3. Needs Identification and Root Cause Analysis
3.1 Strengths and Challenges Based on Trends and Patterns
Read the trends and patterns summaries from each section of the data analysis process. Use the information in these summaries to complete 3.2 and 3.3. Using the summaries in 3.1 and other local data, describe the strengths and challenges or answer the guiding questions for each program. Include strengths and challenges related to: a) general program implementation, and b) students and adults involved in or affected by the program. Focus on strengths and challenges that will assist in the identification of needs during 3.2. Watch the Identifying Need webinar for additional information and guidance.
- Strengths and Challenges Based on Trends and Patterns
- IDEA - Special Education
- Title I, Part A - Improving Academic Achievement of Disadvantaged
- Title I, Part A - Foster Care
- Title I, Part A - Parent and Family Engagement
- Title I, Part C - Education of Migratory Children
- Title I, Part A and Title I, Part D - Neglected and Delinquent Children
- Title II, Part A - Supporting Effective Instruction
- Language Instruction for English Learners and Immigrant Students
- Title IX, Part A - McKinney-Vento Education for Homeless Children and Youth
- Title IV, Part A - Student Support and Academic Enrichment
- Title I, Part A - Equitable Access to Effective Educators
- Title V, Part B - Rural Education
Strengths and Challenges Based on Trends and Patterns
|
Coherent Instructional: Summarize the coherent instructional system trends and patterns observed by the team while completing this section of the report. What are the important trends and patterns that will support the identification of student, teacher, and leader needs? |
Overall, Georgia Cyber Academy's (GCA's) performance in coherent instruction is exemplary. Areas of strength continue to be the curriculum coaches and coordinators, who provide constructive feedback and support to teachers, the alignment of our curriculum with state standards, the professional development for new and returning teachers, and the abundance of resources we provide to teachers. Areas identified for improvement include communication, the instructional time lost due to assessments, and teacher autonomy. |
|
Effective Leadership: Summarize the effective leadership trends and patterns observed by the team while completing this section of the report. What are the important trends and patterns that will support the identification of student, teacher, and leader needs? |
Overall, GCA's performance effective leadership is exemplary. GCA's stakeholders view the leadership as supportive, helpful, and encouraging. Stakeholders addressed the following areas for growth: more clear and transparent communication, providing stakeholders a voice in decision-making, and focusing on building relationships between administration and teachers. |
|
Professional Capacity: Summarize the professional capacity trends and patterns observed by the team while completing this section of the report. What are the important trends and patterns that will support the identification of student, teacher, and leader needs? |
Overall, GCA excels in professional capacity. Stakeholders commend us for providing ample opportunities for professional development tailored to staff goals and for staffing professionally qualified teachers. The need for improvement lies in providing individualized professional development opportunities for non-instructional staff and staff in specialized areas of content and various student subgroups. |
|
Family and Community Engagement: Summarize the family and community engagement trends and patterns observed by the team while completing this section of the report. What are the important trends and patterns that will support the identification of student, teacher, and leader needs? |
GCA is performing at an exemplary level in the area of Family and Community Engagement. Stakeholders have identified several strengths, including the relevance and informativeness of the Family-School Partnership Coordinators (FSPC) parent meetings, the increased engagement of LEP-Spanish families due to the addition of Spanish parent meetings, the family-friendly and accessible format of the newsletters, which streamline communications across departments, and the significant role of Family Engagement Liaisons in the success of students and families. Areas of improvement identified by stakeholders include the desire for more peer-to-peer relationship-building opportunities for parents and students, both in person and virtually, and the need to streamline communications, especially for parents with multiple students in various grade bands. |
|
Supportive Learning Environment: Summarize the supportive learning environment trends and patterns observed by the team while completing this section of the report. What are the important trends and patterns that will support the identification of student, teacher, and leader needs? |
GCA is performing at an exemplary level in the area of Supportive Learning Environment. Stakeholders commend the significant support provided by Family Engagement Liaisons in navigating GCA for students and families. Areas identified for improvement include addressing ongoing technical issues with the virtual classroom platform, CLASS, and enhancing student engagement during class. |
|
Demographic and Financial: Summarize the demographic and financial trends and patterns observed by the team while completing this section of the report. What are the important trends and patterns that will support the identification of student, teacher, and leader needs? |
GCA has seen a rise in enrollment over the past year. However, the institution remains committed to enhancing fiscal responsibility by intensifying efforts to streamline and reduce expenditures. To ensure alignment with the needs of students, teachers, and overall success, GCA is meticulously analyzing its spending practices and seeking additional funding sources. |
|
Student Achievement: Summarize the student achievement trends and patterns observed by the team while completing this section of the report. What are the important trends and patterns that will support the identification of student, teacher, and leader needs? |
