How to Use This Guide

The North Carolina School Improvement Planning Implementation Guide is organized into five sections:

● Section One provides a brief introduction and offers background as well as contact information for providing feedback on this document and the associatedtemplate.

● Section Two presents the legal foundations of school improvement planning in North Carolina, including the legal requirements for districts and schools.

● Section Three introduces the recommended guiding principles for school improvement planning from the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI). Schools and school districts are strongly encouraged to follow these best-practice principles when implementing their planning process.

● Section Four introduces the NCDPI planning model, aligned with the guiding principles outlined in Section Three.

● Section Five provides a series of appendices designed to give schools and districts additional information and assistance.

The school improvement planning model presented in this guide is the NCDPI-recommended model. It is based upon a continuous improvement approach to school improvement and on generally- accepted best practices for planning. The model aligns with the North Carolina Standards for School Executives and has components relevant to each of the standard areas.

This school improvement planning model is NOT a mandate from the NCDPI. School improvement planning should always be focused on student learning, and districts and schools should use the planning approach that offers the greatest effectiveness for their situation and that results in positive change for their students.