Public Schools of North Carolina
LEA Application 1003(g)
Local Education Agency Application for 1003(g) Funding
School Improvement Grant (SIG) Funds
Priority Schools
LEA
Durham Public Schools
LEA Code
LEA Contact
Dr. Stacey Wilson-Norman
Contact Person’s Title
Area Superintendent for Elementary Schools
Contact Person’s Telephone Number
320
919-560-3730
Purpose of the Program
School Improvement Grants (SIG), authorized under section 1003(g) of Title I of the Elementary and Secondary
Education Act of 1965 (Title I or ESEA), are grants to State educational agencies (SEAs) that SEAs use to make
competitive subgrants to local educational agencies (LEAs) that demonstrate the greatest need for the funds and the
strongest commitment to use the funds to provide adequate resources in order to raise substantially the achievement of
students in their lowest-performing schools. Under the final requirements published in the Federal Register on
October 28, 2010 (http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2010-10-28/pdf/2010-27313.pdf), school improvement funds are
to be focused on each State’s “Priority” or “Tier I” and “Tier II” schools. Tier I schools are the lowest-achieving five
percent of a State’s Title I schools in improvement, corrective action, or restructuring, Title I secondary schools in
improvement, corrective action, or restructuring with graduation rates below 60 percent over a number of years, and,
if a State so chooses, certain Title I eligible (and participating) elementary schools that are as low achieving as the
State’s other Tier I schools (“newly eligible” Tier I schools). Tier II schools are the lowest-achieving five percent of a
State’s secondary schools that are eligible for, but do not receive, Title I, Part A funds, secondary schools that are
eligible for, but do not receive, Title I, Part A funds with graduation rates below 60 percent over a number of years,
and, if a State so chooses, certain additional Title I eligible (participating and non-participating) secondary schools
that are as low achieving as the State’s other Tier II schools or that have had a graduation rate below 60 percent over
a number of years (“newly eligible” Tier II schools). An LEA also may use school improvement funds in Tier III
schools, which are Title I schools in improvement, corrective action, or restructuring that are not identified as Tier I or
Tier II schools and, if a State so chooses, certain additional Title I eligible (participating and non-participating)
schools (“newly eligible” Tier III schools). (See Appendix B for a chart summarizing the schools included in each
tier.) In the Priority or Tier I and Tier II schools an LEA chooses to serve, the LEA must implement one of four school
intervention models: turnaround model, restart model, school closure, or transformation model.
ESEA Flexibility
States that have received approval of their ESEA flexibility request will not be required to maintain a separate list of
Tier I and Tier II schools. Under this flexibility, an LEA is eligible to apply for SIG funds to implement one of the four
school intervention models defined in the SIG final requirements in a priority school even if that school is not in
improvement and thus the LEA would not otherwise be eligible to receive SIG funds for the school. An SEA approved
to implement this flexibility may award SIG funds above the amount needed for SIG continuation awards to an LEA
with Priority schools according to the rules that apply to Tier I and Tier II schools under the SIG final requirements.
Applications are due April 19, 2013. Please email an electronic pdf of this completed application to:
George Hancock, SIG Coordinator
Email: George.hancock@dpi.nc.gov
Public Schools of North Carolina
LEA Application 1003(g)
ASSURANCES
The LEA assures that it will:
1. Use its School Improvement Grant to implement fully and effectively an intervention in each
Priority School that the LEA commits to serve consistent with the final requirements;
2. Establish annual goals for student achievement on the State’s assessments in both
reading/language arts and mathematics and measure progress on the leading indicators in
section III of the final requirements in order to monitor each Priority School that it serves
with school improvement funds;
3. If it implements a restart model in a Priority School, include in its contract or agreement
terms and provisions to hold the charter operator, charter management organization, or
education management organization accountable for complying with the final requirements;
and
4. Report to the SEA the school-level data required under section III of the final requirements.
The following metrics constitute the leading indicators for the SIG program:









