In our latest newsletter, learn which schools using Opportunity Culture® models have received certification at several levels for the 2024–25 year, as well as the first schools nationally to receive “validated” status; read our co-presidents’ response to the latest NAEP scores; register for upcoming professional learning sessions and site visits; get updates on the portal and certification (including the chance to order a banner for your school); and check out videos, blog posts, and news from districts across the country using Opportunity Culture® models. Read our latest newsletter here!
Public Impact
A Sure Fix for NAEP Woes
By Emily Ayscue Hassel and Bryan C. Hassel, co-presidents, Public Impact® The latest NAEP scores are no surprise, despite educators' hard work to support students, but this is not just an educational crisis; it’s an economic one. Education outcomes determine students’...
Tips to Grow On: Leadership and Team Support
What tips do educators at Aycock Elementary in Vance County, N.C., have for maintaining Opportunity Culture® staffing models—so both students and teachers can thrive? Provide Strong Leadership Support and Trust the Power of Multi-Classroom Leader® Teams.
Tips to Grow On: Embrace Flexibility and Redesign
What tips do educators at Aycock Elementary in Vance County, N.C., have for maintaining Opportunity Culture® staffing models—so both students and teachers can thrive? Continually Analyze Learning Data, Then Take Action and Meet Students’ Needs with Annual Data-Based Redesign.
Tips to Grow On: Talk It Up!
What tips do educators at Aycock Elementary in Vance County, N.C., have for maintaining Opportunity Culture® staffing models—so both students and teachers can thrive? Continually Communicate the Roles and Share Your School’s Story.
Opportunity Culture® Design + HQIMM +Training & Coaching
For a decade, the Opportunity Culture® initiative has been advancing a vision in which teacher-lead teams are the conduit for high quality instructional materials and methods (HQIMM). Teacher leaders need guidance and support to bring this vision to life with the teams. Read our brief deck on this topic, and look for more in 2025.
District of the Year: Ector County ISD
From K-12 Dive, by Anna Merod, November 27, 2024
Five years ago, Texas’ Ector County Independent School District was significantly underperforming, said Scott Muri, the district’s superintendent emeritus. Today, it’s a different story.
When Muri joined as the district’s superintendent in 2019, he said, students were “struggling academically in school,” and “all the metrics were heading in the wrong direction.” That same year, the Texas Education Agency gave Ector County ISD an F accountability rating.
But now, Ector County ISD, with about 34,000 students, is on the upswing. Signs point to significantly improved student achievement, and the district earned its first-ever B rating from TEA in 2022, the most recent year rated. …
Tutoring is not the only effective strategy that Muri says has helped shape students’ rising success. Strategic staffing through the district’s Opportunity Culture program has significantly influenced student growth, too, he said.
In this program, the district’s most effective teachers instruct half-time and then coach and mentor other educators the rest of the day. Ector County ISD’s program launched over four years ago in partnership with Public Impact, a staffing organization based in North Carolina, Muri said.
November 2024 Newsletter: Are You All-In on Small Groups for Student Success?
In our latest newsletter, hear from the superintendent, a principal, and educators from Winchester Public Schools about how Opportunity Culture® teaching teams combine with a focus on small-group instruction to make a difference in student learning and school culture. Plus you’ll find the latest professional learning opportunities, webinars, tools, social media highlights, news, and more! Read the November 2024 newsletter here.
How Small-Group Instruction Improves Teacher Effectiveness
Team Reach Teacher™ Brian Tavenner of Daniel Morgan Middle School in Winchester, Virginia, says pulling four or five kids at a time into small groups allows him to work with more kids and be more effective with his time.
Why Small-Group Instruction is Worth the Effort
Working with kids in small groups takes more time and effort, but it allows you to see what they truly know and don’t know, says Team Reach Teacher™ Brian Tavenner of Daniel Morgan Middle School in Winchester, Virginia.