In alignment with the goals and priorities of Prince George's County Public Schools (PGCPS), the School Performance Plan (SPP) allows for a transparent and collaborative school improvement process with a focus on student achievement.
The School Performance Plan was developed this school year as the continuation of the detailed work and planning completed in the previous school year. The SPP focuses schools on engaging in disciplined inquiry cycles through the use of Plan, Do, Study, Act (PDSA). Through the successful utilization of PDSA, schools are able to impact student achievement and teacher practice by taking a scientific approach to school improvement.
| SCHOOL PROFILE | ||
| School Name: ERNEST EVERETT JUST MIDDLE |
School Year: 2026 Area: Area-2 |
Local Education Agency: Prince Georges County Public Schools Supervisor Name: Gaines, Monica L |
| State School No.: 1348 |
Supervisor Email: Monica.Gaines@pgcps.org |
School Type: 02. Middle School Title I: Yes |
| Grades Served: 06, 08 |
Community School: Yes |
Principal Name: Charnita Whitmyer State Identification: CSI:No, TSI/ATSI:Yes |
| Principal Email: Charnita.Whitmyer@pgcps.org |
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| School Address: 1300 CAMPUS Way N, MITCHELLVILLE,MD - , MITCHELLVILLE MD 20721 |
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| School Vision: Ernest Just Middle School envisions a future where every student is valued, empowered, and prepared to thrive in a global society, confident in character, resilient in spirit, and distinguished by academic excellence within an inclusive and supportive community. |
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| School Mission: Ernest Just Middle School is dedicated to cultivating an inclusive and supportive educational environment that upholds the highest standards of academic excellence and personal integrity. Through rigorous instruction, character development, and a commitment to equity, we empower all students to become resilient, confident, and globally competent individuals prepared to contribute meaningfully to an ever-evolving society. |
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| SMART Goals | ||
| A targeted aspiration that serves as the focal point for collective improvement efforts Specific; Measurable; Achievable; Realistic; Timebound |
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| Math- By June 2026, the percentage of students who score proficient or distinguished will increase by 5 percentage points on MCAP Mathematics | RELA/ELA-By June 2026, the percentage of students who score proficient or distinguished will increase by 10 percentage points in the ELA MCAP | Culture and Climate-By June 2026, the earned score on the Maryland School Survey will increase to 2.5 out of 7 points |
| Problem of Practice | ||
| One problem the school has chosen to address that will assist them in moving toward the overarching Smart Goal | ||
| We are not consistently using data to plan and deliver tiered lessons that unpack standards and engage diverse learners in higher-order thinking, while providing students with structured opportunities, to organize, reflect on, and apply their learning | We are not consistently using data to plan and deliver tiered lessons that unpack standards and engage diverse learners in higher-order thinking, while providing students with structured opportunities, to organize, reflect on, and apply their learning | There is a need for consistent communication and involvement from internal and external partners. |
| Change Idea | ||
| A specific, actionable idea or technique that school teams will use to address the SMART Goal | ||
| Teachers will strengthen the 'I Do' portion of lessons by modeling Think-Alouds with Higher-Order Questioning to boost engagement and deepen understanding. Students will use Focused Note-Taking to organize, reflect, and apply their learning. This strategy supports critical thinking and mastery of grade-level standards for all students | Teachers will strengthen the 'I Do' portion of lessons by modeling Think-Alouds with Higher-Order Questioning to boost engagement and deepen understanding. Students will use Focused Note-Taking to organize, reflect, and apply their learning. This strategy supports critical thinking and mastery of grade-level standards for all students | 2 way communication: Multiple communication pathways for families and partnership opportunities. |
| Target | ||
| The AIM set to determine if the implementation of the change idea was successful | ||
