Paul Duke STEM is focused on promoting student wellbeing, belonging, and engagement through positive relationships and a supportive learning environment. Therefore, based on 2023-2024 data on attendance and student behavior, we aspire to reduce chronic absenteeism and discipline referrals in support of students’ well being, belonging, and engagement.

1. Improve and optimize our Advisement Experience
   • We have aligned our Advisement, SEL, and PBIS programs to maximize the effectiveness of the program for the next couple of years.
   • Our Advisement classes meets twice a week. Advisement teachers are assigned the same 25 students for all four years of their high school experience, which gives teachers and students the opportunity to develop a sense of community.
   • Advisement teachers are conferencing individually with students and communicating with parents. We will develop a schedule and script to help teachers to  conference with their advisement students during Advisement and Intervention Blocks.
   • We will continue to provide on-going training to Faculty and Staff to support our Advisement program through professional learning sessions and training for advisement leaders. 
2. Implement our Positive Behavior Intervention System (PBIS) to improve behavior outcomes 
   • This year will be our second year of PBIS, and we will begin implementing our PBIS this fall.
   • As a part of our PBIS program, we will have quarterly training sessions for staff, students are being grouped into "HOUSES" for belonging and positive competitions
   • Development of our PBIS Coordinator
   • We are implementing our PBIS system using an easy to use software, which the teachers and PBIS leadership team helped identify. 
   • We will continue to provide on-going training to Faculty and Staff to support our PBIS implementation through professional learning sessions and training for PBIS leaders. 
3. Engage students with co-curricular and extracurricular clubs and activities 
   • Host a club and Activity Fair in August to expose students to multiple opportunities to engage in our school community (August)
   • We will host after school and summer learning experiences (ELT) around Computer Science, Robotics, Drones, and Design to promote engagement, belonging, and student learning
4. Actively support Student and Staff Student Social Emotional Learning (SEL)
   • Warm Welcome and Optimistic Closing will be modeled in every meeting starting in pre-planning. These lessons and practices are incorporated into meetings and professional learning. 
   • Teachers received a digital copy of “SEL 3 Signature Practices Playbook” during Pre-planning
   • Teachers will incorporate SEL practices within daily classroom lessons such as warm welcomes, optimistic closures, and engaging strategies.
   • Teachers will receive professional learning and resources to support SEL implementation.
   • Meetings and professional learning opportunities will model SEL practices for teachers. 
   • We are making a focused effort to assess and support our teachers growth and confidence with SEL. 
5. Demonstrate relevance of the AKS through Project-Based Learning (PBL) 
   • All teachers incorporate at least two project-based or problem-based learning experiences
   • Teachers will be provided additional planning time to develop PBL learning experiences that connect learning of the AKS with future opportunities.
   • Professional learning and collaborative planning around productive group work and relevancy to support and increase student engagement
6. Expand and support students leadership capacity
   • GSLT student leadership team will meet monthly with club presidents to develop leadership capacity and create a space for providing suggestions for solving problems in the school.
   • Student Council and GSLT/PDSLT are partnering to enhance student voice and role in the development of the school.

The table below shows the percentage of students with regular attendance (95% or greater), chronic absenteeism, and disciplinary referrals. Our goal is to significantly improve attendance and behavioral outcomes over the next 5 years.

Paul Duke STEM will implement an effective Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS), in order to decrease the number of student scoring at the Beginning level on the Georgia Milestones End of Course Assessments. 

Over the next four years, we will decrease the percentage of students scoring at the Beginning Level on GA Milestones assessments in all student subgroups. During the SY2023-2024, Paul Duke STEM students had the following percentage of students score at the Beginning level: 

• Biology 17%
• Algebra 28%
• US History 13% 
• American Literature 16%

1. Year long professional development was implemented during monthly ILT meetings.
   • We will focus on building the capacity of faculty and staff to design and implement effective student interventions
   • MTSS Leadership Team meets weekly to lead and support students interventions
   • Instructional Leadership Team works together to support effective practices to support and lead exceptional Collaborative Learning Teams (CLT) and effective Tier 1 instruction
2. Develop our Supportive Community Processes and Structures
   • We are focused on implementing our supports and interventions with fidelity this year. 
   • Our MTSS leadership team meets weekly to develop, implement, monitor, and improve our Multi-Tiered System of Supports.
   • We will continue to leverage digital Kid Talks via Teams to help collect information on students while minimizing in-person meetings. Digital Kid Talks have been a game-changer with accurate and efficient data collection as well as with the speed of MTSS and RTI processes
   • Attendance interventions will be leveraged to support students’ attendance.
   • We will offer After School Tutoring & Peer Tutoring to support students
   • We continue to use our Flexible Intervention on Wednesdays and Fridays to maximize student supports and interventions during the day.
3. Improving MTSS Processes, Supports, and Procedures
   • We will focus on building the capacity of our teachers and teams to increase collaborative conversations about interventions and differentiation strategies.
   • We are working to provide a supportive community through a focused approach to student discipline, particularly tardies, AWOLs, and absences. 
   • We are implementing PBIS school-wide, and our initial team has been trained and is working to train the entire faculty and staff. 
   • Grade level teams will meet regularly to have “Kid Talks” to discuss student supports, interventions, and remediation
   • Credit Recovery will be offered to support learning of AKS not mastered in Semester 1 or Prerequisite classes. We will offer three credit recovery sessions throughout the year.
4. Leveraging Academic Press
   • We will be working to improve the function and operation of our PLCs and course teams.
   • Our school will continue to optimize Tier 2 and Tier 3 interventions.
   • Course teams in EOC courses and prerequisite courses will develop and administer AKS aligned assessments and lessons to support engagement, learning, and success.
     • Teachers will administer both common assessments and required district assessments to monitor student progress.
     • The MAP Universal Screener will be used to identify students for remediation and acceleration. 
   • Course Teams and teachers will leverage digital resources such as DeltaMath, IXL Math, and other digital resources
   • Teachers will leverage small group instructional focus on core skills and concepts

Paul Duke STEM aspires to prepare all students for opportunities in both college and careers. In order to expand student opportunities to complete advanced coursework and earn postsecondary credit, we will intentionally expand opportunities for Black and Latino students to complete Advanced Coursework through AP and Dual Enrollment.

