division name: augusta county public schools school name ...€¦ · not using indistar®: access...

Revised September 2016 of 15

Division Name: Augusta County Public Schools

School Name:

Date:

Select One: x☐ Initial Plan ☐ Revision

Title I schools implementing schoolwide programs are required to develop schoolwide plans in accordance with Section 1114(b) of the Every Student Succeeds

Act of 2015 (ESSA). Guidelines for plan development include the following:

● The plan should be developed with the involvement of:

o Parents;

o Other members of the community to be served;

o Individuals who will carry out the plan, including teachers, principals, other school leaders, administrators, paraprofessionals present in the

school;

o The local education agency;

o To the extent feasible, tribes and tribal organizations present in the community; and

o If appropriate

▪ Specialized instructional support personnel;

▪ Technical assistance providers;

▪ School staff; and

o If the plan relates to a secondary school, students and other individuals determined by the school;

● The plan should be available to the Local Educational Agency (LEA), parents, and the public; information in the plan should be in an understandable and

uniform format and, to the extent practicable, provided in a language that parents can understand; and

● If appropriate and applicable, the plan should be developed in coordination and integration with other federal, state, and local services, resources, and

programs, such as programs supported under ESSA, violence prevention programs, nutrition programs, housing programs, Head Start programs, adult

education programs, career and technical education programs, and schools implementing comprehensive support and improvement activities or

targeted support and improvement activities under section 1111(d).

The ESEA requires four components to be included in the schoolwide plan. The template below provides a framework that may be used to develop and/or

update a schoolwide plan. For each component, the narrative section in the template should be completed in sufficient detail to document how the component

has been thoroughly and thoughtfully addressed. Schoolwide plans should be reviewed annually and revised as necessary to promote continuous improvement

and to reflect the school’s initiatives to upgrade the entire educational program of the school.

To maintain focus, eliminate duplication of effort, and promote comprehensiveness, schools should operate under a single plan if at all possible. A school that

already has a plan for school improvement might consider amending it, rather than starting over, provided that the existing plan was based on a comprehensive

needs assessment and can be revised to include the four required schoolwide components. This template can be used by schools with existing Indistar® plans to


reference indicators and tasks in the Indistar® plan that related to the schoolwide components.

Directions: Complete each of the four components by following these steps:

Using Indistar®:

● Access the Title I Schoolwide Plan template from the “Complete Form” tab of the Indistar® dashboard.

● Provide a narrative response that describes how the school has addressed the requirements for each component;

● Where applicable, identify the indicator(s) and task number(s) from the school’s Indistar® plan that align with each required component;

● Click “Save” at the bottom of the form to save your responses; and

● Submit the plan to your LEA Division Contact by returning to the dashboard. Under the “Submit Forms/Reports” tab, go to the Title I Plans section, and

select the Title I Schoolwide Plan “Submit” button.

Not Using Indistar®:

● Access the Title I Schoolwide Plan template on the Title I web site.

● Provide a narrative response that describes how the school has addressed the requirements for each component; and

● Submit the plan as directed by your LEA Title I Coordinator.

Resources:

Schoolwide program resources, including USED guidance on Designing Schoolwide Programs, Supporting School Reform by Leveraging Federal Funds in a

Schoolwide Program, and Title I Fiscal Issues, can be accessed at the Title I website under Guidelines and Procedures/Federal Guidance.

A Virginia Department of Education presentation on Requirements and Implementation of a Title I Schoolwide Program can be accessed at:

http://www.doe.virginia.gov/federal_programs/esea/index.shtml.

Component 1 §1114(b)(6):

A comprehensive needs assessment of the entire school that takes into account information on the academic achievement of children in relation to the

challenging state academic standards, particularly the needs of those children who are failing, or are at-risk of failing, to meet the challenging state academic

standards and any other factors as determined by the local educational agency.

Evidence: A systematic effort involving multiple stakeholders to acquire an accurate and thorough picture of strengths and weaknesses of the school community,

thus identifying student needs through a variety of information-gathering techniques. A data analysis summary must be included. The results of your data

analysis must guide the reform strategies that you will implement to improve instruction for all students.

