1. Improve family community
The objective is to increase student, staff, and family attendance and participation in school-wide events. Initiatives to address the issues identified with forming connections within the student body and community to the school based on the culture and climate surveys, stakeholders are encouraged to participate in extra activities with a particular emphasis on our new families. This is an ongoing initiative to continue involving and connecting the community to CGCS.
2. Improve school-wide writing, fluency, and structure by exploring new curriculum options and professional development
The objective is to increase student writing through development of a grade-level research, inquiry-based paper, participation in more professional development training that targets improving writing and having a writing tutor to help students to develop and strengthen writing skills. Grade levels will develop a writing scope and sequence with emphasis on the five-paragraph essay. This is an ongoing initiative with an intended goal to be measurable growth at the end of the year on writing tests and students’ research papers.
3. Training and support for dealing with students with learning disabilities
The objective is to increase strategies and knowledge to help at-risk students or students with special learning abilities. The initiative is to have teachers participate in professional development and continuing education to improve strategies for working with special abilities, understanding our resources are limited, and acceptance is dependent on diagnoses. To continue with Title tutoring programs to support students in ELA and Math growth. The intended outcome is to ensure all students are making at least one year of progress.
4. Improve the extracurricular programs offered at Captain Gilmer to increase students’ participation.
The objective is to increase diversity within the art program by adding choir in middle school as an additional program and drama as an extra after-school program and extend the sports program to include cross-country running events, and include yearbook as a creative organization. The initiative can be measured by student participation and involvement. The intended goal is to encourage different strengths not just academically but also in the form of sports, STEM organizations, and the arts.
5. Connecting field trips to grade-level standards and curriculum
The objective is to increase purposefully planned students’ engagements (specifically targeting middle school) via field experiences that bring the learning experience to life. The initiative is to strengthen standards through real-world connections and experiences.