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MEASURE OF SUCCESS
School Counseling Program
Virginia Beach Public Schools
Name and Address of School:
Landstown High School
2001 Concert Drive
Virginia Beach, VA 23456

Name of Counselor(s) Leading the Initiative:

Melody Cariello
Jennifer Cholick
Brandon Gardner
Richard Hailey
Allison Haley
Jeanita Lawrence
Kristen Brazier

Principal:
Dr. Cheryl Askew

Enrollment: 2,100

School Demographics:
Caucasian/Non-Hispanic: 37.4%
Hispanic: 11.4%
African-American: 28%
Asian/Pacific Islander: 12.7%
Native American: 0.7%
Free-Reduced Lunch: 32.8%
English as a Second Language: 2%
Exceptional Student Education/Special Education: 9.8%

STEP ONE: MISSION

School Mission:

The mission of Landstown High School, in partnership with family and community, is to
provide a balanced and diverse educational experience, through the integration of
academics, electives, and technology to allow students to discover and develop their full
potential for performance and success.
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STEP TWO: ELEMENTS

Current Critical Data Element(s):
Upon evaluation, the following critical data elements have been identified:

1. There is a decline in the on-time graduation rate from the 2014-2015 to 2015-
2016 school year, resulting in a 2% increase in cohort dropouts.

STEP THREE: ANALYZE

Baseline Data: Goal:

Percentage of on-time graduation and cohort

dropouts: 1. There will be a 2% decrease in dropout
rates among the 2017 cohort.
2014-2015 2015-2016
2. The total on-time graduation rate for
On-time upcoming graduates will meet 90%.
89.7% 88.1%
Graduation
Cohort
4.44% 6.5%
Dropout

STEP FOUR: STAKEHOLDERS-UNITE

Stakeholders Strategies
The School Improvement Team has Beginning date: September 2016
evaluated the academic achievement of our Ending date: June 2017
student population and identified a decline
in the on-time graduation rate and an influx
in dropout rates. In efforts to improve the
number of students graduating with their
class, the School Improvement Team will
implement tutoring and remediation
programs, provide more accountability, and
develop relationships to encourage all
students to receive their high school
diploma.
School Counselors ● Develop relationships with
students
● Inform each student of their
graduation requirements
● Review grades and progress
with students

Graduation Coach
School Improvement Specialist
Administrators
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● Meet targeted students every
3-4 to discuss challenges,
improvements, and action
plans
● Inform repeating freshmen of
alternative education options
● Collaborate/schedule meetings
with stakeholders
● Provide incentives to students
showing progress/
accomplishing goals
● Discuss post-secondary
options, including trade
schools, colleges, and the
workforce
● Provide
personal/emotional/social
support
● Review grades with students
● Identify students who are at-
risk of dropping out or not
graduating with their class
● Track missing/late
assignments
● Collect school, division, and
state-wide data
● Implement remediation
services
● Review test scores
● Inform school staff of areas in
need of improvement
● Identify units of subjects and
assessments that students lack
achievement
 Track attendance and grades
 Collaborate with school
counselors
 Contact parents
 Inform students and parents of
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available support resources

● Develop relationships with
students
● Provide after-school tutoring
Teachers ● Contact parents when student
is falling behind
● Re-teach units students score
poorly in
● Provide extra credit
opportunities
● Review grades with students
● Attend school
● Complete homework
assignments
Students ● Ask for help when they do not
understand the lesson
● Come to class prepared
● Participate in class discussions
● Offered tutoring to peers
● Attend parent-teacher
Parents conferences
● Review interim reports and
report cards
Library Media Specialists ● Provide library space for peer
tutoring and various
remediation services
● Offer loaner laptops for
students who are unable to
complete assignments on a
computer at home
Business Partners ● Donated snacks and school
supplies
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STEP FIVE: REANALYZE, REFLECT, AND REVISE

Reanalyze baseline data:
Percentage of on-time graduation and cohort dropouts:

2014-2015 2015-2016 2016-2017*

Graduation
89.7% 88.1% 90.8%
Rate
Dropout
4.44% 6.5% 5.6%
Rate
*After programs were implemented

Increased accountability and class/tutoring attendance:

 There was a significant improvement in class attendance for the senior class.
 90% of upperclassman established a plan for after graduation (college, trade
school, work, etc.)
 More students sought academic assistance outside of their class time.
 Students gained a deeper understanding of the importance of their education in
life after high school.
 Roughly 1% of at-risk students pursued an alternative education route.

