• The School Plan for Student Achievement (SPSA) is a document that represents a school's cycle of continuous improvement of student performance. The annual process of developing, reviewing, and updating the SPSA includes a comprehensive review of data and the development of actions necessary to achieve school goals.

    The SPSA serves as the organizer for an individual school’s improvement process. The plan should be developed with a deep understanding of root causes of student academic challenges and identify and implement research-based instructional strategies to raise the achievement of students who are not yet proficient by state standards. A well-developed SPSA can ensure that students are better equipped to meet the Common Core State Standards in English and math. It is critical that each school’s SPSA:

    • Builds on a premise that students are capable of learning with effective instruction.
    • Includes school goals aligned with activities and goals included in the LEA Plan to maximize school reform efforts.
    • Is based on verifiable data analysis.
    • Focuses on student achievement and academic interventions.
    • Implements high leverage school improvement actions.
    • Directs resources where they will most directly improve student academic achievement.
    • Ensures that all resources are aligned to serve identified students’ needs.
    • Uses research-based strategies.
    • Implements strategic coordination of resources.

    To set school goals, the SSC should carefully review district priorities as stated in the LEA Plan, and assess both state and local quantitative and qualitative student achievement data to evaluate the effectiveness of the instructional program.