DT Howard MS

GO Team Business Meeting #3

November 11, 2025

Agenda

• Action Items
• Approval of Agenda
• Approval of Previous Minutes
• Public Comment (if needed)
• Discussion Items (add items as needed)
• 2025-2030 Strategic Plan Development
• Confirm Mission/Vision, Goals from Previous Meeting Develop 2025-2030 Strategic Plan Objectives
• Information Items (add items as needed)
• Principal’s Report
• Cluster Advisory Team Report
• APS Forward 2040 –Facilities Plan Update (if needed)
• Announcements
• Public Comment (if needed)
• Adjournment

Action Items

1. Approval of Agenda
2. Approval of Previous Minutes

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Discussion Items

Continuing the

2025-2030 School Strategic Plan Development Process

School Strategic Planning Overview

Purpose

To cascade the district strategic plan to the school level, while grounding our focus in the school’s Continuous Improvement Plan. This will create alignment, reduce confusion, and simplify our efforts.

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Timeline

Our school’s 2030 Strategic Goals and Objectives should be updated, approved and ranked by January 2026. Schools will focus on the strategies as part of FY27 Budget and Continuous Improvement Plan processes.

Revisiting the APS 2025-2030 Strategic Plan

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GO Team’s Focus (Governance)

School Strategic Planning Process Overview

Sample GO Team Business Meeting Cadence

Business Meeting 1:

• Review Data (MAP, GMAS, Graduation Rate, CCRPI, etc.)

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Business Meeting 2:

• Review Data (School KPIs)
• Align Mission/Vision/ Purpose
• Confirm 2030 Goals

Business Meeting 3:

• Identify 2025-2030 Strategic Objectives

Business Meeting 4 (Budget Allocation):

• Approve Your Strategic Plan & Rank Your Strategic Objectives for FY27

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Review Data

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• Reflect on 2020-2025 Strategic Plan
• Review and Discuss Additional Objectives Going Forward

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Approve Your Strategic Plan & Rank Your Strategic Objectives for FY27

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Confirm 2030 Goals

• Create CIP Goals to 2030
• Identify Additional Goals

Identify 2025-2030 Strategic Objectives

Align Mission/Vision/Purpose

In Our Last Meeting We…

Reviewed Our School Data

Aligned Our Mission and Vision

Confirmed Our 2030 Goals

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DT Howard MS Proposed Updates to School Mission and Vision:

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• Mission: We educate all students through authentic, rigorous, and relevant learning experiences grounded in our signature STEAM programming

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• Vision: All David T Howard students become critically thinking, responsible citizens and empowered innovators ready to shape the future in a rapidly changing world.

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DT Howard MS Proposed Goals for the 2025-2030 Strategic Plan:

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1. By Spring 2030, the percentage of proficient and above learners as assessed by the GMAS EOG ELA will increase by 15% overall from 73% (2025) to 88%. Sub Goal: Subgroups Black will increase by 20% from 36% (2025) to 56%, and SWD will increase by 20% from 24% (2025) to 44%.

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2. By Spring 2030, the percentage of proficient and above learners as assessed by the GMAS EOG Math will increase by 15% overall from 68% (2025) to 83%. Sub Goal: Subgroups Black will increase by 20% from 30% (2025) to 50%, and SWD will increase by 20% from 26% (2025) to 46%.

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3. By Spring 2030, the CCRPI attendance rate will remain at or above 90%, by ensuring chronic absenteeism as determined by GADOE does not exceed 10% days absent for the student's enrollment period greater than 30 days, with an emphasis the Black subgroups from 74%(2025) to 85% .

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Today’s Focus:

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School Strategic Planning Process: Step 4

Review Data

1

Identify 2025-2030 Strategic Objectives

• Reflect on 2020-2025 Strategic Plan
• Review and Discuss Additional Objectives Going Forward

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3

4

Approve Your Strategic Plan & Rank Your Strategic Objectives for FY27

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Confirm 2030 Goals

• Create CIP Goals to 2030
• Identify Additional Goals

Sample GO Team Business Meeting Cadence

Business Meeting 1:

• Review Data (MAP, GMAS, Graduation Rate, CCRPI, etc.)

Business Meeting 2:

• Review Data (School KPIs)

• Align Mission/Vision/ Purpose
• Confirm 2030 Goals

Business Meeting 3:

• Identify 2025-2030 Strategic Objectives

Business Meeting 4 (Budget Allocation):

• Approve Your Strategic Plan & Rank Your Strategic Objectives for FY27

Align Mission/Vision/Purpose

4. Identify 2025-2030 Strategic Objectives

One District. One Goal. Every Child.

