In an ambitious effort to uplift educational standards, particularly in math and career-readiness, North Carolina is set to see a significant transformation in some of its middle schools. The Golden LEAF Foundation, in coordination with North Carolina's Department of Public Instruction and Marzano Resources, has selected fifteen middle schools across the state to partake in the Golden LEAF Schools Initiative. This five-year program, supported by a massive $25 million investment, aims at introducing innovative educational strategies targeted at bolstering school performance.
Speaking to the heart of this initiative, State Superintendent Maurice "Mo" Green expressed, "The Golden LEAF Schools Initiative is a powerful first step toward our goal of ensuring that North Carolina’s public schools are the best in the nation,” as per the announcement on NCDPI's website. Green's vision is one where investment in middle school math instruction, particularly in rural and economically challenged communities, forms the educational bedrock for college readiness, thriving careers, and ongoing community engagement.
Two distinct cohorts have been created within the initiative: the Transformative Schools Cohort (TS) and the Personalized, Competency-Based Education Cohort (PCBE). The former will focus on the Marzano High Reliability Schools (HRS) Framework along with the Open Up Resources Problem-Based Math Curriculum. The latter is poised to assist schools ready to transition towards Competency-Based Education (CBE), an approach that tailors teaching and learning to the individual pace and abilities of students.
Among the selected schools is Bertie Middle School in Bertie County, East Rutherford Middle School in Rutherford County and nine others in the TS cohort. The PCBE cohort includes Dunn Middle School in Harnett County, Waynesville Middle School in Haywood County, and three others. Selection was not a matter of chance, schools faced a rigorous application and evaluation process that involved interviews with key stakeholders including the district superintendent, school principal, and district office curriculum and instruction leaders. The goal of such a thorough process is to ensure that only the most prepared and committed schools take part.
Celebrating the collaboration, Golden LEAF's president and CEO Scott T. Hamilton stated, according to the NCDPI's website, “Golden LEAF is proud to fund this bold, collborative effort to improve student outcomes and build a stronger future for our state,” According to Hamilton, the initiatives aimed at middle schools will not only elevate academic achievements in essential areas like math but will also lay the groundwork for enhanced career readiness and sustained economic health in North Carolina's rural communities.
