Priority School Makes Comeback as Breakthrough School
North Brunswick High School, Leland, N.C.
Deemed a "priority school" by the state four years ago, North Brunswick High School in Leland, N.C., has made incredible strides in breaking the cycle of low student performance, culminating in the receipt of a 2011 Breakthrough School Award by the MetLife Foundation and whole child partner National Association of Secondary School Principals.
Principal Sheila Grady has helped promote the expansion of instructional leadership, the creation of professional learning communities, and the use of formative assessments and bridge courses to close the achievement gap at the school. Success has come through the school's inspiring dedication to leadership—more than half of the teachers at the high school serve in leadership roles. In 2010, the school's proficiency rate increased to 85 percent from 48 percent, a true testament to the dedication to student achievement at North Brunswick High School.
