16 NCAC 06G .0318 RESTART MODEL
(1) A description of how the LSAU will support the school in providing each student with the opportunity for a sound basic education.
(3) A description of how the LSAU will utilize operational flexibilities to realize the goals identified in Subparagraph (a)(2) of this Rule.
(4) A description of any administrative barriers, such as teacher turnover, that the LSAU believes contributed to the school's identification as continually low-performing and standards for measuring progress in reducing those barriers.
(A) The name, address, email, and telephone number for the EMO;
(B) The website for the EMO; and
(C) An explanation of how the services of the EMO will contribute to improved growth scores and achievement scores at the school.
(6) A proposed budget outlining the revenues and expenditures necessary to implement the Restart Model;
(7) A timeline for implementing the Restart Model.
(8) A written commitment to implement the Restart Model for at least five years.
(9) The name of a staff member at the LSAU who shall serve as the point of contact for the school.
(b) If the SBE authorizes an LSAU to implement the Restart Model, the LSAU shall implement the model for a minimum of five school years, unless the SBE removes authorization in accordance with 16 NCAC 06G .0317(c). Subsequent provisions of this rule shall apply to the initial five years and any subsequent five-year period of continued authorization.
(c) Upon receipt of authorization from the SBE, the LSAU shall include the operational flexibilities described in its application as action steps in the School Improvement Plan, specifying the school year(s) in which the operational flexibilities are to be utilized, and submit the School Improvement Plan to the SBE for review and approval in accordance with G.S. 115C-105.37A(a). The revised School Improvement Plan is due to the SBE no later than September 30th following SBE authorization.
(1) By December 1st of Year 2 of initial implementation of the Restart Model and every year thereafter, the LSAU shall submit an annual report that documents how the school utilized the operational flexibilities authorized in the Restart Model in the past year. The annual report shall provide evidence of any measurable progress toward the goals outlined in its application or the prior annual report that can be attributed to the use of those operational flexibilities.
(2) By September 30th of Year 2 and every year thereafter, the LSAU shall identify continuing, modified, or new goals for the following school year, describe how it intends to utilize operational flexibilities to realize those goals, and document action steps in the School Improvement Plan, specifying the school year(s) in which the operational flexibilities are to be utilized.
(3) By January 31st of Year 5, the LSAU shall submit a report describing and documenting:
(A) All policies, guidelines, or directives it adopted to implement the Restart Model; and
(B) All efforts to reduce administrative barriers identified in the initial application or prior annual reports and all measurable changes to those barriers attributable to those efforts.
(4) By May 31st of the school year following approval by the SBE of an application for continued authorization under Paragraph (g), the LSAU shall submit evidence of how the LSAU has supported the school's operation under the Restart Model and use of operational flexibilities have helped to improve its growth and achievement scores.
(e) To continue operating the school under Restart Model after five years, the school must demonstrate academic gain in at least two of three years from Year 2 through Year 4. A school may demonstrate academic gain under any of the following scenarios:
(1) The school is no longer identified as continually low-performing and has met or exceeded expected growth under G.S. 115C-83.15(f). Under this scenario, the SBE may reduce the reporting requirements in Paragraph (g) of this Rule if the SBE determines that the reduced reporting requirements would not compromise the SBE's ability to make decisions regarding the implementation of the Restart Model in the school.
(2) The school is no longer identified as continually low-performing but has not met expected growth.
(3) The school is still identified as continually low-performing, but the school has met or exceeded expected growth and realized a net increase in its achievement score over five years.
(4) The school is still identified as continually low-performing and realized a net decrease in its achievement school over five years, but the school has met or exceeded expected growth and at least 50 percent of identified student subgroups served by the school have met or exceeded growth under G.S. 115C-83.15(d2).
(5) The school is still identified as continually low-performing and realized a net decrease in its achievement school over five years, but the school has met or exceeded expected growth and demonstrated measurable progress toward at least 50 percent of the operational flexibility goals identified in the initial application or the most recent annual report filed in accordance with Subparagraph (d)(1) of this Rule.
(6) The school is still identified as continually low-performing and has not met expected growth, but the school has realized a net increase in its achievement score of at least five points over five years.
(7) The school is still identified as continually low-performing and has not met expected growth, but the school has realized a net increase in its achievement score of between zero and five points over five years and at least 50 percent of identified student subgroups served by the school have met or exceeded growth under G.S. 115C-83.15(d2).
(8) The school is still identified as continually low-performing and has not met expected growth, but the school has realized a net increase in its achievement score of between zero and five points over five years and demonstrated measurable progress toward at least 50 percent of the operational flexibility goals identified in the initial application or the most recent annual report filed in accordance with Subparagraph (d)(1) of this Rule.
(f) If the school has not demonstrated measurable progress toward academic gain after Year 2, the school shall submit to additional oversight from the SBE beginning in Year 3.
(g) If, at the end of Year 5, the school has demonstrated academic gain and the LSAU wants to continue operating the school under the Restart Model, the LSAU must declare its intent to the SBE by February 28th of Year 5. The SBE may continue the authorization for another five years unless the SBE determines that continuing to operate the school under the Restart Model is likely to result in lower indications of growth or a decrease in achievement scores.
(h) If the school does not demonstrate academic gain in any two years from Year 2 to Year 4 and the LSAU wants to continue operating the school under the Restart Model, the LSAU shall apply to the SBE for continued authorization by February 28th of Year 5. That application shall include the following:
(1) An explanation of the rationale for requesting continued authorization as well as an explanation of the perceived causes of the decline in the school's growth score and achievement score.
(2) An explanation of the level of decision-making authority and influence with LSAU leadership held by the point of contact for the school.
(3) An explanation of how the LSAU will provide comprehensive and differentiated support the school in a manner beyond the standard support provided to all schools in the LSAU.
(4) An explanation of support that the LSAU will provide to the school principal either directly or through external partners funded by the LSAU.
(5) A description of any new strategies for demonstrating academic gain through the use of operational flexibility or other methods.
(6) A written commitment to cooperate with oversight and support from the SBE during the term of the Restart Model.
The SBE may approve the application and continue the authorization for a period up to five years if the SBE determines the school is likely to demonstrate academic gain under the revised School Improvement Plan. If the SBE continues the authorization under these circumstances, the school shall submit to additional oversight and intensive support from the SBE until it demonstrates measurable progress toward academic gain.
History Note: Authority G.S. 115C-105.37B;
Eff. June 1, 2026.