§ 115C‑105.27. Development and approval of school improvement plans.
(a) In order to improvestudent performance, each school shall develop a school improvement plan thattakes into consideration the annual performance goal for that school that isset by the State Board under G.S. 115C‑105.35 and the goals set out inthe mission statement for the public schools adopted by the State Board ofEducation. The principal of each school, representatives of the assistantprincipals, instructional personnel, instructional support personnel, andteacher assistants assigned to the school building, and parents of childrenenrolled in the school shall constitute a school improvement team to develop aschool improvement plan to improve student performance. Representatives of theassistant principals, instructional personnel, instructional support personnel,and teacher assistants shall be elected by their respective groups by secretballot. Unless the local board of education has adopted an election policy,parents shall be elected by parents of children enrolled in the school in anelection conducted by the parent and teacher organization of the school or, ifnone exists, by the largest organization of parents formed for this purpose.Parents serving on school improvement teams shall reflect the racial andsocioeconomic composition of the students enrolled in that school and shall notbe members of the building‑level staff. Parental involvement is acritical component of school success and positive student achievement; therefore,it is the intent of the General Assembly that parents, along with teachers,have a substantial role in developing school improvement plans. To this end,school improvement team meetings shall be held at a convenient time to assuresubstantial parent participation.
All school improvement plansshall be, to the greatest extent possible, data‑driven. Schoolimprovement teams shall analyze student data to identify root causes forproblems and to determine actions to address them. School improvement plansshall contain clear, unambiguous targets, explicit indicators and actualmeasures, and expeditious time frames for meeting the measurement standards.
(b) The strategies forimproving student performance:
(1) Shall include a planfor the use of staff development funds that may be made available to the schoolby the local board of education to implement the school improvement plan. Theplan may provide that a portion of these funds is used for mentor training andfor release time and substitute teachers while mentors and teachers mentoredare meeting;
(1a) Shall, if the schoolserves students in kindergarten or first grade, include a plan for preparingstudents to read at grade level by the time they enter second grade. The planshall require kindergarten and first grade teachers to notify parents orguardians when their child is not reading at grade level and is at risk of notreading at grade level by the time the child enters second grade. The plan mayinclude the use of assessments to monitor students' progress in learning toread, strategies for teachers and parents to implement that will help studentsimprove and expand their reading, and provide for the recognition of teachersand strategies that appear to be effective at preparing students to read at gradelevel;
(2) Shall include a planto address school safety and discipline concerns in accordance with the safeschool plan developed under Article 8C of this Chapter;
(3) May include adecision to use State funds in accordance with G.S. 115C‑105.25;
(4) Shall include a planthat specifies the effective instructional practices and methods to be used toimprove the academic performance of students identified as at risk of academicfailure or at risk of dropping out of school;
(5) May include requestsfor waivers of State laws, rules, or policies for that school. A request for awaiver shall meet the requirements of G.S. 115C‑105.26;
(6) Shall include a planto provide a duty‑free lunch period for every teacher on a daily basis oras otherwise approved by the school improvement team; and
(7) Shall include a planto provide duty‑free instructional planning time for every teacher underG.S. 115C‑301.1, with the goal of providing an average of at least fivehours of planning time per week.
(c) Support among affectedstaff members is essential to successful implementation of a school improvementplan to address improved student performance at that school. The principal ofthe school shall present the proposed school improvement plan to all of theprincipals, assistant principals, instructional personnel, instructionalsupport personnel, and teacher assistants assigned to the school building fortheir review and vote. The vote shall be by secret ballot. The principal shallsubmit the school improvement plan to the local board of education only if theproposed school improvement plan has the approval of a majority of the staffwho voted on the plan.
(d) The local board ofeducation shall accept or reject the school improvement plan. The local boardshall not make any substantive changes in any school improvement plan that itaccepts. If the local board rejects a school improvement plan, the local boardshall state with specificity its reasons for rejecting the plan; the schoolimprovement team may then prepare another plan, present it to the principals,assistant principals, instructional personnel, instructional support personnel,and teacher assistants assigned to the school building for a vote, and submitit to the local board to accept or reject. If no school improvement plan isaccepted for a school within 60 days after its initial submission to the localboard, the school or the local board may ask to use the process to resolvedisagreements recommended in the guidelines developed by the State Board underG.S. 115C‑105.20(b)(5). If this request is made, both the school andlocal board shall participate in the process to resolve disagreements. If thereis no request to use that process, then the local board may develop a schoolimprovement plan for the school. The General Assembly urges the local board toutilize the school's proposed school improvement plan to the maximum extentpossible when developing such a plan.
