Warren County Middle School awarded $1.8 million Golden Leaf grant to expand math instruction

Warren County Schools on May 12 told its board that Warren County Middle School has been selected for the Golden Leaf Transformative Schools Initiative and may receive up to $1,800,000 over five years to fund coaching, professional development and curriculum supports aimed at strengthening math instruction.

District officials said the grant will fund implementation of Marzano’s High Reliability Schools (HRS) framework alongside the Open Up Math curriculum, provide leadership coaching for principals and stipends for participating teachers, and create a district‑level dashboard to track instructional and student outcome data. Dr. Richardson of the Office of Teaching and Learning presented the award details and said, “Warren County Schools had an awesome opportunity to be awarded the transformative schools golden leaf initiative.”

The presenters framed the grant as a multi‑year, capacity‑building effort rather than a short‑term program. Principal Michelle Dunbar described classroom changes observed during year one site visits: students were ‘‘very familiar with the routines’’ and teachers were shifting toward facilitator roles, a change Dunbar said the grant will help scale across more schools. Staff said the HRS model uses five levels of school practice (safe and supportive culture; effective teaching in every classroom; a guaranteed viable curriculum; standards‑referenced reporting; competency‑based education) and that the district plans to begin district‑wide rollout of Level 1 (culture and safety) in the 2026–27 school year.

Officials outlined next steps and monitoring: district leaders will convene a July retreat for school leaders, hold summer institutes for secondary and elementary champions, and continue job‑embedded coaching with external coaches the district has contracted or partnered with. The presentation said 20 schools participate nationally in the Golden Leaf cohort and noted visits to Guilford County and workshops in San Antonio to observe implementation. The district emphasized that the grant includes professional development, stipends, and coaching supports intended to be sustained across the five‑year period.

Board members offered verbal support and asked clarifying questions; staff said the superintendent has access to a live dashboard to monitor progress and that a combination of internal and external coaches will support classroom practice. The presentation closed with an open period for board questions; no formal vote was required to accept the grant award, which district staff characterized as an externally awarded grant that the district will implement under established program requirements.