The Collaborative Project A 21st Century Initiative of the NC General Assembly
The Collaborative Project, a 21st Century Initiative of the North Carolina General Assembly, is a four year pilot project that began in August, 2007 and is administered jointly by the Public School Forum of North Carolina and the North Carolina Science, Mathematics, and Technology Education Center. The Collaborative Project seeks to strengthen participating public school systems serving low-income students in rural areas of the state.
Currently, the following five school systems with similar demographics and challenges are participants in the Collaborative Project:
Caswell County
Greene County
Mitchell County
Warren County
Washington County
The Premise and Goals of the Project
Premises:
If educators are given the chance to sharpen their skills or to acquire new skills through high-quality professional development, dramatic student gains are possible. To make that possible, however, educators must be given time beyond the typical school day.
If educators participate in high quality professional development during optimum times (Saturdays and during the summer), incentives and rewards must be available for their extra effort.
If educators participate in high-quality professional development with incentives and rewards, it will be possible to accomplish two goals: show measurable student performance growth and create a more positive learning and teaching environment for young people and for the educators who work with them.
If students are given opportunities to extend their school days and calendars with after school programs, the additional time will lead to measurable benefits such as better test scores and attendance among promising students.
Goals:
A positive impact on student performance
A positive impact on recruitment and retention
Access by participating school systems to quality professional development resources
Focus:
The Collaborative Project focus is on elementary and middle schools within the participating school systems. A further goal of the project is to improve the academic foundation of young people coming into high schools in the belief that better prepared students have a far better chance of succeeding in high school. Collaborative Project sponsored professional development primarily targets the following teachers:
Beginning teachers (elementary and middle grade teachers with initial license in any area)
Candidates for National Board Certification (elementary, middle and high school)
Math and Science teachers (elementary and middle grades)
Programming components:
Stipends ($150.00 per day) for participation in select professional development offered on some Saturdays during the school year and during the summer
Annual teacher performance incentives of up to $2,000 over a three year period for the 07-08, 08-09, and 09-10 school years. Incentives are based on select criteria
Coordination and support incentives for administrators
Funding to support two elementary and/or middle school Afterschool Programs (per participating school system) which are modeled after the Young Scholars Program
Financial incentives for the recruitment of qualified math and science teachers and relocation bonuses for newly recruited teachers at all levels
Multiple Leadership Institutes (annually) for participating school system elementary and middle school principals, central office administrators and superintendents