(e) A schoolimprovement plan shall remain in effect for no more than two years; however,the school improvement team may amend the plan as often as is necessary orappropriate. If, at any time, any part of a school improvement plan becomesunlawful or the local board finds that a school improvement plan is impedingstudent performance at a school, the local board may vacate the relevantportion of the plan and may direct the school to revise that portion. Theprocedures set out in this subsection shall apply to amendments and revisionsto school improvement plans. (1989, c. 778, s. 3; 1991 (Reg. Sess., 1992), c. 900,s. 75.1(b); 1993, c. 38, s. 1; c. 263, s. 2; c. 321, s. 144.2(b); 1995, c. 272,s. 3; c. 450, s. 13; 1995 (Reg. Sess., 1996), c. 716, ss. 2, 3; 1997‑159,s. 1; 1997‑443, s. 8.29(r)(2); 1999‑271, s. 1; 1999‑397, s.1; 2000‑67, s. 8.1; 2001‑424, s. 28.30(c); 2006‑153, s. 1;2009‑223, s. 2.)
§ 115C‑105.27. Development and approval of school improvement plans.
(a) In order to improvestudent performance, each school shall develop a school improvement plan thattakes into consideration the annual performance goal for that school that isset by the State Board under G.S. 115C‑105.35 and the goals set out inthe mission statement for the public schools adopted by the State Board ofEducation. The principal of each school, representatives of the assistantprincipals, instructional personnel, instructional support personnel, andteacher assistants assigned to the school building, and parents of childrenenrolled in the school shall constitute a school improvement team to develop aschool improvement plan to improve student performance. Representatives of theassistant principals, instructional personnel, instructional support personnel,and teacher assistants shall be elected by their respective groups by secretballot. Unless the local board of education has adopted an election policy,parents shall be elected by parents of children enrolled in the school in anelection conducted by the parent and teacher organization of the school or, ifnone exists, by the largest organization of parents formed for this purpose.Parents serving on school improvement teams shall reflect the racial andsocioeconomic composition of the students enrolled in that school and shall notbe members of the building‑level staff. Parental involvement is acritical component of school success and positive student achievement; therefore,it is the intent of the General Assembly that parents, along with teachers,have a substantial role in developing school improvement plans. To this end,school improvement team meetings shall be held at a convenient time to assuresubstantial parent participation.
All school improvement plansshall be, to the greatest extent possible, data‑driven. Schoolimprovement teams shall analyze student data to identify root causes forproblems and to determine actions to address them. School improvement plansshall contain clear, unambiguous targets, explicit indicators and actualmeasures, and expeditious time frames for meeting the measurement standards.
(b) The strategies forimproving student performance:
(1) Shall include a planfor the use of staff development funds that may be made available to the schoolby the local board of education to implement the school improvement plan. Theplan may provide that a portion of these funds is used for mentor training andfor release time and substitute teachers while mentors and teachers mentoredare meeting;
(1a) Shall, if the schoolserves students in kindergarten or first grade, include a plan for preparingstudents to read at grade level by the time they enter second grade. The planshall require kindergarten and first grade teachers to notify parents orguardians when their child is not reading at grade level and is at risk of notreading at grade level by the time the child enters second grade. The plan mayinclude the use of assessments to monitor students' progress in learning toread, strategies for teachers and parents to implement that will help studentsimprove and expand their reading, and provide for the recognition of teachersand strategies that appear to be effective at preparing students to read at gradelevel;
(2) Shall include a planto address school safety and discipline concerns in accordance with the safeschool plan developed under Article 8C of this Chapter;
(3) May include adecision to use State funds in accordance with G.S. 115C‑105.25;
(4) Shall include a planthat specifies the effective instructional practices and methods to be used toimprove the academic performance of students identified as at risk of academicfailure or at risk of dropping out of school;
(5) May include requestsfor waivers of State laws, rules, or policies for that school. A request for awaiver shall meet the requirements of G.S. 115C‑105.26;
(6) Shall include a planto provide a duty‑free lunch period for every teacher on a daily basis oras otherwise approved by the school improvement team; and
(7) Shall include a planto provide duty‑free instructional planning time for every teacher underG.S. 115C‑301.1, with the goal of providing an average of at least fivehours of planning time per week.
