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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.

 

2025 - 2026 Local School Plan for Improvement (LSPI)


School: CEDAR HILL ELEMENTARY           Principal: Tony Patino

District Strategic Priorities/Goals Rationale Action Steps
(Implementation Design)
How will you measure growth?
Growth Factors (Baseline & Targets)
Empathy 1.A - Cultural Competence
  • Empathy and inclusion are fundamental to creating a positive and respectful learning environment for all students at Cedar Hill Elementary.
  • A culturally responsive curriculum supports students in making meaningful connections to their learning experiences.
    1. Continue to incorporate empathy-building activities and discussions into the curriculum.
    2. Provide professional development for staff on cultural competence, diversity, and inclusion.
    3. Provide scaffolded SEL lessons for grades K-5 using the "Character Strong" Program, to help our students reach their full potential and thrive with evidence-based social-emotional learning (SEL) lessons. 
    4. Encourage teachers to adapt their instructional methods to accommodate the cultural backgrounds of their students.
    5. Expand our multicultural literatures in the school library that reflect diversity and specifically the school's diversity. 

         I. Improve student response on the annual Student EES survey in the following Action Steps:

a. “This School respects student differences” Baseline 71.5%, Target 76.5% Almost Always True/Sometimes True positive rate.

b. "Most students are respectful of others at this school" Baseline 72.8%, Target 83% Almost Always True/Sometimes True positive rate. 

        II. Improve Family response on the annual Family EES survey in the following Action Steps:

a. “This school addresses issues of diversity in a timely and effective manner” Baseline 81.8%, Target 85% Almost Always True/Sometimes True positive rate.

b. "There is a high level of community support" Baseline 75%, Target 80% Almost Always True/Sometimes True positive rate.

      III.  Improve staff response on the annual Staff EES survey in the following Action Steps:

a. “We are provided training to meet the needs of a diverse student population in our school” Baseline 80.5%, Target 85.5% Almost Always True/Sometimes True positive rate. 

b. "I receive training on instruction to support social emotional learning" Baseline 74.7%, Target 80% Almost Always True/Sometimes True positive rate.

Empathy 1.B - Staff and Student Well Being
  1. Advisement, Classroom Meetings, Restorative Circles, etc. 
  2. Working collaboratively with Office of Behavior Support and Interventions
  3. Create or empower existing student councils to give students a platform to share their ideas and concerns.
  4. Implement regular surveys, suggestion boxes, or forums where students can provide feedback on school policies and programs.
  5. Involve students in decision-making processes, especially those that directly affect them.
  6. Encourage and support initiatives and projects proposed and led by students.
  7. Host regular meetings or assemblies where students can speak openly with school administrators and teachers.

Opportunities for teachers and students:

We will have at least one student run program per quarter that meets at least once per quarter to develop and enhance student voice within our school (4 per year)

With the support of our counselors we will aim to reduce our Chronic Absenteeism from 15% to 12% (Use communication, Parent engagement programs and student incentives. 

Staff Related Targets: 

"When there is a problem in my school, we talk about how to solve it" Baseline 72.9%, Target 80% Almost Always True/Sometimes True positive rate.

"There is a willingness to address conflict at this school" Baseline 68.6%, Target 75% Almost Always True/Sometimes True positive positive rate. 

 

Equity 2.A - Multi-tiered System of Supports
  • Implementing a comprehensive framework to fully operationalize a multi-tiered system of supports designed to address academic and non-academic student needs and remove barriers to success.
  • Data is essential for informed decision-making and the success of MTSS in addressing student needs.
  • PBIS supports student achievement by establishing a proactive approach to behavior management, promoting a safe and supportive environment conducive to learning.
  1. Train staff in data collection methods and tools. (Universal Screeners)
  2. Establish regular data review meetings to identify trends and areas for improvement.
  3. Provide professional development for teachers in evidence-based instructional practices.
  4. Enhance our PBIS team to strengthen and implement a school-wide behavior matrix and reward system.
  5. We will continue the  MTSS Team monthly meetings to discuss students with Tier 2 and Tier 3 educational needs.
  6. We will offer Extended Learning Time (ELT) in the first and second semesters to support students academically in Math and English Language Arts.
  7. Imagine Learning Professional Development, Imagine Learning Data talks, as well as Learning Walks for ML Teachers. 
  8. ML Teachers work with Grade Levels quarterly to update ELPS and develop Language Goals

I. Improve parent response on the annual Parent EES survey in the following Action Steps:

a.            “My student understands the purpose of each lesson” Baseline 76.9%, Target 82%, Almost Always True/Sometimes True positive rate.  

b.             “Teacher accommodates my individual students’ needs by adjusting instruction” Baseline 83.9%, Target 90%, Almost Always True/Sometimes True positive rate. 

