Each school is required to develop an action plan to focus work on key priority areas to support student outcomes and implementation of the APS Strategic Plan. School action plans are developed based on the school leadership team’s comprehensive needs assessment of the school’s performance data that aligns with critical areas of focus defined in the APS Strategic Plan. School action plans explicitly link school improvement efforts to APS’s long-term, division wide plan to realize our mission and vision. School improvement planning is specified in the Virginia Standards of Quality. In addition, Arlington Public Schools supports this planning process as a best practice in promoting continuous improvement in each of its schools.