The data consistently demonstrates that students' grades and test scores at GCA improve over time. The analysis of students attending for varying durations reveals compelling trends: a 7% improvement in ELA and math performance for our 3-year cohort, a 9% increase for our 5-year cohort, and no significant performance change after 7 years. Notably, during the 2023-2024 school year, subgroups such as special education, ESOL, and MKV experienced a 4% rise in pass rates on ELA and math MAP and interim assessments compared to the previous year. However, there was a concerning 7% decline in performance among gifted students. Encouragingly, English Learners demonstrated a notable 15% increase in MAP scores between fall 2023 and spring 2024. Preliminary data suggests a downward trend in milestone scores from 2022-2023 to 2023-2024, consistent with MAP performance and interim assessment scores |
IDEA - Special Education
Using the summaries in 3.1 and other local data, describe the strengths and challenges or answer the guiding questions for each program. Include strengths and challenges related to: a) general program implementation, and b) students and adults involved in or affected by the program. Focus on strengths and challenges that will assist in the identification of needs during 3.3. Watch the Identifying Need webinar for additional information and guidance.
| Strengths | The Special Education (SE) Department at GCA has enhanced practices, developed new processes and procedures to ensure compliance with state and federal guidelines, and increased communication with all stakeholders to promote increased student outcomes for students with disabilities. The collaboration between instruction and compliance within the district level has strengthened and a communication protocol has been implemented which includes both cascading information from SE district leadership to school based personnel, as well as a protocol to streamline cross divisional communication and collaboration. Revisions of the Special Education Handbook, implementation of a comprehensive file reviewing and monitoring system, and improvements to the RDR, enrollment, and transfer IEP processes set the foundation for a successful Cross Functional Monitoring. Targeted technical support and professional development based on feedback from a comprehensive needs assessment has increased the knowledge and skills of special education staff members. Results of formal and informal staff surveys yielded a positive shift in the SE department culture, thus improving the perception of SE among GCA and improving the collaboration between cross divisional teams. Increased active instructional support, to include professional development on Specially Designed Instruction and effective models of co-teaching, has been provided to school level staff, followed by cycles of modeling, coaching, and feedback. The strategic utilization of special education paraprofessionals has provided additional academic support for students with disabilities. Overall, school and district SE staff have been flexible, receptive to feedback, and supportive in the implementation of new processes and best practices to facilitate department improvements. |
| Challenges | There is still a need to streamline communication between the district and grade bands, as well as to clarify roles and responsibilities. IEP teams require additional training on transition plans and the implementation of the math rubric. Contract agencies for related services need an overview of the implementation of services for GCA students. While contract services remain a significant part of the culture, GCA is working to bring more services in-house. The LIFE department is working to better understand cohort reassignment for students with significant cognitive disabilities. The SE department continues to strive to increase parent engagement at parent advisory meetings and IEP meetings. Efforts will continue to streamline IEP meetings and the RDR process to ensure students with disabilities are not over-evaluated. |
Title I, Part A - Improving Academic Achievement of Disadvantaged
| Strengths | Social emotional learning, student support, and building community connections and relationships between students, families, their teachers, and GCA, as a whole, is necessary to continue to make strides in decreasing the achievement gap. Currently, many teachers are providing regular opportunities for students to interact during optional sessions called Lunch Bunch. These sessions are facilitated by staff members from their grade band, and subsequent grade-specific meet-ups, and expanding these sessions as embedded in the culture of GCA will help to ensures a comprehensive engagement strategy across all grade levels that can work to increase student support and achievement. |
| Challenges | There is a need to further create peer-to-peer support initiatives to improve student outcomes and achievement. Implementing peer tutoring and student teacher assistant programs further strengthens student engagement by fostering a supportive learning environment and promoting collaboration within the student community. This holistic approach not only encourages active participation but also cultivates a sense of belonging and academic empowerment among students, contributing significantly to overall school improvement efforts. |
Title I, Part A - Foster Care
| Strengths | GCA staffs a dedicated Transitional Student Liaison who specializes in working with students in foster care and collaborates closely with the Department of Family and Child Services. The school ensures that foster students have access to essential technology equipment, internet connectivity, and a consistent schooling environment, regardless of their relocation within Georgia. These efforts prevent these students from experiencing disruptions in their education when transitioning between foster homes. With a dedicated team providing ongoing support and evaluations, GCA empowers these students to thrive academically despite facing unforeseen challenges. In order to satisfy the requirements outlined in HB 855, the ISS department provides support to all students placed in Foster Care by creating a student Case management collaboration team, screening for educational impact related to trauma within 30 days of enrollment, developing a Plan of Support based on Education Impact Screening through the creation of a Trauma-Informed Education Support (TIES) Plan, and maintaining a Foster Care Student Tracker. |
