Closing Gaps – the strategic efforts of academic professionals in 1) defining learning level competencies based on age and grade level, 2) identifying the individuals below the level, and 3) applying the best learning approach and methods to compensate for the disparity.

-- Jameo D. Pollock

Closing gaps is about prioritizing equality of opportunity to students, regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation, and socioeconomic status. To close gaps, HCPS should address disproportionality in a proactive manner. For example, the statistic that African American students account for 36% of HCPS students, but 77% of out of school suspensions is troubling because it suggest that African American students are treated unfairly in the discipline process. In particular, HCPS should focus on racial equality in discipline, but other issues, such as the number of advanced classes offered at high schools, should also be investigated through the lens of equality. HCPS should use a data-driven approach when investigating issues of equality, but also supplement the data with student, parent, and teacher perspectives.

Academic progress is about ensuring that students learn each day that they are at school and that schools are accredited. For elementary school students, academic progress means that high performers, average students, and struggling students are engaged with material. For middle and high school students, ensuring academic progress means that all students are in a productive learning environment, and specialty centers are not used to cover up an otherwise failing school. To help students achieve academic progress, HCPS should improve access to gifted services (especially in the East End), give students more course options so they are interested in the material, and fund remedial services such as after school pay for teachers . 
-Shaila Lothe

Safety is the perception of being able to achieve the envisioned goals in an environment free of fear or at least the belief that fear inducing elements are being addressed in a logical, informed, and effective manner. Safety is an important aspect of all stakeholders: students, teachers, administrators, faculty, staff, and the community at large. It is critical to the success of the school system. Having a common definition of safety (what elements need to be protected against or educated towards) is necessary to align the actions to achieve this cornerstone by engagement and valuing the attributes of each stakeholder. Each has a responsibility to contribute to the safe environment by controlling what they have the most control over. By empowering all stakeholders to contribute to safety AND provide a means to communicate accountability, forward progress can be maintained. Stakeholder success needs to be communicated to all in a manner identifying what is working well and what needs improvement and then gain insight through active participation with the shareholder groups.

 

Relationships

Positive relationships form the basis of the feeling of community. Relationships extend well beyond the walls of the school and into the surrounding areas. The basis of positive relationships includes respect, integrity, acceptance, engagement, and a sense of self-worth and contributing value to the larger picture. By providing a common vision for the value of positive relationships and their importance in sustaining progress towards common goals, as well as the expected success metrics of these positive relationships, effort may be applied to maintaining what is working well while providing strategies for how to improve aspects contributing to negative/undesirable relationships. Students, teachers, faculty, and staff are the nucleus to set the positive example.

 
-Aaron Zdinak

Safety- In schools in all levels everyone should feel safe. Safety doesn’t just come from people out the school even inside the school. Sometimes words or conversation make other to feel that they are not safe. Sometimes there are students who can’t talk about it and keep quiet and feel hurt. Positive and good relationships will solve it. Safety is to let the everyone in the school feel comfortable and have a good day to get education. Classes also involved with safety for Example science classes have a safety paper before starting a lab or any other classwork. Safety should be everywhere in the school also helps people to have a good day and to feel comfortable to educate. 

-Reman Albedaiwi

 

Academic Progress

Future academic progress will focus on academic excellence, full accreditation of all schools and 21^st century learning environments while providing equal resources and opportunities for all students and staff. HCPS will improve the scholastic and technological experience for all students and staff without “leaving behind” 80% of students and staff (“general population”) in oversized classes leading to reduced student/teacher interaction, increased behavioral and academic issues and a lower quality experience. HCPS will set maximum class sizes of 20, 25 and 27 for all elementary, middle and high schools, respectively. HCPS will empower students and staff with less testing and more learning. HCPS will increase teacher pay 5-10% and reduce their administrative paperwork and irrelevant development programs. HCPS commits to being the leader in retaining and attracting qualified teachers.

   

Closing Gaps

HCPS leadership pledges to be inclusive, proactive, innovative and transparent. HCPS will provide academic, technological, developmental, behavioral, emotional and physical supports to all students and staff. HCPS leadership commits to holding regular forums open to community members where they will engage with the public in “real talk,” not just passive listening. HCPS will retain and recruit the most qualified teachers by increasing teacher pay, reducing class sizes, removing administrative burdens and offering only relevant professional development.        

 

Kristi Kinsella

The school division’s commitment to shaping curriculum, instruction, and student experience with relevance to both today and tomorrow.  By identifying academic progress as a cornerstone, HCPS has simultaneously committed to continuous school improvement.  The focus on “enrolled, enlisted, employed” for graduating seniors demonstrates this commitment to all students. Finding and identifying a path for each student after graduation rather than simply “preparing” students for life after high school affords measurable focus and accountability.  Additionally, the K-12 literacy plan addresses a research-based practice for school improvement while also creating vertical alignment in practice and philosophy in feeder patterns.  Combine these efforts with increased awareness and redesign of ACE and specialty Centers, and HCPS truly has become a division that educates the whole child and provides opportunities for all learners.  

Relationships: 

Henrico County’s focus on relationships as a cornerstone demonstrates a strong commitment to people…as both individuals and stakeholder groups.  Stakeholder survey data indicates growth, particularly above national averages, in areas such as voice, communication, and outreach and engagement.  Both student and family engagement have been at the forefront of school improvement efforts for the division, and this recognition of the strong partnership necessary between school and family, as well as school and community, will become the catalyst for real growth in both academic progress and closing gaps.  

John Phillips

Henrico County Public Schools is anchored around the following four cornerstones: Student Safety, Academic Progress, Closing Gaps and Relationships. The resources accessible through this folder will provide the Strategic Planning Committee with a practical perspective on how these cornerstones exist today.