Number of minutes within the school year;
Student participation rate on State assessments in reading/language arts and in
mathematics, by student subgroup;
Dropout rate;
Student attendance rate;
Number and percentage of students completing advanced coursework (e.g.,
AP/IB), early-college high schools, or dual enrollment classes;
Discipline incidents;
Truants;
Distribution of teachers by performance level on an LEA’s teacher evaluation
system; and
Teacher attendance rate.
I HEREBY CERTIFY that to the best of my knowledge, the information contained in this
application is correct; the agency named above has authorized me as its representative to file this
application.
Dr. Eric Becoats
Name of Superintendent
For State Use Only
Date Approved: _______________________________________
Approved by:
________________________________________
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Public Schools of North Carolina
LEA Application 1003(g)
SECTION A: Schools to be Served
An LEA must identify each Priority School the LEA commits to serve and identify the model that
the LEA will use in each Priority School. An LEA must sufficiently describe the comprehensive
needs assessment conducted for each school it commits to serve.
Priority Interventions
SCHOOL
NAME
Chewning Middle School/The School for
Creative Studies
NCES ID
#
320314
INTERVENTION MODEL
TA
RS
CL
TF
X
TOTALS
KEY: TA – Turnaround
RS – Restart
CL – Closure
TF – Transformation
Note: An LEA that has nine or more Priority Schools may not implement the transformation model in more than 50 percent of
those schools.
SECTION B: Lack of Capacity
If the LEA is not applying to serve each Priority School, the LEA must explain why it lacks
capacity to serve each Priority School.
X NA
SECTION C: Descriptive Information
*Required information must be provided for each Priority School to be served with School
Improvement Grant Funds.
SCHOOL: Chewning Middle School/The School for Creative Studies
Needs Assessment Description
Needs of the school, students, and community for each school to be served with sufficient information
for conducting the needs assessment*
Chewning Middle School opened in 1974 on a large 55 acre campus in eastern Durham
County. The school building is over 100,000 square feet and can serve more than 700 students.
Prior to the 2011-2012 school year, Chewning operated as one of the two year round middle
schools in Durham Public Schools (DPS). Parents who preferred their children to learn on the year
round calendar could apply to Chewning Middle School through the Durham Public Schools’
lottery. Due to Chewning’s sustained low achievement (Tables 1-3), the popularity of Chewning as
a year round magnet option had decreased by almost 200 students over the past ten years. For the
2011-2012 school year, Chewning served 572 students, the majority of whom came from
Chewning’s attendance zone. To better align with the needs of the district and the school, in 20122013 Chewning was converted to a traditional calendar and no longer accepted magnet
applications.
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Public Schools of North Carolina
LEA Application 1003(g)
Chewning has experienced several changes in the past five years. Excluding interim
principals, the Chewning site has had five principals in the past five years. This turnover in
administration, along with a high rate of teacher turnover (peaking at 37% in 2010-2011) has led to
a lack of strategic and instructional leadership within the school building and sustained low student
achievement.
Chewning was identified as a Title I school in the 2009-2010 school year. While the school
never entered Title I School Improvement due to the Elementary and Secondary Education Act
(ESEA) flexibility waiver, Chewning became a Priority School beginning in the 2012-2013 school
year. Chewning was identified as a Priority School under provision one: A school among the
lowest five percent of Title I schools in the state based on the achievement of the “all students”
subgroup in terms of proficiency and has demonstrated a lack of progress on those assessments
over a number of years in the “all students” subgroup.
In the spring of 2011, the Superintendent expressed a desire for the district to expand its
magnet options to better meet the needs of the community. Several community forums were held to
allow parents to express their ideas and a survey was administered throughout Durham County. As
a result of that survey, a magnet plan was developed and presented to the Durham Public Schools’
Board of Education in the fall of 2011. In the current plan, Chewning has a modified student
population for the 2012-2013 school year and only serves eighth grade students. The school would
reopen in July of 2013-2014 as The School for Creative Studies. The plan was accepted by the
Superintendent and the Board of Education.
In 2012, Chewning participated in a Cambridge Audit conducted in collaboration with the
North Carolina Department of Public Instruction. Findings from this audit focused on what
Chewning needs to improve. Specific feedback included improving the quality of teaching and
learning by: (1) ensuring teachers plan lessons that meet the differentiated needs of all students; (2)
implementing a consistent and coherent literacy program across the curriculum; (3) raising
teachers’ expectations of what students are capable of achieving so lessons have sufficient pace,
rigor, and challenge: and (4) improving student behavior by effectively engaging all students in the
learning process. Concern was also expressed that Chewning fails to utilize data to influence
instructional decisions.
Walkthroughs completed during the instructional day at Chewning provide a
comprehensive picture to explain continuous low student proficiency and academic performance.
Ineffective teaching practices continue in all grades and subject areas. Limited differentiation
exists, leading to students of varying ability levels engaging in the same level of work regardless of
whether it is too easy or too hard. Additional opportunities for acceleration and/or intervention do
not exist during the instructional day. The majority of teachers’ instruction and activities operate on
basic levels and do not address the higher levels of Bloom’s taxonomy to engage students in higher
level thinking skills. Students are not provided with examples of high level work or rubrics to
support high expectations for student achievement. While all teachers are required to participate in
PLCs, it is rarely evident that collaborative planning is occurring across grade levels or within
content areas. The majority of instruction is whole group for the entire instructional block leading
to low student engagement. Due to pervasive levels of poor instruction and low expectations,
students fail to meet grade level standards or to demonstrate growth in their content area.
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Public Schools of North Carolina
LEA Application 1003(g)
Analysis of multiple measures of data including student achievement data, process data, perception
data, and demographic data*
For the 2012-2013 school year, Chewning served 176 eighth grade students. The student
population for Chewning is 57% African American, 31% Hispanic, 9% white, and 4% other. Free
and reduced price meal data (Figure 1) indicates that Chewning’s percentage of students from low
socioeconomic families has consistently remained above the Durham Public Schools’ average.
Data from the Child Nutrition Department indicate that compared to other middle schools in DPS,
Chewning has the highest percentage of students who qualify for free or reduced price meals.
Socioeconomic Data for Chewning and Durham Public Schools
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Chewning
Durham
Public
Schools
Figure 1. Percentage of students qualifying for free or reduced price meals.
Student achievement data (Tables 1-3) details student proficiency percentages on the
reading, math, and science End of Grade (EOG) for the previous four years.
Table 1
Reading EOG Proficiency Data from 2008-2012
2011-2012
2010-2011
Chewning
40.8%
39.2%
DPS
58.5%
55.8%
North Carolina
71.2%
70.7%
2009-2010
38.3%
55.0%
70.1%
2008-2009
33.3%
52.9%
67.6%
Table 2
Math EOG Proficiency Data from 2008-2012
2011-2012
2010-2011
Chewning
60.0%
54.3%
DPS
74.4%
70.4%
North Carolina
82.8%
82.4%
2009-2010
47.4%
68.6%
81.8%
2008-2009
46.0%
66.3%
80.0%
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Public Schools of North Carolina
LEA Application 1003(g)
Table 3
Science EOG Proficiency Data from 2008-2012
2011-2012
2010-2011
Chewning
64.3%
41.2%
DPS
66.4%
60.0%
North Carolina
77.3%
74.9%
2009-2010
38.7%
59.2%
72.8%
2008-2009
33.5%
54.5%
67.6%
While both reading and math data have shown progressive proficiency increases,
Chewning’s percentage of students who score as proficient on the End of Grade exams remains
below the district and state averages. Chewning has shown significant improvement in science
which has been partially attributed to the hiring of a highly effective eighth grade science teacher in
2011-2012. To better identify why Chewning’s students struggle to achieve proficiency in reading
and math, the team reviewed disaggregated reading and math EOG data by subgroup (Tables 4 and
5).
Table 4
Reading Proficiency for 2011-2012 Disaggregated by Subgroup
36.6%
Limited
English
Proficient
22.4%
Students
with
Disabilities
14.1%
83.2%
61.4%
42.4%
44.5%
Not
Met
Not Met
Not Met
Not Met
All
Students
Black
Hispanic
White
Economically
Disadvantaged
Chewning
North
Carolina
Target
41.0%
33.5%
43.9%
67.4%
73.0%
57.8%
61.1%
AMO Met
Not Met
Not
Met
Not Met
Table 5
Math Proficiency for 2011-2012 Disaggregated by Subgroup
Chewning
North
Carolina
Target
AMO Met
Limited
Students
English
with
Proficient Disabilities
53.1%
33.7%
All
Students
Black
Hispanic
White
Economically
Disadvantaged
61.7%
55.8%
68.3%
76.7%
59.1%
83.7%
71.4%
80.2%
90.4%
76.2%
71.1%
59.9%
Met with
Safe
Harbor
Not
Met
Met with
Safe
Harbor
Not
Met
Met with Safe
Harbor
Met with
Safe Harbor
Not Met
Disaggregated data for reading shows a significant achievement gap, over 60 percentage
points, between the highest performing subgroup (white students) and the lowest achieving
subgroup (students with disabilities). Additionally, none of the subgroups met the Annual
Measurable Objectives (AMOs) in reading, indicating students’ overall low performance on sixth
through eighth grade reading skills and comprehension. Data for math shows similar trends, with a
slightly smaller achievement gap of approximately 40 percentage points. While some AMOs were
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Public Schools of North Carolina
LEA Application 1003(g)
met through safe harbor, no subgroup met the North Carolina target proficiency levels.
Table 6 details four year data for Chewning Middle School around the school’s ABC
designation, composite student proficiency performance, and if annual growth was achieved for the
school site.
Table 6
Four Year Trend Data for Growth and Adequate Yearly Progress and Annual Measurable
Objectives Data for Chewning Middle School
Year
20112012
20102011
20092010
20082009
Performance
Designation
Targets Met
19 of 29
22 of 27
18 of 27
16 of 27
Priority
School
Low
Performance
Low
Performance
Low
Performance
Performance
50% to 60% of students at
grade level or <50% of
students at grade level
<50% of students at grade
level
<50% of students at grade
level
<50% of students at grade
level
Growth
Was
AYP/AMO
met?
Yes
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
With a large number of subgroups due to the diverse school population, Chewning has
failed to make AYP or meet AMOs for the previous ten years. With the exception of the 2011-2012
school year, the school has not made annual growth since the No Child Left Behind Act was passed
in 2001. These data points from state achievement data highlight a culture of poor student
achievement. Not only are students failing to meet state proficiency standards, they are also not
meeting minimum growth expectations as outlined by the state indicating students are falling
farther and farther behind in academic areas.
School-based data shows similar concerns regarding students’ overall academic
performance level. A common formative assessment was administered in in the fall of 2012 to
determine students’ Lexile level and to drive instruction, enrichment, and remediation during the
2012-2103 school year. Figure 2 details the data results identifying students’ Lexile level.
7
Public Schools of North Carolina
LEA Application 1003(g)
Student Lexile Levels
Below Basic
Basic
Proficient
Advanced
Figure 2. Chewning student Lexile levels.
Students’ Lexile measures from the fall of 2012 triangulate with growth data and summative
data to identify the low reading level of Chewning’s students. Approximately 17% of Chewning’s
students are reading at a below basic level of BR to 587. While Lexile scores do not correlate
directly with grade level bands, this is approximately a kindergarten through a third grade level.
Almost 41% of Chewning’s students are reading at a basic level of 622-894 or fourth grade to sixth
grade level. About 26% of students are reading at a proficient level of 900-1147 or seventh grade to
ninth grade level while approximately 17% are reading at an advanced level of 1155-1454 or a
ninth grade level to a college level. When the percentage of students reading at a proficient and
advanced level is combined, the total is 42%, which is almost identical to Chewning’s overall
reading proficiency on the reading EOG for 2011-2012. By utilizing multiple data points,
Chewning can identify that almost 60% of their students are not meeting reading proficiency
standards on any reading assessment.
Common formative assessment data in math shows similar trends as the reading data. At
the start of the 2012-2013 school year, each student was assessed on their knowledge of math
standards for sixth, seventh, and eighth grade as identified in the Common Core State Standards.
Table 7 indicates students’ proficiency level for each grade level’s math standards.
Table 7
Math Skill Proficiency Level by Grade
Grade Level Skill
6 Grade Math Skills
7th Grade Math Skills
8th Grade Math Skills
th
Mastery Level
43.7%
36.2%
37.8%
Math data for Chewning shows that less than 50% of students have mastered grade level
standards for 6th, 7th, or 8th grade. It is interesting to note that while students had not yet been taught
eighth grade material in math, they showed a similar proficiency level to 6th and 7th grades. All
figures are significantly below the EOG math proficiency score for 2011-2012 of 60.0%; this may
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Public Schools of North Carolina
LEA Application 1003(g)
indicate students were guessing on responses. Disaggregated data shows ranges of student scores
from 0% to 100% for each standard and discrepancies in individual student scores across standards.
This indicates a wide variety in the student ability level within and across standards ensuring the
need for targeted, differentiation instruction and intervention.
Chewning’s percentage of students who qualify as Limited English Proficient (LEP) and
receive English as a Second Language (ESL) services is approximately 19% of the student
population. This percentage is higher than other middle schools in DPS with similar demographics
and school size. This is partially due to Chewning’s low exit rate from the ESL program, which
was less than 5% for the 2011-2012 school year. Chewning’s LEP population had a composite
performance on the EOG of 17.0% in 2011-2012. This figure is similar to other DPS middle
schools of similar size and demographics. Approximately 17% of Chewning’s student population
qualifies for Exceptional Children’s services. While this percentage is consistent with other middle
schools, Chewning had the lowest composite score for students with disabilities at 10.6%.
Chewning continues to struggle with proficiency at all academic levels. In 2011-2012, 25
eighth grade students, or 12% of the student population, were identified as Academically or
Intellectually Gifted (AIG); however only 80% of the AIG students demonstrated proficiency on
the EOGs. Both figures are below DPS’ middle school averages where 24% of students are
identified as AIG and have a proficiency rate of 95% on the EOGs. Closely looking at Chewning’s
AIG students and AIG program is important to determine why identification and proficiency rates
are below the district average.
Teacher and student attendance rates continue to be a challenge for Chewning. The daily
student attendance rate for Chewning for the 2011-2012 school year was 93% while the district
average was 96%. While attendance had increased slightly to almost 94% during the fall of 2012,
the school’s percentage remains below other middle schools of similar size and demographics.
Additionally, the school has struggled with truancy with almost half the school population from
2011-2012 recording ten or more absences in a school year. These figures indicate that having
students in the school on a daily basis to learn continues to be a struggle. Chewning’s high
percentage (almost 15%) of homeless students may also contribute to attendance challenges.
During the 2011-2012 school year, Chewning recorded 967 teacher absences for approximately 50
certified staff members. This equates to almost 20 absences for each staff member or the equivalent
of missing almost one month of school. Attendance is a significant challenge for Chewning as data
indicates students are not in the building to be able to learn and even when they may be there,
teachers are often absent.
Chewning’s short and long term suspension rates compound Chewning’s student attendance
problems. During the 2011-2012 school year, Chewning’s short-term suspension rate was almost
25 suspensions per 100 students with a long term suspension rate of almost 0.7 per 100 students.
The long term suspension rate was 0.5 percentage points higher than the district average. This
figure contributed to the high student truancy rate for the school. Additionally, 15 acts of crime or
violence were committed in 2011-2012 for a rate of 2.52 per 100 students. This rate was almost
double the district average and triple the state average. Not only does behavior data suggest
Chewning is challenged by keeping students in school and in class, but it risks becoming labeled as
a persistently dangerous school under No Child Left Behind criteria.
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Public Schools of North Carolina
LEA Application 1003(g)
Data from the 2012 TWCS indicates that as compared to other middle school teachers, DPS
teachers, and North Carolina teachers, Chewning teachers spend significantly more time addressing
student discipline issues. Approximately 41% of Chewning teachers spend at least three hours a
week on behavior issues as compared to 19% of DPS teaches and 12% of North Carolina teachers.
Additionally, less than 50% of Chewning teachers reported that students at the school followed
rules of conduct. However, despite supporting data, over 70% of Chewning’s teachers indicated
that school conduct rules were consistently enforced and 54% of teachers did not feel they needed
additional professional development on classroom management techniques.
Despite the challenges identified in the data, Chewning’s teachers were frequently rated as
“proficient” or “accomplished” on the North Carolina Teacher Evaluation Rubric. Table 8 details
teachers’ performance levels during the 2011-2012 school year.
Table 8
Chewning Middle School’s Teachers’ Performance Levels During the 2011-2012 School Year
Standard
Proficient
Accomplished
Distinguished
Standard 1
48%
44%
8%
Standard 2
36%
56%
8%
Standard 3
56%
44%
0%
Standard 4
44%
56%
0%
Standard 5
44%
52%
4%
Chewning’s teacher evaluation ratings highlight several important areas. First, for the 20112012 school year, no teachers were rated as “not demonstrated” or “developing” in any standard.
While this trend can be seen in many schools, the pattern of poor student performance over a
sustained period of time must raise the question that if all teachers in the building are proficient,
accomplished, or distinguished, why are so many students failing to meet state and local
proficiency standards? While there appears to be a disparity between teacher evaluation ratings and
student performance, 83% of teachers believe their performance is assessed objectively, 80% of
teachers felt they received feedback that can help them improve instruction, and 82% of teachers
believe that the procedures for teacher evaluation are consistent as identified in the 2012 Teacher
Working Conditions Survey. Despite the ratings, it appears that Standard 3, which focuses on
teachers’ knowledge of the content they teach, had the lowest overall rating with no teachers being
rated as distinguished. To support this data, professional development opportunities must be
offered to increase teachers’ understanding of their content areas.
Results from the 2012 Teacher Working Conditions Survey (TWCS) indicate that
approximately 80% of teachers feel there are sufficient resources available for professional
development, 85% of teachers felt there was appropriate time for professional development, and
83% of teachers felt professional development enhanced teachers’ ability to implement
instructional strategies that meet diverse student learning needs. A smaller percentage of teachers
agreed that professional development was differentiated (55%) and that professional development
deepened teachers’ content knowledge (68%). Table 9 outlines the results from the TWCS
specifically related to what areas of professional development Chewning’s teachers feel they need
to teach their students more effectively.
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Public Schools of North Carolina
LEA Application 1003(g)
Table 9
Professional Development Needs
Professional Development Topic
Your content area
Common core and essential standards
Differentiating instruction
Special education (students with disabilities)
Special education (gifted and talented)
English Language Learners
Closing the achievement gap
Methods of teaching
Classroom management techniques
Yes
35%
73%
68%
60%
54%
68%
66%
39%
46%
No
65%
27%
32%
40%
46%
32%
34%
61%
54%
Data outlined in Table 9 indicates that while some teachers feel they have a need for
additional professional development in certain areas (e.g. Common Core, closing the achievement
gap), a significant percentage of teachers between 30% and 60% do not feel they need additional
training. This data does not support student achievement levels (e.g., all students, ELLs, AIG) at
Chewning Middle School.
During the 2011-2012 school year, 98% of Chewning’s teachers were highly-qualified and
were fully licensed in the area they were teaching. Twenty-four percent of teachers have earned an
advanced degree and two teachers have achieved National Board Certification. Both figures are
below the district and state averages. Table 10 compares Chewning Middle School’s teachers’
years of experience with the district and state averages. It is interesting to note that Chewning’s
teaching population averages higher years of experience than the district and the state.
Table 10
Teachers’ Years of Experience
Chewning
Durham Public Schools
North Carolina
0-3 Years
17%
25%
19%
4-10 Years
26%
36%
31%
10+ Years
57%
39%
50%
Chewning’s Teacher Working Conditions data indicate that 92% of teachers use data to
inform their instruction and 96% of teachers work in Professional Learning Communities (PLCs)
to improve instructional practices. TWCS data also shows that over 90% of teachers feel
encouraged to try new practices to improve instruction however only 64% of teachers feel they
have autonomy to make decisions about instructional delivery. Data showed that teachers strongly
feel they are held to high professional standards for delivering instruction (92%). These figures
indicate that the majority of teachers, while engaged in best practices (e.g., PLCs, data driven
instruction), fail to translate these efforts into increased student achievement.
Summary of the results of the data analysis*
Chewning Middle School has experienced a sustained period of low achievement that resulted
in its identification as a Priority School beginning in the 2012-2013 school year. Factors such a
high administrative and teacher turnover, changes in school culture, student challenges (e.g.,
11
Public Schools of North Carolina
LEA Application 1003(g)
behavior, homelessness), and poor instruction have led to students not only demonstrating low
proficiency but also not making growth each year. The comprehensive needs assessment indicates
that Chewning needs intensive sustained reform efforts to support its student population and ensure
a climate of continuity and high expectations.
Despite the challenges noted above, Chewning is beginning to make some positive strides in
some areas. The school made growth in 2011-2012 for the first time and moved from a Tier I
school to a Tier II school in the Durham Public Schools’ Design for Accelerated Progress model.
During the 2012-2103 school year, the school has seen some growth in its Cumulative Assessment
(CAs), especially in math. Teachers are required to write and turn in lesson plans as well as to meet
and plan weekly with support from both DPS and DPI (e.g., transformation coaches, content area
specialists). Despite this progress though, Chewning must continue to focus on increasing student
learning and achievement as measured by both common formative assessments and district/state
summative assessments.
As Chewing transitions to The School for Creative Studies, the new administrative team must
work to identify and hire a core of high-quality teachers and provide sustained, on-going,
differentiated professional development to ensure all teachers are equipped to meet student needs.
Areas of focus include understanding and using data to drive instruction as well as core
competency in content areas. Parent engagement is essential as well. The school must work to
engage families and provide targeted information and trainings to ensure parents can support their
children’s learning at home.
How needs assessment results align to the selected intervention model*
Chewning Middle School/The School for Creative Studies selected the Turnaround Model and
aligned school reform efforts around the model’s required components. By selecting the
Turnaround Model, DPS can help ensure that the school is staffed by high-quality administrators,
faculty, and staff. The implementation of an effective school plan (see following section) will
ensure students have the greatest possibility of success through interventions such as increased
learning time, the implementation of an effective instructional program, enrichment opportunities,
targeted interventions, and effective teaching and learning.
Design and implement interventions consistent with the final requirements (one model must be
selected below and each model component should be addressed). *
Intervention
Model
Turnaround
Required Components to Address