Narrative:

Hugh K. Cassell Elementary School is committed to student learning and achievement. Hugh K. Cassell is a rural school of approximately

550 students in grades PK-5, of which 2% are English Language Learners and 58% are classified as economically disadvantaged. Thirty-

http://www.doe.virginia.gov/federal_programs/esea/title1/part_a/index.shtml

http://www.doe.virginia.gov/federal_programs/esea/title1/part_a/index.shtml

http://www.doe.virginia.gov/federal_programs/esea/index.shtml


three, 6%, of our K-5 students receives special education services.

In the 2017-2018 school year, we will be in a new building with approximately 700 students increasing our need for services. Reading

Specialists currently serve 5-8% of our population under a Targeted Assistance Title I model. Next year approximately fifteen more

students will be in need of services with two Reading Specialists. Because of these changes it is the desire of the stakeholders on our

learning community to apply for Title I schoolwide.

A systematic effort is in place to acquire an accurate picture of the H.K.Cassell’s community of learners involving various stakeholders to

include administrators, teachers, students and parents. Hugh K. Cassell Elementary’s administrators, curriculum leaders, and Title I team

have met and discussed performance data from previous years including PALS data, SOL scores, Benchmark test data, Summary

Performance by Question reports as well as School Summary reports and summative data around parent involvement. See the graphs

below for summaries of PALS and SOL data. The principal, assistant principal, and Intervention Specialist conduct twice monthly

meetings with each grade level team to discuss student data and participate in conversations about individual student plans,

interventions, parent involvement, etc. Reading Specialists, school psychologist, and division rep take part in these monthly meetings.

In response to annual data we will continue to create our master schedule with an intentional focus on math and reading. Team/Grade

level meetings inclusive of Title I instructional staff are held to discuss student data, plan for cohesive instruction and strategize effective

instruction following formative assessments in order to best promote student success.

Performance on PALS Assessments

Students identified as not meeting the fall benchmark:

Fall 2015 Fall 2016

K--16% 19%

1st--9% 12%

2nd--25% 23%

PALS data continues to show stakeholders the need for early identification and intervention. Currently, targeted assistance model only

allows our Title I reading specialists to work with a small percentage of these identified students.

Percentage of Students on Grade Level in Reading

Semester Break 2016-2017

A midyear report shows a significant population of kindergarteners reading below grade level.

1st-- 20.3%

2nd-- 60.7%


3rd-- 67.7%

4th-- 56.2%

5th-- 59.5%

This data was retrieved specifically for a comprehensive needs assessment and will be analyzed by our stakeholders to target

instruction.

Performance on 2014-2015 and 2015-2016 Reading Standards of Learning Assessments

2014-2015

Pass rate for all students = 70%

Pass rate for students with disabilities = 36%

Pass rate for economically disadvantaged students = 67%

2015-2016

Pass rate for all students = 79%

Pass rate for students with disabilities = 38%

Pass rate for economically disadvantaged students = 75%

Trend data shows students with disabilities and economically disadvantaged students continually perform below the pass rates of all

students. Cassell’s stakeholders believe these subgroups of students would benefit from the resources and staff that Title I schoolwide

services could provide.

Spring 2016 SGA Scores

Reading

3rd Grade--61.9%; County average is 64%

4th Grade--64%; County average is 66%


Math

3rd Grade--65%; County average is 71%

4th Grade--69%; County averages is 65%


Budget Implications:


Kindergarten and 1st Grade Reading teachers will be targeted for support with Title I funds in the area of professional development.

Related Indistar® indicators (if applicable):

Component 2 §1114(b)(7)(A)(i):

Provide a description of school wide reform strategies that provide opportunities for all children, including each of the subgroups of students (as defined in section 1111(c)(2)) to meet the challenging state academic standards. Evidence: Scientifically-based research strategies based on identified needs and designed to raise the achievement level of all students on content standards.

