The goal of this study was to determine the impact of data-driven teams on student learning, collaborative practice, and school culture. The participants in the study were the data-driven team members from four middle schools in a North Carolina county. The study used EOG test results in 6-8 reading and math from before implementation to after…

In 2016, Wake County Public School System (WCPSS) senior leadership determined that students were not consistently engaged with content, instruction, or tasks that support the specific instructional shifts in the North Carolina State Standards and 4Cs (communication, collaboration, critical thinking, and creativity). After an internal review…

The Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) provides professional development to teachers in the instructional strategies of the Literacy Design Collaborative (LDC) and the Mathematics Design Collaborative (MDC). This professional development provides time for teachers to receive out-of-class guided instruction in planning assignments that engage…

One of the 16 core beliefs of middle level thinking is that schools and families must work together on behalf of every young adolescent (National Middle School Association, 2010). However, in classrooms and on curriculum nights, communication emerges as a critical issue. This is especially true when it comes to teachers' interacting with Latino…

Incorporating bike skills into the elementary- and middle-school physical education curriculum encourages students to be physically active in a fun way while also learning bike safety skills. Winston-Salem's (NC) Safe Routes to School program demonstrates how collaboration with the public schools' health and physical education program can…

TechMath is a professional development program that forms collaborations among businesses, colleges, and schools for the purpose of promoting Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) careers. TechMath has provided strategies for creating highquality professional development by bringing together teachers, students, and business…

High-quality professional development for public school teachers is directly tied to student achievement, teacher quality and retention, and national education priorities (Kroeger et al. 2000). To stay current with the knowledge, skills, and expertise that students need to succeed in the twenty-first century, educators must increasingly retool…

The purpose of this single case study is to describe and document the implementation of a 1:1 laptop program for a middle school with a unique school-university partnership. The goal of this study is two-fold; one being to describe the implementation of a 1:1 laptop program and to document the lessons learned in leading a 1:1 laptop program. This…

This qualitative study examined the perceptions of the school library media specialists and teachers in middle schools in two school districts located in North Carolina. The study investigated the flexible access and school collaboration aspects of the IMPACT grant from the North Carolina Department of Education. The results of the study derived…

This article discusses how one school system achieved districtwide technology integration through an ongoing professional development (PD) program that encouraged its teachers to learn and lead together. In an effort to prepare students of Kannapolis (North Carolina) City Schools for success in the 21st century, the author, together with three…

It's winter! While it is frosty outside, one can at least think warm thoughts by starting now to plan ahead for summer information literacy programs. This article is designed to provide some ideas for planning next summer's reading, sleuthing, and research programs. It features a variety of programs organized by academic librarians this past…

For almost twenty-five years, North Carolina State University has helped to coordinate a state-wide Mathematics and Science Education Network Pre-College Program that serves disadvantaged youth in grades six through twelve. The university-school partnership includes middle school and high school academic enrichment in math, science, and…

Career exploration continues to be the focus of the middle school program in career development and is part of North Carolina's Standard Course of Study. The national experience suggests that the sequential, comprehensive delivery of career development competencies can be easily and effectively accomplished through counselor-teacher collaboration.…

The students who have the most difficulty reaching accountability standards in Wake County Public Schools are those with more than one of the following characteristics: recipients of free or reduced-price lunch, students with disabilities, and/or students with limited English proficiency. The Evaluation and Research Department identified…