Replace the principal
Rehire no more than 50% of the staff
Implement strategies to recruit and retain staff
Provide ongoing job-embedded professional development
Adopt a new governance structure
Implement a vertically-aligned instructional program
Promote continuous use of data (including formative, interim, and summative)
Provide increased learning time
Provide appropriate community services and supports
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Replace the Principal
Ms. Renee Price was selected as the principal for The School for Creative Studies which
will open in July of 2013. Ms. Price has served as the principal of Brogden Middle School in
DPS since November of 2008. During this time the school’s EOG and EOC composite has
increased. Key areas include raising the 7th grade math proficiency from 62.8% to 70.5%,
increasing the 7th grade reading from 52.8% to 57.6%, and achieving 100% proficiency on the
Algebra I and Geometry EOCs. Prior to her principalship, Ms. Price served as the assistant
principal at Brogden Middle School for six years, a Title I school improvement specialist for
two years, and as an eighth grade language arts teacher for four years. Ms. Price holds a
master’s degree in school administration from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
and has pursued doctorate level work at East Carolina University.
Rehire No More Than 50% of the Staff
Beginning in the 2012-2013 school year, Chewning Middle School and DPS have
worked to ensure only the most highly-qualified staff retained positions at Chewning.
Teachers who did not meet performance expectations were placed on support and/or action
plans in alignment with state and district policies. Throughout the year, teachers who did not
meet the school’s instructional expectations were replaced with teachers who were equipped
to meet the needs of Chewning’s students. To ensure all staff remained aware and trained in
educational best practice, all staff members were provided with targeted professional
development and learning opportunities to support their needs.
In the winter of 2013, current Chewning staff were eligible to apply for positions at The
School for Creative Studies. Ms. Price is currently working to interview and select staff both
from DPS and from outside the district to best meet the specific needs of the school site and
its magnet focus. While some current Chewning teachers may be hired for The School for
Creative Studies, the majority of faculty will be new to the school site in addition to new
administration and support staff. The depth of the applicant pool ensures that only the highest
qualified and highly committed individuals will be hired for the specific positional and
educational needs of the school.
Implement Strategies to Recruit and Retain Staff
Durham Public Schools believes one of the most important factors influencing student
achievement is the teacher. Consequently, the district strives to recruit and retain the most
qualified and effective candidates for all employment positions. By strengthening the
district’s workforce increased student achievement will be gained. All students deserve to be
taught by highly skilled and effective teachers; our most fragile students cannot thrive without
them. Research-based practices shown to be effective in attracting and retaining a highly
skilled workforce in high-needs schools need to be operationalized. Teachers have the power
to educate at high levels, motivate, and inspire future generations when given the right tools
and resources.
In February of 2013, the DPS Human Resources department allowed any faculty or staff
within DPS to complete a transfer application to apply to The School for Creative Studies.
Ms. Price has worked to interview prospective candidates to identify those best suited for the
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positions at the school site. Positions have been posted on the Durham Public Schools job
posting website to encourage highly capable candidates to apply for core, support, and
enrichment positions. There has been a high level of interest in all positions, leading to
extensive interviews conducted by a select team to ensure appropriate candidates are matched
with open positions.
Once candidates have been selected they will join a new faculty that is committed to the
focused mission of the school. These candidates will begin by participating in targeted
professional development opportunities provided within the school, district, and region.
Teachers at The School for Creative Studies will have unparalleled access to technology (e.g.,
1:1 initiative), instructional support, and cutting edge teaching practices. Retention efforts
will be made by the administrative team to provide a strong school environment and climate
that is supportive of teacher needs, celebrates school and individual success, provides support
to teachers on an on-going basis, ensures horizontal and vertical collaborative opportunities
through PLCs, cross-grade, and cross-content area teams, and encourages teacher
empowerment, leadership, and efficacy.
Recruitment Incentives
Historically high poverty, low performing schools have struggled to recruit and retain
high-quality, effective teachers. While The School for Creative Studies has received over
1,000 applications (to date) for posted positions for 2013-2014, it is possible that in
subsequent years the school may struggle to attract and hire highly effective teachers in high
need, hard to staff content areas (e.g., math, science), support positions (e.g., Exceptional
Children’s Program teachers), and specialty areas (e.g., architecture). By offering recruitment
incentives, such as a signing bonus, The School for Creative Studies can ensure that there is a
deep applicant pool allowing for the most effective master teachers to be selected for teaching
positions. Appendix A contains a sample of an adopted DPS incentive plan.
Durham Public Schools Incentives
Durham Public Schools strives to recruit and retain the most qualified and effective
candidates for all employment positions. In addition to the benefits employees receive from
all school districts (e.g., health care, annual leave, retirement), Durham Public Schools offers
financial incentives including a 12% supplement and support for teachers pursuing additional
certifications (e.g., ESL, AIG) and/or National Board Certification. The Beginning Teacher
Support Program (BTSP) provides all new teachers with an extensive support network as well
as orientation, school-based mentor support, beginning teacher meetings, etc. Teachers’
accomplishments are celebrated at the district level through recognition at Board of Education
meetings, Team First! Awards, the Teacher of the Year awards, Superintendent’s Service
Awards, and parent nominations and recognitions. Durham Public Schools receives a high
level of support from the community and collaborates with local business, banks, apartments,
restaurants, and service programs to provide district employees with discounts, benefits, and
special services.
Provide Ongoing, Job-Embedded Professional Development
The School for Creative Studies (SCS) is focused on preparing students to be effective
members of the modern creative economy. The school will focus on ensuring students are not
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only prepared for positions in this society, but also are engaged through real-world
educational experiences during their time at the SCS. To ensure the school meets its mission,
teachers must be trained and equipped to facilitate the learning process. This will be
completed through extensive on-going, job-embedded professional development that focuses
on the integration of content, literacy, and technology through meaningful measures and
means.
To support improved academic achievement, a long-term professional development
framework has been implemented for planning and delivering instruction. The selected
framework provides a comprehensive school reform model. The model is built-upon
strategies and solutions for K-12 schools based on exemplary and research-based practices.
School administrators and teachers will participate in on-going professional development and
job-embedded coaching. These efforts will be continued throughout the grant and sustained
beyond.
Technology
Through the one to one (1:1) learning initiative, all students will be provided with a
technology device to utilize during the instructional day. While students frequently enter
school as “digital natives” and demonstrate the flexibility and ability to move seamlessly
between various technology formats (e.g., computers, smart boards, iPods, iPads), faculty and
staff must understand the potential and instructional benefit to incorporating multiple
technology platforms and means into both teaching and learning opportunities. To ensure
teachers possess this capacity, on-going professional development will be provided around
the school’s technology to ensure daily appropriate integration that moves beyond technology
as a static or passive experience to an integrated “two way” learning device. This training will
provide teachers with real-world experiences regarding how the 1:1 technology initiative can
be and should be integrated into all content areas and with all instructional styles.
Habits of Mind
Habits of Mind are identified as the characteristics and abilities utilized by successful
people when asked to tackle complex or unfamiliar programs. The utilization of Habits of
Mind can clearly articulate educational goals for students while developing a common
language and learning framework for the school community. Habits of Mind include
persistence, management of impulsivity, the ability to listen with understanding and empathy,
thinking flexibility, metacognition, striving for accuracy and precision, questioning and
positing problems, the application of past knowledge to new situations, thinking and
communicating with clarity and precision, gathering data in all senses, creating, imagining,
and innovating, responding with wonderment and awe, taking responsible risks, finding
humor in daily situations, thinking independently, and learning continuously. These are the
skills The School for Creative Studies strives to embody and foster in all students. To support
teachers’ development of these skills to ensure students’ lifelong success, teachers will
receive extensive training in the habits as well as their application in daily life.
The Creative Process
The School for Creative Studies is built on the four C’s curriculum: creativity,
communication, collaboration, and community partnership. The understanding and
implementation of the creative process supports the first C, creativity. The creative process
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can be defined and documented through various phases and models moving from
identification to clarification to implementation and evaluation. The recursive process focuses
on skills built through Habits of Mind to identify and tackle new real-world problems through
the identification and implementation of creative solutions. Teachers’ training on the creative
process will support the utilization of the creative process in the classroom to solve practical
challenges and ensure tangible connections.
Literacy Integration
Historically, secondary schools have relied on English Language Arts teachers as the
literacy leaders and instructors. Today, we know that students not only need to be literate in
reading, writing, speaking, and listening, but also in technology, content areas, and thinking
flexibly and independently. At The School for Creative Studies, all teachers will be provided
not only with literacy professional development to ensure students are developing as readers,
writers, speakers, and thinkers in all content areas, but with training that helps teachers
understand innovative practices around literacy integration (e.g., literacy through
photography). By ensuring all content area and elective teachers have a strong literacy
understanding, instruction in courses such as communications technology, graphic design,
product development, video, audio, and music production, and entertainment arts can provide
reciprocal benefits for all students.
Instructional Facilitator (IF)
The School for Creative Studies will employ an Instructional Facilitator (IF) to provide ongoing, job-embedded professional development and support to all teachers, support staff, and
Professional Learning Communities (PLCs). The IF will work closely with teachers and
attend vertical and horizontal PLC meetings to ensure the professional development that is
being provided to all teachers is being utilized and implemented in teaching and learning
settings. The IF will attend meetings at a local and regional level while collaborating with
other middle and high school support (e.g., DPS, DPI), to align the work of the SCS with best
practice for students and with district and state initiatives. The IF will support the
understanding and use of data for teachers, PLCs, and the school by providing on-going
training opportunities to help teachers move from data to information to a knowledgeable
understanding of how to collect, read, analyze, synthesize, and finally, use data as a
foundational decision-making tool.
District and the Department of Public Instruction Professional Development
DPS and DPI provide on-going training from the DPS Curriculum, Instruction, and
Assessment Team and the DPI Transformation Team. Content area specialists provide handson opportunities for teachers during weekly PLC meetings as well as district-wide trainings
that provide teachers the opportunities to collaborate and plan with instructional experts
through the implementation of learned best practices aligned to specific student needs.
Professional development days are designated during the summer and throughout the year for
Summer Institute sessions and “Crossing the Bridge” sessions designed to facilitate new
learning through local and regional educational experts. The district schedules early release
days throughout the year that provide an additional three hours of professional development
and collaborative time to teachers and staff.
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Adapt a New Governance Structure
Durham Public Schools has adopted a revised governance structure for both the district
and The School for Creative Studies. Both structures are detailed below.
Design for Accelerated Progress
The Design for Accelerated Progress (DAP) model was created in the spring of 2010 to
ensure all schools, students, and families within Durham Public Schools receive equitable,
efficient, and effective services. In 2008, the Durham Public Schools’ Board of Education
charged local administration with developing and implementing a performance management
system to ensure excellent teaching and learning. Subsequently in 2009, the Board adopted a
Theory of Action (Policy 3010) to promote management of instruction and empowerment of
schools to make informed decisions. The Theory of Action for Change supports a continued
effort for significant improvement in student achievement. The DAP model continues to build
upon the Theory of Action for Change and aligns with the principles of Academic
Accountability (Policy 3011). DAP provides greater coherence and focus across the system
while raising the bar for higher expectations, greater collaboration, continuous innovation,
streamlined services, and improved results.
There are four major components of DAP:
 identifying chronically low-achieving schools that are not likely to achieve drastic
improvements without transformative change;
 setting clear, rigorous standards for district leaders, school administrators, and
teachers related to significantly improving student performance;
 providing district support, management, and technical assistance to increase
performance outcomes and provide unique opportunities for student progress and
growth; and
 empowering school leaders and teachers to play an active role in the turnaround
and/or transformation and ongoing support of their school.
The DAP model divides all DPS schools into four tiers, articulating performance levels and
providing a pyramid of support. Tier I schools demonstrate a composite < 50%, Tier II
schools demonstrate a 50-60% composite, Tier III schools demonstrate a >60% composite
with ABC growth met or <80% composite without growth met, and Tier IV schools
demonstrate a >80% composite with ABC growth met.
Durham Public Schools’ Strategic Plan, launched in January 2011, focused district efforts on
expanding the initial model to intensify services, ensure emphasis on annual student growth,
and guarantee accountability for equity in student outcomes. Bringing together district
administration, school leaders, teachers, providers, community members, and parents, the
DAP charter allows stakeholders to create shared responsibility and opportunities to
collaborate around efforts to improve student achievement.
Although Durham Public Schools has seen growth in recent years, the changing state of
education and the growing need to ensure all students are college and career ready requires a
faster rate of progress to accelerate student performance. In alignment with the Durham
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Public Schools’ Strategic Plan, the DAP model identifies immediate steps and long term goals
to promote sustained student achievement and aligns with the reorganization of Central
Services. A key goal of the expanded DAP plan is to provide tools and a structured support
system to effectively manage teachers and create open communication regarding services
such as the Instructional Facilitator Model, CIA, ERG, Assessment for Learning, mCLASS,
PMOC, pacing, Race to the Top, Title I, and Curriculum and Instruction support.
For both the 2010-2011 and 2011-2012 school year, Chewning was identified as Tier I
school, receiving the highest level of support and intervention. Based on 2011-2012 data,
Chewning moved up to a Tier II school for the 2012-2013 school year.
Magnet Planning Team
The School for Creative Studies established a Magnet Planning Committee in the fall of
2012 after the magnet theme was approved by the Durham Public Schools Board of
Education. The planning committee consists of Central Services staff (Magnet Director,
Magnet Recruiter, IT Project Manager, Director of Community Engagement, Director of
Media Services, Director of Athletics, Director of Arts), community members (Duke
Documentary Studies, Federal Credit Union, North Carolina Central University), and other
DPS staff (SCS Principal, magnet intern/visual arts teacher, assistant principal at another DPS
magnet school). This team is responsible for providing insight, support, and guidance around
the planning and implementation of The School for Creative Studies and the magnet model.
Implement a Vertically-Aligned Instructional Program
The teaching and learning landscape at The School for Creative Studies will be completely
unique in Durham Public Schools’ current instructional programs. The school’s focus is
design, media, and communication arts. Core teachers and specialty area teachers will work
closely together to align Common Core standards with technology and subject areas that fit
into the creative economy. Administrators and teachers monitor and track the implementation
of the research-based instructional strategies. In this framework, emphasis is placed upon
leadership as a critical element in the implementation. District and school administrative staff
members have created structures to monitor for achievement and to provide necessary
supports to teachers. These structures will be enhanced and continued as part of the
turnaround process.
Professional Development and Training
Teachers will receive extensive training in the creative process, Habits of Mind,
technology integration, and innovative literacy integration (e.g., literacy through photography
program). This professional development (discussed in detail above) is designed to align with
professional development best practices that include differentiated learning opportunities, jobembedded sessions, and on-going professional development. The professional development
will be specifically crafted and implemented to support the school’s unique focus and
instructional program and promote the growth of faculty and staff. By ensuring teachers’
experience both vertical and horizontal planning and training opportunities, the school can
better align instructional programming across and within grades thereby allowing for
continuity, consistency, and reinforcement through collaboration and collaborative planning.
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Artist-in-Residence Program
The School for Creative Studies is focused on bringing the real-world and the school
community together in the classroom. By ensuring students have practical, hands-on
experiences, the work and learning of the classroom can be made tangible. The Artist-inResidence program will identify and recruit local and regional experts in various fields to
become part of The School for Creative Studies and share their expertise and skill with
students interested in that field. The artists in residence will provide guidance to students
around their creative process, their work in the field, and support students as they research,
present, produce, and reflect on their work in this area. The program will also offer local
experts the opportunity to work and develop in a new setting and to interact with different
stakeholders in the community. Through the professionals’ work, students can understand and
connect classroom-based learning with real-world application. Artists in residence can
provide goal and career counseling and guidance to students who may be interested in
pursuing a similar career or field. The Artist-in-Residence program will be managed and run
by a school-based coordinator who is tasked with recruiting and retaining field specialists to
enhance the educational opportunities offered at SCS.
Instructional Technology Facilitator
Teaching and learning will focus on the teacher as facilitator and students as engaged
learners using the most current technology tools and resources available. The SCS will
implement a one-to-one Mac-based technology initiative (MacBook Pros) as Mac-based
technology is the industry standard for jobs in the creative economy. The media center will be
modernized and expanded to meet the needs of middle and high school learners. The media
center will become a Cybrary and will include the most current technology tools and
resources for use by teachers and students. Materials and resources will be selected to support
the implementation of the Common Core. To support the Cybrary efforts, the SCS will
purchase ebooks, resources, and materials to up-fit the Cybrary for a middle and high school
environment (transitioning from a middle school media center).
An Instructional Technology Facilitator will support the process as the school moves from
a traditional middle school to a 21st Century secondary school. The Instructional Technology
Facilitator will be responsible for championing the 1:1 technology initiative and supporting
the school’s movement from a media center to a Cybrary. By providing extensive
professional development to faculty and staff, the Instructional Technology Facilitator can
support the paradigm shift from a traditional school technology implementation to a 21st
Century technology platform. The facilitator will be responsible for creating and
implementing a differentiated technology professional development plan that meets the needs
of all teachers and support staff at their technology comfort level. The facilitator will
collaborate with teachers as they integrate technology on a daily basis to move from
technology as an “event” to technology as an expectation. To help update the school’s current
media center, the facilitator will work closely with the media coordinator. Together they will
identify and purchase high-quality middle and high school texts, materials, and resources, to
ensure that the Cybrary contains the appropriate amount and type of technology hardware and
software to support students’ educational electronic access of learning materials.
PLC Structure
The School for Creative Studies’ daily schedule has been specifically designed to foster
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cross-curricular collaboration among all teachers in the school. Core teachers and elective
teachers will share common planning time to facilitate discussions and instructional plans that
are rigorous and incorporate various disciplines. To further encourage the cross-curricular
planning, core teachers will be assigned during one of their planning periods to an elective
teacher so they can learn about that specialty area. Specialty areas include outdoor education,
visual arts, creative entrepreneurship and marketing, design for living architecture, landscape
and interior design, digital media and design, video technology and communications, music
and audio production, and Spanish.
By fostering a master schedule that allows daily for both vertical and horizontal
collaboration and planning, the teachers and staff at the SCS can support the integration of
content and learning across each grade level while ensuring a smooth transition as students
move between content areas in subsequent years. Through cross-content and cross-grade
conversations, teachers can discuss relevant formative data to identify effective intervention
strategies while providing enrichment and advancement opportunities to students who have
mastered content-area objectives and standards. PLCs will work together to plan rigorous and
relevant lessons, create aligned formative assessments, discuss and disaggregate data, and to
identify areas of student and school need to guarantee all students are meeting the rigorous
common core, NC essential, and school standards.
Internship/Externship Program
One of the main goals for The School for Creative Studies is the integration of classroom
learning with real-world experiences and the development of leadership, entrepreneurship,
and innovative skills that are key to their success in a wide variety of fields. To meet this
goal, the school will implement internship and externship opportunities with the business
community and work with artists/experts in residence. The internship/externship program will
focus on matching students enrolled in specific courses and courses of study with potential
careers or fields of interest. In addition to the traditional course content (e.g., language arts,
math, science, social studies), the SCS will offer innovating programing in the following
areas:
 Video, audio, and music production
 Entertainment arts
 Photography
 Communications technology
 Entrepreneurship/product development
 Fashion design and marketing
 Graphic design
 Web design
 Video game design
 Industrial design
 Advertising/marketing
 Research design and product development
Through these various specialty programs and fields, the school will work to identify and
