In the 2023–2024 school year, Charles County focused its efforts on one of its two schools with significant needs as its pilot Innovative Schools. Prior to starting, one of its schools earned a received a two-star rating on the Maryland School Report Card, earning 43.7 out of 100 points and ranking in the 8th percentile among the state’s elementary schools. Behind those numbers was a school community that knew its students deserved more—and was ready to do the work to get there.

That commitment, combined with strategic planning support from Achieving the Promise, set the stage for one of the most significant single-year school turnarounds in Charles County Public Schools.

The Challenge: Data That Demanded Action

When Achieving the Promise’s strategic coaching team first partnered with Ryon Elementary, the data told a stark story. Reading and math assessments revealed that a significant portion of students were performing well below grade level:

• Reading proficiency: Just 7% of students performing at or above grade level
• Math proficiency: Only 5% meeting academic standards
• School rating: 2 stars and bottom 10% statewide performance

But numbers alone don’t capture the full picture. Existing staffing structures were spread thin across the entire school, making it nearly impossible to address student needs at scale. Teachers felt isolated. Administrators were buried in operational demands. Counselors were constantly in reactive crisis mode.

The school community knew something had to change—and the newly installed Principal stood ready to make changes. Leadership has previously defined its plan for success, shifting to a cohort model and redirecting assistant principals from discipline to educational leadership.  However, operationalizing it proved more difficult.  

The Solution: The Cohort Model

Achieving the Promise’s strategic coaching began with what matters most: taking an honest look at the data and asking hard questions about structure, not just effort.

The solution was the Cohort Model—a deliberate reorganization that assigned each grade-level band its own Assistant Principal (AP), Counselor, and LEAD Teacher. Rather than spreading leadership thin across the entire school, every student now had a dedicated team of adults responsible for both academic and social-emotional progress.

Redirecting Assistant Principals from Management to Partnership

Assistant Principals were redirected away from administrative demands and back into classrooms, spending intentional time:

• Building relationships with students
• Delivering specific and timely instructional feedback to teachers
• Serving as the consistent leadership presence each cohort needed to grow

This shift transformed the AP role from one of management to one of genuine instructional partnership, building trust between teachers and administrators.

Shifting Counselors from Reactive to Proactive

Counselors moved from reactive crisis response to proactive, preventive support. They delivered monthly classroom lessons, hosted parent workshops, and streamlined the referral process for teachers seeking help.

In a single school year, the counseling team:

• Conducted 61 safety assessments
• Facilitated 33 restorative circles
• Made 37 mental health referrals

This shift meant that students in emotional distress were being identified and supported earlier, reducing the frequency and severity of crises that had previously pulled both counselors and administrators away from the core work of teaching and learning.

Embedding LEAD Teachers for Daily Support

LEAD Teachers were embedded within grade-level teams, visiting classrooms daily to deliver non-evaluative feedback, model lessons, and co-teach alongside colleagues.

The impact on school culture was immediate:

• Teachers became more collaborative
• Confidence grew as instructional practice improved
• Staff became more willing to take instructional risks
• Staff retention improved alongside instructional quality

The key recommendation from Achieving the Promise: Shift from evaluative oversight to genuine instructional coaching.

Results That Speak for Themselves

The academic gains were substantial:

Reading Achievement

• Performance at or above grade level increased from 7% to 20%
• Students performing significantly below grade level declined markedly
• MCAP data showed meaningful reductions in Beginning Learners and notable increases at Proficient and Distinguished levels

Math Achievement

• Performance at or above grade level rose from 5% to 27%
• A 440% increase in students meeting grade-level standards
• Dramatic reduction in students performing significantly below expectations

Overall School Performance

When Maryland released the 2024–2025 School Report Card:

• Ryon earned three stars, up from two
• Total score rose to 52.2 out of 100
• Percentile rank jumped to 25th, up from 8th the previous year

One year. Strategic restructuring. Measurable, sustainable change.

Looking Ahead: Building for the Long Term

Ryon’s leadership has made it clear that three stars is not the finish line. The goal is to continue building a school where instructional excellence is sustainable—not dependent on extraordinary individual effort, but embedded in the way Ryon operates every day.

Achieving the Promise helped them set the foundation.

This Is What Partnership Looks Like

The Ryon Elementary story demonstrates what’s possible when strategic coaching meets committed execution. It’s not about working harder—it’s about working smarter, with the right structures, the right support, and a partner who understands both the data and the people behind it.

Is your school or district ready for transformation?

Achieving the Promise partners with education systems to provide hands-on support to execute initiatives, align resources, and track progress. We don’t just create plans—we help you build sustainable systems that deliver measurable results.

Contact us today to start your transformation story.

Achieving the Promise | Strategic Planning • Capacity Building • Stakeholder Engagement

Strong ideas are only the beginning. Achieving the Promise works with organizations to design systems, align leadership, and support the sustained work of improvement.