Johnston​ ​County​ ​Public​ ​Schools 
P.O.​ ​Box​ ​1336,​ ​Smithfield,​ ​NC​ ​27577  
919-934-6031 
 
 
FOR​ ​IMMEDIATE​ ​RELEASE 
 
9/13/2017 

 
CONTACT:   

Crystal​ ​Kimpson​ ​Roberts 
Chief​ ​of​ ​Communication​ ​and​ ​Engagement 
919.934-2016,​ ​ext.​ ​1001​ ​(desk) 
919.437.3651​ ​(mobile) 
crystalroberts@johnston.k12.nc.us 

 
A​ ​Statement​ ​from​ ​Johnston​ ​County​ ​Public​ ​Schools 
 

During​ ​the​ ​State​ ​Board​ ​of​ ​Education​ ​meeting​ ​on​ ​Thursday,​ ​September​ ​7,​ ​we​ ​were​ ​made​ ​aware 
that​ ​Selma​ ​Middle​ ​School​ ​qualifies​ ​as​ ​a​ ​potential​ ​school​ ​for​ ​the​ ​NC​ ​Innovative​ ​School​ ​District​ ​(ISD), 
per​ ​criteria​ ​established​ ​by​ ​the​ ​State​ ​Department​ ​of​ ​Instruction​ ​(NCDPI).​ ​The​ ​NC​ ​Innovative​ ​School 
District​ ​is​ ​a​ ​statewide​ ​intervention​ ​model​ ​that​ ​was​ ​launched​ ​by​ ​NCDPI​ ​in​ ​2017​ ​(renaming​ ​the 
Achievement​ ​School​ ​District​ ​as​ ​established​ ​in​ ​law​ ​back​ ​in​ ​2016)​ ​to​ ​identify​ ​schools​ ​in​ ​North 
Carolina​ ​that​ ​could​ ​benefit​ ​from​ ​an​ ​innovative​ ​approach​ ​to​ ​accelerate​ ​student​ ​achievement.​ ​ ​The 
Johnston​ ​County​ ​Public​ ​Schools​ ​takes​ ​issue​ ​with​ ​this​ ​plan​ ​of​ ​action,​ ​which​ ​essentially​ ​mirrors 
receivership.​ ​We​ ​know​ ​that​ ​qualification​ ​does​ ​not​ ​mean​ ​acceptance​ ​into​ ​ISD,​ ​and​ ​we​ ​want​ ​to 
assure​ ​our​ ​stakeholders​ ​that​ ​Selma​ ​Middle​ ​School​ ​has​ ​a​ ​plan​ ​of​ ​innovation​ ​in​ ​place​ ​that​ ​is 
supported​ ​and​ ​approved​ ​by​ ​the​ ​Johnston​ ​County​ ​Public​ ​Schools.  
 
We​ ​wish​ ​to​ ​share​ ​a​ ​few​ ​facts​ ​relative​ ​to​ ​Selma​ ​Middle​ ​School​ ​and​ ​the​ ​following​ ​criteria​ ​used​ ​to 
create​ ​the​ ​qualifying​ ​list: 
 
● School​ ​performance​ ​score​ ​was​ ​in​ ​the​ ​lowest​ ​5%​ ​of​ ​all​ ​schools​ ​in​ ​the​ ​prior​ ​year. 
We​ ​would​ ​ask​ ​that​ ​the​ ​total​ ​picture​ ​be​ ​considered,​ ​to​ ​include​ ​stakeholder​ ​perception​ ​data​ ​and 
poverty​ ​data. 
● Includes​ ​all​ ​or​ ​part​ ​of​ ​grades​ ​K-5. 
Selma​ ​Middle​ ​School​ ​is​ ​a​ ​5-8​ ​school. 
● Did​ ​not​ ​exceed​ ​growth​ ​in​ ​at​ ​least​ ​one​ ​of​ ​the​ ​prior​ ​three​ ​school​ ​years​ ​and​ ​did​ ​not​ ​meet 
growth​ ​in​ ​at​ ​least​ ​one​ ​of​ ​the​ ​prior​ ​three​ ​school​ ​years. 
Selma​ ​Middle​ ​School​ ​maintained​ ​achievement​ ​performance. 
● Did​ ​not​ ​adopt​ ​one​ ​of​ ​the​ ​established​ ​reform​ ​models​ ​in​ ​state​ ​statute​ ​for​ ​the​ ​immediate 
prior​ ​year. 
Selma​ ​Middle​ ​School​ ​chose​ ​not​ ​to​ ​establish​ ​a​ ​state-based​ ​reform​ ​model​ ​but​ ​rather​ ​has 
developed​ ​its​ ​own​ ​and​ ​is​ ​seeing​ ​results. 
We​ ​are​ ​also​ ​in​ ​the​ ​process​ ​of​ ​applying​ ​for​ ​Restart​ ​this​ ​year​ ​and​ ​working​ ​to​ ​scale​ ​up​ ​Dual 
Language​ ​from​ ​our​ ​feeder​ ​elementary​ ​school​ ​and​ ​push​ ​down​ ​the​ ​International​ ​Baccalaureate 
program​ ​from​ ​the​ ​high​ ​school. 
 