1. Expand Advanced Coursework Options and Opportunities
   • Expand AP Access through the use of Equal Opportunity Schools (EOS) survey, data, and resources
   • Expand AP Lang participation (Leverage assessment data to support enrollment and recruitment)
   • Expand Dual Enrollment Partnerships and course offerings
   • Support teachers with Professional Learning
   • Offer students the opportunity to attend Maxwell
   • Offer a Fall and Spring Parent Expo
2. We will expand student supports and the effectiveness of our MTSS for each and every student in advanced courses by offering the following:
   
   • We will offer specific AP Advisement Lessons
   • We will offer Peer Mentoring & Tutoring during our Flex and Intervention 
   • College Fair and Visits
   • Improving Tier 1 Student Academic Supports in AP
   • Progressing students from below grade level to at grade to beyond grade level between grades 9-11
3. Expand parent supports for each and every student group
   
   • Parent Meetings and Mentoring
   • Improved Counseling Support
   • Parent Instructional Coordinator (PISC)

In order to expand student opportunities to complete advanced coursework and earn postsecondary credit, we will intentionally expand opportunities for Black and Latino students to complete Advanced Coursework through AP and Dual Enrollment.  

Below is our AP Exam Data for SY2021-2022 - SY 2025-2026

Paul Duke STEM values all employees at all levels, and we seek to elevate our faculty and staff voices in decision-making, recognize and celebrate their success, and prioritize their professional growth. Based on multiple faculty and staff surveys, we have an excellent staff culture and climate rating among the top 10% in Gwinnett County Public School, and we aspire to continuously improve our culture and climate. 

1. Improve and increase the Professional Development for Teachers around cultural proficiency, supports, interventions, and well being.
2. Incorporate basic key learning practices in all meetings
3. Encourage peer coaching and completion of the coach endorsement
4. Continuing our PBIS program in SY2024-2025 to improve behavior outcomes
5. Launch "PDS Teacher Leadership Cohorts" Professional Development for 25 teachers
6. Engage all teachers in Peer Observation and Feedback as a tool to improve instruction
7. Develop a PDS University Professional Development option
8. Continue to support the PBIS House System for students and staff

83% of the faculty and staff of Paul Duke STEM High School participated in the annual Education Effectiveness Survey (EES), and the faculty and staff rated their perceptions and satisfaction with the school. The table below shows the percentage of staff that responded positively to questions around cultural proficiency and their perception of support. 

Paul Duke STEM High School supports each and every student through a well-rounded educational experience that promotes both college and career readiness, and includes a wide variety of academic, arts and athletic programs, including co-curricular and extra-curricular activities.

Our goal is to consistently graduate 90%-95% of our students within 4 years and have all graduates complete an advanced academic, CTAE, Fine Arts, or World Language Pathway. Over the last three years, our 4-year graduation rate has been:. 

• 2021 4 year graduation rate - 92.5%
• 2022 4 year graduation rate - 88.1%
• 2023 4 year graduation rate - 92.6% 

Our Action Plan to improve 4-year graduation rate is as follows:

1. 1. Improve our Student Supports through MTSS (See Goal 2A)
      • Deliver instruction through effective Tier I Strategies for students within the classroom each and every day
      • Our instructional coach will complete walk-throughs in classrooms and provide professional learning to staff regarding Tier I instructional strategies.
      • Our RTI coordinator is working with a team of teachers to provide interventions based on data collected through Kid Talks.
   2. Improve professional learning and support for teachers around the shifts outlined in the Blueprint for the Future (See Goal 3B)
   3. Provide ELT and Credit Recovery opportunities for students to enhance, expand, and recover mastery of the AKS
   4. Improve communication and collaboration between counselors and administrators to better monitor and support students who are off-track
   5. Support students preparation for college and career readiness through assessment, instruction, counseling, and experience

We will monitor the following:

• The rate that students successfully complete their courses.
• Advanced Academic, CTAE, Fine Arts, or World Language Pathway Completion rates
• 4-year Graduation Rate- 90% of students graduating on time based on the year they entered 9th grade

We will build our parents' capacity to support their children's academic achievement by implementing the activities identified in The Plan/The Promise.

1. We will work to communicate better with families on a regular basis.
2. We will host multiple Parent Expos, which are events intended to engage our parents and equip them to support their students. 
   • The Fall Parent Expo will focus on helping parents understand what their students are learning in each class and what supports our school provides
   • The Spring Parent Expo will focus on helping students and parents prepare for graduation and register for courses in the 2024-2024 school year. The 
3. We will host grade level specific seminars to help parents understand how to support their students and prepare for the future.
4. We will work to leverage our school website, social media, and Parent Square to communicate information effectively to parents. 
5. We will use our Parent Instructional Coordinator (PISC) and instructional support staff to intentional engage our families. We aspire to provide exception customer service and support for parents.
6. We will work to add additional staff in our counseling office to support parent engagement and support for both students and families. 
7. We are working with our PTSA and local CARE team to provide basic resources for families.

We will measure growth in Parent Engagement through the number of Parent Surveys completed each year. Over the course of the next few year, we aim to improve our parent participation in the annual Parent Survey and the percentage of parents responding favorably to the question, "I feel welcome at this school."