match students with internship/externship opportunities that allow them to apply and utilize
their learning skills while developing a deeper understanding of the field and career
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possibilities.
Promote Continuous Use of Data
To ensure students are meeting and mastering classroom, district, state, and national
benchmarks and standards, teachers and staff at the School for Creative Studies will be
continually engaged in the collecting, analyzing, discussion, and decision-making process
around data. This cycle begins at the school level with the comprehensive needs assessment
and the creation, implementation, and monitoring of the school improvement plan and
continues all the way through to individual formative assessments given on a regular basis to
monitor students’ learning and progress. The unique master schedule for the SCS ensures that
PLCs have the opportunity to meet regularly to analyze and utilize data to drive student
learning.
The Teaching and Learning Framework (Assessment for Learning)
The Teaching and Learning Framework is utilized by Durham Public Schools to ensure
teachers and students are using formative assessment practices to guide students’ learning.
The framework begins with the focus on understanding the expectation of the standards.
Teachers work to unpack specific content area standards and align their finding with
curriculum, pacing, and student learning targets. The next step in the framework is
collaboration with PLC members to create specific assessments that align with the standard’s
focus and assess students’ learning through real-world examples and through the use of
higher order thinking skills. Once assessments have been development, PLCs work to plan
and implement standards-aligned lessons. The final phases of the framework include the
collection and analysis of assessment data and determining enrichment and intervention plans
for students based on their individual academic needs.
Examine and Unpack Standards
Curriculum Overview
Learning Targets and Progressions
Calibrate Rigor and Design Assessment
Common Formative Assessments
Minute by Minute Assessments
Plan and Deliver Instruction
Gradual Release of
Responsibility
Student Ownership
Descriptive Feedback
Assess and Analyze Data
Standards, Item Analysis, Student Response
Teacher and Student Reflection
Determine Mastery and Communicate Results
Corrective Instruction & Enrichment
Standards-Based Grading
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Professional Development Around Data
To ensure teachers have the capacity and ability to effectively understand and use data to
positively impact student learning, educators will be involved in a series of training around
student achievement data. Led by the Instructional Facilitator and Response to Instruction
(RtI) Data Analyst, school staff will participate in on-going data analysis on an individual
basis, with PLCs, with horizontal and vertical teams, and as a faculty. The school
improvement team will consistently utilize a variety of data sources including achievement,
process, and perception data to monitor the school’s progress and adjust school plans
accordingly. The Instructional Facilitator will work with the district’s Area Facilitator to
assess school progress while the principal, Ms. Price, will collaborate with the Area
Superintendent for High Schools, Mr. Jim Key, to review school data and identify areas and
opportunities for enrichment, improvement, and success. Teachers will be responsible for
owning their own data sets and being able to accurately and intelligently discuss what the data
indicates and how instruction and learning is being modified to meet areas of need. Students
and families will be engaged in on-going data discussion meetings to confirm all stakeholders
have an accurate understanding of students’ progress and the steps the school is taking to
challenge, extend, support, an enhance each students’ level of learning and academic
achievement.
Response to Instruction (RtI)/Positive Behavior Intervention & Support (PBIS) Data
Analyst
Response to Instruction (RtI) is a systematic, data-driven approach to instruction,
intervention, and enrichment that ensures each student is receiving targeted, differentiated
academic and behavioral support at their level. RtI specifically focuses on students who
struggle to master state standards and ensures they are matched with an appropriate
intervention that meets their area of need. PBIS is a research-based framework that is
designed to improve students’ academic and behavior outcomes and ensure students have
access to the most effective behavioral practices. The RtI/PBIS Data Analyst is tasked with
supporting teachers’ understanding of data-driven instruction, while implementing a tracking
system based on current local, district, and school data. The RtI/PBIS Data Analyst will
monitor academic and behavior data daily to study students’ progress and identify areas of
need. In collaboration with teachers, PLCs, and support staff, the RtI/PBIS Data Analyst will
maintain all RtI and PBIS records, schedule and track progress monitoring meetings,
strategize next steps for RtI students, share and support classroom-based interventions,
research and analyze outside intervention programs for a proven record of success, monitor
students’ progress in intervention programs, and remain current with local, state, and national
RtI and PBIS intervention resources.
Provide Increased Learning Time
The effective use of instructional time is essential to student achievement. The SCS will
implement a unique master schedule that maximizes students’ time in the classroom and
learning environments. To expand and increase the amount of learning time students at SCS
are engaged in, the school will provide intersession camps, extended school year, as well as
afterschool enrichment clubs. Through the development of the internship/externship program
(as detailed above), students can expand their learning through afterschool, evening,
weekend, intersession, and summer real-world practical experiences.
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Intersession Camps
The School for Creative Studies will operate on a year-round schedule affording the
opportunity to provide extended learning opportunities during intersessions. The SCS will
offer intersession camps for a total of five weeks during each school year, increasing the total
number of school days to 206 from the traditional 181. Intersession camps will include
intervention and enrichment activities centered around math and reading, technology
integration, the creative studies curriculum integration, and real-world experiences. Teachers
and support staff will be hand-picked by administrators to ensure only the highest-quality
instructional leaders are working with students during the intervention and enrichment
programs. Transportation and meals will be provided for all students enrolled in intersession
camps.
Extended School Year
An extended school year program will be implemented during the 2013-2014 school year
and in the summer of 2014. This program will provide extended learning opportunities for
students afterschool, on Saturdays, and during the summer. The School for Creative Studies
Extended School Year programs are designed to offer individualized academic instruction,
transition activities, and related services to students who require these services beyond the
traditional school year.
Afterschool Enrichment Clubs
The School for Creative Studies will provide varied enrichment experiences for students
after school. These enrichment opportunities include interdisciplinary academic, communitybased, creative curriculum, and wellness programs (e.g., entrepreneurship, science
explorations, model UN, geocaching, radio broadcasting club, chess club, cycling, and
Ultimate Frisbee). Additionally, the School for Creative Studies will offer the Encore!
program afterschool. Encore! is an academic, social, and cultural enrichment program that
includes homework assistance, character education, physical activity, project-based learning,
career prep, personal development activities, field trips, and transitional activities.
Provide Appropriate Community Services and Supports
Research has consistently shown that a supportive and engaged parent and school
community has immeasurable positive benefits for the school, students, teachers, and
families. Some of the documented benefits include:
 Higher grades and test scores
 Higher graduation rates
 Better school attendance
 Increased motivation
 Higher student self-esteem rates
 Decreased suspension rate
 Decreased high-risk behavior (e.g., drug and alcohol use)
 Lower drop-out rates
As a Title I school, the School for Creative Studies is required to implement and document
the best practices utilized to engage parents around their children’s learning. Beyond these
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efforts, the School for Creative Studies will utilize a Parent Coordinator and establish
business partnerships to educate students and families regarding real-world exposure to the
creative economy.
Parent Coordinator
The Parent Coordinator position will be responsible for facilitating meetings with parents
and families around developing effective relationships between parents and the school (e.g.,
parent involvement policy). The coordinator will provide professional development to
teachers regarding effective practices for parent engagement as well as to act as a support for
families within the school building. In alignment with district Title I expectations, the
coordinator will plan and implement “stand alone” and continuous programming training
opportunities for families to develop parenting skills, learn how to support their children at
home, and to understand the opportunities that are available to their child. The parent
coordinator will collaborate with the school social worker and guidance counselor, when
necessary, to provide and align community and school wrap-around services. The parent
coordinator will work with the school community to identify and recruit school volunteers to
support the mission and vision of the SCS. The parent coordinator will focus efforts on
partnering with families and the community through well-developed efforts aligned to the
National PTA parent involvement standards. Each of the standards produces unique gains for
students, contributes to effective programs, and fosters school success. Engagement activities
include, but are not limited to, parent education sessions on the creative process and specialty
areas, and real-world exposure for parents about the creative economy and options for the
students.
Align other resources with the interventions*
To fully support the Turnaround Model at the School for Creative Studies, the LEA will
provide on-going personnel, fiscal, time, and material support. The school will receive
support from an assigned Area Superintendent, Area Facilitator, DPI Transformation Coach,
and Title I School Improvement Specialist. In addition to these assigned resources, the SCS
will receive on-going guidance and support from the Curriculum, Instruction, & Assessment
Team (math specialist, language arts, specialist, science specialist, social studies specialist,
word language specialist, Director of ESL, Director of Advanced Academics, Director of the
Arts, Director of Media & Technology), the Magnet Office (Magnet Director, Magnet
Recruiter), the Director of Community Engagement, as well as supporting services from the
Transportation Department, Child Nutrition Department, IT Department, HR Department, and
Student Support Services Department.
To meet the 21st Century needs of the school’s student population, the SCS will implement a
technology plan including a 1:1 initiative that focuses on ensuring all students are technology
literate in a variety of platforms by the time they graduate from the SCS. To ensure this goal
is met, the SCS will provide extensive professional development to teachers around
technology integration and the utilization of the following resources on a daily basis in the
classroom and Cybrary to expand and enhance students’ learning and compliment students’
various learning styles.
24
Public Schools of North Carolina
LEA Application 1003(g)
This includes the following hardware resources:
 eBook readers
 MacBook Pro laptops
This includes the following software resources:
 Annual subscriptions to outfit and upgrade the Cybrary (e.g., BrainPop,
CultureGrams, Gale Student Resources in Context, NoodleTools, Opposing
ViewPoints)
 eBooks and eBook periodicals aligned to the creative studies theme (e.g., Mackin,
Capstone, Follet)
Modify practices or policies, if necessary, to enable schools to implement the interventions fully
and effectively*
Durham Public Schools currently support three SIG schools (Performance Learning
Center, Hillside High School, and Y.E. Smith Elementary School) as well as two Priority
Schools (Glenn Elementary School and Chewning Middle School/The School for Creative
Studies). Policies and practices have been revised through the Design for Accelerated
Progress as well as internal structures (e.g., Area Superintendents, Title I support) to align
with the revised and specific needs of these programs.
Sustain the reforms after the funding period ends*
In collaboration with Durham Public Schools, the School for Creative Studies has developed
a plan to ensure the growth and reform gained during the School Improvement Grant period
can be sustained and improved. By continuing to improve the quality of the instructional
program, the SCS will continue to attract and retain students which will ensure the school
continues to succeed and thrive.
Magnet Grants
The principal and Magnet Planning Committee have worked closely with the Magnet Director
and the Magnet Recruiter to identify and apply for specific grants locally, regionally, and
nationally that can support the work of The School for Creative Studies. Grant funding can
help to sustain the work of the school and improve upon magnet programs and practices
already in place.
Magnet Funding
Durham Public Schools currently allots a specific magnet fund to each principal of a magnet
school. These funds can be used at the principal or planning team’s discretion to support the
work of the magnet schools through training, supplies and materials, technology,
certifications, program needs, etc. Additionally, there are district level funds for marketing,
recruitment, and magnet theme implementation assistance as needed throughout the district
Magnet Department. The School for Creative Studies will continue to receive this specific
magnet funding as long as the school remains a magnet program.
25
Public Schools of North Carolina
LEA Application 1003(g)
Title I/State/Local Funds
As a public Title I school, The School for Creative Studies will continue to receive local,
state, and federal funding based on their ADM (average daily membership) and number of
students who qualify for free or reduced price meals. As the SCS begins to attract families
and students to the program, the ADM will remain at full capacity thereby ensuring the school
receives maximum funding from the district allotments. Like the magnet funding, these funds
can be used to maintain programs that are already in place, continue to support teachers’
professional growth, replace or update technology hardware, and to support certified and
classified personnel salaries.
School Donations/Fundraising/In-Kind Support
By establishing an extensive support network within the community and with local
businesses, the SCS can communicate specific areas of need (funding, materials, resources,
etc.) to local partners. These may include in-kind donations of time or resources (e.g., club
advisor volunteers, food for events), funding for specific purposes (e.g., monies for laptops),
or program support (e.g., internship/externship opportunities).
Change in School Culture
One of the most important reform efforts for the SCS will be the change in school culture that
is aligned to raised expectations, the recruitment and retention of high-quality, highlyqualified teachers, the establishment of effective reciprocal business, family, and community
partnerships, and the institution of a school climate that fosters teacher leadership,
empowerment, and efficacy. While these reforms do not take funding to implement, the
interventions and resources outlined in this grant will support the SCS as it works to develop
and establish this environment and culture of success.
Recruit, screen, and select external providers, if applicable, to ensure their quality*
Durham Public Schools has established a process to identify and assess the quality of external
provides. The School for Creative Studies will follow DPS’ guidelines, bidding process, sole
source, and vendor procedures to ensure all external providers are equipped to meet the
identified needs of the school, faculty, staff, students, and parents. The district and school
involves key stakeholders (e.g., administrators, central office personnel, faculty, community
members) in the screening progress. All potential school-community partnerships will be
vetted by school administration, central office support, and school-based teams to ensure the
work aligns with the school’s mission and vision statements, the Turnaround Model, and the
school’s improvement plan.
During contract negotiations, The School for Creative Studies will clearly outline and identify
the specific area of need and expended results from the program or initiative. A budget will
be created that identifies funding sources and the alignment between the provider’s goal with
the SIP and school plans. Through the bidding process, the school will be able to review and
select a provider with a proven track record of success. A contract will be negotiated with the
selected provider that clearly outlines the school’s expectations and the process for
terminating the contract if said expectations are not met.
26
Public Schools of North Carolina
LEA Application 1003(g)
Programs and providers will be reviewed on an annual and semi-annual basis through the
school improvement team’s checking phase as well as through data collection, feedback
reports, and outcomes’ assessments. Through the on-going review process, providers will be
apprised of their progress and level of success. Efforts will be made to support providers’
specific needs to ensure school goals are met. Contracts for providers not meeting the
school’s rigorous standards will not be extended or renewed. The process for identifying,
screening, and selecting external providers will be reviewed and revised on an as needed basis
by both the district and the school.
Identify pre-implementation activities to fully support intervention model*
Prior to the School for Creative Studies’ School Improvement Grant application, the school
site had specifically aligned practices with the Turnaround Model.
Activity/Strategy
Replace Principal
Replace at Least
50% of Staff
Recruitment and
Retention of
Effective Staff
Members
Magnet Lottery
Process and Practice
At the start of the 2012-2013 school year, the principal at
Chewning Middle School was replaced with Ms. Crystal
Isom-Adu as required by the Turnaround Model. As the
school transitions to The School for Creative Studies, Ms.
Renee Price has been selected as the effective, experienced
leader to lead this effort. She began her work in January of
2013.
Due to the changes in Chewning’s student population for the
2012-2013 school year, more than 50% of the staff was
removed and/or replaced to work with the eighth grade
cohort. While staff members from Chewning have been
invited to apply for positions at The School for Creative
Studies, the school will experience a significant staff turnover
for the 2013-2014 school year as the team works to identify
teachers whose skills match the mission and vision of the
school.
Through the application, interview, and recommendation
process, The School for Creative Studies has received a large
number of applicants for all positions from both within and
outside the district. This depth of candidates has allowed the
school to carefully recruit, interview, and select effective
teachers with proven track records. The school will work to
retain these staff members through on-going, targeted support,
quality professional development sessions, leadership
opportunities, and by establishing a culture of success and
efficacy.
Durham Public Schools began marketing The School for
Creative Studies prior to the winter magnet lottery. Students
and families could learn about the school through its website,
by attending the Magnet Fair or one of the many school open
houses during and prior to the application period, meeting
with Ms. Price, visiting the school, or reading the school
27
Public Schools of North Carolina
Magnet Planning
Committee
Kitchen Table
Conversations
Curriculum
Development
Teaching &
Learning
Framework
Extended
Learning Time
LEA Application 1003(g)
literature. During the lottery, conducted by the Office of
Student Assignment, rising 6th, 7th, and 9th grade students
were accepted to fill the school to capacity for the 2013-2014
school year. Accepted students and parents are now involved
in providing feedback to the school about initiatives and
programs they wish to see at the school.
The planning team was established in the fall of 2012 to focus
on The School for Creative Studies’ implementation.
Members of the team included the school’s principal, the
Magnet Director, the Magnet Recruiter, the IT Project
Manager, the Director of Community Engagement, the
Director of Media Services, the Director of Athletics, the
Director of Visual and Performing Arts, a visual arts teacher,
an assistant principal, and local community and business
partners.
In 2012, Durham Public Schools hosted a series of Kitchen
Table Conversation events to allow parents, community
members, and school personnel to “gather around the kitchen
table” and provide feedback and input regarding the district’s
magnet themes and programs. This feedback was integrated
into DPS’ magnet school plan and The School for Creative
Studies magnet theme.
In collaboration with the magnet planning committee and the
Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment team, a curriculum
has been created for the SCS that aligns core area instruction
(e.g., language arts, science, social studies, math, foreign
language) with the creative course of study. Examples of
program electives include web design, marketing, advertising,
fashion design, entrepreneurship, digital media and design,
and video technology and communication.
The Teaching & Learning Framework has been implemented
in all DPS schools. This framework combines components of
backwards design with a focus on understanding each
standard and utilizing assessment results to drive intervention
and enrichment. The framework is supported through DPS
common formative assessments and cumulative assessments
in addition to school-based assessments.
During the 2012-2013 school year, students attending
Chewning participated in two models of extended learning
time. The first was a daily afterschool program that combined
enrichment opportunities with academic work. The second
was a Saturday Academy program. The school recruited
highly effective teachers in reading and math from around the
district. Students participated in intensive, differentiated,
small-group intervention in addition to enrichment course
offerings. Transportation and meals were provided to students
attending both extended learning opportunities.
28
Public Schools of North Carolina
Saturday
Professional
Development
Horizontal
Planning
Parent Teacher
Association
LEA Application 1003(g)
To ensure the school staff at Chewning was equipped to meet
the needs of the eighth grade student population, professional
development sessions were offered on Saturdays. Sessions
focused on various topics including implementing rigorous
lessons, the Time to Teach framework, and infusing literacy
practices through content area classrooms.
Teams engaged in horizontal planning with support staff from
DPI and DPS (content areas specialists, transformation
coaches, the instructional facilitator). These planning sessions
provided an opportunity for teachers to plan standards-based
lessons and develop aligned common assessments to
determine students’ learning level.
In the Spring of 2013, prior to the opening of The School for
Creative Studies, Ms. Price will meet with interested parents
to form the inaugural school Parent Teacher Association
(PTA). This group will be charged with supporting the
school’s academic program and aligning parent engagement
efforts with the school’s theme and focus.
SECTION D: Capacity
The LEA must include the following information in its application for each Priority School
that will be served with School Improvement Grant funds.
Notes: For each Priority School, the LEA must complete the following table (add rows as needed). The LEA must sufficiently
describe:
 Available resources and additional resources needed to implement each of the selected interventions;
 Annual goals and measurable objectives for student achievement on the State’s assessments in both reading/language
arts and mathematics that it has established;
 Specific steps it will take to implement the selected intervention in each Priority School it commits to serve;
 Periodic evaluation measures clearly aligned to all of the measurable objectives for each school’s progress toward
achieving its goals;
 Timeline for implementing the steps including responsibilities; and
 Monitoring plan for ongoing review of the implementation of interventions with timeline and persons responsible.
Name of School:
Intervention Model:
Existing Resources:
Additional Resources:
Annual Goals:
Please note that based
on North Carolina’s
revised summative
standardized
Chewning Middle School/The School for Creative Studies
Turnaround
Administrative team (principal, assistant principal), Area Superintendent, Area
Facilitator, core area teachers (content, EC, ESL), enrichment and elective teachers,
classified staff, support staff, CIA team, school planning team, Instructional Facilitator,
funding from local, state, and federal sources
Artist-in-Residence Coordinator/Program, RtI/PBIS Data Analyst, Parent Coordinator,
Instructional Technology Facilitator, Internship/Externship Coordinator, funding for:
increased learning time, contracted services (tutoring, professional development),
materials and supplies, internship/externship program, technology hardware and
software, parent involvement funds.
Academic Goals:
 Increase the percent of middle school students meeting reading proficiency to 50%
as measured by the North Carolina End of Grade test.
 Increase the percent of middle school students meeting math proficiency to 70% as
measured by the North Carolina End of Grade test.
29
Public Schools of North Carolina
assessments
(EOGs/EOCs) that better
align with the Common
Core and NC Essential
Standards in form and
content, The School for
Creative Studies may
revised these annual
goals and targets to
better align with student
performance and state
AMOs.

