Four Additional North Carolina Schools Selected to Expand $25 Million Golden LEAF Schools Initiative

Four additional North Carolina middle schools have been selected to join the Personalized, Competency-Based Education (PCBE) Cohort of the Golden LEAF Schools Initiative, expanding the number of schools in the five-year, $25 million initiative made possible by funding from the Golden LEAF Foundation. The expansion brings the total number of participating schools to 19. Golden LEAF Schools is supported by the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI), in partnership with the Golden LEAF Foundation and Marzano Resources.

The four newly selected schools are:

• North Davie Middle School, Davie County Schools
• Overhills Middle School, Harnett County Schools
• Rockingham County Middle School, Rockingham County Schools
• West McDowell Middle School, McDowell County Schools

The newly selected schools join the original PCBE Cohort of five schools announced in June 2025 and bring the total PCBE Cohort to nine. They will join the Transformative Schools (TS) Cohort of 10 schools that began the initiative last summer.

"The energy and commitment I have seen across the first 15 Golden LEAF schools is inspiring, and these four new schools will only add to the momentum," said North Carolina Superintendent of Public Instruction Maurice "Mo" Green. "When I visited the schools in the initiative during the last few months, I saw positive school cultures and students actively engaged during classes. I look forward to seeing continued progress in these areas and with academic performance next year.”

The PCBE Cohort focuses on instructional transformation and assists schools with demonstrated readiness to begin a shift toward Competency-Based Education (CBE). Schools in the cohort receive comprehensive support designed to personalize student learning, deepen mastery of core content and prepare students for the next phase of their education.

The TS Cohort, comprising 10 schools, receives support focused on improving schools through implementation of the Marzano High Reliability Schools (HRS) Framework and the Open Up Resources Problem-Based Math Curriculum.

The newly selected schools went through the same rigorous application and evaluation process as the initial cohorts, including an interview with key stakeholders such as the district Superintendent, school principal and district office curriculum and instruction leaders.

“What I have seen during my visits to Golden LEAF Schools this spring reaffirms the importance of this initiative,” said Golden LEAF President, Chief Executive Officer Scott T. Hamilton. “In rural and economically distressed communities, these middle schools are implementing focused, evidence-based strategies that are preparing students for the careers and workforce needs of our state. The level of engagement from teachers, students and school leaders is both evident and encouraging. This strategic investment in rural North Carolina is already beginning to make a meaningful difference for our students and the future workforce.”

The Golden LEAF Schools Initiative is built on the research-proven Marzano HRS model. At the core of this innovation model is the HRS framework, which is designed to help schools across both the TS and PCBE cohorts create a safe environment for both students and staff, improve operational efficiency, provide high-quality instruction aligned with clear learning goals, use ongoing assessments to meet students' individual needs, and foster a culture of growth, collaboration, and innovation.

This model provides participating schools with intensive coaching, resources and support, allowing the selected schools to enhance their students' learning experiences, build school professionals' capacity and continuously improve their educational environments. Participating schools also receive math resources, career readiness resources, and funding for travel, stipends and bonuses.

“Each of these four schools demonstrated not just interest in this work, but genuine readiness to lead it,” said Rachel Wright Junio, Director of the Golden LEAF Schools Initiative at the NCDPI. “PCBE asks schools to rethink how students demonstrate mastery, and that takes courage and clarity. We are proud to welcome these schools into a cohort of educators who are committed to that challenge. As we head into year two of the Golden LEAF Schools Initiative, having 19 schools committed to this work is a powerful statement about what rural North Carolina educators believe is possible for their students.”