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Priority Schools Initiative

 

As part of Fairfax County Public Schools’ (FCPS) major commitment to closing the achievement gap, the district has designated thirty (30) elementary and middle schools as Priority Schools. The Priority Schools’ designation will provide schools with additional support in order to meet their benchmarks for student achievement.  This support will be provided to the principal and school staff through the Priority School Support Team, composed of staff members from various FCPS departments, and the FCPS Leadership Team.

Based on review of School Support Composite Index data for 2007-2009, and schools identified for school improvement through Title I, the following schools will be provided support through the FCPS Priority Schools Initiative in 2010-2013: Level 1 (Includes UVA Turnaround Specialist Program)

Beech Tree Elementary*	London Towne Elementary*
Brookfield Elementary*	Lorton Station Elementary
Bucknell Elementary*	Mt. Vernon Woods*
Centre Ridge Elementary	Riverside Elementary*
Crestwood Elementary*	Washington Mill Elementary*
Dogwood Elementary*	Woodlawn Elementary*
Herndon Elementary
Hollin Meadows Elementary*
Hunters Woods Elementary	Hughes Middle
Hybla Valley Elementary*	Sandburg Middle
Kings Glen Elementary	Whitman Middle

*Title I Schools

Level 2 Support

Bull Run Elementary	Glasgow Middle
Clearview Elementary	Herndon Middle
Cunningham Park Elementary	Poe Middle
Dranesville Elementary	Twain Middle
McNair Elementary
Rose Hill Elementary

Frequently Asked Questions

How were the 30 priority schools selected?
The initial selection of Priority Schools in May 2010 was based on one of two criteria:

• Title I Elementary Schools identified by the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) for school improvement as a result of not making adequate yearly progress as defined by the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA); or
• The School Support Composite Index (SSCI) ranking.  SSCI is a three-year average that provides equal weighting to the number of students not passing Standards of Learning (SOL) Reading and Mathematics tests, and the percentage achievement gap between the White and Asian subgroup and the Black and Hispanic subgroups.

Will other schools with similar needs be able to secure priority school designation at some point during the three-years of the program?

Schools subject to Title 1 sanction as well as SOL data will be reviewed each year, and additional Priority Schools may be added based on these data.  Each of the 30 current Priority Schools will remain so through the 2012-13 school year.

How much total funding has been earmarked for each year of the priority school program?
The School Board allocated $4.3 million to the Priority School Initiative (PSI) in the fiscal year 2011 budget.  Approximately 15 percent of this amount will fund the University of Virginia (UVA) School Turnaround Specialist Program (STSP) for the 20 Level 1 schools.

How much financial support is budgeted for each priority school?
Other than the funding for the UVA program, there is no set budget for each Priority School.  The Initiative is customized to the needs of each school, based on Priority School Support Team and FCPS Leadership Team recommendations.

How will the funding be used at each priority school?
In addition to the dedicated funding for priority schools available through the Leadership Team, it is expected that resources will be redirected to Priority Schools from the various departmental budgets.  Some examples of the potential use of these additional resources are:

• Funding for an instructional coach to ensure a high degree of implementation of Professional Learning Communities.
• Funding for extended teacher contracts to provide intervention for students who are not meeting standards;
• Funding for additional time for teacher learning with respect to best practices in teaching and learning, data analysis, or other components of professional learning communities;
• Additional FECEP/Head Start preschool classes to serve Priority School students;