2120 - SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT
- The Board supports the concept of school improvement as established by the State Board of Education and will seek to create and/or maintain effective schools as defined by Florida statute. The Board shall annually approve and require implementation of a new, amended, or continuation school improvement plan for each school in the District and shall provide State allocated funds to schools for developing and implementing school improvement plans.
- In addition to adopting a mission statement and educational philosophy for the District, the Board shall create, as needed, policies which support the school improvement process.
- Each District school shall develop and present to the Superintendent by the date set by the Superintendent, an individual school improvement plan for consideration by the Board. Schools shall follow these directives when creating their plans:
- School improvement plans shall be developed and implemented by school-based teams, working collaboratively, so that both building level and District level goals for students can be identified and correlated, and then achieved through effective planning, problem-solving, and assessment.
- School-improvement plans shall provide for building-level decision-making regarding program assessment, curriculum review, determination of performance standards, budgetary review, staff development, and the monitoring and assessment of student outcomes.
- School improvement plans shall be developed by collaboration at both the building and District levels with parents, relevant institutions and groups, especially those in the community, who can support and facilitate school improvement in the District.
- School improvement plans shall have a system of school reports and dissemination of information regarding the performance of students and educational programs as required by Florida statute and State Board of Education rule.
- In order to enhance school improvement, the Superintendent is authorized to waive any policy that has been enacted in order to comply with the following Federal statutes/regulations and to request waivers from these laws/regulations from the Commissioner of Education:
- Titles I, II, IV, VI and Part C of Title VII of the ESEA Act of 1965
- The Carl Perkins Vocational and Applied Technology Education Act
- The General Education Provisions Act
- Parts of Education Department General Administrative Regulations
- In requesting such waivers, the Superintendent is to abide by the procedures established by the State Department of Education.
- Early Warning System
Each school in the District serving students in kindergarten through grade 8 must develop an early warning system in order to identify students who need additional support to improve academic performance and stay engaged in school. The early warning system must include the following early warning indicators:
- Attendance below ninety percent (90%) regardless of whether the absence is excused or a result of an out-of-school suspension.
- One (1) or more suspensions whether in school or out of school.
- Course failure in English Language Arts or mathematics during any grading period.
- A Level 1 score on the Statewide standardized assessment in English Language Arts or mathematics.
- For students in kindergarten through grade 3, a substantial deficiency in reading under F.S. 1008.25 and F.A.C. 6A-6.053 or, for students in kindergarten through grade 4, a substantial deficiency in mathematics under F.S. 1008.25 and F.A.C. 6A-6.0533.A school-based team responsible for implementing the requirements of this paragraph shall monitor the data from the early warning system. The team may include a school psychologist. When a student exhibits two (2) or more early warning indicators, the team, in consultation with the student’s parent, shall determine appropriate intervention strategies for the student unless the student is already being served by an intervention program at the direction of a school-based, multidisciplinary team. Data and information relating to a student’s early warning indicators must be used to inform any intervention strategies provided to the student.
- Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten ("VPK") Students with a Substantial Deficiency in Early Literacy Skills
A VPK student is identified as having a substantial deficiency in early literacy skills if the student scores below the 10th percentile or is unable to complete the practice items at the middle or end of the year test administration of the coordinated screening and progress monitoring system pursuant to F.S. 1008.25. Immediately following identification, public VPK students with a substantial deficiency in early literacy skills must be provided interventions in early literacy skills that are intensive, explicit, systematic, and multisensory in accordance with F.S. 1008.25.
Revised 4/27/10
Revised 7/22/14
Revised 12/12/23
Revised 4/22/25
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