Provide information on how the selected strategies will increase student achievement in underperforming subgroups, if applicable. Include a description of how

the reform strategies will be evaluated for effectiveness.

Narrative:

Subgroups: 2016 SOL Reading Results Economically Disadvantaged 3rd Grade: 62% pass rate 4th Grade: 82% pass rate 5th Grade: 84% pass rate Subgroups: 2016 SOL Math Results Economically Disadvantaged 3rd Grade: 81% 4th Grade: 89% 5th Grade: 87% Our school wide strategies and intervention needs were determined by the data above. Interventions are being provided for students in

small group settings with our Title 1 and Intervention Specialists during a specifically allotted time built into the master schedule for

each grade level every day. Instruction is based on research based strategies/programs and students are progress monitored at least

once every two weeks. Documentation of student progress is kept in PowerSchool.


Research Based Strategies include:

● Guided Reading within a small group setting

● Orton Gillingham Approach in Title One Reading Groups

● Benchmark Reading Program

● Early Reading Intervention

● My Sidewalks Reading Intervention Program

● Repeated Readings

● Running Records are completed for every child four times a year and more frequently with remedial and intervention students.

● Focus on Lesson plan alignment with monitoring and feedback from administration.

● Writing lesson objectives to include I Can statements to promote student friendly language.

All the above strategies are research-based and provide detailed information on student needs as well as explicit, structured, sequential

and cumulative instruction to raise the achievement level of all students. The administrators monitor and provide feedback regarding

lesson plan alignment, objectives, and instructional strategies. Additionally, administrative and district-level walkthrough and lesson

observations are used to document implementation of these strategies and provide feedback to teachers. Monitoring student growth

through data driven strategies listed above at weekly grade-level meetings and monthly student data days provides documentation as

to whether these strategies are effective for individual as well as groups of students. Specifically, individual student goals are set and

monitored on a nine-week timespan to ensure that intervention students are showing the necessary rate of growth to close learning

gaps.


Cassell reading specialists would like to receive training and materials in Orton Gillingham. If enough funding is available we would also

recommend that at least one teacher from each grade level team receive training and materials.



Component 3 §1114(b)(7)(ii):

Provide a description of school wide reform strategies that use methods and instructional strategies that strengthen the academic program in the school;

increase the amount and quality of learning time; and help provide an enriched and accelerated curriculum, which may include programs, activities, and courses

necessary to provide a well-rounded education.

Evidence: Scientifically-based research strategies or activities that strengthen and enrich the academic program by: extending the school day; embedding

reading and/or mathematics curricula into other instructional areas; or other strategies as appropriate. Include a description of how the reform strategies will

be evaluated for effectiveness.

Narrative:

Numerous methods and instructional strategies strengthen our academic program. Reading and math are embedded throughout the

curriculum in all core content. Core instruction is research-based, using written, taught, and tested curriculum. A balanced approach to

literacy incorporates the tiered instructional model--Response to Intervention. The interventions and remediations are data-driven,

facilitating continuous student growth. Hugh K. Cassell Elementary incorporates the research-based Daily 5/CAFE framework and

strategies to drive core instruction in reading and writing. During Daily 5 instruction, students are taught at their instructional level and

given opportunities to read at their independent level through the use of the Scholastic bookroom, the Scholastic guided reading

fiction/nonfiction short reads, Learning A-Z, leveled classroom libraries, additional collections of leveled texts and the school library. Our

online resources include RAZ, Tumblebooks, and Accelerated Reader. The Scholastic bookroom is based on the Fountas and Pinnell

leveling system. Teachers use the Scholastic benchmarks to identify each student’s instructional reading level. This data is used to drive

instruction through core, small group, guided reading and self-selected reading. The data is also used in small group remediation and

intervention. All of the leveled resources are cross-curricular to support integrated science and social studies instruction. Other cross-

curricular methods and instructional strategies include:

Math


● Do the Math by Marilyn Burns

● Assessing Math Concepts by Kathy Richardson

● IXL Math

● Xtra Math

● Front Row Ed

● Rocket Math

● Reflex Math

● Teaching Student Centered Mathematics by John A. Van de Walle and LuAnn H. Lovin

● Fact Practice

Reading

● Reading Their Way

● Word Journeys By Kathy Ganske

● Daily 5/CAFE

● Read Theory

● RAZ Kids

● TumbleBooks

● Flocabulary

Cross-Curricular

● Afterschool TLC program

● STEAM and Project-based learning

● Science Lightbox

At Hugh K. Cassell Elementary School, ninety minutes is allocated to core content in reading and math in Kindergarten through fourth

grades. The master schedule has been created based on research data and teacher input to facilitate larger blocks of instructional time

and to aid in the flow of transitions. Thirty minutes of additional time is used for intervention, remediation, and enrichment in the

Response to Intervention model. To expedite morning transition time breakfast is served in many classrooms, and, next year, breakfast

will be served in all classrooms. Current transitional times are kept as tight as possible by establishing good routines in classrooms.

Schedules are posted in classrooms to facilitate focused instruction. Transitional times will be better in the new building next year with

specials classes in the same area and all of the classes indoors. Lesson plans are created with a focus on unpacking and aligning the

curriculum to the state Standards of Learning. The county and grade level teams develop pacing guides to effectively address state

Standards of Learning. Daily 5 and Daily Math review are incorporated as effective instructional strategies. Data from pretests and

posttests are used to group students and differentiate instruction. At grade level meetings we look at data from the pretests and


posttests to determine our Power Up groups. We use all of our instructional personnel: Reading Specialists, Special Education teachers,

classroom teachers, PALS aide, instructional aides, and the Intervention Specialist.

All Hugh K. Cassell Students have the opportunity to participate in enrichment activities during their daily Power Up times as part of the

RTI model. Students have the opportunity to participate in a local 4-H Club. Numerous programs and performances are brought to the

school each year including Theater IV, Virginia Opera, and the Bureau of Lectures. Examples of past performances include Chinese

Acrobats, Mulan, and The Princess and the Pea. We have a Theater group of fourth and fifth graders each year who present a Spring

Musical. Students may participate through an audition process. Pretesting data is used to differentiate instruction for all students.

Students may be identified as Gifted and Talented in one or more of the areas of Specific Academic Aptitude (Math, Science, Language

Arts), Music, Art or Theater. Referrals are made to the school Gifted and Talented Coordinator. Parental permission to evaluate the

student's eligibility will be obtained, and parents will be notified of the results of their child's testing. Students with Specific Academic

Aptitude are served in the regular classroom with differentiated instruction by the classroom teacher. Special activities are provided

during the school year for students who are gifted in art, music, drama, and specific academic aptitude. Activities include:

● Field trips for fourth and fifth graders to the Shenandoah Valley Regional Governor’s School

● Art and theater projects based on a Standard of Learning theme like Awareness of Water Quality and Conservation (Science 4.1,

English 4.1, 4.4, 5.9)

● STEAM activities

● Book clubs

● 24 Math Challenge

● Spring Theater Program for 4th and 5th graders

● Art workshops offered by the Art Teacher with classes held during planning periods to investigate and produce more involved

art projects.

● LEGO robotics classes

● LEGO storytelling group with the Librarian

● Science lectures on various topics offered afterschool from collegiate level instructors

The effectiveness of the aforementioned methods and instructional strategies is monitored and assessed through universal screenings

and common assessment data. Progress monitoring through the Response to Intervention model is another avenue for assessing the

effectiveness of methods and instructional strategies. Student accountability folders are maintained as records of ongoing assessments.

These records help drive instruction. Data days and extended planning offer opportunities for collaboration on the effectiveness of

strategies and methods. Specific feedback, coordinated with established SMART goals, is provided by administrative observations and

conferencing.