LEA Application 1003(g)
Increase the number of subgroups meeting or exceeding Annual Measurable
Objectives (AMOs) to 75%.
Attendance Goals:
 Increase the student daily attendance rates to 95%.
 Decrease the student truancy rate to <10% of the student population with 10 or
more absences.
 Decrease the average number of teacher absences to less than 10 per teacher, per
year.
Behavior Goals:
 Decrease the short-term student suspension rate to <10.0%
Program Goals:
 Ensure at least twenty Artist-in-Residence partnerships are established each year (1
per quarter in each specialty area)
 Expand community and business partnerships by 10% each year, building upon the
2013-2014 baseline.
Measurable Objectives
Ensure the SCS provides
all faculty and staff with
rigorous, differentiated,
on-going professional
development experiences
that deepen teachers’
skill level and translate
into improved student
achievement levels.
Parent and Family Goals:
 Increase the attendance at parent education events by 10% each year, building upon
the 2013-2014 baseline.
 Conduct a needs assessment with key stakeholders during 2013-2014 to determine
the focus of and prioritize projects for family and community volunteer
involvement.
Person(s)
Implementation Steps
Periodic Evaluation
Timeline
Responsible
Develop a professional
 Professional
 Principal
 June
development plan that
Development Plan
2013
aligns school documents
 Assistant
(e.g., the SIP, magnet
 My Learning Plan
Principal
plan, turnaround plan)
documented
with the identified needs
 Instructional
opportunities
of the school.
Facilitator

