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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: MCCONNELL MIDDLE           Principal: Derico White
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

McConnell MS works to ensure individualized, authentic instruction through the implementation of Social Emotional Learning and Restorative Practices, with an emphasis on student and staff well-being, self-care, physical and mental health, and social-emotional learning.

  1. Students:

    1. Access is provided through the student portal for requesting individual conferences with a counselor. 

    2. Monthly school-wide professional development on improving Teacher/Students relationships

    3. Positive postcards sent to students by every teacher

    4. PBIS - Expansion

    • Tiger Paws

    • Tiger of the Day

    • Breakfast w/ the principal

    • Recognition pins for behavior, atendance, and grades/proficiency

    • McDonald’s Night

    • Tiger Paw cash-in

    • Walk and talks during Tiger Time

    1. Red and White Game
    2. Grade-level Socials

    3. Student Council

    4. Inclusion of students in school decision-making with PBIS, Advisement,  

    5. Clubs - More robust than ever (30+)

    6. Restorative Practices

    7. Mentoring Program

    8. Principal's Advisory Committee

    9. All Pro Dads

     

    Staff:  

    1. School-wide professional development on Adult/Student relationships - focus on the whole child/diversity

  2. Treat Train (monthly)

  3. Monthly Self-care calendars sent out by counselors

  4. Exemplary Instruction - Coin recognition

  5. Recognition of PBIS Teacher of the Month

  6. Increased utilization of the staff fitness room.

  7. Create challenge groups for staff (walking, weight loss, etc)

  8. Teacher Leader Committee (monthly meeting to discuss non-academic school concerns)

  9. TIGER Talk w/Admin (monthly)- Focused on solving teacher concerns.

Student

Increase Percent Positive Responses (% Often True + % Almost Always True) on the following EES-STUDENT survey items: 

  1. I enjoy coming to this school

    1. Baseline: 31%

    2. 2024 Target: 42%

  2. Student Success is celebrated in this school.

    1. Baseline: 49%

    2. 2024 Target: 54%

Staff

Percent Positive Responses (% Often True + % Almost Always True) on the following EES-STAFF survey items:

  1. My colleagues welcome new ideas and change.

    1. Baseline: 72%

    2. 2024 Target: 75%

  2. We are provided training to meet the needs of a diverse population in our school.

    1. Baseline: 69%

    2. 2024 Target: 72%

  3. When there is a problem in this school we talk about how to solve it.

    1. Baseline: 72%

    2. 2024 Target: 75%
Equity 2.A - Multi-tiered System of Supports

McConnell MS will use observational, anecdotal, and performance data to ensure that every student demonstrates critical thinking skills and has a clear path to content mastery.
  1. The MTSS Team will analyze data (achievement, behavior, attendance, process, and perception) on an ongoing basis and frequently progress monitor to address Academic Press & Supportive Community.
  2. Administer the iReady Universal Screener in the Fall, Winter, and Spring*

  3. Daily Tiger Time for interventions, enrichment, and on-target learning activities

  4. Help day offered weekly by all teachers

  5. Support Enrichment & Acceleration (SEA)

  6. Saturday Intervention Sessions

  7. Academic Assistance Program (Credit Recovery)

  8. Reading/Math Remediation/Intervention Connection Classes

  9. Wilson Reading - Reading intervention

  10. iReady/Read 180/Achieve 3000 - Math/Reading resources

  11. Small group tutoring continued

  12. Frequent small group instruction

  13. Imagine Learning

  14. Implement New Reading 6 Course

  15. Restorative Practice Implementation to decrease exclusionary practices.

Decrease the percentage of students scoring in the Beginning or Developing range on Milestones Assessments: % Beginning + Development on GMAS/EOC (2024)

Grade and Subject 2023 Results 2024 Target
6th Grade Language Arts 45.6% 40%
6th Grade Math 56% 50%
7th Grade Language Arts 46.7% 40%
7th Grade Math 48.2% 44%
8th Grade Language Arts 47.8% 38%
8th Grade Math 40.4% 38%
8th Grade Science 65.4% 47%
8th Grade Social Studies 50% 37%
Equity 2.B - Opportunity and Access

McConnell MS will expand student opportunities to engage in and have access to high-quality, rigorous, and culturally relevant curriculum and enrichment activities.