Component 4 §1114(b)(7)(iii):

Provide a description of school wide reform strategies that address the needs of all children in the school, but particularly the needs those at risk of not meeting

the challenging state academic standards, through activities which may include—

▪ Counseling, school-based mental health programs, specialized instructional support services, mentoring services, and other strategies to improve students’ skills outside the academic subject areas;

▪ Preparation for and awareness of opportunities for postsecondary education and the workforce, which may include career and technical education programs and broadening secondary school students’ access to coursework to earn postsecondary credit while still in high school (such as Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, dual or concurrent enrollment, or early college high schools);

▪ Implementation of a school wide tiered model to prevent and address problem behavior, and early intervening services, coordinated with similar activities and services carried out under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (20 U.S.C. 1400 et seq.);

▪ Professional development and other activities for teachers, paraprofessionals, and other school personnel to improve instruction and use of data from academic assessments, and to recruit and retain effective teachers, particularly in high-need subjects; and

▪ Strategies for assisting preschool children in the transition from early childhood education programs to local elementary school programs and, if programs are consolidated, the specific state educational agency and local education agency programs and other federal programs that will be consolidated in the school wide program.

Evidence: Scientifically-based research strategies or activities such as student support services; behavior intervention systems; tiered systems of support;

teacher recruitment and/or retention activities; or other activities as appropriate. Include a description of how the reform strategies will be evaluated for


effectiveness.

Narrative:

School Counseling Programs:

School counselors provide support to all students through classroom guidance lessons, as well as individual and group counseling. Some of the topics covered in classes include character development, friendship building, dealing with bullying, study skills, and test-taking strategies. All topics support academic development as well as personal and social development. Children, for example, learn how to identify good friendships as well as bullying behaviors and the importance of getting support from trusted adults to deal with children who bully. Good character is rewarded in classrooms through distribution of Cassell Keys for good choices. Special school programs and activities are awarded to children who maintain appropriate classroom behavior. Generally, children learn through consequences consistently applied. Children receiving individual and group counseling learn strategies for dealing with friendship issues, family breakups and divorce, grief counseling when there is a death in the family, and social skills. Children learn to reframe their thoughts in order to better manage their emotions through rational-emotive behavior therapy/cognitive behavior therapy. Children who are able to articulate their thoughts and feelings can talk about what is going on in addition to puppets, art, and counseling games for younger or less aware children. Counselors can support good choices through use of behavior charts for use in classroom and at home for parents. Valley Community Services Board offers a school based Therapeutic Day Treatment (TDT) Program to provide children within the school system with the opportunity to engage in individual and group counseling, emotional and behavioral support in the classroom setting, psycho-educational learning opportunities, behavior management/modification, family support and encouragement , and crisis intervention and support. Therapeutic Day treatment Specialists are the employees that work with each child to ensure proper therapeutic practices are implemented through a custom created Individualized Service Plan. TDT Staff also provide regular service coordination to maximize collaboration with each outside provider. Hugh K. Cassell Elementary has three TDT staff based in-house. The goals of the TDT program are to provide emotional support and skill training to children, promote and improve social skills development in children, teach children how to identify, verbalize, and manage their emotions; help children develop and implement anger management and coping skills, and enable children to develop skills to remain in the home and school setting. Career and Technical Education Programs:

Hugh k. Cassell Elementary School has an annual Career Day for all students in preschool through fifth grades. Each year students are

introduced to many careers thanks to community and parent volunteers who share their workplace experiences as well as their

educational experiences. Students attend several assemblies highlighting local organizations like the Wildlife Center of Virginia and

regional dance academies. Students rotate through stations, both indoors and outdoors, featuring the volunteer speakers. Classroom

teachers and specialists supplement the curriculum with enrichment activities including poster contests, books and stories, writing


thank you notes, etc. Fifth graders participated in a field trip to our regional Valley Career and Technical Center in order to experience

and explore career training and programs available for them in high school.