Session
agendas
Organize technology
 Instructional
professional

Session
sign-ins
Technology
development sessions
Facilitator
that focus on the
 Session
meaningful integration
of various technology
evaluations
 RtI/PBIS
platforms (e.g., laptops)
Data
into content, specialty,
 Teacher
Analyst
and support are daily
observation/
instruction.
evaluation data
 Contracted
trainers
Provide training in
 Teacher Working
content-area literacy
Conditions Survey  Faculty and
instructional skills to
staff
ensure all teachers are

Student
supporting students
achievement data
reading, writing,
speaking, and listening
development.
Utilize Habits of Mind
30
Public Schools of North Carolina
LEA Application 1003(g)
trainings to create a
common vocabulary of
highly-effective
practices to be embodied
by faculty, staff, and
students.
Collaborate through
faulty trainings,
Professional Learning
Communities, and
individual training
sessions to provide
specific professional
development around data
collection, analysis, and
data-driven decision
making in the SCS.
Measurable Objectives
Implementation Steps
Organize school-based
efforts around the
creative studies focus to
provide real-world
experiences to students
through the Artist-inResidence Program,
internship/externship
opportunities, and
integrated curriculum.
Recruit an Artist-in
Residence Coordinator
to identify and solicit
local experts in creative
fields to partner with the
SCS around their skill
set.
Form partnerships with
local businesses/
community partners to
identify local and
regional opportunities
for SCS students to
participate in internship/
externship experiences
around their specific
areas of interest.
Utilize the Common
Core, NC Essential
Standards, and the
school’s four “C” focus
to develop integrated and
aligned lessons that
tackle real-world
problems and require
students to utilize higher
order thinking skills.
Measurable Objectives
Implementation Steps
Recruit and hire a
highly-qualified
Instructional Technology
Develop an aligned
technology professional
development plan that
Periodic Evaluation

Artist-inResidence Program
goals

Artist-inResidence
participant
feedback and
evaluations

Teacher feedback

Student feedback

Documented
internship/
externship
opportunities

Lesson plans

PLC notes

Student
achievement data

Teacher
observations
Periodic Evaluation

Professional
Development Plan
Person(s)
Responsible
 Artist-inResidence
Coordinator

Principal

Assistant
Principal

Instructional
Facilitator

Teachers
Person(s)
Responsible
 Technology
Facilitator
Timeline

July
2013
Timeline

July
2013
31
Public Schools of North Carolina
Facilitator to provide
professional
development,
hardware/software
support, and collaborate
with teachers around the
integration of technology
into daily instruction.
LEA Application 1003(g)
support individual
teachers’ level of need
around technology.

