Overcoming Barriers to Student Success

Based on 2017 data, of the over 2,600 public schools in North Carolina, 505 of them are currently designated as low-performing according to data from the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction’s accountability system (that’s an increase of 16 schools since 2015-16 school year). Over a quarter of a million students are enrolled in these schools. This means that roughly one out of every five schools in our state is classified as low-performing and does not meet expected student outcomes. Over the past few years, the number of low-performing schools has increased, which deepens the challenge facing students in our state who are already not performing at grade-level in reading and math. It’s a troubling trend that should concern everyone.

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ISD Superintendent

In July 2019, Dr. James C. Ellerbe rejoined the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI) as the Superintendent of the Innovative School District (ISD). As ISD Superintendent, Dr. Ellerbe leverages his professional work experiences and successes in improving student achievement to provide quality educational opportunities for students.

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School Selection Process

Consideration for the ISD is initiated by the ISD Superintendent, upon an annual review of school performance data qualifying schools for the 2019-20 school year will be identified in September 2018.

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Operator Application Process

The Innovative School District will be seeking qualified operators for schools identified and transferred into the district in the coming years. The operator application process for the 2019/2020 school year is expected to open later in 2018 with the review and approval steps expected in early 2019.

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