  1. Expanded Gifted Search/Portfolios to qualify more students

  2. Computer Science Connection Class

  3. AgStem Connection Class to support our cluster-wide initiative

  4. PBIS/Advisement

  5. Encourage teachers to obtain multiple endorsements and/or certifications to build skills (Gifted/ELL)

  6. Full Fine Arts Offerings to all students (Chorus, Band, Orchestra, Theater Arts, Visual Arts, Media Arts, Music Tech)

  7. Culturally relevant material (use district-provided and/or vetted resources to connect students’ cultures, languages, and life experiences with what they learn in school)

  8. Small Group Instruction (use formative assessments to pull small groups during Tier I instruction 2-3 times per week)

  9. Junior Leadership Core Connection Class (Year-long in 7th and 8th)

  10. Family and Consumer Science Club

  11. 1-1 Devices

  12. Expanded Club Opportunities

  13. Daily Enrichment during Tiger Time

Percent Positive Responses (% Often True + % Almost Always True) on the following EES-STUDENT survey items:

  1. All students have access to rigorous courses and support. 

           a. Baseline: 66%

           b. 2024 Target: 70% 

  1. I feel proud of my school.

           a. Baseline: 38%

           b. 2024 Target: 48% 

  1. My teacher(s) help me learn by challenging me with interesting activities in class.

           a. Baseline: 51%

           b. 2024 Target: 56%
Effectiveness 3.B - Talent Management

McConnell MS will transform into a strategic talent management organization that supports educators and staff to achieve district goals.

  1. Provide specific actionable feedback to individual teachers to promote district goals.

  2. Mentor Teacher Program aligned by grade-level subject area

  3. Foster a student-teaching environment from nearby universities/colleges to increase McConnell’s talent pool

  4. Monthly professional learning opportunities (focused on High-quality Tier I instruction, formative strategies, and effective questioning)

  5. Weekly curriculum planning to create rigorous summative assessments using backward design, analyze data, compare student artifacts, share resources and best practices, reduce variability in instruction, and build collective efficacy

  6. Build teacher capacity by identifying teacher leaders to nominate for GCPS programs (Teachers as Leaders, Aspiring Leader Program, Coaching Endorsement, Gifted Endorsement, ESOL Endorsement, etc.)

Percent Positive Responses (% Often True + % Almost Always True) on the following EES-STAFF survey items:

1. Staff share a high sense of urgency around the need to improve

a. Baseline:  73%

b. 2024 Target: 77%

2. When there is a problem in my school, we talk about how to solve it

a. Baseline:  72%

b. 2024 Target: 76%
Excellence 4.C - World-Class Communication and Engagement

McConnell MS will demonstrate world-class communication and engagement through modeling transparent, two-way communication to build stakeholder trust and confidence.

1. McConnell Minute - Weekly School Newsletter

2. Surveys to collect family feedback on initiatives

3. Weekly Progress Reports - emailed to parents from all teachers

4. Counseling eNewsletter

5. Community Outreach - Quarterly

a. Parent Training Opportunities

b. Literacy, Learning & Lettuce Festival

6. Increase bi-lingual communication

7. Increase social media presence

8. Local School Council

9. MMS PTO

10. Homework Calendar

11. Curriculum Nights

12. Parent-Teacher Conferences

13. Student-led Conferences

Percent Positive Responses (% Often True + % Almost Always True) on the following EES-Family survey items:

1. Parents/families have input into plans for improving this school

a. Baseline: 52%

b. 2024 Target: 66%

2. The school communicates effectively with my family.

a. Baseline: 65%

b. 2024 Target: 69% 

3. The school communicates with me about my student's progress.

a. Baseline: 77%

b. 2024 Target: 80%