• Reflect on 2020-2025 Strategic Plan (Stop, Continue)
• Align Objectives to the District's new Focus Areas
• Review and Discuss Additional Objectives Going Forward (Start)

Using our new, 2025-2030 Strategic Goals as a guide we will complete a Start, Stop and Continue exercise to review our current “Strategic Priorities” and identify our 2025-2030 Strategic Objectives

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4

Identifying 2025-2030 Strategic Objectives: Continue Discussion

Continue

- What current priorities/activities are working well and should be maintained?

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Notes:

● Think about what has been working been completed; or never started.

● If your goals for 2030 are bigger than what you have achieved so far, then what must you do differently going forward?

Identifying 2025-2030 Strategic Objectives: Continue Discussion

Aligning Your Objectives to the District's New Focus Areas

“Getting Back to Basics”

We Are Strengthening Our Instructional Core

• TBD- Strategic Objective
• TBD- Strategic Objective

We Are Caring For Every Child

• TBD- Strategic Objective
• TBD- Strategic Objective

We Are Sparking Student Curiosity

• TBD- Strategic Objective
• TBD- Strategic Objective

“Community of Believers”

Our Strength is Our Team

• TBD- Strategic Objective
• TBD- Strategic Objective

Our Responsibility Is Shared

• TBD- Strategic Objective
• TBD- Strategic Objective

Our School Is Efficient & Effective

• TBD- Strategic Objective
• TBD- Strategic Objective

You will now move the Objectives (previously Priorities) you want to “Continue” to the appropriate Focus Area

• Use your 2020-2025 Strategic Plan, the APS 2025-2030 Strategic Plan (slide 7) and your school KPI sheet to help categorize your objectives. Please note:
• Fostering Academic Excellence for All is likely aligned to “We Are Strengthening Our Instructional Core” or “We Are Sparking Student Curiosity”
• Building a Culture of Student Support is likely aligned to “We Are Caring For Every Child”
• Equipping & Empowering Leaders & Staff is likely aligned to “Our Strength is Our Team”
• Creating a System of School Support is likely aligned to “Our Responsibility is Shared” or “Our School is Efficient & Effective”

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Our Strength is Our Team

• Build teacher capacity and leadership opportunities across the Professional Learning Community (PLC) to meet the diverse social and academic needs of students. 
• Create an environment that motivates and retains staff members.

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Our Responsibility Is Shared

• Develop a safe, positive, informed and engaged school culture.
• Increase the diversity of families who engage with the school through various activities. 

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Our School Is Efficient & Effective

• Provide consistent two-way communication, programming, and staffing to keep all stakeholders proactively informed and supported. 

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We Are Strengthening Our Instructional Core

• Ensure students receive intervention and enrichment to demonstrate mastery on essential standards. 
• Utilize Academic Universal Screener data to drive instructional practices to address struggling learners and gifted/advanced students. 

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We Are Caring For Every Child

• Implement PBIS and SEL programming for all students in grades 6-8. 

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We Are Sparking Student Curiosity

• Expand opportunities to Advanced Content courses for at least 5% of non-gifted identified students.
• Provide the necessary supports and resources to implement STEAM program.

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David T. Howard Middle School

By Spring 2030, the percentage of proficient and above learners as assessed by the GMAS EOG ELA will increase by 15% overall from 73% (2025) to 88%. Sub Goal: Subgroups Black will increase by 20% from 36% (2025) to 56%, and SWD will increase by 20% from 24% (2025) to 44%.

By Spring 2030, the percentage of proficient and above learners as assessed by the GMAS EOG Math will increase by 15% overall from 68% (2025) to 83%. Sub Goal: Subgroups Black will increase by 20% from 30% (2025) to 50%, and SWD will increase by 20% from 26% (2025) to 46%.

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By Spring 2030, the CCRPI attendance rate will remain at or above 90%, by ensuring chronic absenteeism as determined by GADOE does not exceed 10% days absent for the student's enrollment period greater than 30 days, with an emphasis the Black subgroups from 74%(2025) to 85% .

A few notes before we begin:

1. You may add an additional 1-2 goals to your Continuous Improvement Plan goals. An additional goal can round out your focus beyond academics and attendance.
2. We recommend having 1-2 “strategic objectives” in each of the 6 focus areas. Don’t go too crazy. We can’t focus on everything.
3. Feel free to add your school’s mission/vision statements and logo to the template. If you want to double check yours with APS’ purpose statement, here you go: Educate & Empower Atlanta’s Students to Shape the Future

Mission: We educate all students through authentic, rigorous, and relevant learning experiences grounded in our signature STEAM programming

Vision: All David T Howard students become critically thinking, responsible citizens and empowered innovators ready to shape the future in a rapidly changing world.