| Challenges | GCA is actively working to improve our processes for identifying foster students. One of the key challenges is that students can enroll without us being aware of their foster care status. To address this issue, automated notifications in our Student Information System, Infinite Campus, have been implmented. These notifications will alert the Transitional Student Liaison (TSL) when a foster student enrolls, allowing timely support and assistance to be provided. Additionally, enrollment training is being enhanced to ensure that staff are better equipped to identify students in foster care from the outset. |
Title I, Part A - Parent and Family Engagement
| Strengths | The Family School Partnership Coordinators provide valuable and timely information to parents regularly in a language that is understandable. The increase in Spanish-speaking and literate staff members across departments have engaged our Spanish Limited English Proficient families in a way that we've never seen. Parents are grateful for the Parent Meetings in both English and Spanish as they are informative and give the parents a place to connect, ask questions, and provide feedback. Our school website continues to be a valuable information tool for staff, families, and the community. The entire team intentionally collaborates and facilitates sessions to prepare families for success. |
| Challenges |
For parent engagement, support groups, and training requirements, there is a notable issue regarding families' awareness of existing resources. To address this, there is a proposal to make attendance mandatory for all families at Strong Start, Stay Strong, and Parent Meetings. Additionally, efforts will be made to provide comprehensive information about the various in-house resources available. Regarding staff awareness of student issues affecting the Whole Child, it has been observed that there is a lack of awareness among staff. To rectify this, there is a need for more intentional IC training. This would involve providing job-specific training on how to utilize IC features available in the GCA Staff Help Center effectively. Another area of concern is the lack of inter-departmental communication among staff. This lack of communication extends to processes, procedures, student-centered programs, and initiatives. To improve communication and awareness, it is suggested that OneNote or a departmental data storage area be shared between departments. This shared space would provide view-only access, ensuring that all staff are informed and on the same page regarding important matters. |
Title I, Part C - Education of Migratory Children
Title I, Part C - Education of Migratory Children - Describe your LEA's strengths and challenges in meeting the unique educational needs of its migratory students, preschoolers, dropouts, and out-of-school youth. (Responses from an LEA served through the Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College [ABAC] consortium are needed in order to develop consortium services, including those LEAs without currently identified children. If no migrant children have been enrolled for the past three consecutive years, the LEA should state this to explain why strengths and challenges cannot be identified.)
| Strengths | Georgia Cyber Academy (GCA) serves a very limited migrant population. The district ensures that the educational needs of these migrant students are met throughout the school year by assisting with the enrollment process, providing translation services for Spanish-speaking families, and offering resources to meet their needs. The Transitional Student Liaison (TSL) maintains monthly contact with the migrant families, helping them become familiar and comfortable with the virtual school environment and ensuring they know how to navigate the system. The goal is to ensure that migrant students reach challenging academic standards and succeed during their time at GCA. |
| Challenges | The challenge in supporting a very limited migrant population at GCA is identifying these students, as that requires communication and identification by the Georgia Department of Education. Every family complete the Occupational Survey as part of their enrollment process, but after submitting to GaDOE, the results have yielded very little return of students meeting the requirements. |
Title I, Part A and Title I, Part D - Neglected and Delinquent Children
Title II, Part A - Supporting Effective Instruction
If transferring 100% of Title II, Part A, INSERT the following statement in the STRENGTHS/CHALLENGES: “100% transfer of FY25 Title II, Part A funds.”
| Strengths | GCA has a robust offering of professional development, teacher training, and faculty and staff development that currently includes PD tracks, PLC common planning time, stipend department and content chair positions, new hire training program, and all staff professional development created from feedback collected by internal stakeholders. |
| Challenges | There is a need to prioritize educator empowerment through a robust professional development program tailored to teacher needs and expertise. By implementing a teacher-identified approach, educators are empowered to drive their own growth, fostering a collaborative environment that supports continuous improvement. Additionally, the establishment of committees focused on capacity building allows teachers to lead and participate in initiatives that enhance their professional skills, promoting a culture of collaboration and innovation throughout the school community. This proactive strategy not only enhances teacher satisfaction and efficacy but also contributes significantly to overall school improvement efforts. |
Language Instruction for English Learners and Immigrant Students
Describe your LEA's strengths & challenges in educating English Learner & Immigrant students based on trends and patterns in EL subgroup achievement and progress towards English proficiency.