II. Decrease the percentage of students qualified for Tier 3 Intervention to achieve the GPCS RTI expectation of 5% by increasing the fidelity of Tier 1 and Tier 2 Intervention.

       Baseline for each grade level at the start of the 25-26 School Year

         1. Kindergarten: 4%

         2. First Grade: 6%

         3. Second Grade: 7%

         4. Third Grade: 6%

         5. Fourth Grade: 11%

         6. Fifth Grade: 10%

III.        Achieve a 95% participation rate in the iReady and EES Well-being Screeners.

IV.      Increase in student achievement scores on standardized assessments.

    a. Show an improvement on the Georgia Milestones Assessment (GMAS) by increasing the number of students reading on grade level or above in grades 3-5: 

1.      3rd Grade Projection: Baseline 63.3%, Target 66.3% to reach the CI Benchmark. 

2.      4th Grade Projection:  Baseline 63.3%, Target 66.3% to reach the CI Benchmark

3.      5th Grade Projection: Baseline 50.%, Target 53% to reach the CI Benchmark

    b. Improve the number of students making progress towards English Proficiency based on Growth and ACCESS: 

    1.  Improve the number of ML students reaching the CI Benchmark. Baseline 82%, Target 90%. 

Equity 2.B - Opportunity and Access
  • Every student should feel safe, valued, and empowered to learn, regardless of their background.
  • Equitable access to advanced opportunities is essential for preparing students for success in the future.
  1. Provide diversity and inclusion training for all staff members.
  2. Continue to offer advanced content reading and math classes to identified students in grades 2-5
  3. Expand extracurricular offerings and make them accessible to all students e.g. Readers Rally/Robotics/ Peer Leaders.
  4. Offer additional academic support and tutoring to help underrepresented students succeed in advanced courses.
  5. Continue to offer K-5 Computer Science and have added a K-5 Reading Specials.

      I. Improve parent response on the annual Student EES survey in the following Action Steps:

a.     “Parent Organizations at this school actively encourage all families to participate” 80% to 85% Almost Always True/Sometimes True positive rate. 

 

b.      “Parents/families have input for improving this school” 77.3% to 83% Almost Always True/Sometimes True positive rate.

        II. Improve student response on the annual Student EES survey in the following Action Steps:

a.      “My teacher(s) find other ways for me to learn things I find difficult” from 62.2% to 68%, Almost Always True/ Sometimes True positive rate. 

         III. Cedar Hill ES will improve the number of students in advanced content classes (This goal will probably not look like this in its final form):

         a. 3rd Grade: from 15% to 17%Increase

         b. 4th Grade: from 9 to 11%  Increase

   c. 5th Grade: from 9% to 11%  Increase

IV.  iReady

a.Students will achieve Typical Growth in LA by increasing scores 3% to reach the 67% 1st Semester to reach the CI benchmark.

b.Students in K - 2nd Grade will achieve Typical Growth in LA by increasing scores 3% to reach the 80% in the Spring Window to reach the CI benchmark.

c.Students will achieve Typical Growth in MA by increasing scores by 3% to reach the 50% 1st Semester to reach the CI benchmark.

d.Students in K - 2nd Grade will achieve Typical Growth in MA by increasing scores by 4% to reach the 75% Spring Window to reach the CI benchmark.

e.Students will achieve Stretch Growth in LA by increasing scores by 2.9% to reach the 30.9% 1st Semester to reach the CI benchmark. 

f.Students in K - 2nd will achieve Stretch Growth in LA by increasing scores by 3% to reach the 62% Spring Window  to reach the CI benchmark. 

g.Students will achieve Stretch Growth in MA by increasing scores by 3.1% to reach the 19.1% 1st Semester to reach the CI benchmark. 

h.Students in K - 2nd will achieve Stretch Growth in MA by increasing scores by 3% to reach the 56% Spring Window to reach the CI benchmark

Effectiveness 3.A - Results-Based Evaluation System
  • At Cedar Hill, an ongoing teacher evaluation is essential for maintaining high standards of instruction and promoting professional growth.
  • Effective professional development is essential for enhancing teacher effectiveness and student outcomes.
  • Collaborative Learning Teams (CLTs), classroom walkthroughs, and administrator feedback together promote the sharing of best practices, professional growth, and a focus on student learning.
  1. Regularly collect and analyze evaluation data to identify areas for improvement and professional development needs.
  2. Conduct regular classroom walkthroughs led by administrators to observe and provide constructive feedback to teachers.
  3. Provide targeted professional development opportunities aligned with evaluation findings.
  4. Enhance our processes of Collaborative Learning Team meetings to include adapting to our new EL and Math Curriculum.
  5. Schedule quarterly classroom walkthroughs where new teachers observe and receive feedback from their colleagues.

