Cradle-to-career educational outcomes in Forsyth County are shaped by factors within educational systems and institutions — such as childcare facilities and within Winston-Salem/Forsyth County School district — as well as by factors that lie beyond the classroom, which affect students in their daily lives and lie upstream of educational practice and policy.

To understand where we are as a community at this moment in time, it is important to acknowledge the following major themes:

Systemic Factors are Undermining Student Success.

There are significant systemic factors which lie beyond Forsyth County classrooms that are negatively impacting students and our community’s educational outcomes. [link to relevant sections]

Many Children are not Entering Kindergarten Prepared to Learn to Read.

A child’s readiness for Kindergarten sets the foundation for learning to read and only about half of all Forsyth County third graders are proficient in reading. Research shows that when a child falls behind on early reading proficiency they are more likely to have poor educational and life outcomes.  [link to relevant sections]

Significant Disparities by Race/Ethnicity are Pervasive.

Educational outcomes in Forsyth County, from cradle to career, are significantly disparate along racial lines, with African American and Hispanic/Latino students faring significantly worse across virtually all measures than their White peers. This is a long-standing condition of the historical legacy of Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools (WS/FCS), as well as the United States, more broadly.  [link to relevant sections]

Significant Socioeconomic Disparities are Pervasive.

Local educational outcomes are also significantly disparate along socioeconomic lines — those who are economically vulnerable experience significantly worse outcomes than their economically secure peers.  [link to relevant sections]

The COVID-19 Pandemic has Been a Disruptive Force.

The COVID-19 pandemic has served as a major force of disruption within our local educational systems. As a result of this disruption educational systems quickly adapted by changing operational models at all levels, many measures of student achievement and educational outcomes are less reliable or simply unavailable, educational outcomes across the board have decreased, and many existing racial and/or socioeconomic disparities have been exacerbated.  [link to relevant sections]

 

Critical Limitations

There are many efforts currently underway to address the biggest issues facing educational systems in Forsyth County. The Forsyth Promise (TFP) recognizes that the current iteration of this digital resource neglects to catalog such efforts. TFP further acknowledges that data in the absence of a meaningful connection to action is limited in its capacity to support positive change.

That is why, beginning in late 2021, TFP will begin a process of listening and engagement with stakeholders from across our community to better understand how this resource can connect to, support, and reinforce existing ongoing efforts. Importantly, our intention is to seek out the voices of stakeholders who are often overlooked in community planning efforts, such as educators, students, their parents, and family members, community and neighborhood groups, faith groups, and others at the grassroots level. Through this process we hope to co-create a new, common vision for how the TFP Data Exchange (TFPDE) can be used as a shared resource to advance educational equity and success for all Forsyth County students. Our hope is to publish a new iteration of the TFPDE built on this learning in 2022.

If you would like to be included in this process, please let us know. [link to form]

In the meantime, we feel strongly that the goals outlined in the WS/FCS 2020-2025 Strategic Plan are important to elevate and share through this platform.

 

Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools Strategic Plan 2020-2025

Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools (WS/FCS) formed in 1963 with the merger of the Winston-Salem and Forsyth County school systems. It is the fourth-largest system in North Carolina and the 78th largest in the nation, serving about 53,000 students with the goal of providing a quality education for each child. The school system has 42 elementary schools, 14 middle schools, 15 high schools, and 9 special schools, for a total of 80 schools.

Districtwide, 36.7 percent of the students are white; 28.5 percent are African-American; 27.4 percent are Hispanic; 4.5 percent are multiracial; 2.6 percent are Asian; less than 1 percent are American Indian.

WS/FCS’s mission is to engage all students in high-quality, relevant learning experiences so they will graduate with interpersonal, academic, and workforce skills to compete globally and contribute to society. Its vision is to be the best place to learn and work through excellence, collaboration, and inclusiveness.

 

Goal 1: Student Achievement

WS/FCS will raise student achievement, close achievement gaps, and enable all students to take ownership of their learning.

Objectives include: development of an instructional framework and a rigorous and culturally relevant curriculum.

• Objective A – Create a framework for Teaching and Learning to guide the vision and strategic direction of all teaching and learning decisions focused on improving academic outcomes for all students.
• Objective B – Utilize the Framework for Teaching and Learning to design and implement rigorous standards-aligned and culturally relevant curriculum resources focused on student engagement and ownership.
• Objective C – Develop and monitor assessment data to evaluate the fidelity and success of the Framework for Teaching and Learning.
• Objective D – Utilize a Continuous Improvement Cycle to revise and refine professional development and curriculum resources based on the needs of teachers and students.

Learn More About Goal 1 Student Achievement

 

Goal 2: Equity and Access

WS/FCS will ensure equal and equitable access to quality instruction and strive to eliminate barriers to rigorous and diverse opportunities. WS/FCS will provide quality instructional facilities and learning environments for all students.

Objectives include: increasing enrollment of underrepresented groups in advanced courses and reducing disproportionate discipline and special education identification.

• Objective A – Increase enrollment and equitable access to AIG, CTE, AP/IB, Dual Enrollment (College and Career Promise), and other advanced opportunities at all schools by expanding course offerings.
• Objective B – Reduce discipline disproportionality.
• Objective C – Reduce the number of students identified in the category of serious emotional disabilities.
• Objective D – Create an equitable and transparent process for capital outlay projects.

Learn More About Goal 2 Equity and Access

 

Goal 3: Community Engagement

WS/FCS will build and strengthen partnerships and communication with families, local businesses, educational organizations, community agencies, and advocacy groups in order to engage families and community stakeholders in the entire educational process for all students.

Objectives include: creation of more welcoming environments and developing new pathways for families to become engaged.

• Objective A – Create an environment that makes families feel welcome, valued, and inspired to be engaged and active partners in their children’s education.
• Objective B – Increase community stakeholder support and collaboration through improved communication and promoting increased understanding of district operations.
• Objective C – Increase Minority/Women-Owned Business Enterprises (MWBE) Participation

Learn More About Goal 3 Community Engagement

 

Goal 4: Human Resources Development

WS/FCS will recruit and retain a highly effective and diverse workforce that supports district goals to ensure excellence for all.

Objectives include: building the capacity of employees to perform at higher levels and developing succession plans. 

• Objective A – Improve effectiveness and build the capacity of a diverse workforce.
• Objective B – Develop a coherent onboarding and succession plan to support and retain a high-performing workforce within WS/FCS.
• Objective C – Attract, recruit, and retain a diverse workforce within WS/FCS.

Learn More About Goal 4 Human Resources Development

 

Goal 5: Climate and Safety

WS/FCS will foster an inclusive climate that values the safety and well-being of all students, faculty and staff and foster an environment that creates a sense of belonging.

Objectives include: improving quality of learning environments, school safety, and access to resources for families.

• Objective A – Improve the quality of the learning environment, student behavior/well-being, and overall safety.
• Objective B – Improve access to school-based mental and behavioral health supports.
• Objective C – Promote healthy cognitive, social, emotional, and physical development for all students and staff.
• Objective D – Implement multi-tiered systems of support that build student strengths, promote success, and foster school-family-community partnerships.
• Objective E – Develop and sustain a clearinghouse of services and supports to ensure that students and families have equitable access to needed resources.
• Objective F – Promote a supportive and engaging work environment for all staff.

Learn More About Goal 5 Climate and Safety