ESSER III School Innovation and Improvement Plan At A Glance

• 2022-2023
• Timber Lane Elementary School
• Region 2
• Benjamin Chiet, Principal

Background: The Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER III) is a federal grant, which requires that spending be used in specific areas. Part of the Fairfax County Public Schools spending plan identifies funding to be used for Unfinished Learning and Student Academic and Social, Emotional, Mental Health (Wellness) Needs. 

English Language Arts Strategies

Outcome: Students will increase unadjusted overall pass rates on the SOL by 15% from 61% to 76%.

Strategy 1

Provide daily, systematic, explicit instruction in phonological awareness, phonics, and morphology in the core language arts block.

Actions for this Strategy: 

• Use skills-based groupings to differentiate foundational skills instruction with targeted, measurable goals in Tiers 1, 2 and 3 (including targeted interventions as supported by school-wide MTSS process)
• CLT meetings will focus on Tier 1 and small group instruction, as well as the creation of authentic learning experiences as part of the unpacking process.
• Staff will engage in professional development opportunities like labsites and research based approaches for teaching fluent word reading during the language arts block.

Strategy 2

Use evidence based literacy practices to explicitly and systematically teach the skills necessary for language comprehension in the core language arts block.

Actions for this Strategy:

• Teachers will explore instructional strategies for teaching a specific skill in through professional opportunities and labsites.
• Teachers will collaborate with resource teachers, special education teachers and ESOL teachers to ensure all students have appropriate scaffolds and accommodations by utilizing the comprehension planning checklist when planning interactive read alouds of complex text to build language comprehension skills.
• In grades 3-6, teachers will maintain classroom libraries that offer a wide variety of interest and choice of books for students to build language comprehension and reading skills during the literacy block.

Strategy 3

We will design opportunities for our students to reflect on and celebrate their growth as readers and writers as well as opportunities for teachers to reflect on the impact of their instruction throughout the CLT cycle.

Actions for this Strategy: 

• MTSS SIT will triangulate data (VGA, DSA, PRF/WRF, etc.) to ensure student needs are met throughout the year and watchlists are created for next year, as well as who needs immediate Tier 3 intervention next school year. Teachers will engage in quarterly data dialogues and planning days.
• Teachers will conduct student-led conferences to provide the students will ownership in their learning. There will be class and school-wide celebrations at the conclusion of units and on a quarterly basis. Parents and families will be included in the reflection and celebration processes.
• Include evidence-based at-home resources for families/caregivers to support the development of word recognition outside of school as a part of Back to School events, community literacy events, and/or fall conferences.

Mathematics Strategies

Outcome: Students will increase unadjusted overall pass rates on the SOL by 15% from 56% to 71%.

Strategy 1

The school will build collective responsibility to ensure implementation of high quality Tier 1 instruction, focusing on shift 8, during all parts of the math workshop block.

Actions for this Strategy: 

• Teams will intentionally plan for student talk opportunities throughout the entire math workshop, especially ensuring daily number sense routines and reflections.
• Teams will collaborate with grade level teachers, special education and ESOL support to ensure all students are accessing Tier 1 instruction by planning rich tasks using planning practices for shift 8, plan what they will look for in student responses to questions and plan how to respond in the moment.
• Teachers will engage in professional learning opportunities around shift 8, including leveraging math support team members to conduct individual coaching cycles and labsites with teachers focused on modeling Shift 8 instructional moves.

Strategy 2

Small Group Instruction Supplement to Tier 1 Instruction using AVMR and Building Fact Fluency Kits and other research based practices, including targeted Tier 2 and Tier 3 interventions supported through school-wide MTSS.

Actions for this Strategy:

• AVMR trained teachers conduct AVMR assessment on all targeted students and collaborate with Small Group Instructors to design instructional plans for students using AVMR and Building Fact Fluency Kits that target specific strategies or representations.
• ESOL and Sp.Ed. teachers partner with classroom teachers and interventionists to provide strategies to support English learners and SWD within small groups to teach language functions and English language development. Small Group Supplemental Instruction will be communicated to families via parent conferences to communicate progress on instructional goals and share how families can support at home.
• MTSS SIT will triangulate data (VGA, AVMR, MCA/Math Inventories, SOLs, Horizon, etc.) to ensure student needs are met throughout the year and watchlists are created for next year, as well as who needs immediate Tier 3 intervention next school year. Teachers will engage in quarterly data dialogues and planning days.

Strategy 3

Staff will provide access to rigor and advanced academic curricula regularly throughout the year. 

