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Every successful school year starts with a plan—and for many principals, that means developing a thoughtful and intentional School Growth Plan (SGP), also known as a School Improvement Plan (SIP).
These two terms are often used interchangeably, and while terminology may vary from district to district, the goal remains the same: to create a focused, strategic roadmap that drives meaningful and measurable growth in student achievement and school culture.
A school growth plan identifies key challenges, sets measurable goals, and defines the specific steps needed to move forward. It’s an adaptable guide that brings a school’s mission and vision to life through targeted action and collaborative effort.
A well-crafted school growth plan aligns closely with district-wide priorities, ensuring that school-level initiatives contribute to larger goals for educational equity, academic performance, and whole-child development. This alignment helps school leaders maintain focus, leverage district resources, and foster a shared sense of purpose.
So, since school growth plans are so important, what should principals include in them? We’re going to cover the essentials.
Developing a school growth plan begins with understanding its key components. A well-structured plan addresses current challenges AND sets a pathway for long-term success. The following components work together to ensure your plan is both effective and actionable.
Your school’s vision statement describes what you collectively aspire to accomplish. Based on your school’s core values and long-term ambitions, the vision provides direction for everyone involved, including staff, students, families, and the community.
A Comprehensive Needs Assessment, or CNA, uses both quantitative data (like test scores, attendance records, and number of behavior incidents) and qualitative insights (such as staff surveys or student focus groups) to identify areas for improvement.
Using the SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound) Goals framework allows you to create clear objectives linked to your areas for improvement. These goals serve as benchmarks for progress and accountability.
Each goal in your school growth plan should be supported by a sequence of intentional actions. These include instructional strategies, program initiatives, or professional development that address weak areas and drive change.
Teachers, staff, families, students, and district leaders all bring unique perspectives. Collaborating not only strengthens the plan’s relevance but also builds buy-in and shared responsibility for success.
A school growth plan is intended to evolve. Schools that embrace a continuous improvement mindset see more sustainable outcomes. Adaptability is key. As new data emerges or conditions change, revisiting and refining your school growth plan ensures that it remains relevant, effective, and student-centered.
While every school situation is unique, school growth plans developed in federally designated schools must adhere to specific guidelines, particularly those in need of intensive support. These mandates are designed to ensure accountability, equity, and consistent progress for all students, especially those in underperforming schools.
Understanding these federal requirements is essential for principals leading improvement efforts in Comprehensive Support and Improvement (CSI) schools. State-by-state variations can also influence the planning process.
Passed in 2015, the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) requires all states to establish systems for identifying schools that need additional support. States use performance data to identify the lowest-performing 5% of Title I schools, along with high schools with graduation rates below 67%, for Comprehensive Support and Improvement (CSI).
Once designated, these schools must develop and implement a school growth plan (or SIP) that targets achievement gaps and outlines evidence-based strategies for recovery.
A CSI school is one that has been identified as needing the most intensive level of support due to chronic underperformance. To exit CSI status, schools must meet several federal mandates:
A 2024 report by the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) revealed significant variability in how CSI schools adhere to federal improvement plan requirements. While some schools created detailed, actionable plans, others lacked measurable goals or clear strategies for change.
Key findings included:
These findings underscore the importance of both strong school growth planning and rigorous oversight.
While ESSA sets national guidelines, states have the flexibility to design their own accountability systems within that framework. This means that the requirements for a school growth plan can look different from one state to another.
Here are a few examples:
State-level strategies reflect local accountability structures and offer targeted support for schools working to improve outcomes for students. The following examples highlight how four states approach the planning and implementation process.
In California, schools identified for improvement often integrate their CSI planning into existing documents like the Single Plan for Student Achievement (SPSA) or the Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP).
The SPSA is developed by individual schools and outlines strategies for improving academic performance. The LCAP is a broader district-level plan that aligns resources with state priorities for student success.
Overall, California emphasizes data analysis, equity, and the use of evidence-based practices. Schools in this state are encouraged to analyze subgroup performance, address opportunity gaps, and implement strategies backed by research to ensure sustainable improvement.
In Texas, schools identified for improvement are required to develop a Local Improvement Plan (LIP) to address specific areas of underperformance. These plans must align with the state’s Effective Schools Framework (ESF), which outlines foundational practices for high-performing campuses.
