I can help my student with homework."
Baseline 21/22: 54.9%
Target: 58%

Percent of students chronically absent:
Baseline: 12% in 2021/22                   
2022/23: 16%   
Target: 10%   

Percent of student grades less than 70%.
Baseline: 8% in Spring 2022          
Spring 2023: 9%
Target: 5%

Percent of students graduating in 4 years.
Baseline: 86.4%
2022/23:  *Official data not available until October 2023
Target: 88%

Percent of students participating in Maxwell/Grayson.
Baseline: 1.13% in 2021/22     
2022/23: 0.84%
Target: 1.45%