GuilfordCountySchools
MissionPossible
TheGuilfordCountrySchools(GCS)MissionPossible(MP)planwasdesignedtoattractthemostqualifiedadministratorsandteachersatthemosthighlyimpactedschools,increasestudentachievement,andrewardteachersandadministratorswhoworkinparticipatingschoolsthatmeetadequateyearlyprogress(AYP)andstategoals.Theprogramisafinancialrecruitment/retentionincentivebasedonschoollevelandsubjectmattertaught.
NeedsAssessmentResultsandGeneralInformation
GCShasmorethan68,800studentsand9,600employeesin112schoolsofwhichonly49madeAYPin2004-05.GCSqualifiesasahigh-needlocaleducationauthoritybasedonthenumberofchildrenwholiveinpoverty(48percentreceivefree/reduced-pricelunch(FRPL)and11,280childrenbetweentheagesof5-17liveinpoverty)aswellasthepercentageofteachersteachingwithanemergencyorprovisionallicense(average of 4 percent elementary,5 percentmiddle,7percenthighschool).Theturnoverratewasbetween23-25percentatallschoollevels.Fiftypercentofprincipalshavelessthan3yearsofexperience;only15percenthavemorethan10years.Oftheschoolsparticipatingintheexpandedprogram,onlyoneoftheschoolsmadeAYPin2004-05;allhaveFRPLpercentagesover60percent andarecomprised ofatleast70percentminoritystudents.
Background
GCSbeganusingvalue-addeddatawithWilliamSandersandSASInstitutein2000andwillusethesedataforthenewMPprogram.BeforetheTeacherIncentive Fund (TIF)grant,GCSapproved andfunded theimplementationofMPfor20schoolsinthe2006-07school year.GCScurrentlydifferentiatesthesalariesofbeginningteachers,specialeducationteachers,andcareerandtechnicalteachers.NorthCarolinaalreadyawardsteachersandprincipalswithbonusesof$750ifstudentsintheirschoolshow1year’sgrowthand $1,500inexcessofthat.
Incentives
Incentivesincludeprofessionaldevelopment,recruitmentandretentionbonuses,andperformanceincentives.Theyareavailabletokindergartenthroughsecond-gradeteachers;third-througheighth-gradeteachersofmath,languagearts,orreading;highschoolmathandEnglishteachers; and principals.Teacherswill beeligibletoreceiveaperformance incentivebasedupontheirvalue-addedscores.AdministratorswillbeeligibletoreceiveaperformanceincentivebasedupontheschoolmeetingAYPandstandardsestablishedbyNorth Carolina’sABCsof PublicEducationprogram.Potentialretention/recruitmentincentivesforteachersandprincipalsrangefrom$2,500-$10,000.Performance-basedincentivesforteachersandprincipalsrangefrom$2,500-$5,000.
Evaluation
Asnotedabove,teachersandadministratorswillreceivecompensationbasedonvalue-addeddata,AYP,andstateABCstandards.Toevaluatetheprogram’sprofessionaldevelopment,staffwillparticipatein360degreefeedbackandskill-basedtraining.GCSwillcontractwiththeSERVECenterattheUniversityofNorthCarolina-Greensborotoconducttheprogramevaluation.Itwillprovidebothformativeandsummativeevaluations,measureoutcomes,and help streamlinethesystemofstaffassessment.
Resources
FundsfromTIFwillsupportexpandedprograms,includingincentive payandprofessionaldevelopment,forsevenadditionalschoolsin2007-08,stipendsforteachersparticipatinginMPprofessionaldevelopment,aprojectdirector,andanoutsideevaluator.GCSsupportstheregular MP program(more than $1.5million),as wellsignificantprofessionaldevelopmentopportunities.Afterthegrantperiod,GCSexpectsitsboardofeducationtocontinueitssupportoftheprogram.
Data Systems
GCShasanexistingdatabasewithvalue-addeddatacalculatedbySASthatteachers,principals,andadministratorscan access to review the value-addedscoresofindividualteachersorschools.Dataonindividualstudents,schools,andthedistrictcanbeaccessedonthecentralizedeScholardatabase.GCShascompletedmostoftheimplementationofthiswarehouse,whichincludesstudentdemographics,testinginformation,andotherpertinentdata.Detailedteacherinformationwillbeadded.