RTI:

Augusta County Public Schools adopted the Virginia Tiered System of Supports (RTI) model to provide academic and behavioral support in the general education classroom with the goal of early intervention to ensure academic and behavioral growth. Virginia defines VTSS as “primarily an instructional framework and philosophy, the goals and objective of which include early intervention for students who struggle to attain or maintain grade-level performance.” The overarching goal of Augusta County’s RTI model is to improve student achievement by using research-based interventions matched to the instructional needs and levels of the students. RTI is a comprehensive, multi‐tiered, standards-aligned process meant to enable early identification and intervention for students at academic or behavioral risk. This process allows educators to identify and address academic and behavioral difficulties prior to student failure in collaboration with parent stakeholders.. The National Research Center on Learning Disabilities (NRCLD, 2006) defines tiered support systems as:

“….an assessment and intervention process for systematically monitoring student progress and making decisions about the need for instructional modifications or increasingly intensified services using progress monitoring data.”

Augusta County’s model of RTI is an integrated approach to service delivery that encompasses all education—general, remedial, and gifted—through a multi-tiered service delivery model. It utilizes a problem-solving framework to identify and address academic and behavioral difficulties for all students using scientific, research-based instruction. Essentially, RTI is the practice of: (1) providing high-quality instruction/intervention matched to all students’ needs and (2) using learning rate over time and level of performance to (3) make important educational decisions to guide instruction (National Association of State Directors of Special Education, 2005). RTI practices are proactive, incorporating both prevention and intervention, and are effective at all levels from early childhood through high school. RTI is a general education initiative written into the special education law. The language that Congress uses in Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA 2004) and Elementary and Secondary Education Act (NCLB 2001) stresses the use of professionally sound interventions and instruction based on defensible research, as well as the delivery of effective academic and behavior programs to improve student performance. Congress believes that as a result, fewer children will become “instructional casualties.” Recent research shows that the use of multi-tiered models is an effective educational practice within schools to bring high-quality instruction to all students. The key purposes of RTI are: universal screening for all students, data-based decision making, school-wide collaboration, progress monitoring, and evaluating the effectiveness of instruction and interventions. The RTI concepts presented in this document make use of a three-tiered approach that incorporates the aspects of a personalized education. Instruction should be standards-based, student-centered, and rooted in data-driven assessment with the consistent use of best instructional practices and materials that are grounded in research. A holistic approach to problem solving will be used with each child,


taking into account cultural, social, and oral language factors. Parents will be considered as partners with the school when making RTI decisions about their children.

Local Professional Development:

Hugh K. Cassell Elementary School’s 2016-2017 professional development plan reflects our school goals, improvement plan, and the

division’s professional development plan. This year the focus encompassed curriculum, instruction and assessment, RTI, and technology.

Administrators continued to offer ongoing support to teachers in the alignment of curriculum, instruction, and assessment. Professional

development activities supported unpacking the standards, creating a table of specifications, writing lesson objectives that include

behaviors, conditions, and success criteria, and communicating lesson objectives in student friendly language. Inter-grade transition

meetings, school improvement team meetings, the Principal’s Advisory Council, faculty meetings, and vertical team meetings for

reading and math all addressed curriculum, instruction, and assessment.

Data days and extended planning times addressed the implementation of the Augusta County RTI handbook. Discussion and training

helped instructional staff clarify the expectations for Tiers 2 and 3. Goals also included increasing the use of research-based strategies

relative to use of intervention programs, improving fidelity in the implementation of interventions, and working to improve the quality

of Tier 1 (core) instruction.

Lastly, all instructional staff received professional development in the implementation of technology, with a focus on pedagogy.

Administrators observe and assess the effective implementation of technology use in the classroom. Our Instructional Technology

Resource Teacher provided training in formative assessments at the beginning of the school year. The Instructional Technology

Resource Teacher also mentors grade levels and individual teachers in incorporating the following technology initiatives:

● Assessment of the taught curriculum in grades 2-5 in the subjects of mathematics, reading, science, and social studies using

Interactive Achievement.

● Instructing with Brain Pop, Brain Pop Jr., Core Clicks, and Flocabulary as appropriate.

● Individual student devices (Chromebooks) in grades 3-5.

