ESSER III Grant & School Innovation and Improvement Plan At-a-Glance

• 2022 - 2023

• Walt Whitman Middle School

• Region 3

• Dr. Craig Herring, Principal

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. 

ESSER III English Language Arts Strategies

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

Goal:

• By the end of the school year 2022-2023, at least 75% of all students and subgroups (including English Learners, SWD, and Hispanic) will pass proficient or pass advanced on the Spring Reading SOL Exams.

Strategy 1

• Students With Disabilities (SWD) will be intentionally supported with appropriate accommodations and scaffolds in all ELA classes while maintaining consistent rigor.

Strategy 2

• ELA CLTs will create classroom structures that support collaboration, student choice and autonomy, and authentic learning opportunities.

Strategy 3

• ELA CLTs will develop authentic formative and summative assessments and reflections to support all three tiers of intervention.

Strategy 4

• Teams will work with the Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) team to support students with Tier 2 and 3 interventions.

Strategy 5

• Whitman staff will provide intervention services to all students in Reading, including English Learners, SWD, and Hispanic subgroups.

Strategy 6

• Whitman MS will develop and facilitate parent meeting sessions at feeder elementary schools, apartment complexes, and a local community center. Meetings will be ongoing throughout the year beginning in November.

ESSER III Mathematics Strategies

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

Goal: 

• By the end of the school year 2022-2023, at least 70% of all students and subgroups (including English Learners, SWD, and Hispanic) will pass proficient or pass advanced on the Spring Mathematics SOL Exams.

Strategy 1

• Students With Disabilities (SWD) will be intentionally supported with appropriate accommodations and scaffolds in all math classes while maintaining consistent rigor.

Strategy 2

• Math CLTs will create classroom structures that support collaboration, student choice and autonomy, and authentic learning opportunities.

Strategy 3

• Math CLTs will develop authentic formative and summative assessments and reflections to support all three tiers of intervention.

Strategy 4

• Teams will work with the Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) team to support students with Tier 2 and 3 interventions.

Strategy 5

• Whitman staff will provide intervention services to all students in mathematics, including English Learners, SWD, and Hispanic subgroups.

Strategy 6

• Whitman MS will develop and facilitate parent meeting sessions at feeder elementary schools, apartment complexes, and a local community center. Meetings will be ongoing throughout the year beginning in November.

ESSER III Wellness Strategies

Strengthen adult wellness and promote student wellness by using Morning Meeting & Closing Circles (ES) or Responsive Advisory Meetings (MS/HS) and CASEL’s 3 Signature Practices.

Goal:

• By June 2023, our school will utilize Responsive Advisory Meetings (RAM) to effectively develop and strengthen social skills, increasing schoolwide scores on the Skills & Competencies domain, targeting the relationship skills topic of the SEL Screener by 25% going from 47% to 72% favorable response rate and chronic absenteeism will fall below 11% for all students including English Learners, Students with Disabilities, and Hispanic subgroups.

Strategy 1

• Set aside protected time to engage in required Tier 1 practices schoolwide.

Strategy 2

• Develop adults’ foundational knowledge regarding the rationale for required practices and tools to support their implementation.

Strategy 3

• Provide targeted or intensive interventions for students to support social skill needs at Tiers 2 and 3.  

Strategy 4

• Engage families as critical partners to decrease chronic absenteeism, particularly with SWD, ELs, and Hispanic families. 

FCPS Portrait of a Graduate (POG) Outcome

All students will complete a POG Presentation of Learning (POL) by 2025-26.

Goal: 

• By June 2023, 100% of students will demonstrate an increased understanding of POG as reported on a student survey given through Advisory at the beginning and end of the year.

Strategy 1

• All teachers will participate in PD surrounding POG/POL.

Strategy 2

• All students will participate in learning around POG/POL through advisory lessons utilizing Critical and Creative Thinking Strategies.

Strategy 3

• CLTs will implement POG/POL reflections once a quarter in connection with IBMYP assessments.

Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) Outcome

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

Goal: 

• By June 2023, Whitman MS students will pass the Science SOL at a rate of 70%, or greater, and students will show growth from BOY to EOY on IB assessments.

Strategy 1

• Science CLTs will align instruction and assessment directly to the curriculum framework and county resources.

Strategy 2

• Science CLTs will design instruction that is student-centered and allows all students to master content.

Strategy 3

• Science CLTs will design and implement authentic and balanced assessments to provide students with feedback and the next steps for progress toward learning goals.