| By the end of the 2nd quarter, 80% of math teachers will intentionally plan and strengthen the "I DO" portion of lessons by modeling with Think-Alouds and embedded Higher-Order Questioning (HOQ) to increase cognitive engagement and deepen student understanding, as measured by lesson plans, classroom observations, and collaborative planning participation. | By the end of the 2nd quarter, 80% of RELA teachers will intentionally plan and strengthen the "I DO" portion of lessons by modeling with Think-Alouds and embedded Higher-Order Questioning (HOQ) to increase cognitive engagement and deepen student understanding, as measured by lesson plans, classroom observations, and collaborative planning participation. | By the end of December 2025, 70% of internal and external partners (including staff, families, and community stakeholders) will consistently engage in two-way communication , as evidenced by documented participation in school meetings, and engagement/communication satisfaction survey results. |
| By the end of the 2nd quarter, 75% of students will demonstrate improved mastery of grade-level standards and higher-order thinking skills by actively engaging in Focused Note-Taking during Think-Alouds with Higher-Order Questioning, as evidenced by the quality and completeness of their notes, classroom work, and assessments | By the end of the 2nd quarter, 75% of students will demonstrate improved mastery of grade-level standards and higher-order thinking skills by actively engaging in Focused Note-Taking during Think-Alouds with Higher-Order Questioning, as evidenced by the quality and completeness of their notes, classroom work, and assessments | By the end of December 2025, 70% of students will consistently engage in two-way communication , as evidenced by documented participation in school events, and student engagement/communication satisfaction survey results. |
| Targeted Support and Improvement (TSI) / Additional Targeted Support and Improvement (ATSI) | ||
| This section is for state-identified schools only. | ||
| Identified Group(s) | Evidence-Based Strategy (EBS) | EBS Target |
| Economically Disadvantaged:Hispanic or Latino of any race:Students with Disabilities | #### **Focused Note-Taking (AVID Strategy)** for Students Purpose: Implement the **five phases of Focused Note-Taking** (Taking, Processing, Connecting, Summarizing, and Reflecting). **Evidence Base:** AVID Center (2020) — Focused Note-Taking supports deeper processing and long-term retention. Hattie (2023) — Note-taking and summarization strategies yield an effect size of 0.52–0.63. **Think-Aloud with Higher Order Questioning** for Teachers To model cognitive processes and encourage metacognition by verbalizing thought processes while engaging students in deeper, critical thinking. A Think-Aloud involves the teacher (or student) verbalizing their thought process while reading a text, solving a problem, or analyzing a concept. When paired with higher-order questioning (based on Bloom's Taxonomy), it helps students see how strong thinkers approach complex tasks promoting deeper understanding and independent thinking. |
To determine the effectiveness of Think-Alouds with Higher Order Questioning and Focused Note-Taking, we will monitor both quantitative and qualitative data to assess growth in engagement, comprehension, and achievement among targeted subgroups. Evidence will include benchmark and classroom assessment trends, observation notes, and student work reflecting deeper reasoning, organization of ideas, and academic language use. Empathy interviews will capture how Focused Note-Taking helps students process, retain, and apply new learning. Together, these measures will show whether making thinking visible and teaching students how to manage and reflect on their learning leads to improved mastery and equitable access to rigorous instruction. **Academic Performance Data** · **Benchmark Assessments:** Growth in % proficiency and scale scores across ELA and Math, with attention to SWD and MLL subgroups. · **Classroom Assessments:** Improvement in accuracy, complexity, and explanation in written and verbal responses. **Instructional Practice Data** · **Classroom Observations (FFT ):** Increase in observed instances of teachers modeling thinking through Think-Alouds and using higher order questions to scaffold reasoning. · **Lesson Plans and Walkthrough Data:** Evidence of intentional use of Think-Alouds and inclusion of tiered, cognitively demanding tasks. **Student Engagement & Learning Behavior Data** · **Student Work Samples:** Evidence of structured, reflective note-taking that demonstrates synthesis and metacognition. · **Student Surveys/Empathy Interviews:** Improvement in students' ability to articulate learning strategies and describe how Focused Note-Taking supports comprehension. **Overall Outcome Goal** By the end of the school year, we expect to see a 5–10% increase in proficiency for targeted subgroups (SWD, MLL) and measurable improvement in students' ability to explain their thinking and apply skills to novel tasks. |
