A 21st Century Initiative of the NC General Assembly
The Collaborative Project, a 21st Century Initiative of the North Carolina General Assembly, was a four-year pilot project that was administered jointly by the Public School Forum of North Carolina and the SMT Center. The Collaborative Project sought to strengthen participating public school systems serving low-income students in rural areas of the state. The school systems with similar demographics and challenges that were participants in the Collaborative Project:
- Caswell County
- Greene County
- Hyde County
- Mitchell County
- Tyrrell County
- Warren County
- Washington County
Goals
- A positive impact on student performance
- A positive impact on recruitment and retention
- Access by participating school systems to quality professional development resources
Key Components of the Project
- High-quality teacher professional development aligned with the specific needs of the teachers and the schools
- Leadership institutes for school leaders, central office administrators and superintendents
- Financial support and guidance for afterschool programs
- Financial incentives for the recruitment of qualified math and science teachers and relocation bonuses for newly recruited teachers at all levels
- Performance incentives for teachers and administrators
- Stipends for participation in select professional development offered on some Saturdays during the school year and during the summer