At this year’s Administrators’ Conference, VBCPS Superintendent Dr. Aaron Spence instituted a new award, honoring the instructional leadership at both the elementary and secondary levels.

For elementary schools, Bayside Elementary School Principal Catherine Brumm was selected as the recipient for the inaugural award. At the secondary level, Bayside Middle School Principal Dr. Paula Johnson was the honoree.

Brumm was praised for her focused planning with her staff targeted at raising the quality of instruction by being more responsive to student needs. In school year 2014-15, more than 50 percent of her student body was economically disadvantaged; the school had a 29 percent mobility rate; its special education population was at almost 13 percent — more than 3 percent higher than the division average; and its LEP student population was also 3 percent higher than the division average.

Under her leadership, her students recorded gains in every area on the SOL tests. Significantly, passing rates rose 10.20 percent in reading and 12.30 percent in math. This school increased its pass rate on the DRA, from winter to spring by 19.30 percent and on the end-of-the-year Scholastic Reading Inventory by 17.40 percent.

For secondary schools, Johnson was credited for her positive attitude and determination that her students will succeed, no matter what obstacles they face. At Bayside, 72.3 percent of her student body is economically disadvantaged. The school’s special education population stood at 13.8 percent, almost 3 percent higher than the division average; its gifted population was less than half of the division average and the school’s mobility rate was 29 percent.

Johnson pushed her school forward. Bayside’s SOL pass rate in history rose by more than 17.20 percent; in math by 19.50 percent; and in science by 4.10 percent. In looking at the school’s SRI scores, at year’s end, 82.30 percent of her tested students were reading on grade level as compared to 72.9 percent at the beginning of the year.

In order for the recipients to be selected, the Departments of School Leadership and Planning, Innovation and Accountability developed criteria, which included in-depth examination of data such as SOL pass rates’ staff, student and parent climate survey results; discipline reports; DRA results and end-of-year SRI scores. In addition, observations from learning walks, collaborative planning, PLPs and school improvement discussions, etc., were also included.