Session agendas

Principal

Session sign-ins

Provide guidance,
documentation and
support around the
selection and ordering of
high-quality, standardsbased technology
resources and materials.

Assistant
Principal
Session
evaluations

Instructional
Facilitator

Teachers

Collaborate with
teachers and students to
develop an
understanding of how
various technology
platforms can be used to
identify, research, and
solve real-world
problems.

Teacher feedback
Media
Coordinator

Student feedback

Teacher Working
Conditions Survey
Measurable Objectives
Implementation Steps
Up-fit the existing media
center to create a
Cybrary where students,
faculty, and staff can
access aligned, quality
text and interactive web
resources to expand and
enhance learning
opportunities.
Identify media resources
(e.g., texts, web sources,
electronic materials) that
need to be purchased to
translate the current
media center to a
secondary media center.
Collaborate with faculty
and staff to identify a
collection of electronic,
web-based, primary
source resources that can
be utilized by students
and staff to enhance
learning.
Purchase technology
hardware (e.g., eBooks)
to support the
development of a
technology literate
school community.
Implement professional
development sessions
around purchased
resources to ensure
faculty and staff are
familiar with the tools at
the SCS.

Teacher
observations/
evaluations
Periodic Evaluation
Person(s)
Responsible
 Media
Coordinator

Documentation of
Cybrary resources

The North
Carolina School
Report Card

Instructional
Technology
Facilitator

Teacher Working
Conditions Survey

Instructional
Faciliator

Teacher
observations/
evaluations

Teachers

Principal

Assistant
Principal

Session agendas

Session sign-ins

Session
evaluations

Purchase orders

Media “check-out”
logs

Electronic use
tracking data

Student
achievement data
Timeline

June
2013
32
Public Schools of North Carolina
Measurable Objectives
Create a school
improvement team in
alignment with district
bylaws to complete a
comprehensive needs
assessment, develop an
aligned school
improvement plan, and
monitor its
implementation
throughout the school
year.
Implementation Steps
Elect members of the
school improvement
team (SIT) to include
administrators, faculty,
staff, parents, and
community members.
Collaborate to collect
achievement, process,
demographic, and
perception data to
complete a
comprehensive needs
assessment.
Develop a school
improvement plan that
aligns with the work of
the school and the
identified needs of
incoming students.
Set a regular meeting
schedule to monitor and
revise, if necessary, the
current school
improvement plan.
Measurable Objectives
Develop an aligned
master schedule that
provides for horizontal
and vertical collaborative
planning opportunities
through PLCs.
LEA Application 1003(g)
Periodic Evaluation


Comprehensive
needs assessment
and supporting
data
School
improvement plan
(SIP)

SIP meeting
agendas

SIP meeting
schedule

SIP meeting
minutes

SIP amendments

Student
achievement data
Person(s)
Responsible
 Principal

Assistant
Principal

SIT chair

SIT
members
Utilize allotments from
the Human Resources
Department, funding
sources, and incoming
student data to identify
teacher and student
placements.

Master schedule
Person(s)
Responsible
 Principal

Teacher feedback


Assistant
Principal
Student feedback


SIT
PLC notes
Create the core
curriculum schedule to
ensure each child is
enrolled in the required
middle school/high
school classes.

Student schedules
Implementation Steps
Periodic Evaluation
Timeline

Spring
2013
Timeline

Spring
2013
Organize the elective
schedule to fit the needs
of each student cohort
and class.
Ensure the master
schedule provides
horizontal and vertical
collaborative PLC
planning times.
33
Public Schools of North Carolina
Measurable Objectives
Recruit and hire a
RtI/PBIS Data Analyst to
lead training, analysis,
and utilization efforts
around academic,
behavioral, process, and
procedure data to meet
the identified needs of
students.
Measurable Objectives
Develop a planning and
support structure for
extended student
learning opportunities
including student
enrollment, attendance,
curriculum and
instruction,
transportation, meals,
and support services
(e.g., intersession camps,
afterschool clubs,
extended school year
programs).
LEA Application 1003(g)
Implementation Steps
Periodic Evaluation
Person(s)
Responsible
 RtI/PBIS
Data
Analyst
Develop an aligned
professional
development plan that
support individual
teachers’ level of need
around data collection,
analysis, and use.

Data records

Student
achievement data


Principal
Intervention/
enrichment plans

Collaborate with faculty
and staff to create a
PBIS plan that is design
to reinforce positive
behaviors and increase
the amount of
instructional time.

Assistant
Principal
Student behavior
data

Instructional
Facilitator

Teachers

SIT chair
Ensure the continuous
use of data through the
SIT, PLCs, and faculty
meetings.

PLC notes

SIT minutes

Faculty meeting
minutes
Implementation Steps
Identify a process for
how students will be
identified and recruited
for participation in
extended learning
opportunities.
Recruit highly-effective
teachers to support
intensive, differentiated
instruction.
Collaborate with the
transportation and child
nutrition department to
secure bus transportation
and meals for students
enrolled in extended
learning sessions.
Periodic Evaluation

Enrollment/
attendance data

Common
assessment data

Student
achievement data

Teacher feedback

Student feedback

Lesson
observations/
Person(s)
Responsible
 Principal

Assistant
Principal

RtI/PBIS
Data
Analyst

Instructional
Facilitator

Teachers
Timeline

July
2013
Timeline

Summer
2013
Track students’ progress
to identify which
extended learning
opportunities are most
effective for growing
students’ learning.
Measurable Objectives
Employ a Parent
Coordinator to headline
school efforts around
effective parent
Implementation Steps
Streamline parent
engagement efforts
around national best
practice models.
Periodic Evaluation

Parent attendance
data
Person(s)
Responsible
 Parent
Coordinator
Timeline

July
2013
34
Public Schools of North Carolina
engagement strategies
and to provide support to
teachers around
involving parents in their
child’s education
through trainings,
workshops, data
meetings, and student
conferences.
Develop a plan to offer
on-going and continuous
programming
opportunities to families
around identified areas
of need.
Collaborate with the
social worker and
guidance counselor to set
up the school as a
resource for parents and
families in need.
LEA Application 1003(g)

Parent evaluations

Teachers

Parents surveys

Principal

Teacher Working
Conditions Survey

Assistant
Principal

Parent
Involvement
Policy

Annual Review
Ensure families have
multiple measures of
communication and are
encouraged to participate
in their child’s
educational experience.
Measurable Objectives
Implementation Steps
Periodic Evaluation
Collaborate with the
school social worker,
guidance counselor, and
Parent Coordinator to
identify strategies and
practices to increase
student daily attendance
rates.
Track students’ daily
attendance to identify atrisk students.

Attendance data

Truancy data
Provide a support
structure to identify how
chronically absent/tardy
students can be
supported by the school.

North Carolina
School Report
Card
Explore truancy court
options with DPS.
Develop follow-up
procedures for teachers
and staff when students
have missed a set
number of days.
Measurable Objectives
Implementation Steps
Follow the HR schedule
to ensure all teachers are
observed and evaluated
on a rigorous and regular
basis using the North
Carolina Teacher
Evaluation Rubric.
Collaborate with HR to
identify teachers’
licensure levels and
renewal cycle to ensure
all teachers receive the
appropriate number of
observations/evaluations.
Develop a schedule of
peer observations.
Periodic Evaluation

Evaluation
schedule

Evaluation data

Support plans

Action plans

Student
Person(s)
Responsible
 Parent
Coordinator

Social
worker

Guidance
counselor

NC Wise
Manager

Teachers

Principal

Assistant
Principal
Person(s)
Responsible
 Principal

Assistant
Principal

Peer
observers
Timeline

Summer
2013
Timeline

July
2013
35
Public Schools of North Carolina
Divide the number of
formal observations
between the
administrative team to
allow teachers to receive
targeted feedback from a
variety of sources and
viewpoints.
LEA Application 1003(g)
achievement data

Teacher feedback
Place teachers not
meeting minimum
performance
expectations on support
and/or action plans.
Measurable Objectives
Organize and streamline
technical assistance to
the SCS from Central
Office (Area
Superintendent, Area
Facilitator, CIA, Support
Services, Title I) and
DPI.
Implementation Steps
Identify points of
support from various
Central Office
departments.
Collaborate with DPI to
identify the
Transformation Coach,
Priority School contact,
and DPI content area
support.
Determine a schedule
and process for
identifying areas of need
for the SCS that can be
supported by DPS and
DPI.
Monitoring Plan:
Periodic Evaluation

