Is Plan Descriptor Revised?

Under federal law all districts are required to participate in a statewide assessment and accountability system to hold districts accountable for academic achievement. The SEA must identify schools that have failed to meet state assessment standards. These schools are designated as "Priority, and “Focus”.

The LEA Title I department is responsible for LEA Assurances. To ensure compliance with federal and state guidelines, the Title I department reviews Title I Schoolwide plans. The team provides feedback to schools and makes specific recommendations for revisions of plans.

Plans must reflect an analysis of achievement data and include research based best instructional practices to address the causes of the schools' failure on the states academic assessment. All schools received technical assistance in data analysis from the district’s Accountability/Research and Evaluation Department. The School Improvement plans are reviewed individually and each school is provided feedback as well as additional support. Professional development and technical assistance is provided to the LEA by the Metro RESA School Improvement team and GaDOE Lead School Improvement Specialist. The LEA provides on-going technical assistance to schools designated as Priority or Focus.

The LEA has Associate Superintendent offices that serve as a direct line of support to schools, ensuring that schools receive adequate professional development, instructional coaching, mentoring and on-going support. LEA district wide and site-specific professional development in reading/ language arts, math, science and social studies provide learning opportunities to assist teachers with best instructional research based practices and assessment techniques.

Core Content Specialist whose primary responsibility will be assist schools with professional development and share instructional best practices in designated schools. Associate Superintendents and leadership support teams will provide direct assistance to the building leadership and staff in implementing the Common Core Georgia Performance Standards, data analysis, performance standards, instructional planning, coaching and training.

Accountability/Research and Evaluation team will work with the Core Content Specialist and the Learning Technology Specialists to assist schools with benchmark assessments to monitor student improvement. Specific focus is given to professional development to improve student achievement for students with disabilities (SWD).

The LEA utilizes staff, including K-12 Associate Superintendents, Content Area Coordinators, Core Content Specialists, Educational Technology Specialists, and Digital Learning Specialists and staff from the Title I department team, Teaching and Learning Department to conduct site visits to monitor implementation and make recommendations to the school administration and staff. The GADOE Leadership facilitators and partner principals are assigned to schools in improvement status to provide additional support.

The LEA requires schools to administer benchmark assessments. Data from benchmark assessments is collected and the data is analyzed. Targeted professional development is provided based on an item analysis of data to identify areas of instructional deficits.

The LEA provides continuous support, on-going professional development, assessment, frequent monitoring and instructional modeling. The LEA recommends change in the school governance for schools not meeting state assessment standards The LEA School Improvement Plan specifically focuses on instructional alignment.

Schools are required to include research based instructional strategies for students performing below expectations. School Improvement Plans are reviewed and monitored for implementation. Teaching and Learning staff and Georgia Department of Education conduct site visits to schools. Principals, as instructional leaders of schools, conduct a specified number of classroom observations with feedback, weekly.

District personnel participate in training provided by the Georgia Department of Education, School Improvement Division on the School Improvement process. The GA DOE School Improvement Fieldbook is used by the district and schools to guide the continuous school improvement process. The system of support is based on the comprehensive and research based work of Robert J. Marzano and Dan Mulligans.

School Improvement Plans are written to reflect best instructional practices. School achievement data is analyzed and schools are required to utilize frequent on-going assessments. Each year more schools are making progress resulting in fewer schools designated as priority, focus and alert schools.

The Atlanta Public School District conducts the following to notify parents of FLP:

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  Conducts a district wide meeting for parents on the implementation process of FLP
  
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  Provides guidance to Priority and Focus status schools regarding the implementation of FLP through written communications and meetings
  

Completes required actions and documentation for parents:

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  Notifies parents of eligible children of the availability of the Flexible Learning Plan (FLP)
  
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  Maintains a written record of parent's inquiry regarding FLP
  
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  Retains resolution complaints on file.
  
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  Provides list of schools offering FLP and number of eligible students participating at each school.
  

The Atlanta Public School District will implement the following components for the FLP:

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  Identify and explain the areas of need that will be addressed by the FLP offered at each school using school level disaggregated data
  
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  Describe the multiple, educationally related, selection criteria by core content area
  
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  Describe the scientifically research based strategies that the LEA will implement to ensure that supplemental academic intervention time is designed to support students meeting academic performance goals.
  
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  Describe the program delivery model that the LEA/school will implement.
  
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  Describe the professional development (PD) that the LEA will provide for the FLP instructional staff/contractor.
  
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  Describe the procedures the LEA will implement to ensure that the instructional goals of the FLP students are aligned with the Common Core Georgia Performance Standards.
  
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  Describe the procedures that the LEA will implement to maximize the enrollment and attendance of the students with the greatest need for the FLP.
  
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  Describe the procedures the LEA/school will use to monitor the implementation of the program and the tracking of all required data (assessment, program cost, etc.).
  
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  Describe the internal controls that the LEA will implement to promote efficiency, assure the fidelity of the implementation of the LEA's FLP program, and to safeguard assets and/or avoid fraud, waste, and abuse.