The Real D.E.A.L. AWARD WINNING SCHOOLS will be selected by the Selection Team (Office of the Governor, members of the Governor’s Teacher Advisory Committee, and members of the NC Professional Teaching Standards Commission.)

Award winning schools will be selected that represent each of the eight State Board of Education geographical regions. Efforts will be made to select schools so that the diverse demographics of the state are included- schools ranging from small to large in population, elementary through high school, urban to rural, and various ranges of percentage of poverty.

Criteria

The Winning Schools Must:

1. score at or above the state average on each of the factors in the 2008 Teacher Working Conditions Survey (Leadership, Time, Empowerment, Professional Development, Facilities & Resources.)
2. meet or exceed growth on the 2007-2008 state tests
3. meet AYP (as notified by NCDPI in July, 2008 for preliminary results)

Schools that meet the above criteria are then scored individually based on a rubric that prescribes points for various components of the TWC Survey and ABC tests, as well as for the percentage of poverty in the student population. The Selection Team evaluates each of the finalists to determine the winning schools. Members of the Selection Team will visit winning schools prior to final selection and announcement.

Real D.E.A.L Award winning schools will be notified from the office of the Governor and will be asked to attend the 2008 TWC Conference on December 4th and present in the breakout sessions in the morning. Thanks to our Gold Sponsor, AT&T North Carolina, a team of five members from each winning school will have their expenses covered for the event. The team from each school should consist of the principal, two teacher leaders, school district superintendent, and a local member of the school board or county commission office.

For further information, please contact Carolyn McKinney, Director, NC Professional Teaching Standards Commission at 919.807.3423.

North Carolina Real D.E.A.L. Schools

Real D.E.A.L. (Dedicated Educators Administrators and Learners) Schools are truly great places to teach and learn. Current Real D.E.A.L. schools can be viewed by clicking here.

In 2004 Governor Easley recognized the first-ever Real D.E.A.L. (Dedicated Educators, Administrators & Learners) Schools in North Carolina. These schools were honored not just for outstanding student achievement, but also for excellent teacher working conditions.

Real D.E.A.L. schools have taken a leading role in using feedback from the Teacher Working Conditions Survey to empower teachers and encourage student success. According to data from the latest survey, Real D.E.A.L. schools are committed to involving teachers in decision-making and providing planning time and professional development opportunities that teachers need to build their knowledge and skills. These winning schools represent the diverse demographics of the schools in our state.

Because these award-winning schools are models for other schools in our state and across the country, we have made more information about the Real D.E.A.L. winners available online. We encourage you to use this web site to learn more about these outstanding schools and the best practices their teachers and principals have used to improve teacher working conditions and student learning conditions.

In 2006, almost 2,000 schools were eligible for the awards. Due to the criteria established by the Governor's Teacher Advisory Committee, schools can not win successive years, so in 2008 we will celebrate a new round of dedicated educators, administrators and learners.