School Innovation and Improvement Plan

Outcome Goals for this academic school year

School Innovation and Improvement Plan At-a-Glance

  • 2025 - 2026
  • Walt Whitman Middle School
  • Region 3
  • John Flowers, Principal

English Language Arts Strategies

Ensure students are making sufficient progress to be on grade level in English Language Arts (ELA).

Goal:

  • By June 2026, our annual unadjusted reading SOL pass rates will increase to an 81% pass rate for all students.  

Strategy 1

  • ELA Collaborative Learning Teams (CLTs) will increase the use of data to plan Tier 3 instruction and monitor progress during intervention to ensure that students master foundational skills.

Strategy 2

  • ELA CLTs will use data from formative and summative assessments in the core curriculum to guide instructional decisions during core reading and writing instruction.

Mathematics Strategies

Align instruction at Whitman with the FCPS Strategic Goal #3 for Academic Growth and Excellence by focusing on increasing Algebra I participation.

Goals: 

  • By June 2026, the percentage of 8th grade students earning a verified credit in Algebra I before entering 9th grade will increase to 60%.    

Strategy 1

  • Math CLTs will increase teacher implementation of explicit instruction and other components of effective mathematics intervention.

Strategy 2

  • Math CLTs will improve alignment of instructional planning based on analysis of common assessments.

Wellness Strategies

Align attendance practices at Whitman with the federal standards for accreditation while continuing to address student attendance and absenteeism rates.

Goal:

  • By June 2026, the chronic absenteeism rate will drop to 10% for all students. 

Strategy 1

  • The MTSS schoolwide team and the Site Intervention teams will analyze attendance, behavior, and wellness data twice a month to evaluate implementation of Tier 1 SEL and Wellness initiatives and identify students in need of Tier 2 and Tier 3 interventions. The teams will continue to integrate consistent analysis of data disaggregated by student groups.

Strategy 2

  • School leadership will share multilingual attendance materials with families throughout the year to educate families regarding the importance of attendance for school success.

Strategy 3

  • All students will be provided with access to information about available extracurricular activities and volunteer opportunities throughout the school year to increase daily attendance through participation.

Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) Outcome

Ensure students are making sufficient progress to be on grade level in Science.

Goal: 

  • By June 2026, our combined annual unadjusted Science SOL pass rate will increase to 70% on the Grade 8 Science SOL for all students.

Strategy 1

  • Science CLTs will utilize a balanced assessment approach, including a variety of formative and summative assessments, to evaluate student progress and inform instruction throughout lessons and units.

Strategy 2

  • Science CLTs will increase opportunities for English Language Development through use of embedded strategies during whole group instruction and intentional small group instruction focused on specific student needs.

Strategy 3

  • Science CLTs will expand opportunities for students to make connections within and across other content areas and science units.