School
documentation
Person(s)
Responsible
 DPS

DPI
Central Office
documentation

Principal

DPS reports

Teachers

DPI reports

DPS schedules

DPI schedules

Timeline

Spring
2013
The School for Creative Studies Turnaround Plan will be monitored
using multiple means and progress monitoring measures to ensure the
school will be prepared to meet annual goals and objectives. At the
school level, the implementation and monitoring of the plan will be
completed by the school improvement team. The team will regularly
review data and information around measurable objectives and
implementation steps to identify what needs to be checked, reviewed,
and/or modified to ensure the school is on target to meet student and
school needs. The administrative team will be responsible for observing
and evaluating all teachers using the North Carolina Teacher Evaluation
Rubric as well through continuous walkthroughs during the school year.
Students will be monitored on a regular basis using both school and
district formative assessments to drive instruction and to provide parents
with information regarding the skills and standards their child has
mastered. Parent engagement will be monitored at the school level
through parent attendance at training and continuous programming
events as well as through parent surveys and evaluations.
At the district level, support will be provided through the Area
36
Public Schools of North Carolina
LEA Application 1003(g)
Superintendent, the Curriculum, Instruction, & Assessment team,
directors, and specialists, the Office of Title I, and the Magnet Director.
Through the school’s identification, key indicators will be identified,
monitored, and measured by the North Carolina Department of Public
Instruction through the Indistar school improvement online tool and
through on-site monitoring visits.
Through these various checks and balances, feedback and information
will be provided to The School for Creative Studies that can be
incorporated into the school’s improvement plans to measure and
monitor school-level change and ensure a climate and culture of high
expectations for student learning and achievement.
SECTION E: Budget
The LEA must include a budget that indicates the amount of school improvement funds the LEA will
use each year to implement the selected model in each Priority School it commits to serve including
proposed pre-implementation activities; and conduct LEA-level activities designed to support
implementation of the selected school intervention models in the LEA’s Priority Schools.
Notes:
1. Funds for years 2 and 3 of SIG implementation are dependent upon the receipt of additional 1003(g) SIG funds from the
U.S. Department of Education (ED).
2. Any funding for activities during pre-implementation period must be included in the first year of the LEA’s three-year
budget plan.
3. An LEA’s budget must cover the period of availability, including any extension granted through a waiver, and be of sufficient
size and scope to implement the selected school intervention model in each Priority School the LEA commits to serve.
4. An LEA’s budget for each year may not exceed the number of schools it commits to serve multiplied by $2,000,000.
5. The SEA will determine whether to renew an LEA’s SIG grant if one or more schools within the LEA are not meeting the goals
identified for the interventions an LEA is implementing, student achievement outcomes, and leading indicators as described in
the Assurances.
School Funds Requested
Name of School: Chewning Middle
Intervention Model: Turnaround
School/The School for Creative Studies
Activities for Intervention Model
Year 1
Year 2
Year 3
Total
1. Artist-in-Residence &
Internship/Externship Coordinator
$74,000.00
$76,000.00
$78,000.00
$228,000.00
2. Artist-in-Residence Program
$10,000.00
$10,000.00
$10,000.00
$30,000.00
3. RTI/PBIS Data Analyst
$76,175.00
$77,175.00
$78,175.00
$231,525.00
4. Parent Facilitator/Coordinator
$43,400.00
$43,400.00
$43,400.00
$130,200.00
5. Internship/Externship Coordinator
$0.00
$0.00
$74,000.00
$74,000.00
6. Contracted Services (e.g., professional
development)
$100,000.00
$100,000.00
$100,000.00
$300,000.00
7. Professional Development Contracted
Services
$100,000.00
$100,000.00
$100,000.00
$300,000.00
8. Afterschool Enrichment Clubs
$100,000.00
$150,000.00
$200,000.00
$450,000.00
9. Intersession Camps
$200,000.00
$250,000.00
$250,000.00
$700,000.00
10. Cybrary Materials & Supplies
$80,000.00
$25,000.00
$25,000.00
$10,000.00
$130,000.00
$115,000.00
37
Public Schools of North Carolina
LEA Application 1003(g)
11. Technology
$275,000.00
$210,000.00
$210,000.00
$190,000.00
$695,000.00
$675,000.00
12. Parent Involvement
$80,000.00
$80,000.00
$80,000.00
$240.000.00
13. Professional Development Workshop
Expenses
$115,000.00
$125,000.00
$128,000.00
$368,000.00
14. Technology Instructional Support
$75,000.00
$75,000.00
$75,000.00
$225,000.00
15. Technology Hardware Support
$75,000.00
$79,000.00
$80,000.00
$234,000.00
16. Recruitment Incentives
$15,000.00
$7,500.00
$7,500.00
$30,000.00
$1,418,575.00
$1,408,075.00
$1,539,075.00
$4,365,725.00
$2,500,000.00
$839,000.00
$821,000.00
$838,000.00
$2,498,000.00
School Totals
Revised School Total
SECTION F: Consultation
As appropriate, the LEA must consult with relevant stakeholders regarding the LEA’s application
and implementation of school improvement models in its Priority schools. Provide a description of
stakeholder involvement in the development of this application.
Consultation Activities
Committee/Team Members
Meeting Dates
The Chewning Middle School team met on a regular
basis throughout the 2012-2013 school year to assess
the school’s progress and implement interventions
aligned with the school’s Turnaround Model. The
school’s work can be seen in the pre-implementation
activities as well as in the Indistar online school
planning tool and the support collected evidence
documentation.
Chewning Middle School
Team: Crystal Isom-Adu,
Robin Derr, Amy Wolf,
Nell Cordones, Michelle
Thompson, Julie Spencer,
Kate MacDonell, Angela
Green
The School for Creative Studies team met on a regular
basis through the 2012-2103 school year to plan for the
school magnet program’s implementation and to
support the program’s goals. The work of this team can
be seen in the school’s plan for the 2013-2014 school
year as well as document through the additional
interventions outlined in the School Improvement
Grant. The School for Creative Studies will continue to
detail its performance as measured against the key
indicators found on the Indistar online planning tool.
The School for Creative
Studies Team: Renee
Price, Margaret
Henderson, Mary Tanski,
Mary Casey, Rita
Rathbone, Laurell
Malone, Kate MacDonell
9/6/12
9/25/12
10/1/12
10/27/12
11/7/12
11/19/12
11/27/12
12/4/12
12/18/12
1/3/13
1/15/13
2/12/13
2/14/13
2/26/13
3/12/13
3/14/13
3/21/13
3/29/13
4/10/13
**Dates are included for
both teams.
38
Public Schools of North Carolina
LEA Application 1003(g)
Appendix A
Sample Durham Public Schools Recruitment & Retention Incentive Plan
Durham Public Schools
Teachers of Power
Incentive Plan for Y.E. Smith
Elementary and Hillside High
School
February 9, 2012
39
Public Schools of North Carolina
LEA Application 1003(g)
Durham Public Schools
Teacher Incentive Project for Hillside High & YE Smith
Elementary Schools
Goal:
The goal of the DPS Teachers of Power (TOP) Incentive program is to recruit,
retain and reward effective teachers thus increasing student achievement in highneed schools.
Beliefs
Durham Public Schools believes that:
 the most important factor influencing student achievement is the teacher;
 strengthening the district’s workforce will lead to increased student
achievement;
 all students deserve to be taught by highly skilled and effective teachers;
our most fragile students cannot thrive without them;
 research-based practices shown to be effective in attracting and retaining
a highly skilled workforce in high-needs schools need to be
operationalized; and
 teachers have the power to educate at high levels, motivate, and inspire
future generations.
Description of Incentive Project
The DPS TOP Project is designed to increase educator effectiveness and
student growth in high-needs DPS TOP schools by providing incentives of
sufficient size to influence the decisions and behaviors of teachers, principals
and other school personnel to go to and/or remain at a DPS TOP school. The
incentives are organized into three major categories: recruitment; individual
performance; and school-wide performance. This project is currently funded by
the US Department of Education School Improvement Grant (SIG).
Recruitment Incentives
Recruitment incentives are designed to attract and retain personnel with a proven
track record of effectiveness and in hard-to-staff areas. These hard-to-staff areas
and/or tested subjects include: mathematics, science, English and Exceptional
Children (EC). This incentive is a one-time spot bonus that is paid out during the
life of the grant. Employees who accept the bonus must commit to remain at the
school at least three (3) years.
Individual Performance Incentives
Performance incentives are designed to significantly recognize individuals and
schools who achieve challenging levels of student growth. Individual incentives
40
Public Schools of North Carolina
LEA Application 1003(g)
are based on high student growth as measured by the NC ABC’s Accountability
Model. This incentive is paid out annually during the life of the grant.
School-Wide Incentives
School-wide incentives are designed to recognize all other members of a school
staff (non-tested areas) who contribute to student growth. This incentive is
based on high school-wide growth data as measured by the NC ABC’s
Accountability Model.
Baseline Measures of Effectiveness
Ranked at PROFICIENT or higher in all
standards on the summative evaluation
NC ABCs Accountability Model school ranking
of HIGH individual or school growth
Teacher of
a Tested
Subject
Teacher of
a NonTested
Subject
All Other
Employee
s
Principal
Effectiveness Measures








DPS TOP Performance Incentives for YE Smith Elementary School
Incentive
Individual
Performance
(tested
areas)
School-wide
High Growth
High Growth
Group
A
Group
B
Group
C
Group
D
Group
E
$1,500.00
or
$2,000.00 $1,500.00 $1,000.00 $1,000.00 $500.00
Key:
Group A: Principals
Group B: Assistant Principals
Group C: 4th-5th Teachers, 9-12 English I & II, Common Core Math I (formerly
Algebra) & Biology
Group D: Other Licensed Faculty
Group E: Classified Staff
41
Public Schools of North Carolina
LEA Application 1003(g)
DPS TOP Performance Incentives for Hillside High School
Incentive
One – time spot
Recruitment bonus for
teachers/principal
s with 2+ years of
high growth data
or record of
success
Individual
Performanc
High Growth
e (tested
areas)
School-wide
High Growth
Group
A
Group
B
Group
C
$7,500.0
0
$2,500.0
0
$2,500.0
0
Group
D
Group
E
$1,000.0
0
$500.0
0
$1,500.0
0
or
$4,500.0
0
$2,000.0
0
$1,000.0
0
Key:
Group A: Principals
Group B: Assistant Principals
Group C: 4th-5th Teachers, 9-12 English I & II, Common Core Math I (formerly
Algebra) & Biology
Group D: Other Licensed Faculty
Group E: Classified Staff
Eligibility Guidelines
The guidelines listed below will be used in identifying eligible staff.
 Permanent DPS employees are eligible to receive the retention incentives
(no contracted temporary or interim staff).
 Teachers or instructional staff must work (report for duty) a minimum of
120 days in a given year.
 Itinerant staff may be compensated based on the percentage of time
assigned to a school.
 Teacher assistants, custodians and school-based child nutrition and office
support staffs are eligible. The compensation will be prorated based on
the percentage of time assigned.
 Certified staff members who receive recruitment incentives must enter into
an agreement to remain at the school for at least three (3) years or agree
to refund the district in sum or at a prorated rate given time employed if
the agreements are breached.
The one-time recruitment bonuses will be dispensed during the initial hiring
period. Retention incentives will be paid at the conclusion of the school year
upon the receipt of assessment results.
42
Public Schools of North Carolina

LEA Application 1003(g)
The following categories of staff are not eligible to receive the incentives:
substitute or long term substitute teachers; before and after school staff;
and bus drivers/monitors.
Teachers of Power (TOP) Incentive Program
Performance Incentive Cost Projections
Position
Description
Principal
Assistant Principal
4th/5th Grade Teachers
(growth data
available)
Other Licensed
Faculty
Classified Staff
Subtotal
Total
Position
Description
YE Smith Elementary School
Number
Individual
Individual
of
High
High
Positions
Growth
Growth
Amount
Total
1
1
6
$1500*
$9000
33
25
School
wide High
Growth
School
wide High
Growth
Total
$2000
$1500
$1000*
$2000
$1500
$0
$1000
$33,000
$500
$12,500
$49,000
$58,000
School
wide High
Growth
School
wide High
Growth
Total
$4500
$12,000
$0
$9000
Hillside High School
Number
Individual
Individual
of
High
High
Positions
Growth
Growth
Amount
Total
1
6
31.5
$1500*
$47,250
Principal
$4500
Assistant Principal
$2000
English I & II, Math,
$1000*
Biology*
Other Licensed
67.3
$1000
$67,300
Faculty
Classified Staff
30
$500
$15,000
Subtotal
$47,250
$98,800
Total
$146,050
Total Costs for Both Schools
$204,050
Please Note: *Individual performance recipients will receive either the
high growth or school-wide incentive, whichever is higher but not both.
43
Public Schools of North Carolina
LEA Application 1003(g)
Additionally, all certified YE Smith and Hillside High staff members are
also eligible to receive a high growth bonus of $1500 from Race to the Top
(RttT) funds. For example, a teacher in a tested area with growth data
may receive up to $3,000.00 for high student growth results.
Teachers of Power (TOP) Incentive Program
Recruitment Incentive Cost Projections for Hillside High School
The recruitment incentive is a one-time spot bonus designed to attract
teachers/principals with 2+ years of high growth data or demonstrated
record of success.
Position
Description
Principal
Assistant Principal
English I, II
Common Core Math
Biology
EC
Hillside High School
One-time Recruitment
Bonus Amount
$7,500
$2,500
$2,500
$2,500
$2,500
$2,500
Total
Allocation
$7,500
$2,500
$25,000
$12,500
$12,500
$12,500
$72,500
44