RSSS News Service

SALISBURY — Superintendent Dr. Kelly Withers of the Rowan-Salisbury School System (RSS) recently presented updates on the district’s renewal status to the State Board of Education in both December and January, resulting in a three-year extension of renewal status granted by the state.

Withers highlighted the district’s unwavering commitment to the goals of renewal, centered on preparing students to become well-equipped for enrollment, enlistment, or employment, ultimately making meaningful contributions to Rowan County.

“At RSS, we are not trying to revert to old traditions and metrics,” Withers said. “We’re all about complete educational transformation — turning it upside down to reignite passion, reimagine policy and personalize experiences for our students, staff, community and families. Our goal is to renew excellence in education for every child.”

To revitalize renewal efforts post-pandemic, RSS introduced “Renewal in Action,” a strategic plan approved in April 2023. This plan paves the way for achieving RSS’s renewal objectives — preparing students for meaningful roles in Rowan County.

Withers reiterated the district’s vision, saying, “In RSS, our ultimate goal is to equip our students with the skills, knowledge and mindset to actively shape the future of Rowan County, regardless of their socioeconomic background. We firmly believe in our students’ potential to drive meaningful change within our community.”

During her presentations, Withers detailed the key metrics in place to gauge success over the next three years:

• Consistently exceeding a 90 percent 4-year graduation rate.
• Elevating the district’s attendance percentage to over 92 percent annually.
• Ensuring that 85 percent of RSS graduates report at least one work-based learning experience during their high school years.
• Confirming that 80 percent of RSS graduates successfully enroll, enlist, or employ in positions linked to their post-secondary career goals.

“We believe that reaching the graduation stage is not enough to ensure that our graduates can thrive and change the economic status of their families and our community,” Withers said. “We believe that our graduates must be enrolled, enlisted, or employed in a position linked to their postsecondary career goal to productively move forward in their lives.”

Additionally, the district remains dedicated to improving school growth status, projecting that 72 percent of RSS schools will meet or exceed growth, with a target of 31 percent exceeding growth, on standardized metrics.

In late November, two members of the N.C. State Board of Education (SBE), John Blackburn and Jill Camnitz, visited RSS to see what Renewal in Action looked like.

“The value that undergirds the whole thing is that teachers lead in the design and implementation, and over and over again, we saw this in the faces and the enthusiasm of teachers,” Camnitz said. “They were so excited about the work that was going on in their schools, their involvement in decisions, and how they were going to manage their classrooms. You really felt that excitement from the teachers.”

Blackburn echoed Camnitz’s praise of the renewal model in RSS.

“I’ve had so many wonderful experiences since I’ve been on the State Board of Education, but (our visit to RSS) was my best day. It really made my heart happy. They’re doing great things for students and for teachers for staff, “Blackburn said. “They’ve had some challenges as all schools have had. They recognize those, and they’re moving forward.”

RSS’s renewal journey began in 2018 with unique flexibilities granted by HB 986, which aimed to reshape the educational experience and redefine accountability metrics. RSS was charged with designing an alternate accountability model in the renewal model. Despite this accountability expectation, RSS is additionally still measured by traditional state accountability testing.

Another flexibility offered by renewal is the choice for RSS to hire renewal teachers — experts in their fields but not licensed teachers.

“The renewal teachers — that was very interesting because you know at first you think, ‘well how can you make this work? How are these teachers going to progress into effective teachers?’” Camnitz said. “But the structure to support those teachers is very strong. They are very committed to supporting these teachers.”

During the January meeting, North Carolina State School Superintendent Catherine Truitt provided validation of the renewal model developed by RSS by speaking to their dual efforts for academic accountability and post-secondary success for students.

“Academic proficiency is essential, but not enough, and you’re doing the other pieces, so if you can manage to do both really well, you’ll be the best district in the state,” Truitt said.

The Rowan-Salisbury School System continues to champion innovative and personalized education while redefining accountability measures, hoping to serve as a model for schools across the state and nation.

“Renewal was meant as a disruptive transformational effort to completely rethink the public education system to personalize education for every student,” Withers said. “We’re not trying to be the same story as every other school district. We want people to visit our schools and see different — to see students engaged in meaningful learning experiences and students who can explain why they’re learning what they’re learning and how it connects to their future.”