§ 115C-105.38. Assistance teams; review by State Board.
§ 115C‑105.38. Assistance teams; review byState Board.
(a) The State Board of Education may assign an assistance teamto any school identified as low‑performing under this Article or to anyother school that requests an assistance team and that the State Boarddetermines would benefit from an assistance team. The State Board shall givepriority to low‑performing schools in which the educational performanceof the students is declining. The Department of Public Instruction shall, withthe approval of the State Board, provide staff as needed and requested by anassistance team.
(b) When assigned to an identified low‑performing school,an assistance team shall:
(1) Review and investigate all facets of school operations andassist in developing recommendations for improving student performance at thatschool.
(2) Evaluate at least semiannually the personnel assigned to theschool and make findings and recommendations concerning their performance.
(3) Collaborate with school staff, central offices, and localboards of education in the design, implementation, and monitoring of a planthat, if fully implemented, can reasonably be expected to alleviate problemsand improve student performance at that school.
(4) Make recommendations as the school develops and implementsthis plan.
(5) Review the school's progress.
(6) Report, as appropriate, to the local board of education, thecommunity, and the State Board on the school's progress. If an assistance teamdetermines that an accepted school improvement plan developed under G.S. 115C‑105.27is impeding student performance at a school, the team may recommend to thelocal board that it vacate the relevant portions of that plan and direct theschool to revise those portions.
(b1) Report to the State Board of Education if a school and itslocal board of education are not responsive to the team's recommendations. Acopy of that report shall be made available to the local board, and the localboard shall have an opportunity to respond. Notwithstanding G.S. 115C‑36and other provisions of this Chapter, if the State Board confirms that theschool and local board have failed to take appropriate steps to improve studentperformance at that school, the State Board shall assume all powers and dutiespreviously conferred upon that local board and that school and shall havegeneral control and supervision of all matters pertaining to that school untilstudent performance at the school meets or exceeds the standards set for theschool. The State Board may, as it considers appropriate, delegate any powersand duties to that local board or school before the school meets or exceedsthose standards.
(c) If a school fails to improve student performance afterassistance is provided under this section, the assistance team may recommendthat the assistance continues or that the State Board take further action underG.S. 115C‑105.39.
(d) The State Board shall annually review the progress made inidentified low‑performing schools. (1995 (Reg. Sess., 1996), c. 716, s. 3; 2002‑178, s. 7.)