Giving Compass' Take:

· EdSurge talks with Dr. Margaret Gilmore, superintendent of Allendale County Schools, about her six-step process that brought success to both teachers and students in her district.

· How can high-poverty districts use Gilmore's six-step process to bring success to their schools? 

· Check out this article about the keys to student success.

As one of the highest-poverty school districts in South Carolina, Allendale County Schools has been in turmoil for two decades. The state’s Department of Education has taken control of the district twice since 1999 for a laundry list of reasons—most importantly, bleak academic performance.

During the second takeover in June 2017, the South Carolina superintendent declared a “state of emergency” in education. Three of the district's four schools were the worst performing in the state. Morale was low, teacher turnover was high and residents didn’t trust that Allendale could educate their students.

Then Dr. Margaret Gilmore stepped in to lead a district-wide overhaul, and suddenly the story changed—for the better.

In a conversation with EdSurge, Gilmore—who became Allendale’s superintendent a year ago—discusses how she is turning around her district, and outlines her six-step instructional process that drives teacher and student success.

EdSurge: How did you know where to begin such an immense district overhaul?

Gilmore: We worked with AdvancED | Measured Progress to do a root cause analysis: in order to move the academic needle in this district, what do we need to accomplish? We observed classrooms and interviewed all stakeholders—students, teachers, parents, the community, principals, district office staff.

Read the full article about from emergency to student success by Wendy McMahon at EdSurge.