A Collaborative Education Initiative

Davie County Schools and The Mebane Charitable Foundation

Dr. Darrin Hartness, Superintendent

Jinda Haynes, Assistant Superintendent for Academic Services

Jennifer Lynde, Director of Curriculum & Instruction

Peggy Nuckolls, Director of Preschools & Title I

Historical Perspective Davie County Schools

• Small district with about 6,400 students

• 12 schools (6 elementary, 3 middle,

1 comprehensive high school, 1 early

college, 1 alternative)

• 4 Title I and 1 Targeted Assistance

Historical Perspective Mebane Challenge

Preschool Project (2004-2008)

• Thirteen licensed preschool classrooms

providing high quality care for 234 students

• 95% of students served by DCS preschools

enter kindergarten without at-risk factors

(vs. 70% of all rising kindergartners)

Historical Perspective

Read to Achieve

Summer Camp (2014-2017)

• Integration of A+ and Hill Center

strategies

• Expanded to 1st and 2nd grades

Historical Perspective

• Updated Letterland materials and

intro/booster training for prek-1st

grade

• Hill-RAP and Hill-WRITE training

and devices for selected 1st and

2nd grade teachers

Emerging Readers Project (2016-2017)

Historical Perspective Healthy Davie

(2016-2017)

• A community partnership with a three

pronged approach to improving life in

Davie--education, poverty, and health.

• Added another preschool classroom• No licensed facilities in school zone

• 53% of students entering Pinebrook

Elementary with potential delays

• Now reaching 18 underserved and

economically disadvantaged families

2017 Mebane Round Table • Davie County Schools (Pre-K - 3rd), SmartStart, and

Mebane

• Representative from each elementary school and with

varied perspectives

• Problem: Approximately 30% of students are not

“ready” for kindergarten, and 34% of students are not

proficient in reading at the end of third grade.

• “Peeling the Onion” Protocol

• Brainstorming - How do we “move the needle”?

Gathering input, prioritizing, and building buy-in

• Principals

• Instructional Coaches

• Reading Specialists

• Media Coordinators

• Private Child Care Directors

• SmartStart

Collaboration & Focus Groups

To improve kindergarten readiness

from 70% to 90% by 2022Project Goal #1

Davie County Schools Preschool Programs are sending

95% of their students to kindergarten with no at-risks factors

as reported by our DIAL screening efforts for all rising kindergarteners.

Improve kindergarten readiness from 70% to 90% by 2022

● Creative Curriculum 5

● Gold Online

● Pre-K Letterland Packs

● SEFEL Strategies

Strategic collaboration to improve consistency in curriculum

Improve kindergarten readiness from 70% to 90% by 2022

● Professional development, with

modeling and support

● Alignment with Kindergarten Standards

creating a common language and

understanding of what “readiness”

looks like

● Collaborative Teacher/Coach

Strategic collaboration to improve consistency in methods

Improve kindergarten readiness from 70% to 90% by 2022

● Reaching out to all private for-profit and non-profit child care

facilities to include religious preschools

● Incentives for consistent curriculum and assessments

● Pre-K/SmartStart field trips to elementary school sites

Strategic collaboration to improve consistency in

kindergarten readiness

● Updates to Pre-K Mobile Technology for Student Learning

● Strengthened and Sustained Collaboration and Focus with Private and Public Pre-kindergarten

Programs

● Building Capacity and Fidelity with Common Curriculum

● Data-driven Instruction

Yearly PD Focus Areas

Year 1 PLCs, Differentiation, Teaching Strategies GOLD, Creative Curriculum 5

Year 2 Letterland, Mobile Technology, Continued Topics from Year 1

Year 3-5 Continued Focus on All Areas, Training New Hires

5 Year Summary

To improve third grade reading

proficiency from 60% to 80% by 2022Project Goal #2:

Improve third grade reading proficiency from 60% to 80% by 2022

● Letterland Packs (add 2nd

grade) and Continued

Training/Coaching

● HillRAP Devices and Training

Strengthen Instructional Practices

Improve third grade reading proficiency from 60% to 80% by 2022

● Professional Development

○ Topics: PLCs, Differentiation, Balanced Literacy

Approach, Reading Research to Classroom

Practice

○ Includes modeling, observation, and feedback

approach

Build Capacity in Instructional Staff

● Literacy Coaches

● Curriculum Mapping Sessions

Improve third grade reading proficiency from 60% to 80% by 2022

● Guided Reading Rooms

● Media Centers

Update Resources and Materials

5 Year Summary

● Literacy Coach Support

● Letterland Support and Hill Training (Principal-Selected Teachers/TAs)

● Balanced Literacy Approach

● Curriculum Mapping Sessions (Strengthening PLCs and Standards-based Instruction)

● Updates to Guided Reading Collections and Media Centers

Yearly PD Focus Areas

Year 1 PLCs, Differentiation, Growth Mindset, Teacher Directed Reading (Balanced Literacy)

Year 2 Guided Reading (Balanced Literacy), Continued Topics from Year 1

Year 3 Writing Instruction (Balanced Literacy), Continued Topics from Years 1 and 2

Year 4-5 Continued Focus on All Areas, Training New Hires

Where we are…Pre-K Accomplishments

• 12 private licensed and unlicensed

programs participating

• Collaborative trainings with Smart

Start

• Collaborative PLCs

• Consistent and aligned curriculum

• Positive engagement in observations

and field trips

Where we are…Pre-K Challenges

• Timeline (i.e. scheduling field trips)

• Staying connected with SmartStart

• Alignment of daycare licensing

requirements vs. rigor of

kindergarten readiness

Where we are…K-3 Accomplishments

• Building capacity through professional development,

coaching, and modeling

• Growing standards-focused PLCs

• Investing in school-level leadership

• Adjusting to meet schools where they are

• Seeing incremental growth in mid-year TRC &

DIBELS K-3 data

• Highlighting and celebrating the journey

http://www.mebanefoundation.com/category/davie-county-schools/

Where we are…K-3 Challenges

• Resistance to coaching and true PLCs

• Standards-based resources and

materials

• Professional development

• Data organization and analysis

• School level leadership

Questions?