Instruction committee reviews Q2 data; nine elementary schools designated for intensive support, plans due Feb. 24

Frederick County’s instruction committee heard a quarter‑2 instructional update Monday evening that included a state‑mandated reclassification of nine elementary schools as "needs intensive support," an explanation of why those determinations were made and the division’s plan to post and pursue multi‑year improvement plans that require full board approval on Feb. 24.

The committee was told the reclassifications resulted primarily from subgroup performance — particularly among English learners and students with disabilities — even when overall school scores were close to the on‑track threshold. "All of ours are English learners and or students with disabilities," said Ms. Muldowney, senior director of elementary education, describing the subgroup patterns that led to federal Targeted Support and Improvement (TSI) identification.

School and division leaders framed the designations as a priority for targeted interventions rather than a declaration of failure. "We had two elementary schools that actually scored 79.8, two‑tenths away from on track," Ms. Muldowney said, noting that subgroup results moved those schools into the off‑track and then needs‑intensive categories.

Why it matters: the Virginia Department of Education’s new performance and support framework (finalized December 2025) assigns school designations that shape required actions and reporting. Ms. Knight, the presentation lead, said the framework weights academic performance heavily — ‘‘those performance scores … determine where we are placed with the state’’ — and that cut scores are expected to increase for future cohorts, which could affect comparative standing.

Division leaders outlined the state‑required sequence for schools identified for intensive support: conduct a needs assessment, develop prioritized, measurable multi‑year plans with evidence‑based interventions, implement action steps, and monitor progress through quarterly updates. Ms. Muldowney said plans were originally due to the state Feb. 6; the division requested an extension to coordinate full‑board approval and will ask the board to endorse the plans at the Feb. 24 meeting. "They are due to me by the end of this week. I will be getting them in your hands next week so that you have them to review prior to the full board on the 24th," she said.

Leaders also presented Q2 metric highlights across grade spans. At the elementary level, chronic absenteeism dropped from about 14.8% to 11.7% and incidents of behavior that endangered self or others declined from 91 to 63 (a roughly 30% reduction). Math screening (iReady) showed an 11‑percentage‑point decrease in students two or more grade levels below expectations; subgroup progress included reductions from 59% to 48% for students with disabilities and from 53% to 36% for English learners on one diagnostic measure.

Ms. Muldowney identified curriculum‑centered interventions the division will emphasize: foundational reading instruction (decoding, word recognition, comprehension), Lexia as a state‑identified reading intervention and concrete/semi‑concrete math representations and manipulatives. She noted Lexia usage goals are not yet met: "currently right now, only 37 percent of our students are meeting usage goals," she said, and staff will monitor monthly to ensure students receive the intended dosage of intervention.

Secondary leaders reported mixed but positive signals. Dr. Myers, presenting middle and high school data, said middle‑school math showed sizable growth in some common unit assessments and that high‑school English proficiency rose about 14% between quarters. He highlighted reductions in behavioral infractions at several secondary schools and said the division plans to focus on ‘‘bubble’’ students within five to ten points of proficiency.

The committee also discussed career‑connected education (CTE) planning. A board member pressed administration about two planned aviation courses that had not launched as expected. Ms. Knight said the courses were added to the program of studies to measure student interest but starting them requires curriculum, software and certified instructors; the division has placed the interest question on course request forms and will report registration numbers to the board in March. "We put it on the course request form for the new year," she said. "Once all of those numbers are tracked, we'll have them and we'll be able to determine how much interest there is."

What changed and next steps: division staff said they will post the multi‑year support plans publicly, continue quarterly reporting on progress, and provide the board with current course‑interest numbers for the aviation CTE proposal. The presentation was informational; no formal action on the plans or CTE courses occurred at the committee meeting. The committee adjourned after approving the agenda at the start and taking no additional votes on substantive items.

The division referenced state sources during the presentation, including the VDOE framework and JLARC reports reviewing the accountability system. Leaders cautioned that some measures (work keys, small‑sample assessments) remain preliminary and that adjustments to state cut scores could affect future designations.

The board’s full meeting on Feb. 24 is scheduled as the next procedural step for approving the intensive support plans and for reviewing any materials committee members request ahead of that vote.