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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: DISCOVERY HIGH           Principal: Robert Maffeo
District Strategic Priorities/Goals Rationale Action Steps
(Implementation Design)		 How will you measure growth?
Growth Factors (Baseline & Targets)
Empathy 1.A - Cultural Competence

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

Discovery will work to increase parent engagement by:

  1. Provide opportunities for FAFSA completion.

  2. Increase in Parent/Teacher Conference Night attendance.

  3. Parent Blend sessions with principal and school leaders to focus on how parents can be involved in their student’s academic progress.

  4. English classes for parents and guardians of students to improve parent access.

  5. ParentVue and Parent Portal classes to enhance parent capacity.

  6. Visits outside of the school to community groups to engage parents and guardians.

  7. Identify parent groups for targeted outreach that need additional support.

 

Growth measured through Educational Effectiveness Survey (EES) for families results:

  1. “Parents/families participate in important decisions about their student’s education.”

    1. Baseline:  74.2% Positive or Neutral

    2. Goal:  80% Positive or Neutral

  2. “My student is challenged with a rigorous course of study at this school.”

    1. Baseline:  76.1% Positive or Neutral

    2. Goal:  80% Positive or Neutral

  3. “This school tells me how I can help my student with homework.”

    1. Baseline:  61.2% Positive or Neutral

    2. Goal:  70% Positive or Neutral

 
Empathy 1.B - Staff and Student Well Being

Discovery High School is focused on promoting student and staff wellbeing, belonging, and engagement through positive relationships and a supportive learning environment.

  1. Supports for teachers and students will include:

    1. An induction coordinator to support the unique needs of new teachers,

    2. An MTSS coordinator to support both teacher’s ability to provide multi-tiered supports for students and access to supports for students.

    3. Counseling Services for 9th & 10th Graders, 11th & 12th Graders, Students with Disabilities (SWD), and English Language Learners (ELL)

    4. APEX therapist to support students with individual therapy needs.

    5. Designated staff and student wellness environments.

    6. Opportunities for staff and students to voice concerns and celebrations. 

    7. PBIS opportunities for staff and students.

  2. Chronic Absenteeism

    1. Daily attendance reports run in all student management offices.

      1. 9th Grade

      2. 10th Grade

      3. 11th Grade

      4. 12th Grade

      5. Students with Disabilities

      6. English Language Learners

    2. Parent communication system through ParentSquare

    3. Attendance Intervention Team

    4. Counseling and social worker referrals

 

Growth measured through Educational Effectiveness Survey (EES) for student results:

  1. “If I want to talk to my teacher(s), they are available to me.”

    1. Baseline:  71.5% Positive or Neutral

    2. Goal:  75% Positive or Neutral

  2. “I feel safe at this school.”

    1. Baseline:  59.6% Positive or Neutral

    2. Goal:  70% Positive or Neutral

  3. “I feel proud of my school.”

    1. Baseline:  48.9% Positive or Neutral

    2. Goal:  60% Positive or Neutral

 

Growth measured through Educational Effectiveness Survey (EES) for staff results:

  1. “My colleagues are willing to work to change this school for the better.”

    1. Baseline:  90.1% Positive or Neutral

    2. Goal:  90% Positive or Neutral

  2. “Instruction is personalized to meet the needs of each student.”

    1. Baseline:  78.5% Positive or Neutral

    2. Goal:  90% Positive or Neutral

  3. “I believe that all students can meet state standards.”

    1. Baseline:  88.9% Positive or Neutral

    2. Goal:  90% Positive or Neutral

 

Chronic Absenteeism

  1. Total Chronic Absenteeism:

    1. Baseline:  30%

    2. Goal:  20%

  2. 9th Grade:

    1. Baseline:  23%

    2. Goal:  20%

  3. 10th Grade:

    1. Baseline:  27%

    2. Goal:  20%

  4. 11th Grade:

    1. Baseline:  26%

    2. Goal:  20%

  5. 12th Grade:

    1. Baseline:  41%

    2. Goal:  20%

 
Equity 2.A - Multi-tiered System of Supports

Discovery High School will continue its comprehensive framework to operationalize a multi- tiered system of support to address academic and non-academic student needs and remove barriers to success.

    1. Academic Press:

      1. Advanced Placement Support advisement classes.

      2. Reading & Writing strategies intervention

      3. Math Strategies intervention

      4. Remedial Education Program (REP).

      5. Collaborative Learning Team (CLT) work will focus on Tier 1 instruction.

      6. The Unit Recovery program will target knowledge and skills not mastered within the unit of study.

      7. The Credit Recovery program will target classes failed in the previous semester. 

    2. Supportive Community:

      1. Comprehensive PBIS plan will target tardies, AWOLS, and disruptive behaviors.

      2. Comprehensive SEL plan will target social and interpersonal skills

      3. Behavior specialists and Emotional Behavioral Disorder (EBD) teachers will intervene with students needing behavior support.

      4. School social workers will target students in crisis and students with extreme attendance concerns.

    3. Targeted School and Improvement (TSI) designation for Students With Disabiliites (SWD)

      1. Increase scheduled support in Reading/Writing and Math Strategies courses

      2. Targeted support for SWD in weekly support classes based on student progress.

      3. Weekly checks from the case manager during advisement classes for all SWD.

      4. Designated counselor for all students with an Individual Education Plan (IEP) to provide specific social/emotional support and advocacy for SWD.