(c) Support among affectedstaff members is essential to successful implementation of a school improvementplan to address improved student performance at that school. The principal ofthe school shall present the proposed school improvement plan to all of theprincipals, assistant principals, instructional personnel, instructionalsupport personnel, and teacher assistants assigned to the school building fortheir review and vote. The vote shall be by secret ballot. The principal shallsubmit the school improvement plan to the local board of education only if theproposed school improvement plan has the approval of a majority of the staffwho voted on the plan.
(d) The local board ofeducation shall accept or reject the school improvement plan. The local boardshall not make any substantive changes in any school improvement plan that itaccepts. If the local board rejects a school improvement plan, the local boardshall state with specificity its reasons for rejecting the plan; the schoolimprovement team may then prepare another plan, present it to the principals,assistant principals, instructional personnel, instructional support personnel,and teacher assistants assigned to the school building for a vote, and submitit to the local board to accept or reject. If no school improvement plan isaccepted for a school within 60 days after its initial submission to the localboard, the school or the local board may ask to use the process to resolvedisagreements recommended in the guidelines developed by the State Board underG.S. 115C‑105.20(b)(5). If this request is made, both the school andlocal board shall participate in the process to resolve disagreements. If thereis no request to use that process, then the local board may develop a schoolimprovement plan for the school. The General Assembly urges the local board toutilize the school's proposed school improvement plan to the maximum extentpossible when developing such a plan.
(e) A schoolimprovement plan shall remain in effect for no more than two years; however,the school improvement team may amend the plan as often as is necessary orappropriate. If, at any time, any part of a school improvement plan becomesunlawful or the local board finds that a school improvement plan is impedingstudent performance at a school, the local board may vacate the relevantportion of the plan and may direct the school to revise that portion. Theprocedures set out in this subsection shall apply to amendments and revisionsto school improvement plans. (1989, c. 778, s. 3; 1991 (Reg. Sess., 1992), c. 900,s. 75.1(b); 1993, c. 38, s. 1; c. 263, s. 2; c. 321, s. 144.2(b); 1995, c. 272,s. 3; c. 450, s. 13; 1995 (Reg. Sess., 1996), c. 716, ss. 2, 3; 1997‑159,s. 1; 1997‑443, s. 8.29(r)(2); 1999‑271, s. 1; 1999‑397, s.1; 2000‑67, s. 8.1; 2001‑424, s. 28.30(c); 2006‑153, s. 1;2009‑223, s. 2.)
§ 115C‑105.27. Development and approval of school improvement plans.
(a) In order to improvestudent performance, each school shall develop a school improvement plan thattakes into consideration the annual performance goal for that school that isset by the State Board under G.S. 115C‑105.35 and the goals set out inthe mission statement for the public schools adopted by the State Board ofEducation. The principal of each school, representatives of the assistantprincipals, instructional personnel, instructional support personnel, andteacher assistants assigned to the school building, and parents of childrenenrolled in the school shall constitute a school improvement team to develop aschool improvement plan to improve student performance. Representatives of theassistant principals, instructional personnel, instructional support personnel,and teacher assistants shall be elected by their respective groups by secretballot. Unless the local board of education has adopted an election policy,parents shall be elected by parents of children enrolled in the school in anelection conducted by the parent and teacher organization of the school or, ifnone exists, by the largest organization of parents formed for this purpose.Parents serving on school improvement teams shall reflect the racial andsocioeconomic composition of the students enrolled in that school and shall notbe members of the building‑level staff. Parental involvement is acritical component of school success and positive student achievement; therefore,it is the intent of the General Assembly that parents, along with teachers,have a substantial role in developing school improvement plans. To this end,school improvement team meetings shall be held at a convenient time to assuresubstantial parent participation.
