SMITHFIELD – Several members of the Johnston County Public Schools (JCPS) senior leadership team seized the opportunity to present at the 2024 North Carolina School Boards Association (NCSBA) Annual Conference on Tuesday, November 19, in Greensboro, NC.
NCSBA is the professional organization that represents local boards of education in North Carolina. The member-driven association supports school governance teams, including school board members, superintendents, senior administrative staff, and board assistants by providing resources and guidance for governance teams throughout the state.
The annual conference hosts district leaders, such as school board members, superintendents, and members of senior leadership, from school districts throughout the state, providing a platform for attendees to engage in impactful information and training sessions, vendor exhibitions, networking opportunities, and collaborative learning.
JCPS was recently recognized as a high-performing school district after receiving outstanding results from the 2023-2024 school year. The district has also been recognized for its continued academic growth over the past five years, despite challenges presented by the pandemic, and was invited to present at the conference.
“I am extremely proud of our entire district, our recent success, and all the individuals who have contributed to our growth, including students, staff, and parents,” stated JCPS Superintendent Dr. Eric C. Bracy. “This level of achievement takes 100% effort from every single person involved, and when you get that level of commitment, great results happen.”
The upward trajectory of JCPS has not gone unnoticed and has provided unique opportunities to share strategies with other districts in various ways, including during the conference. “We are humbled to have shared our success stories and strategies with our colleagues throughout the state,” added Bracy. “We are advocates for education and desire for school districts and students to achieve success globally.”
The JCPS session was titled, “Board Governance + Instructional Leadership = High Performing School District”, allowing the team to share strategies and procedures that have contributed to JCPS’ recent academic success and consistent improvement. The team discussed curriculum, the importance of synergetic relationships between the board and leadership, accountability at all levels, goal setting and follow through, effective organizational structure, benchmarking, and more.
One point of emphasis throughout the presentation was effective school-based leadership and accountability. JCPS has three grade-level Area Superintendents, Patty Whittington (Elementary), Ken Byrd (Middle School), and Roderic Brewington (High School), who assist each of the 48 principals as liaisons, resource guides, and advisors.
Sharing JCPS’ processes and strategies during the conference was a meaningful experience for the session’s speakers and the entire district. “Presenting at the state-wide conference is a remarkable achievement, as it reflects the incredible progress we have made as a district and highlights our dedication to excellence,” stated Roderic Brewington. “Not only was it an opportunity for the district to continue celebrating its success, but also an opportunity for us to inspire and collaborate with others.” “It was a rewarding and humbling experience to share our intentional efforts to improve student outcomes with other districts across the state,” added Ken Byrd.
Among the presenters were Area Superintendent of Elementary Schools Patty Whittington and Dr. Takicey Dunston, Principal of Benson Elementary. Under the leadership of Dr. Dunston and the assistance of Area Superintendent Patty Whittington, the school has become one of multiple success stories. Benson Elementary improved in all areas, journeying from having a D school performance grade in 2019, to a B after the 2023-2024 school year.
Benson Elementary saw remarkable increases in reading (26 percentage points), math (30.5 percentage points), and performance composite (28.2%). Dr. Dunston attributes the success to great leadership, board governance, educators who are passionate about their profession, and brilliant students who love to learn. Benson Elementary was one of many JCPS schools that have made tremendous improvements, in turn, helping improve the district’s overall performance.
“We have had many schools show great improvements as a result of the hard work and intentionality of school leadership and teachers at all levels, and it is a great honor to share these stories with other school districts,” noted Patty Whittington. “Benson Elementary is one of several schools to have benefited from the current practices, which are ultimately focused on individual student success.”
The ultimate goal of JCPS is to ensure that each student has the best opportunities to receive quality instruction from top-notch educators, within safe learning environments that are conducive for academic excellence. When that criteria is met, students have their best chances to soar.
(JCPS News Release)
The only success strategies they are using is fudging testing data and lining the superintendent’s pockets.
Please elaborate on “fudging testing data”. It’s my understanding they use the same assessments that all NC districts use for ELA and Math.
Well, it’s not “them”. It’s the state. After the shut downs of 2020-2021, the state reformed the test scores so the loss of learning wouldn’t look bad. What was once a level 1 is now a level two, 2 is a 3, 3 is a 4 etc. The composite scores of schools was re-normed as well. Notice the state has NEVER released to the public how they measure schools? They include: growth in mean scores,students at or above grade level, attendance, socio economic standing etc . All included in a schools standing . The eog’s are a joke…always have been.
“The ultimate goal of JCPS is to ensure that each student has the best opportunities to receive quality instruction from top-notch educators, within safe learning environments that are conducive for academic excellence.”
This is totally false! How can JCPS have safe learning environments when discipline and consequences do not exist? They only reward students and leave teachers to deal with students who case major disruptions in the classroom. JCPS teachers are overwhelmed by a lack of administrative support and ineffective discipline policies. Without clear guidelines and consequences for student misconduct, teachers are unable to maintain order and provide effective instruction.
While JCPS has implemented a multi-tiered support system to address student behavior, it seems there are still areas where improvements are needed. It’s important for teachers to feel supported by administration and have clear guidelines for handling disruptive behavior. Additionally, consistent consequences for inappropriate behavior are essential to maintain a positive learning environment.
MTSS is a crock. Another colossal waste of funds.
Consequences for behavior, you make me laugh grace
Mandated to give retests on material, students have an hour of recess in the high schools during the school day (not including lunch), and students don’t even have to come to school in order to take a course and pass a class.
The final exam is curved more than a college Calc class, and students say, do, and act in whatever manner they want, whenever they want. What used to be Be, Do, Say as the three guiding rules went from: be where you’re supposed to be when you’re supposed to be there, do what you’re supposed to do when you’re supposed to do it, and say what you’re supposed to say when you’re supposed to say it, has changed to “Be whatever you want to be whenever you feel like it, Do whatever vapes you want in the bathroom because you want to, and say (and wear) whatever you want in the halls because there is no expectation of decency in the school building, and operate on your own time because consequences don’t exist for tardies and behavior.
Reality is vastly different from the picture portrayed here in Johnston County high schools.
We aren’t preparing students for college, because they are given too many opportunities to barely get by in the classroom. We aren’t preparing students for the workforce, because there is no expectation of decency, professionalism, quality of work, or promptness that these students are held to.
But, dropouts and suspension numbers are down.