1
School Improvement Action Plan
Tamara Sepulveda
American College of Education
EL5703 School Improvement
Dr. Joe Clark
March 9, 2025
, 2
School Improvement Action Plan
As we continue to meet with the school improvement team, we continue to work on
ways to improve student academics. As stated in module two, we have decided to focus on
improving reading and writing skills. As stated before, we believe reading and writing skills to
be the foundation of all basic skills needed in order to be successful and a productive member of
society. Our goal is to not only make reading a priority for the upper grades, but for all grade
levels. Our goal is to implement strategies to improve reading and writing skills beginning in
kindergarten and to use programs to monitor growth in lexile levels.
SMART Goal
Public school # 3’s SMART Goal is for students in all grade levels to grow and move up
at least two Lexile levels by the end of the 2025-2026 school year.
Rationale
The school improvement action plan was created in an effort to adjust the drop in
literacy skills post-Covid as seen in the 2022 to 2024 NJSLA ELA test scores. Students that were
in kindergarten or first grade during the pandemic were the most affected in missing out on
fundamental instruction. Camera stated that “children undergo significant brain growth between
birth and age 5, but it can be negatively impacted by disruptions and stressors” (Why Younger
Students May be Struggling, 2024). Due to the stress of the pandemic, students returned to
school affected in many ways. Students' reading skills were low, math skills were low, and
students were struggling socially and emotionally after spending so much time isolated in their
homes.
It's been almost 5 years since the pandemic and, although most of the world has returned
to normal, our students are still struggling. The last couple of NJSLA ELA test scores do show
School Improvement Action Plan
Tamara Sepulveda
American College of Education
EL5703 School Improvement
Dr. Joe Clark
March 9, 2025
, 2
School Improvement Action Plan
As we continue to meet with the school improvement team, we continue to work on
ways to improve student academics. As stated in module two, we have decided to focus on
improving reading and writing skills. As stated before, we believe reading and writing skills to
be the foundation of all basic skills needed in order to be successful and a productive member of
society. Our goal is to not only make reading a priority for the upper grades, but for all grade
levels. Our goal is to implement strategies to improve reading and writing skills beginning in
kindergarten and to use programs to monitor growth in lexile levels.
SMART Goal
Public school # 3’s SMART Goal is for students in all grade levels to grow and move up
at least two Lexile levels by the end of the 2025-2026 school year.
Rationale
The school improvement action plan was created in an effort to adjust the drop in
literacy skills post-Covid as seen in the 2022 to 2024 NJSLA ELA test scores. Students that were
in kindergarten or first grade during the pandemic were the most affected in missing out on
fundamental instruction. Camera stated that “children undergo significant brain growth between
birth and age 5, but it can be negatively impacted by disruptions and stressors” (Why Younger
Students May be Struggling, 2024). Due to the stress of the pandemic, students returned to
school affected in many ways. Students' reading skills were low, math skills were low, and
students were struggling socially and emotionally after spending so much time isolated in their
homes.
It's been almost 5 years since the pandemic and, although most of the world has returned
to normal, our students are still struggling. The last couple of NJSLA ELA test scores do show