All school improvement plansshall be, to the greatest extent possible, data‑driven. Schoolimprovement teams shall analyze student data to identify root causes forproblems and to determine actions to address them. School improvement plansshall contain clear, unambiguous targets, explicit indicators and actualmeasures, and expeditious time frames for meeting the measurement standards.
(b) The strategies forimproving student performance:
(1) Shall include a planfor the use of staff development funds that may be made available to the schoolby the local board of education to implement the school improvement plan. Theplan may provide that a portion of these funds is used for mentor training andfor release time and substitute teachers while mentors and teachers mentoredare meeting;
(1a) Shall, if the schoolserves students in kindergarten or first grade, include a plan for preparingstudents to read at grade level by the time they enter second grade. The planshall require kindergarten and first grade teachers to notify parents orguardians when their child is not reading at grade level and is at risk of notreading at grade level by the time the child enters second grade. The plan mayinclude the use of assessments to monitor students' progress in learning toread, strategies for teachers and parents to implement that will help studentsimprove and expand their reading, and provide for the recognition of teachersand strategies that appear to be effective at preparing students to read at gradelevel;
(2) Shall include a planto address school safety and discipline concerns in accordance with the safeschool plan developed under Article 8C of this Chapter;
(3) May include adecision to use State funds in accordance with G.S. 115C‑105.25;
(4) Shall include a planthat specifies the effective instructional practices and methods to be used toimprove the academic performance of students identified as at risk of academicfailure or at risk of dropping out of school;
(5) May include requestsfor waivers of State laws, rules, or policies for that school. A request for awaiver shall meet the requirements of G.S. 115C‑105.26;
(6) Shall include a planto provide a duty‑free lunch period for every teacher on a daily basis oras otherwise approved by the school improvement team; and
(7) Shall include a planto provide duty‑free instructional planning time for every teacher underG.S. 115C‑301.1, with the goal of providing an average of at least fivehours of planning time per week.
(c) Support among affectedstaff members is essential to successful implementation of a school improvementplan to address improved student performance at that school. The principal ofthe school shall present the proposed school improvement plan to all of theprincipals, assistant principals, instructional personnel, instructionalsupport personnel, and teacher assistants assigned to the school building fortheir review and vote. The vote shall be by secret ballot. The principal shallsubmit the school improvement plan to the local board of education only if theproposed school improvement plan has the approval of a majority of the staffwho voted on the plan.
(d) The local board ofeducation shall accept or reject the school improvement plan. The local boardshall not make any substantive changes in any school improvement plan that itaccepts. If the local board rejects a school improvement plan, the local boardshall state with specificity its reasons for rejecting the plan; the schoolimprovement team may then prepare another plan, present it to the principals,assistant principals, instructional personnel, instructional support personnel,and teacher assistants assigned to the school building for a vote, and submitit to the local board to accept or reject. If no school improvement plan isaccepted for a school within 60 days after its initial submission to the localboard, the school or the local board may ask to use the process to resolvedisagreements recommended in the guidelines developed by the State Board underG.S. 115C‑105.20(b)(5). If this request is made, both the school andlocal board shall participate in the process to resolve disagreements. If thereis no request to use that process, then the local board may develop a schoolimprovement plan for the school. The General Assembly urges the local board toutilize the school's proposed school improvement plan to the maximum extentpossible when developing such a plan.
(e) A schoolimprovement plan shall remain in effect for no more than two years; however,the school improvement team may amend the plan as often as is necessary orappropriate. If, at any time, any part of a school improvement plan becomesunlawful or the local board finds that a school improvement plan is impedingstudent performance at a school, the local board may vacate the relevantportion of the plan and may direct the school to revise that portion. Theprocedures set out in this subsection shall apply to amendments and revisionsto school improvement plans. (1989, c. 778, s. 3; 1991 (Reg. Sess., 1992), c. 900,s. 75.1(b); 1993, c. 38, s. 1; c. 263, s. 2; c. 321, s. 144.2(b); 1995, c. 272,s. 3; c. 450, s. 13; 1995 (Reg. Sess., 1996), c. 716, ss. 2, 3; 1997‑159,s. 1; 1997‑443, s. 8.29(r)(2); 1999‑271, s. 1; 1999‑397, s.1; 2000‑67, s. 8.1; 2001‑424, s. 28.30(c); 2006‑153, s. 1;2009‑223, s. 2.)