● Adding a second Chromebook cart in grade 2

Preschool:

Augusta County Public Schools employs a variety of strategies for assisting preschool children in the transition from early

childhood education programs to local elementary school programs.

Head Start

Augusta County Public Schools is the grantee for the Shenandoah Valley Head Start program (SVHS). SVHS currently serves birth


to three year olds in Augusta County. As the SVHS three year old children prepare to exit the SVHS program, Augusta County Public

Schools supports their transition into the school-based four year old preschool program with automatic acceptance into the preschool

program. Additionally, each of the three SVHS classroom teachers participates in a transition meeting with additional SVHS personnel

and ACPS personnel. During these transition meetings, the teacher shares any specific strategies designed for individual children to be

successful participants in school. The transition meeting also reviews any developmental concerns the teacher may have, as well as the

child’s attendance record. The Head Start Family Service Worker and AC Preschool Family Service Coordinators work together to address

family transition concerns and to develop social stories, classroom visits and parent meetings.

Community Preschool settings

Augusta County Public Schools supports our community-based preschool programs in the transition of their students into their

family’s local elementary school with a variety of strategies. Augusta County Public Schools provides fliers announcing Kindergarten

registration dates, locations, and times for community partners to distribute to Augusta County families. Augusta County Public Schools

provides all families with the informational booklet, Transition 2 Kindergarten for distribution to all Augusta County families at

registration.

Additionally, when a community preschool program has a child struggling to be successful in their educational environment,

Augusta County Public Schools will provide on-site support for staff from the Preschool and Kindergarten Instructional Specialist.

Augusta County Public Schools also offers developmental screenings by request.

Further supporting the transition of children from community preschool settings, Augusta County Public Schools has provided

the research-based Blueprint for Early Literacy curriculum, coupled with professional development for the implementation of the

curriculum, to multiple community preschool programs (10).

Beyond the professional development opportunities related to the Blueprint for Early Literacy curriculum, Augusta County

Schools has also provided topic-specific professional development for community programs when requested.

Lastly, a representative of Augusta County Public Schools participates in the bi-monthly meeting with Shenandoah Valley Early

Childhood Forum, whose members include the Shenandoah Valley Head Start, community preschools and day cares, Department of

Social Services, and Childcare Connections.

School-Based setting (Local Education Agency)

Children enrolled in the Augusta County Public Schools school-based preschool program are likewise supported with a variety of

transition strategies. As with Augusta County children in community preschool programs, school-based preschool families also receive

information regarding kindergarten registration, as well as the Transition 2 Kindergarten booklet. School-based preschool children

attend a preschool classroom in their home school, providing an opportunity to visit the kindergarten classrooms as part of the

transition process. Additional visits to the kindergarten classrooms are also arranged for children who have a need.

Augusta County Public Schools preschool teachers participate in their individual school’s Data Day and Tiered Systems of


Support. Teachers use ongoing assessment data (PreK PALS and Teaching Strategies GOLD) to monitor student progress and share

information with Data Day teams, including the building administrator. Students who require instructional interventions have goals

developed and recorded in Powerschool, where intervention goals and data are recorded, monitored and accessible to kindergarten

teachers at the beginning of the following school year. Teachers also record strategies and techniques that have helped a child be

successful and share with the kindergarten staff. This information, along with ongoing assessment data and additional relevant

information is included on a Transition Form which is shared with kindergarten staff.

Furthermore, teachers participate in monthly Grade Level Meetings, whereby student progress is discussed and additional

strategies are generated by professional peers. One Grade Level Meeting each year (in the Spring) is dedicated to transition meetings.

Should a child struggle to be successful in preschool or kindergarten, Augusta County Public Schools provides onsite support to staff

through a Preschool and Kindergarten Instructional Specialist.

Augusta County Public Schools preschool program has Family Services Coordinators, who support families through the

registration process. The Family Services Coordinators are available to assist families of the school-based preschool program with the

required kindergarten registration paperwork. Those families that are in need are followed and supported by the Family Service

Coordinators through the kindergarten year.



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