     

Growth measured by percentage of on-track students within the given cohort classes at every 6-week grading period based on Cohort Analyzer data and counselor tracking data and credit recovered.  

  1. Cohort Baseline/Target Data:

    1. Class of 2029 (1st Year Students)

      1. Baseline:  TBD

      2. Goal: 75%

    2. Class of 2028 (2nd Year Students)

      1. Baseline:  75% On-track

      2. Goal: 75%

    3. Class of 2027 (3rd Year Students)

      1. Baseline:  66% On-track

      2. Goal: 75%

    4. Class of 2025 (4th Year Students)

      1. Baseline:  64% On-track

      2. Goal:  85%

  2. Milestones Proficiency Rate:

    1. American Literature & Composition EOC:

      1. Baseline:  37.7%

      2. Goal:  37%

    2. Algebra EOC:

      1. Baseline:  22.42%

      2. Goal:  25%

    3. Biology EOC:

      1. Baseline:  36.7%

      2. Goal:  39%

    4. U.S. History EOC:

      1. Baseline:  34.0%

      2. Goal:  36%

 
Equity 2.B - Opportunity and Access

Discovery High School will expand student opportunities to engage in and access high-quality, rigorous, and culturally relevant curriculum.

Community Learning Team (CLT) planning for student intervention and enrichment through the Titan Pathway to Success (TPS) after school program.

 

Access to the general education environment for students receiving interrelated services through Special Education.

 

Increase student leadership opportunities for all students.

 

Increase student engagement in the Titan Pathway to Success (TPS) after school program.

  1. Baseline:  TBD

  2. Goal:  30 students per day (daily average)

 

Increase the percentage of students with disabilities in co-taught classes from resource setting.  

  1. Baseline:  TBD

  2. Goal:  70%

 

Increase participation in student leadership opportunities.

  1. Baseline:  TBD

  2. Goal:  10%

 
Effectiveness 3.B - Talent Management

Discovery High School will focus on growing and retaining teachers and staff to improve high-quality instruction for all students.

Professional Development

  1. Teacher Leadership development in front line leadership using principles from Extreme Ownership by Jocko Willink and Leif Babin targeting department chairs, academy leads, and assistant principals.

  2. Monthly teacher professional development for teaching on the block schedule and strategies to engage Students With Disabilities (SWD) and English Language Learners (ELL) to address the school’s Targeted School and Improvement (TSI) designation for SWD.

  3. Teacher induction coaching sessions with Induction Coach.

  4. Monthly co-teaching staff development and mentorship for co-teachers. 

  5. Monthly Community Learning Team (CLT) Lead training to enhance data driven practices using Atomic Habits by James Clear.

  6. Quarterly training to increase front line capacity of clerks to provide timely information and assistance to students, parents, guardians, and community members.

 

Teacher Retention

  1. Teacher Retention

    1. Baseline:  79%

    2. Goal:  85%

  2. Highly Qualified Staff

    1. Baseline:  92.6% Highly Qualified Teachers

    2. Goal:  95% Highly Qualified Teachers

 

Growth measured through Educational Effectiveness Survey (EES) for staff results:

  1. “This school has a data driven school plan with measurable goals.”

    1. Baseline:  88.4% Positive or Neutral

    2. Goal:  90% Positive or Neutral

  2. “We celebrate progress towards improvement plan goals.”

    1. Baseline:  80.3% Positive or Neutral

    2. Goal:  85% Positive or Neutral

 
Excellence 4.B - Postsecondary and Workforce Readiness

Discovery High School will prepare each and every student for Post-secondary and workforce readiness so that they continue to have multiple pathways to success based on their demonstrated knowledge, skills, abilities, and interests.

As an academy school, Discovery High School has focused on increasing college and career readiness.  To increase our participation rate, the school will emphasize:

  1. Pathway Advisement

  2. Academy Planning

  3. Academy Ambassadors

  4. Student course registration information

 

Pathway Completers Participating in EOPA:

  1. Health & Human Services Academy

    1. Sports Medicine:

      1. Baseline: TBD

      2. Goal: 5% increase

    2. Patient Care:

      1. Baseline: TBD

      2. Goal: 5% increase

    3. Teaching as a Profession:

      1. Baseline: TBD

      2. Goal: 5% increase

  2. Business Academy

    1. Marketing:

      1. Baseline: TBD

      2. Goal: 5% increase

    2. Business Technology:

      1. Baseline: TBD

      2. Goal: 5% increase

    3. Finance:

      1. Baseline: TBD

      2. Goal: 5% increase

  3. Fine Arts Academy

    1. Graphic Design:

      1. Baseline: TBD

      2. Goal: 5% increase

    2. Audio/Video/Film Technology:

      1. Baseline: TBD

      2. Goal: 5% increase

  4. STEM Academy

    1. Engineering:

      1. Baseline: TBD

      2. Goal: 5% increase

    2. Logistics:

      1. Baseline: TBD

      2. Goal: 5% increase