Continuous School Improvement Plan

Frederick County Public Schools is dedicated to continuous improvement. Our school principals lead efforts to plan, implement, and review their goals, using a variety of data to make sure we’re always moving in the right direction. School and division plans are monitored for progress and updated quarterly to support our commitment to our students and their families.

This information keeps families informed about our progress and the status of school goals. You’ll find updates and insights as we work together to improve student learning and school performance.

School Profile Information

School: Gainesboro Elementary School
Principal: Dr. Keith D. Reeves
Enrollment: 463

Vision Statement

Empowered learners today, effective leaders tomorrow.

School Mission Statement

Gainesboro Elementary School is a learning community built on respect and dignity for every person. We ensure Excellence and Empowerment for Every Eagle by providing the safe, challenging environment necessary to achieve mastery and be ready for their future. We ensure adults lead with kindness and high commitment, fostering Active Mastery every day.

Tagline

“Empowerment and Excellence for Every Eagle” captures the essence of our mission and vision, and is our outward-facing tagline to reference the exceptional work our educators do every day for the Eagles of Gainesboro Elementary.

Expectations

G. GROWTH
So we can try our hardest and learn from every challenge:

• We show up ready to learn, even when the work is tough.
• We stay engaged and ask questions to help ourselves and others master new things.
• We believe mistakes are how we grow and get smarter.

E. EMPATHY
So we can respect every person's dignity and celebrate our differences:

• We are kind and thoughtful in everything we say and do.
• We listen to understand how others feel and what they need.
• We help each other to succeed and lift up our community.

S. SAFETY
So we can protect our bodies, our feelings, and our learning environment:

• We keep our hands and feet to ourselves, using kind actions.
• We speak up for ourselves and others when we see something unfair or unsafe.
• We follow directions right away so everyone can be safe and keep learning.

Core Professional Goal

Every teacher should be able to answer the two major Professional Learning Community questions for every content area every day: "What mastery have my students achieved or not yet achieved?" and "How do I know that?"

Core Values

• Child-Centered
• Compassionate
• Committed
• Collaborative
• Conscientious

Gainesboro Elementary, as part of FPCS, is a community that believes every child deserves educators who are child-centered, lead with compassion, collaborate with purpose, and demonstrate unwavering commitment and conscientiousness in all we do.

Core Academic Commitment

As part of FCPS, our core academic commitment as part of Ignite 2030, the FCPS strategic plan, is that by the end of School Year 2029-2030, all of our students will demonstrate grade-level proficiency or higher in reading by the end of third grade, ensuring they are on track for academic success. 

At Gainesboro Elementary, we keep this core commitment central to our planning and teaching, as it forms the foundation for everything that comes after our students spread their wings and leave for middle school. This doesn’t mean literacy is the only thing, but it does facilitate everything.
 

Goal #1

By June 2026, Gainesboro Elementary School will increase its school-wide on-grade-level literacy pass rate on the Virginia Standards of Learning test for Reading from 52% to at least 60%.

This will be primarily measured by Grade 3-5 Reading SOL assessments, aiming for specific minimum pass rates:

• Grade 3 Reading SOL from 51% to at least 58%
• Grade 4 Reading SOL from 51% to at least 58%
• Grade 5 Reading SOL from 69% to at least 75%

Additionally, the percentage of "at-risk" students on the VALLSS assessment (K-2) will be reduced by an additional 5%.

Date	Status	Progress Narrative
November 2025	On Track	According to reporting and analysis from The 74, there are several schools in Virginia that have similar challenges that Gainesboro faces, including socioeconomic and historic underperformance challenges, but that are beating the odds by outperforming peers to a significant degree. The Principal and Literacy Coach are tag-teaming an effort to bring GES together with those schools, to highlight best practices and identify areas where we can replicate success. Our VGA administrations are complete, allowing us to use standards-aligned data to identify groups in the lowest tiers of performance, allowing us to target them for specific interventions and supports.
March 2026	On Track	We accelerated our momentum toward key strategic goals by integrating high-leverage instructional practices with rigorous operational adjustments. Our focus centered on elevating academic standards through professional staff development, the consistent application of the Lexia platform, and a modified master schedule designed to prioritize targeted interventions and reinforced CLTs. We bolstered classroom rigor while simultaneously establishing robust testing and remediation plans, ensuring every student received direct instruction in standardized testing strategies and formats. Beyond academics, we maintained a steadfast commitment to cultural stability by addressing attendance and behavioral trends to ensure a safe, focused environment conducive to learning.
June 2026	Achieved	As of current on-demand reporting, Gainesboro Elementary School increased its school-wide on-grade-level literacy pass rate on the Virginia Standards of Learning test for Reading to 64%. Grade 3 and 4 attained a pass rate of 62% and 70% respectively. A comprehensive analysis of performance will lead to strategic shifts in our approach for 2026-2027 to address deficits with intention, using evidence-based practices.

 

Goal #2

From 2023-24 to 2024-25, Gainesboro Elementary School raised its overall raw pass rate as a school from 42% to 73%. Our goal is to at minimum maintain that new high standard with a newly-promoted cohort.

By June 2026, Gainesboro Elementary School will increase its school-wide, on-grade-level pass rate on the Virginia Standards of Learning (SOL) test for Mathematics from 73% to at least 75%.

