Henrico County School Board hears progress on team‑based scheduling pilot in elementary and high schools

School leaders on Feb. 12 updated the Henrico County School Board on a multi‑year effort to redesign daily schedules at participating elementary and high schools using team‑based staffing models intended to increase personalized, project‑based learning.

The presentation, led by Thomas Frell, director of high school education, and Scott Thorp, director of elementary education, described pilots at Harvey and Colonial Trail elementary schools and at Godwin, Tucker and Highland Springs high schools. Tanya Holmes, principal at Harvey Elementary School, said the elementary model includes "a daily time in our schedule that is built in for students to walk to what they need. This empowers student ownership and voice." The board heard classroom examples, plans for common planning time, and a phased expansion timeline.

Why it matters: Division leaders framed the work as aligned with Henrico’s Journey to 2030 strategic priorities and the Henrico learner profile, emphasizing both deeper learning for students and supports intended to improve teacher satisfaction and retention. Presenters said the approach aims to move beyond isolated team teaching toward distributed expertise that enables cross‑curricular projects and targeted small‑group instruction.

Leaders described elementary practice changes that include grade‑team staffing, flexible grouping and recurring data reviews. Tanya Holmes said teams analyze data "almost every nine weeks" to regroup students and adjust instruction. At the high‑school level, presenters described cohorts of approximately 85–100 ninth‑grade students whose core courses are coordinated (for example, world history and algebra 1 as anchor courses) to enable interdisciplinary projects. Godwin and Tucker high schools were named learning partners in the Carnegie Foundation’s Future of High School network.

Board members asked about transition supports, frequency of formal reviews, and evidence of impact. Presenters said counseling teams and intervention structures are used to support students moving from middle to high school; regular common planning is weekly and formal check‑ins occur at intervals (presenters cited roughly nine‑week reviews at the elementary level). Several principals reported early signs of increased student engagement and improved teacher retention but acknowledged the need to adjust models based on local data.

Officials also acknowledged operational challenges, including master scheduling at the high‑school level and preserving access to singleton electives; Godwin school leaders said cohorts have slightly smaller classes (about 24–28 students) and that some electives were shifted to maintain access. Expansion will be phased: additional high schools and elementary schools will be trained and supported over multiple years, with some middle‑school work planned for later phases.

The board was asked about external communications and parent outreach. Presenters said the district and its Carnegie partners are planning communications to explain interdisciplinary work and durable‑skill goals to families and the community. The board did not take formal action on the presentation; presenters said the district will continue to measure progress using student work samples, academic indicators, attendance/participation metrics and teacher surveys.

Looking ahead: Officials said they will continue phased training and supports for additional schools and will report back to the board on measured outcomes and lessons learned.