- If the LEA does not receive Title III, Part A funds, describe the strengths and challenges of serving English learners in the LEA through state and local resources (the state funded ESOL Language Program).
- If the LEA receives Title III, Part A funds, describe the strengths and challenges of both the ESOL and Title III, Part A language instruction educational programs.
| Strengths | The ESOL department at GCA continues to remain committed to supporting students with a dedicated staff. The ESOL teachers go above and beyond to provide resources and advocate for the students' needs. This year, teachers taught scheduled ESOL classes for grades K-8, and an increase in participation in content classes was evident. Additionally, GCA utilizes Google Read & Write, offering students read-aloud accommodations and access to universal tools, including word-to-word translations. Access to ELA novels was ensured, and higher engagement levels and subsequent ELA pass rates were observed in classrooms where these resources were effectively utilized. Furthermore, GCA's teachers underwent training on the new WIDA standards as part of the district's roll-out plan. They were taught resources and strategies for implementing these standards into their classes. Ellevation remains an invaluable resource for the district, serving as a centralized platform for housing data and documents related to the English learners (ELs). There has been a continued influx of ESOL newcomers this year; a newcomer class was started, as well as supports for the teachers of newcomers. |
| Challenges | GCA has experienced a significant increase in its EL population in middle and secondary grade bands this year. The school is continuing to shift the way it serves students to increase language development while also keeping class sizes within state guidelines. The addition of block scheduling in the secondary grade band is expected to alleviate some of the strain. There is also an adjustment in the grade bands that teachers serve to support the change in the student population. Lastly, all content teachers of ELs are expected to implement the WIDA standards in their instruction. These teachers still need the necessary resources and support from their administrators to effectively integrate the WIDA standards with fidelity and ease. |
Title IX, Part A - McKinney-Vento Education for Homeless Children and Youth
| Strengths | The Transitional Student Liaisons (TSLs) remain invaluable assets at GCA, collaborating across departments to support our displaced, foster, migrant, and unaccompanied youth. Through the MKV Grant, we have provided essential supplies and services to these students. Our program has grown significantly, and our families benefit from our monthly resource newsletter, which outlines community resources and important updates from GCA. Community partnerships have played a crucial role in meeting the needs of our displaced students. Thanks to funding from the Georgia Department of Education, we can offer our students access to credit recovery, tutoring services, and mental health coaching at no charge. Additionally, due to our increased population, we have been able to hire an additional TSL to support the population. |
| Challenges | One of our key challenges lies in the nature of our traditional population, which often results in inconsistencies in education and lower levels of learning. Many students struggle academically, creating gaps in their education. We are actively working to provide supports and interventions to help eliminate these gaps and ensure that all students have the opportunity to succeed. |
Title IV, Part A - Student Support and Academic Enrichment
If transferring 100% of Title IV, Part A, INSERT the following statement in the STRENGTHS/CHALLENGES: “100% transfer of FY25 Title IV, Part A funds.”