The LIP process is highly data-driven and requires significant stakeholder engagement, including input from campus leadership teams, parents, and community members. Additionally, progress monitoring is built into the planning cycle to ensure transparency and accountability.
Washington State mandates the creation of a School Improvement Plan (SIP) for all public schools, regardless of federal designation. These plans must align with the Washington School Improvement Framework (WSIF), which assesses schools based on a combination of academic, attendance, and student growth metrics.
Washington’s SIP requirements emphasize continuous improvement, with a focus on closing achievement gaps, supporting whole-child development, and promoting culturally responsive practices.
New York structures its school improvement efforts through two primary plans:
In New York City, schools also use the NYC School Quality Rubric, which offers a lens for evaluating progress in areas such as rigorous instruction, collaborative teaching, and strong family-community ties. These tools help ensure each school growth plan is grounded in local context and aligned with broader improvement goals.
These state-level approaches show that while the structure of a school growth plan may vary, the underlying principles—data-informed decisions, stakeholder collaboration, and equity-focused strategies—remain consistent. This diversity offers principals powerful models to draw from as they tailor their own plans to meet the needs of their students and communities.
Related Reading: Innovative School Improvement Ideas for 2025
Reliable, meaningful data is a big part of your school growth plan. It shapes your goals and action plans. Data also helps you effectively diagnose challenges, track progress, and illustrate accomplishments. What data specifically should you consider for your plan? Here are some of the types typically gathered in the planning process.
Academic achievement is often the centerpiece of a school growth plan. Standardized test results—including National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) scores in reading and math—offer insights into how students are performing against national benchmarks. Subgroup analysis (e.g., by race, socioeconomic status, or special education status) is critical for identifying achievement gaps and targeting support where it’s needed most.
Graduation rates reflect both student and school system success. High or improving rates can build community trust, while persistently low rates may raise concerns about equity and instruction quality. As part of their growth planning, schools often set specific targets for increasing graduation percentages and closing gaps among student groups.
Consistent attendance is a strong predictor of academic success and a key area of focus in many school growth plans. In 2024, schools that implemented advanced analytics to monitor attendance trends reported improvements in both student outcomes and family engagement.
It’s important to track seasonal attendance patterns and examine subgroup trends, such as differences by grade level, socioeconomic status, or other demographics. These insights help leaders design interventions that improve attendance and reengage at-risk students.
Academic outcomes are deeply connected to students’ experiences at school. Surveys that measure student perceptions of safety, relationships, and engagement offer valuable information for shaping culture-focused goals. Consider examining:
Tracking changes in school climate over time helps ensure that every school growth plan addresses the whole child—not just academic scores.
Progress data for English Language Learners (ELLs) is crucial for promoting equity. Schools often monitor standardized test performance for ELLs, compare it to local and state averages, and evaluate whether students are meeting language development benchmarks.
Effective plans also identify which students are eligible for support services and group students by proficiency levels to tailor instruction appropriately.
Every school has unique contexts, and additional data points can provide a fuller picture of school performance. These may include:
These supplemental indicators can help schools refine their goals and ensure the school growth plan is tailored to their distinct needs.
Related Reading: How to Create an Elementary School Improvement Plan
We know that writing and executing a successful school growth plan is a demanding endeavor. It requires meticulous data analysis, strategic planning, and unwavering commitment. In the midst of these, finding solutions that genuinely resonate with students and educators can be challenging.
Math & Movement can be a resource that not only aligns with your school growth plan’s objectives but also transforms learning into an engaging, kinesthetic experience. Our whole school kits offer a new approach to boosting student achievement and directly support your students’ diverse needs.
These multi-sensory learning materials—including heavy-duty floor mats—make learning active and enjoyable for every grade level, particularly in math and literacy. Our supplemental program offers practical, ready-to-implement strategies that can be easily integrated into your existing curriculum.
By incorporating Math & Movement, you’re not just implementing a strategy, you’re building a positive, inclusive learning environment where every student can thrive. Your students will experience joyful, active learning that creates a lasting positive impact on their academic journey.
Explore how Math & Movement can be a part of your school growth plan.
Suzy Koontz, CEO and Founder of Math & Movement, has spent over 25 years helping students achieve academic success. She has created over 200 kinesthetic teaching tools adopted by schools nationwide and has authored over 20 books. As a sought-after national presenter, Suzy shares how movement can transform the way students learn.
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