 I. Improve staff response on the annual Student EES survey in the following Action Steps:

a.      My colleagues are willing to hold me accountable for student learning from 75% to 80%  Almost Always True/ Sometimes True positive rate. 

b.     Staff members enforce consistent behavior expectations and consequences in their classroom from 79.2% to 85%  Almost Always True/ Sometimes True positive rate. 

c.      We reflect upon instructional practice to inform our conversation about improvement from 78% to 88%  Almost Always True/ Sometimes True positive rate. 

d. "Peer observation/coaching and feedback is a toll we use to improve instruction" Baseline 63.9%, Target 75% Almost Always True/Sometimes True positive rate.

e. Our teachers engage in classroom-based professional development activities (e.g. peer coaching) that focus on improvement" Baseline 72.2%, Target 77.2% Almost Always True/Sometimes True positive rate. 

II. Improve student response on the annual Student EES survey in the following Action Steps:

a.      “My teacher(s) provide lessons and activities that challenge me to learn.” From 64.4% to 70%, Almost Always True/Sometimes True positive rate. 

III. Cedar Hill ES will improve on the Georgia Milestones Assessment (GMAS) in ELA for grades 3-5 from in the proficient or above levels. 

   a3rd Grade Projection: from 29.4% increase to 34% for the CI Benchmark

   b. 4th Grade Projection: from 29.4% increase to 34% for the CI Benchmark

    c. 5th Grade Projection: from 26.1% increase to 31%  for the CI Benchmark

IV. Cedar Hill ES will improve on the Georgia Milestones Assessment (GMAS) in Math for grades 3-5 in the proficient or above levels.

    a. 3rd Grade Projection: from 34% increase to 39% for the CI Benchmark

    b. 4th Grade Projection: from 34% increase to 39% for the CI Benchmark

    c. 5th Grade Projection: from 39.1% increase to 44% for the CI Benchmark

Excellence 4.B - Postsecondary and Workforce Readiness
  • Early exposure to career options can inspire students, broaden their horizons, and help them set educational and career goals.
  • A strong foundation in these skills is crucial for success in any future endeavor, whether academic or professional.
  1. Integrate age-appropriate career-related activities and discussions into the curriculum.
  2. Provide hands-on experiences related to different professions to encourage students to explore their interests and talents.
  3. Collaborate with the school counseling department to organize career days or events where professionals from diverse fields visit the school to share insights about their careers.
  4. Encourage students to embrace challenges and view mistakes as opportunities for personal growth.

I. Improve family response on the annual Family ESS survey in the following questions:

a. My student is challenged with a rigorous course of study in this school" Baseline 76.1%, Target 81% Almost Always True/ Sometimes True positive rate. 

II. Improve student response on the annual Student EES survey in the following Action Steps:

a.     " I am good at figuring out the best solution to problems I am facing:" from 36% to 40% Almost Always True/Sometimes True positive rate.

b.    "I think of more than one solution when I have a problem" from 44% to 50% Almost Always True/Sometimes True positive rate.

c.     " In class we often work with other students to solve a problem/To do a task:" from 41.3% to 45% Almost Always True/Sometimes True positive rate.

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.

  • We will build our parents' capacity to support their children's academic achievement by implementing the activities identified in The Plan/The Promise.
  • Collaborative relationships between parents and the school positively impact student outcomes and create a supportive learning environment.
  • Equipping parents with knowledge and resources empowers them to be active partners in their child's education.
  1. Host parent-teacher conferences to discuss student progress and set academic goals.
  2. Organize workshops and informational sessions on topics such as homework support, literacy, and navigating the education system.
  3. Create a welcoming and inclusive school environment that encourages parents to actively participate in school activities and decision-making.
  4. Offer workshops and training sessions on literacy development, math support, and strategies for reinforcing classroom learning at home.
  5. Share information about community resources, including tutoring programs and local libraries, to further support parents and students.

 

       I. Increase the frequency of communication with Cedar Hill families to set an expectation of 75% attendance at Parent-Teacher Conferences. 

      II. Provide three Parent Workshops per Semester through the Family Center that address academic expectations and available resources and increase the percentage of parent participation by 5%. 

      III. Expect at least one weekly communication from each teacher through Parent Square to the entire group of parents in order to improve two-way  communication between parents and teachers. 

       IV. Improve Staff response on the annual Family ESS survey in the following questions:

a. "My Principal collaborates with people and organizations outside this school to support teachers and students" Baseline 81%, Target 85% Almost Always True/Sometimes True positive rate.