| Strengths | Georgia Cyber Academy has enhanced student support services using various funding sources. This includes 24/7 tutoring services, additional online curriculum supports for synchronous and asynchronous learning, and innovative tools like NearPod for improved virtual classroom interactions. Furthermore, the implementation of SORA has provided students with access to a wide range of reading materials, benefiting both pleasure reading and academic studies. Additionally, math and phonics manipulatives have proven valuable in helping students grasp complex concepts beyond digital platforms. These initiatives collectively contribute to a more enriched and effective learning experience for all students. |
| Challenges | The school improvement plan addresses critical literacy and numeracy deficits impacting student achievement by implementing strategic initiatives. A focused literacy and numeracy newsletter and resource center will empower parents to support their students effectively, fostering a stronger home-school partnership. Furthermore, the integration of SORA and manipulative kits into scope and sequence documents ensures alignment with Georgia standards, enhancing instructional coherence and reinforcing key concepts for students. This comprehensive approach not only targets essential academic areas but also promotes collaboration between educators, families, and students, ultimately leading to improved student achievement and success. |
Title I, Part A - Equitable Access to Effective Educators
| Strengths | The New Hire Process continues to cover all district-wide platforms and GCA operational procedures. First-semester new hires had the opportunity for a week-long shadowing experience, including reflection and observation discussions that followed. New teachers continue to have multiple supports in place. An Instructional Mentor was added as a support this year and has proven to be a huge benefit to new hires. The training and development team, New Hire Professional Development Track, and individual mentor continue to be assets to the process as well. |
| Challenges | Timing continues to be a challenge for ongoing new hire onboarding. During the second semester, we implemented a one week onboarding process, in an effort to get new teachers in classrooms faster. However, feedback showed this was not as effective and gaps were evident in training. |
Title V, Part B - Rural Education
3.2 Identification and Prioritization of Overarching Needs
Use the results of 3.1 to identify the overarching needs of the LEA. Determine the priority order of the identified needs based on data, team member and stakeholder knowledge, and answers to questions in the table below. Be sure to address the major program challenges identified in 3.1. Watch the Identifying Need webinar for additional information and guidance.
3.3 Root Cause Analysis
Select the top 2-4 overarching needs from 3.2. Conduct a separate root cause analysis (RCA) for each need. Any RCA tools and resources can be used, but suggestions are available as part of the Identifying Need webinar. After describing the RCA process, complete a table for each selected overarching need.
- Overarching Need - Improve student achievement in all content areas, across all grade levels, and all subgroups.
- Overarching Need - Increase the graduation rates.
Overarching Need - Improve student achievement in all content areas, across all grade levels, and all subgroups.
Root Cause # 1
| Root Causes to be Addressed | The student retention rate at GCA (students remaining enrolled for consecutive years) directly impacts student performance, as higher rates of student turnover disrupt continuity in learning, leading to gaps in knowledge, reduced engagement, and decreased academic progress. |
| This is a root cause and not a contributing cause or symptom. | Yes |
| This is something we can affect | Yes |
| Impacted Programs |
IDEA - Special Education, School and District Effectiveness, Title I - Part A - Improving Academic Achievement of Disadvantaged Title I, Part A - Foster Care Program Title I, Part A - Parent and Family Engagement Program Title I, Part C - Education of Migratory Children Title III - Language Instruction for English Learners and Immigrant Students Title IX, Part A - McKinney-Vento Education for Homeless Children and Youth Program |
| Additional Responses | Consistent enrollment over consecutive years at GCA correlates with higher academic performance compared to students enrolling for only a single year. This is attributed to the cumulative effect of continued learning, familiarity with the school's curriculum and environment, established relationships with teachers and peers, and the ability to build upon previously acquired knowledge and skills, all of which contribute to greater academic success. |
Root Cause # 2
| Root Causes to be Addressed | The lack of evidence-based instructional strategies to differentiate instruction for subgroup populations correlates with lower student achievement. |
| This is a root cause and not a contributing cause or symptom. | Yes |
| This is something we can affect | Yes |
| Impacted Programs | IDEA - Special Education, School and District Effectiveness, Title I - Part A - Improving Academic Achievement of Disadvantaged Title I, Part A - Foster Care Program Title I, Part A - Parent and Family Engagement Program Title I, Part C - Education of Migratory Children Title III - Language Instruction for English Learners and Immigrant Students Title IX, Part A - McKinney-Vento Education for Homeless Children and Youth Program |
| Additional Responses | N/A |
Overarching Need - Increase the graduation rates.
Root Cause # 1
| Root Causes to be Addressed | Teachers are teaching on-level standards which can be difficult to support students entering GCA with significant deficits. |
| This is a root cause and not a contributing cause or symptom. | Yes |
| This is something we can affect | Yes |
| Impacted Programs | IDEA - Special Education, School and District Effectiveness, Title I - Part A - Improving Academic Achievement of Disadvantaged Title I, Part A - Foster Care Program Title I, Part A - Parent and Family Engagement Program Title I, Part C - Education of Migratory Children Title III - Language Instruction for English Learners and Immigrant Students Title IX, Part A - McKinney-Vento Education for Homeless Children and Youth Program |
| Additional Responses | Proper/additional support in place for freshmen students' transition to SGB with a focus on Algebra and 9th Grade ELA |