  
Please​ ​note​ ​additional​ ​highlights​ ​of​ ​our​ ​innovative​ ​plan: 
Enhanced​ ​communication​ ​with​ ​teachers,​ ​students,​ ​parents,​ ​and​ ​stakeholders 
Meaningful​ ​community​ ​engagement 
Relevant​ ​and​ ​innovative​ ​professional​ ​development​ ​led​ ​by​ ​school-based​ ​leaders​ ​and​ ​the​ ​district’s 
Teaching​ ​and​ ​Learning​ ​Coaches 
Poverty​ ​training 

 
While​ ​we​ ​appreciate​ ​the​ ​state’s​ ​concern​ ​about​ ​the​ ​performance​ ​of​ ​all​ ​schools​ ​in​ ​every​ ​one​ ​of​ ​the 
100​ ​counties,​ ​this​ ​news​ ​is​ ​rather​ ​unsettling​ ​from​ ​a​ ​collaborative​ ​standpoint​ ​in​ ​that​ ​we​ ​received 
word​ ​of​ ​Selma​ ​Middle​ ​School’s​ ​listing​ ​when​ ​the​ ​state​ ​of​ ​North​ ​Carolina​ ​received​ ​it.​ ​ ​Johnston 
County​ ​Public​ ​Schools​ ​is​ ​committed​ ​to​ ​collaboration​ ​and​ ​accountability​ ​in​ ​that​ ​it​ ​has​ ​painstakingly 
developed​ ​and​ ​is​ ​intricately​ ​involved​ ​in​ ​an​ ​innovative​ ​plan​ ​being​ ​led​ ​and​ ​executed​ ​by​ ​chosen 
leadership.​ ​ ​Our​ ​school​ ​district​ ​has​ ​the​ ​fullest​ ​confidence​ ​that​ ​our​ ​current​ ​principal​ ​will​ ​continue 
making​ ​the​ ​upward​ ​shift​ ​begun​ ​by​ ​our​ ​previous​ ​principal.  
 
Finally,​ ​there​ ​are​ ​lingering​ ​questions​ ​as​ ​the​ ​State​ ​Board​ ​of​ ​Education​ ​moves​ ​forward​ ​with​ ​ISD: 
If​ ​chosen,​ ​would​ ​we​ ​be​ ​required​ ​to​ ​apply? 
By​ ​targeting​ ​K-5​ ​education,​ ​Selma​ ​Middle​ ​is​ ​a​ ​5-8​ ​school,​ ​would​ ​our​ ​entire​ ​school​ ​be​ ​targeted? 
Can​ ​we​ ​merely​ ​call​ ​DPI​ ​if​ ​we​ ​need​ ​help,​ ​without​ ​the​ ​threat​ ​of​ ​receivership? 
 
Ours​ ​is​ ​a​ ​journey​ ​towards​ ​continuous​ ​improvement​ ​and​ ​we’re​ ​making​ ​strides.​ ​We​ ​ask​ ​that​ ​the 
state​ ​consider​ ​allowing​ ​Johnston​ ​County​ ​Public​ ​Schools​ ​to​ ​continue​ ​working​ ​and​ ​show​ ​our​ ​results. 
 
 
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