Identifying 2025-2030 Strategic Objectives: “Start” Discussion

• After you have aligned your Objectives to the appropriate Focus Area, identify any new Objectives the school must start to address the goals in your plan

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• You should have 1-2 Objectives for each Focus Area.

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• Use the APS 2025-2030 Strategic Plan (slide 7) and your school KPI sheet for ideas if you need to identify new Objectives.

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• Focus on the “Getting Back to Basics” Focus Areas first (Strengthening Our Instructional Core, Caring For Every Child, and Sparking Student Curiosity)
• Make sure you have something in the “Community of Believers” Focus Areas that support your core work (Strength is Our Team, Responsibility is Shared, System is Effective & Efficient)

Guiding Questions: Are there any new “objectives” we must START to completely address our 2025-2030 Strategic Goals? Do we have 1- 2 Objectives to support each Focus Area?

Where we’re going

At our next meeting we will:

• Vote on the 2025-2030 Strategic Plan
• Rank our 2025-2030 Strategic Objectives
• Begin the discussion of the 2026-2027 budget

Let me or the Chair know of any additional information you need for our future discussion.

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Questions?

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Information Items

Principal’s Report

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Sports

• Girls Cross Country: APS District Runner-up and 4th in the State!
• Softball: 3x APS Champions!
• Ultimate Frisbee: Champion (B-Team) and Runner-up (A-Team)
• Volleyball: Metro Area Runner-up (Fulton, DeKalb, and Clayton Counties)

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STEAM Updates

• Every grade level has gone on a school based field trip
• Schoolwide Science Fair Projects underway across all grade levels. Schoolwide Science Fair - November 18th
• Beltline Partnership supporting experiential, community-based learning
• Schoolwide STEAM Initiatives: Garden Project & Novelis Recycling Collaboration

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Curriculum & Assessment

• Young Georgia Authors: Students are preparing submissions for the district-wide writing competition Spelling Bee: Schoolwide Competition — December 2

Student Behavior & Supports

• PBIS Masked Singer event was a success

Culture & Engagement

• Family Engagement team is organizing a 5K for DTH to bring the community to the school

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Principal Updates

• Saturday School
• Reading & Math Support Classes
• Scheduled intervention periods embedded in the school day for students performing below proficiency based on MAP and Milestones data.
• Teachers provide targeted support with the assistance of programs such as Reading Plus and Desmos
• Tutoring & Pull-Out Support
• Tutor available to provide small group or individual instruction during the school day
• Before/lunch/after school tutorial offer by teachers. Students are allowed to come through self-selection. Teachers requests some student’s presence through parent contact.

• MTSS &ESOL Support
• Specialist/teachers collaborates with teachers to identify students in need of interventions, monitors progress, and adjust supports as needed

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Targeted Student Interventions

Schoolwide Intervention Overview

Who we serve

Expected outcomes

Intervention Classes: Students below 25 percentile of MAP are serviced through an intervention class. We have twelve intervention classes (math and reading) with a maximum of 18 students per class. Parents can opt-out of placement.

Small Group instruction: 100% of students. Teachers pull students as needed to have small group directed instruction based on the during the class or classroom assessment data.

ELL Support: sheltered classroom, push-ins and resource classroom

SWD Co-Taught Support: consultative, resources classroom, co-taught classes

Literacy: By Spring 2026, the percentage of proficient and above learners as assessed by the GMAS EOG ELA will increase by 5% (52 students) overall from 73% (2025) to 78%. Sub Goal: Subgroups Black will increase by 5% from 36% (2025) to 41%, and SWD will increase by 5% from 24% (2025) to 29%.

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Numeracy: By Spring 2026, the percentage of proficient and above learners as assessed by the GMAS EOG Math will increase by 5% (52 students) overall from 68% (2025) to 73%. Sub Goal: Subgroups Black will increase by 5% from 30% (2025) to 35%, and SWD will increase by 5% from 26% (2025) to 31%.

CCRPI Results for SY 2025 Release this week

Beating the Odds School

5 - Star Climate Rating (2024)

2025 Literacy Leader School

2004 & 2025 Math Leader School

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Highlighted Accomplishments from GMAS Results

ELA (distinguished)

6th grade: 11 percentage-point gain

8th grade: 7 percentage-point gain

Math (distinguished)

8th grade: 14 percentage-point gain

Algebra 1: 4 percentage-point gain

Science (distinguished)

8th grade: 15 percentage-point gain

Social Studies (distinguished)

8th grade: 8 percentage-point gain

Cluster Advisory Team Report

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Comprehensive Long-Range Facilities Plan

www.atlantapublicschools.us/APS2040

Announcements

Thank you

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