Effective Strategies
 Collaboration of school staff with students and parents held students accountable
for achieving their academic and graduation goals
 Teachers in all subjects offered after-school assistance
 Graduation coach worked directly with at-risk students on a weekly basis
 Counselors, teachers, and graduation coach established relationships with each
student and invested in their overall achievement, increasing personal and
academic motivation

Areas of Improvement
 For the 2017-2018 school year, more seniors will be encouraged to attend SOL
tutoring and remediation.
 The presence of school counselors will increase throughout the school to provide
additional support and collaboration.
 Students will become more involved in extra-curricular activities.

Systemic Changes Made

 Landstown High School will continue to track their student’s
academic progress, provide accountability through establishing
relationships, and offer tutoring services in efforts to increase on-time
graduation and lower the dropout rate for the 2018 cohort.
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STEP SIX: EDUCATE

MEASURE
Virginia Beach Public Schools
School Counseling Program Accountability Report Card
School: Landstown High School
Enrollment: 2,100
Principal: Dr. Cheryl Askew
Counselors: Melody Cariello, Jennifer Cholick, Brandon Gardner, Richard Hailey,
Allison Haley, Jeanita Lawrence, Kristen Brazier
Principal’s Comments: Results:
“A great deal of hard work went into our 2014- 2015- 2016-
successes this year in improving the graduation 2015 2016 2017
rate, and decreasing the dropout rate. The
responsibilities of our stakeholders (school Graduation
89.7% 88.1% 90.8%
counselors, administration, graduation coach, Rate
students, parents, and faculty members) were Cohort
instrumental in achieving this success. Our Dropout 4.44% 6.5% 5.6%
stakeholders made a concerted effort to work Rate
collaboratively for the benefit of our students. *After programs were implemented
As a result, the students and parents felt
supported and encouraged to navigate the Increased accountability and class/tutoring
challenges they faced in achieving on-time attendance:
graduation.”
-Dr. Cheryl Askew  There was a significant improvement in
School Improvement Issues: class attendance for the senior class.
Area addressed from School Improvement  90% of upperclassman established a
Plan: plan for after graduation (college, trade
Increased accountability and school, work, etc.).
 More students sought academic
class/tutoring attendance assistance outside of their class time.
 Students gained a deeper understanding
The mission of Landstown High School, in of the importance of their education in
partnership with family and community, is to life after high school.
provide a balanced and diverse educational  Roughly 15% of at-risk students
experience, through the integration of pursued an alternative education route.
academics, electives, and technology to allow
students to discover and develop their full
potential for performance and success.
Critical Data Element(s):
Upon evaluation, the following critical data elements have been identified:

1. There is a decline in the on-time graduation rate from the 2014-2015 to 2015-2016 school
year, resulting in a 2% increase in cohort dropouts.
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Stakeholders:
School Counselors: Develop relationships with students, inform each student of their graduation
requirements, review grades and progress, meet targeted group of students every 3-4 weeks to
discuss challenges, improvements, and actions plans, inform grade-repeating students of
alternative education options, collaborate/schedule meetings with stakeholders, provide
incentives to students showing progress, discuss post-secondary options, provide
personal/emotional/social support

Graduation Coach: Review grades with students, identify students who are at-risk of dropping
out or not graduating with their class, track missing/late assignments

School Improvement Specialist: Collect school, division, and state-wide data, implement
remediation services, review test scores, inform school staff of areas in need of improvement,
identify units of subjects and assessments students lack achievement

Administrators: Collaborate with school counselors, track attendance and grades, contact
parents, inform students and parents of available support resources

Teachers: Develop relationships with students, provide after-school tutoring/assistance, contact

parents when student is falling behind, re-teach units students score poorly in, provide extra
credit opportunities, review grades with students

Students: Attend school, complete homework assignments, become involved in extra-curricular

activities, come to class prepared, participate in class discussions, ask for help when they do not
understand a lesson

Parents: Attend parent-teacher conferences, review interim reports and report cards

Library Media Specialists: Provide library space for peer tutoring and various remediation
services, offer loaner laptops for students who are unable to complete assignments on a computer
at home

Business Partners: Donated snacks and school supplies

Human Faces Behind the Data

Anecdotal Outcomes:
With the active involvement of the school staff, students feel generally more supported and
encouraged because they have the proper resources to excel. When students knew that a
staff member was consistently tracking their attendance and academic progress, their work
ethic and motivation increased. As a result, students are able to establish short-term and
long-term goals and develop corresponding plan, achieve overall better grades, identify
interests in college majors and careers, and most importantly, believe that they can
conquer the challenges placed before them.