Date	Status	Progress Narrative
November 2025	On Track	Teachers are regularly meeting as part of our Collaborative Learning Team model (see Goal #4) to discuss math data, implementing Math Workshop and Number Strings, and exploring other engagement strategies such as the Building Thinking Classrooms model.
March 2026	On Track	We accelerated our momentum toward key strategic goals by integrating high-leverage instructional practices with rigorous operational adjustments. Our focus centered on elevating academic standards through professional staff development, the consistent application of the iReady platform, and a modified master schedule designed to prioritize targeted interventions and reinforced CLTs. We bolstered classroom rigor while simultaneously establishing robust testing and remediation plans, ensuring every student received direct instruction in standardized testing strategies and formats. Beyond academics, we maintained a steadfast commitment to cultural stability by addressing attendance and behavioral trends to ensure a safe, focused environment conducive to learning.
June 2026		We are still awaiting formal final reporting from the Office of Assessment and Accountability as of 22 May 2026.

 

Goal #3

By June 2026, Instructional Assistants will be fully integrated into K-5 classroom instructional support and actively participate in grade-level Collaborative Learning Teams, as evidenced by their consistent presence in classrooms, engagement in daily collaborative planning sessions, and direct support for student learning.

Date	Status	Progress Narrative
November 2025	On Track	The Administration revised the master schedule in coordination with FCPS School Board Office stakeholders and leaders, and met with teachers and IAs to ensure the currently-enacted definitions and job descriptions were available and clear to all school-level stakeholders. Instructional Assistants now have base classrooms, are invited to and included in collaborative instructional planning, and have been the subject of numerous internal communications to ensure their inclusion and integration. Since the goal is for IAs to be “fully integrated,” and “full” is a comprehensive descriptor, we feel the evidence best describes us as “on track,” as creating the structures for this improvement needs to translate to improved outcomes before we are comfortable declaring the goal “achieved.” That said, IAs are consistently present in classrooms, are engaged in daily collaborative planning, and are directly supporting student learning as of November 2025, as envisioned and enacted by the Instructional Leadership Team.
March 2026	On Track	We bolstered our integration efforts by refining the master schedule to facilitate additional interventions and reinforcing the role of IAs within Collaborative Learning Teams (CLTs). IAs have been pivotal in the "religious" implementation of Lexia and iReady, providing the small-group support necessary to maintain academic rigor. While IAs are now consistently delivering direct instruction in test-taking strategies alongside lead teachers, we recognize that total alignment with the FCPS vision is an iterative process. Consequently, leadership continues to provide ongoing professional development to address and improve IA instructional delivery, ensuring that their classroom presence translates directly into the high-level remediation and readiness plans established.
June 2026	Achieved	Instructional Assistants are fully integrated into K-5 classrooms, serving as essential pillars of the instructional framework. The goal of "full integration" has been met structurally; however, bringing GES IAs into perfect alignment with the evolving FCPS county-wide initiative remains a subject of active leadership discussion. We have successfully moved beyond mere presence to active participation in daily collaborative planning and student-facing support. While we are declaring this goal achieved based on the established metrics, we view the refinement of the IA role as an ongoing professional commitment. We will continue to evaluate and adjust IA responsibilities to ensure they remain a seamless, high-impact extension of the classroom's instructional core.

 

Goal #4

Teachers will engage in Collaborative Learning Team planning, in concert with instructional coaches and support staff, four out of five days each week during the 2025-26 school year.

Date	Status	Progress Narrative
November 2025	On Track	The Administration revised the master schedule in coordination with FCPS School Board Office stakeholders and leaders, and met with teachers and IAs to ensure Collaborative Learning Teams (CLTs) are facilitated to meet at least 20 minutes of the 40 available minutes, each instructional day. A 20-minute protocol was enacted and trained by the Instructional Coach to directly facilitate this structure. The Principal, as a new administrator to the building this year, has explicitly stated his desire to be gradual and flexible in the implementation of this ambitious goal. As such, CLTs differ significantly in function from grade to grade, as would be expected in the first year of implementation. We feel the evidence best describes us as “on track,” as creating the structures for this improvement needs to translate to improved outcomes before we are comfortable declaring the goal “achieved.” That said, CLTs are scheduled to meet at least four out of five days each week, at each grade level, as of November 2025, as envisioned and enacted by the Instructional Leadership Team.
March 2026	On Track	The focus shifted from structural adherence to the refinement of CLT protocols, ensuring that the 20-minute sessions are utilized with maximum incisiveness. The Instructional Leadership Team (ILT) increased its presence within these meetings to reinforce coaching cycles, transitioning teams from general planning to deep-dive data analysis. By utilizing real-time metrics from Lexia and iReady, teachers and coaches are now identifying granular learning gaps and adjusting instruction with greater precision. This period represents a significant deepening of professional practice, as the ILT works to harmonize grade-level collaboration with the rigorous analytical standards expected by FCPS.
June 2026	Achieved	We have fully realized the goal of consistent, high-frequency CLT engagement, with teams meeting four out of five days a week as a standard professional practice. The transition from "on track" to "completed" is marked by the maturity of the collaborative process; teams are now self-sustaining in their use of data-driven protocols and no longer require scaffolded facilitation. The Instructional Leadership Team has successfully moved into a role of ongoing refinement and high-level coaching, ensuring that the work within CLTs remains meaningful and incisive. While the structural goal is met, the continuous improvement of these collaborative cycles remains a core component of our ongoing leadership dialogue to maintain alignment with the FCPS vision.

 

For more information about Gainesboro Elementary School's Continuous Improvement Plan please join us at our quarterly events or reach out to the school principal.

Quarterly Events

• Quarter 1: Thursday, October 2: 5:30 PM - 7 PM (“Reading is Magic”)
• Quarter 2: Thursday, November 20, 5:30 PM - 7:00 PM, in conjunction with FCMS (“Reading Around the World”)
• Quarter 3: Thursday, February 26, 2026 ("Reach for the Stars")
• Quarter 4: Thursday,  April 23, 2026, 5:30 PM - 7:00 PM ("America 250")