Actions for this Strategy: 

• Staff will engage in professional development and implement cross-curricular STEAM best practices.
• Students will apply core academic curriculum (math and reading) to areas like technology, coding, engineering, art and other fields that promote critical and creative thinking.
• Staff will provide before and after school opportunities for remediation and enrichment and increase family engagement where example math tasks and games are shared and student learning goals illuminated.

Wellness 

Outcome: Students will increase favorable self-report responses in self-management skills by 10%, from 37% to 47%, as measured by the SEL Screener.

Strategy 1

Staff will receive training and implement social-emotional supports during tier 1 instruction.

Actions for this Strategy: 

• Teachers will establish common B/W language, expectations and strategies and implement Responsive Classroom techniques and structures across all learning environments.
• Teachers will participate in initial and ongoing professional development around Second Step, Responsive Classroom, Yoga 4 Classrooms, and other SEL best practices.
• School leaders will establish time designated for intentional planning of social emotional supports on tier 1 level, dedicate time for self-selected teachers to analyze schoolwide behavior and implement additional proactive behavioral supports, and prioritize behavior-wellness CLTs at least every 2 months.

Strategy 2

Plan before and after school opportunities for intervention and enrichment.

Actions for this Strategy:

• Use SEL screener and other data sources to identify students requiring additional opportunities for school connection or social emotional intervention.
• Plan and provide a variety of before/after school opportunity such as mentoring, boys/girl circle and other programs as needed.

Strategy 3

We will design opportunities for staff to reflect on student progress in self management skills and increase opportunities to connect all students in need of Tier 2 or 3 support to an appropriate intervention.

Actions for this Strategy:

• Provide small group interventions matched to identified needs.
• Teachers will access a variety of trainings and resources to guide Tier 2 and 3 student supports.
• Teachers will identify students to engage with Heeling House to provide additional supports through therapy dogs.

ESSER III Portrait of a Graduate (POG)

Outcome: 100% of students will demonstrate increased understanding of POG as reported on a student survey.

Strategy 1

The school will build an understanding with students, staff, and the community about why POG attributes and skills positively impact students within and beyond school.

• POG skills and attributes will be communicated with the community through a number of different venues (newsletters, NYC, website, student PBLs, notes home, etc.)
• All teams/departments will dedicate time in one CT per month for exploring POG resources on the POG Google Site.
• All staff will engage in learning throughout the year about the rationale behind the importance and impact of POG.

Strategy 2

Collaborative teams will align content knowledge and skills with POG attributes and skills.

• Team planning process will embed POG attributes into student learning outcomes
• Every classroom will make the targeted POG attributes and skills visible in the physical classroom so all students can access skill language in order to reflect
• Morning meetings will include identified POG skills and build in reflections at least monthly around POG skills.

Strategy 3

Teachers will design and facilitate inquiry-based opportunities that elevate student voice and increase student engagement.

• Students will experience one PBL per semester (two per year) which will be presented to families/community and connect to quarter concept of concept-based instruction.
• All students will engage with one AAP unit per quarter, supported by our AART.

Science

Outcome: We will increase the unadjusted science SOL pass rate in the spring of 2023 by 15% through hands-on science experiences provided in the FCPS science curriculum.

Strategy 1

Teachers will follow the 5E instructional model as provided in the FCPS science curriculum which will provide hands-on opportunities for students and connect with concept based curriculum.

Actions for this Strategy:

• Teachers will collaborate in bi-weekly science CLTs to unpack and understand the 5E instructional model.
• Teachers will engage in experiments to "do the science" prior to engaging students in lessons.
• Teachers will use read alouds strategically to teach across content areas.

Strategy 2

Students consistently have opportunities for reading, writing and student discourse, that come from FCPS science units and investigations.

Actions for this Strategy:

• Teachers will collaborate in bi-weekly CLTs to plan for opportunities for reading, writing and student discourse and collaborate with ESOL and Special Education Teachers to provide scaffolds for all learners.
• Teams will identify high-leverage academic language to embed throughout all content areas and intentionally plan for language supports for ELs.
• Teachers will analyze formative and summative assessments to drive instruction throughout the year. For example, science 4E vocabulary check ins.

Strategy 3

Students will use interactive science notebooks to record and reflect (writing, drawing, labeling) on their inquiry experiences.

Actions for this Strategy

• Teachers will collaborate in bi-weekly CLTs to build a common understanding of what interactive science notebooks are and look like.
• Teachers will collaborate in bi-weekly CLTs to plan for implementing purposeful science notebooks.