Craven County Schools receives $1.5 Million Grant to Invest in Professional Development

Craven County Schools

The Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) Education Partnership recently announced the award of a five-year $1.5 million grant to Craven County Schools (CCS) titled, “Strategies for Success.” The awarding of this grant will increase K-12 military/federal affiliated student achievement by utilizing Learning-Focused professional development to CCS classroom teachers, implementing multiple learning strategies that are meant to be used frequently and with all students.

“Strategies for Success,” is designed to improve student learning through higher order thinking, summarizing strategies, recognizing vocabulary in context of the surrounding words, advance organizers through the framework of prior instruction, and graphic organizers allowing visual depictions of seemingly disconnected information.

“The Learning-Focused organization will conduct a program of professional development designed for CCS district and school administrators and classroom teachers at the 15 project schools. Classroom teachers will incorporate learning strategies in their daily instruction with students, with the goal of improvements in academic achievement and a reduction in achievement gaps by utilizing professional learning communities,” explained Dr. Annette Brown, Assistant Superintendent for Instruction.

The grant will serve more than 3,000 K-12 military-associated students at 15 schools where the military-associated enrollment averages almost 35%. Those schools are:  Arthur W. Edwards Elementary, Ben D. Quinn Elementary, Brinson Memorial Elementary, Creekside Elementary, Graham A. Barden Elementary, Havelock Elementary, Roger Bell Elementary, W.J. Gurganus Elementary, Havelock Middle, H.J. MacDonald Middle, Tucker Creek Middle, Havelock High, New Bern High, Craven Early College High, and Early College EAST High. The school system serves students whose parents are assigned to MCAS Cherry Point, NC.

“This grant will boost our continuing effort to serve our military students at MCAS Cherry Point through best instructional practice.” Superintendent Lane Mills said.

“These monies will support the professional development of our teachers and increase the effectiveness of educators in the classroom,” stated Dr. Mills. “While the grant targets increasing military student achievement, all students in the Craven County Schools system will benefit. We are honored to have been chosen for this grant opportunity.”

This is the third grant Craven County Schools has received from the Department of Defense Education Partnership Grant Program. A three-year grant that initiated the use of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) labs will end August 2016.

Submitted by: Jennifer Wagner, Director of Public Relations, Craven County Schools