Click here to view the Mission Possible Overview PowerPoint Presentation

Click here to view the Mission Possible Video

Click here to view the Mission Possible Brochure

Click here to view the Mission Possible Communications Plan

Click here to view the Mission Possible Data Quality Plan

Mission Possible Overview

In the 2006-07 school year Guilford County Schools (GCS) launched the Mission Possible program. Mission Possible is a comprehensive teacher incentive plan that combines multiple components to keep and attract highly effective teachers and administrators for the ultimate goal of increasing student achievement in schools with critical needs.

Twenty highly impacted schools were initially selected to participate in the program that began with the 2006-07 school year. The selection of schools to participate was based on socio economic factors, their Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) and ABC status, and their teacher turnover rate. The educational needs of many children in these schools selected were being highly impacted by these factors, thus their education needs were not being met.

The Mission Possible teachers and administrators receive ongoing specialized training, extensive collaborative support, reduced class sizes, recruitment incentives and become eligible for performance incentives. Mission Possible schools are professional learning communities with supportive leaders and collaborative work environments.

The Mission Possible financial incentives are based on grade levels and subjects that are part of the state and national accountability requirements. These incentives are available to kindergarten through second-grade teachers, third-through eighth-grade teachers of math, language arts or reading, high school math and English teachers, curriculum facilitators and principals.

In the fall of 2006, the US Department of Education provided an $8 million grant to expand the GCS’ Mission Possible initiative to include an additional eight schools as Mission Possible in 2007-08. Also in 2006, the UNC system and Action Greensboro awarded GCS a $2 million grant to pilot a Math Incentive program at selected high schools. This Math Pilot, called “Cumulative Effect,” includes Mission Possible high schools and two additional high schools to be launched in 2007-08.

GCS is the first school system in the state to pilot an alternative salary structure on this level. The total number of schools that are now a part of the Mission Possible program and the Cumulative Effect Math Pilot is 30. It is expected that the Mission Possible program will help keep and attract highly effective teachers for the ultimate goal of increasing student achievement in schools with critical needs.