Nurturing students’ gifts, talents and potential.

Sallie B. Howard — North Carolina, USA

Sallie B. Howard School for the Arts & Education is a free, independent, public charter school in Wilson, North Carolina that serves over 800 students in grades K-8. Their mission is to provide every child — privileged or underprivileged — the kind of education that nurtures students’ gifts, talents, and potential. In 2011, the consulting team from Calgary Academy was asked to participate in a project to move Sallie B. Howard towards a 90/90/90 school. (90% students below potential, 90% living in poverty and 90% performing at grades above state average.) This three-phase project included: leadership development which was critical to overall success; a teacher development plan based on best instructional practices; and an organizational development plan to ensure the school utilized resources effectively. The project faced a number of challenges, including 100% staff turnover every four years. Despite building strategies to find, train and stabilize staff and introducing our leadership and staff development programs, the school failed to implement our resource utilization plan and our core literacy and numeracy skill development program.