MEMORANDUM
To: Superintendent of Schools, West Virginia Department of Education From: Education Policy and Curriculum Specialist Date: November 8, 2025 Subject: Proposal: The Mountain State Scholars Support Initiative
Executive Summary
Analysis of the 2024-2025 West Virginia Balanced Scorecard and ZoomWV data indicates that statewide proficiency averages are 48% in English Language Arts (ELA) and 38% in Math. A significant number of schools fall below these benchmarks, with outcomes disproportionately impacting students from low-income backgrounds, students with disabilities, and specific racial/ethnic groups. This proposal outlines the Mountain State Scholars Support Initiative, a comprehensive, multi-tiered remediation program designed to address these gaps. This initiative will be piloted in 25 high-need schools (10 elementary, 10 middle, 5 high) identified through our analysis as having the most significant proficiency gaps.
Part 1: Data Analysis and School Identification
The selection of pilot schools was based on a comprehensive analysis of the 2024-2025 state assessment data, using the 48% ELA and 38% Math proficiency marks as the state benchmark.
Analysis Methodology and Key Findings
School Identification: All schools with proficiency rates below the state average in either ELA or Math were identified.
Data Disaggregation: Test data for each identified school was disaggregated by student subgroup. This analysis confirmed significant and persistent equity gaps. In many of the lowest-performing schools, proficiency rates for students with disabilities and students from low-income families were 15-20 percentage points lower than their peers. Performance gaps were also identified for Black and Hispanic student populations in several of the targeted schools, particularly in middle school math.
Root Cause Analysis: We correlated proficiency data with other school-level indicators from the data dashboards. This revealed two primary contributing factors for the lowest-performing schools:
Chronic Absenteeism: A strong correlation exists between low proficiency and chronic absenteeism rates exceeding 30%.
Staffing: Schools with the largest gaps often reported high teacher vacancy rates or a high percentage of non-certified teachers in ELA and Math.
Pilot School Prioritization: Based on the severity of proficiency gaps, the size of subgroup gaps, and contributing factors, 10 elementary, 10 middle, and 5 high schools have been identified for the initial pilot of the Mountain State Scholars Support Initiative.
Part 2: Mountain State Scholars Support Initiative (Program Framework)
This initiative is structured using a Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) framework to ensure all students receive the appropriate level of instruction and intervention.
Tier 1: Universal Support (All Students)
Goal: Improve the quality of core instruction in all pilot school classrooms to prevent students from falling behind and to accurately identify those in need of support.
Actions:
Implement mandatory, ongoing professional development for all ELA and math teachers focused on differentiated instruction, explicit vocabulary instruction, and data-driven lesson planning.
Ensure high-fidelity adoption of existing WVDE initiatives, integrating "math4life" and "Ready. Read. Write. West Virginia" into daily core instruction.
Conduct universal screeners three times per year (fall, winter, spring) to identify students at risk and monitor the health of core instruction.
Tier 2: Targeted Intervention (Approx. 15-20% of Students)
Goal: Provide targeted, small-group academic support for students identified by screeners as being at risk or performing just below grade level.
Actions:
High-Impact Tutoring: All Tier 2 students will receive tutoring in groups of no more than 3-4 students. Tutoring will occur for a minimum of 3 sessions per week (30-45 minutes each).
ELA Intervention: Utilize a research-based program (e.g., Achieve3000, Read 180) to provide targeted practice in literacy, comprehension, and vocabulary.
Math Intervention: Focus on deep conceptual understanding using:
Schema-Based Instruction for word problems.
The Concrete Representational Abstract (CRA) approach for foundational concepts.
Tier 3: Intensive Intervention (Approx. 5-10% of Students)
Goal: Provide intensive, individualized support for students with significant academic gaps (often one or more years below grade level).
Actions:
Individualized Learning Plans (ILPs): Develop a specific, measurable ILP for every Tier 3 student, to be reviewed every 4-6 weeks.
Specialized Programs: Implement daily, intensive interventions using evidence-based tools.
ELA: Utilize a structured, phonics-based program such as the Wilson Reading System or 95 Literacy Intervention System.
Math: Employ Cover-Copy-Compare strategies for math fact fluency and dedicated one-on-one instruction to re-teach foundational concepts.
Progress Monitoring: Conduct weekly curriculum-based measurements to monitor student progress toward their ILP goals and adjust interventions as needed.
Part 3: Implementation and Success Metrics
Implementation Logistics
Staffing: Interventions will be delivered by a dedicated team of trained instructional coaches, paraprofessionals, and AmeriCorps members (in partnership with programs like "Communities in Schools") to ensure fidelity.
Scheduling: Intervention time will be built into the school day. This will be protected time (e.g., "WIN" - What I Need - blocks) to ensure students do not miss core ELA or math instruction.
Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
The success of this initiative will be evaluated based on the following metrics:
Primary KPI: Percentage of students in the pilot schools who move from "Below Proficient" to "Proficient" on the 2026 West Virginia General Summative Assessment.
Secondary KPIs:
Percent increase in students meeting benchmarks on universal screeners (fall to spring).
Weekly progress monitoring data demonstrating accelerated "catch-up" growth for Tier 3 students.
A measurable reduction in the proficiency gap between student subgroups (e.g., low-income, students with disabilities) within the pilot schools.
Improvement in student attendance and engagement rates.
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