Board approves Dudley Elementary improvement plan after state identifies targeted support needs

The Franklin County School Board approved a Dudley Elementary multi-year improvement plan on Feb. 9 after district staff said the school was identified for targeted support for students with disabilities under Virginia’s updated accountability model.

Cara Bernard, the district’s accountability lead, explained the state’s framework measures mastery, growth and readiness across subgroups and noted that while most district schools earned full accreditation this year, Dudley met the threshold for targeted support in the students-with-disabilities subgroup. "We determined there was a reading need for students with disabilities and a tier-one need for math instruction," Bernard told the board.

The approved plan calls for summer and spring professional development in literacy (the University of Florida literacy approaches and RGR for grades 3–5) and for math instruction rooted in the CRA — concrete, representational, abstract — model. Staff will hold monthly fidelity checks, conduct data meetings during the 2026–27 school year and purchase manipulatives and supplies for math instruction. Bernard said approximately $45,000 in grant funds is available to support Dudley’s work.

Board members voted to approve the plan and asked that staff return with updates during implementation. The approval was unanimous. The district emphasized that the spring/summer 2026 training is intended to prepare teachers to implement lessons and supports in the 2026–27 school year.

Next steps: district staff will implement professional development this spring and summer, develop lesson materials, purchase manipulatives and conduct routine fidelity checks and data meetings during 2026–27; progress reporting will be provided to the board.