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Welcome to this edition of the Opportunity Culture® Newsletter! Opportunity Culture® portal subscribers receive these newsletters automatically as part of their district's portal benefits (log in here). Was this newsletter forwarded to you? Join our mailing list here! |
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LATEST FINDINGS
National Results: 2–3X Schoolwide High-Growth Learning with Opportunity Culture® Staffing Design
In October, we told you about North Carolina high-growth results, and now we're pleased to share new findings from national data: Schools using updated Opportunity Culture® staffing design standards achieved, on average, two to three times the rate of schoolwide high-growth learning of other schools in the same states in 2024–25.
Additionally, new third-party research in one district found a full extra half-year of learning in reading and more than an extra third of a year in math for students between 2020 and 2024. Prior third-party research on three districts found more than an extra half-year of learning in math.
The nation's largest staffing design initiative, Opportunity Culture® teaching teams reached over 275,000 students and 10,500 teachers in 2025–26 alone, with 1,150 schools now implementing, creating, or planning to create their new staffing designs.
From 2013, when the initiative began, through the current school year, Opportunity Culture® educators have received more than $120 million in pay supplements. |
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Two to three times the rate of schoolwide high-growth learning: According to publicly available data, high growth surged among certified schools in 2024–25, the first year that schools had access to new design standards all year and that educators had direct access to design and instructional tools online.
Among hundreds of schools, 45% of Title I schools attesting that they met Level 1 certification standards for Opportunity Culture® teams made high growth, compared with just 21% of Title I schools without the teams in the same states. Sixty-two percent produced high-growth learning schoolwide when they met the design standards and reached all of their students with the models. Increasing fidelity raised rates of high-growth learning even more.
Nearly an extra half-year of learning, on average: In 2013–16 and 2020–24: Students taught by teachers on Opportunity Culture® teams gained nearly an extra half-year of learning growth in math and reading, on average, in two third-party studies of four districts covering seven years. The first study was conducted by AIR and Brookings for the CALDER Center and the second by Texas Tech University. Students in the same schools but not taught by these teams learned almost an extra month more by their third year, according to the second study, an effect called "spillover." All schools in these studies went through Opportunity Culture® design based on research—but before the creation of certification standards using initiative data.
READ MORE... |
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OPPORTUNITY CULTURE® AUDIO
From Our "Superintendents Speak" Series |
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Crystal Hill |
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Anthony Jackson |
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Michael Cormack |
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For Charlotte-Mecklenburg Superintendent Crystal Hill, leading 185 schools and 141,000 students, success means providing deep support for a staff that now sees 60 percent of its teachers coming from a non-traditional background. The district, a pioneer in piloting Opportunity Culture® teaching team models and in quickly scaling up to many more schools, posted dramatic learning growth results in 2024–25. What has it taken to get there, and how will the district try to sustain those results? Dr. Hill shares her thoughts with host Sharon Kebschull Barrett and Public Impact® Co-President Bryan Hassel.
LISTEN... |
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Chatham County Superintendent Anthony Jackson, named as the 2020 North Carolina Superintendent of the Year while serving as superintendent of Vance County Schools, says districts—especially rural systems—can do far more if they focus investments on the capacity of their staff. A self-proclaimed "disciple" of the Opportunity Culture® initiative, he has led both districts to take calculated risks leading to strong learning outcomes for students.
In this podcast, Jackson discusses how Opportunity Culture® models' flexibility combined with guardrails helped address the different problems each district faced. He notes some early success at the high school level, and he stresses the importance of scaling up implementation district-wide—-with urgency while at a predictable pace—to ensure that all students have access to excellent teaching, consistently
LISTEN... |
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At Jackson Public Schools in Mississippi, Deputy Superintendent Michael Cormack brought big changes to student outcomes—no surprise after his leadership of the Barksdale Reading Institute, which sparked the state's stunning literacy turnaround. Under Cormack, Jackson's state accountability rating went from an F to a C, and in 2025, to strengthen the district's literacy efforts, he introduced the combination of Opportunity Culture® teaching teams and a focus on high-quality instructional materials. Starting in five elementary schools—to be expanded to all 22 elementary schools in 2026–27—in pre-K through second grade, with a focus on literacy, the district worked with Public Impact®, which founded the Opportunity Culture® initiative, and Leading Educators, which provided literacy curriculum, coaching, and development for teachers.
We caught up with him just before he started his new job as CEO of KIPP Atlanta Schools, to get his reflections on the early difference this work is making in Jackson and thoughts for the future.
LISTEN... |
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Future of Education Podcast
"Asking teachers to be superheroes and be all things to all students is an insane job description," writes Michael Horn. After having Bryan Hassel and Ashley Williams of Public Impact® on his Future of Education podcast, Horn wrote, "The work Bryan and Ashley are doing speaks to a great solution—that also makes the job of teaching more motivating and viable."
Listen now to the podcast, which left Horn with takeaways on teacher retention, professional development, and how policy and AI may shape what's next.
LISTEN... |
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OPPORTUNITY CULTURE® BLOG
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What would it take for states to listen to educators and support the talented people they already have in their schools? In Pennsylvania and Mississippi, two nonprofits recently sang the same tune: Support teachers and students through proven staffing redesign. Teach Plus PA and Mississippi First have issued calls to action by their states and districts that set an example for the nation. |
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Like them, we believe in the talented teachers schools already have, and in the power of staffing redesign to dramatically improve school for both students and teachers.
But in both states—and throughout the country—details matter deeply. States should not provide funding for a "let all flowers bloom" approach. Students and teachers need staffing design with a track record of success, state monitoring of design fidelity, and continuous improvement using data to maintain strong outcomes.
READ MORE...and tune in later this week to Opportunity Culture® Audio to hear from leaders of Mississippi First and Teach Plus Mississippi, whose policy fellows recently issued their own report calling for legislative action on staffing design. |
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The U.S. Department of Education recently released guidance encouraging states and school systems to use Title II and Title I funding ("Title funding") to redesign schools for stronger learning and educator satisfaction using "strategic staffing."
Opportunity Culture® school designs are proven, evidence-based staffing designs that boost student learning by 2–13 months each school year—while increasing teacher satisfaction and reducing vacancies and turnover. Educators earn more long-term—within recurring budgets.
Interested in adopting these designs and need funds to support transition costs? The new guidance from the U.S. Department of Education should help. In its February 9, 2026, "Dear Colleague" letter, the department reiterates that Title II-A funds, as well as Title I schoolwide funds, may be used to fund new school designs that get results by changing teacher roles, time use, and pay.
Read more about how and why SEAs and LEAs can use Title funds for Opportunity Culture® school redesign.
READ MORE... |
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CERTIFICATION
Welcome to Newly Certified Schools!
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Congratulations to the latest school to receive Certified Opportunity Culture School®, Level 2 status, and to the districts with the latest schools to get certified! As noted above, certified schools achieved far better student learning growth than uncertified schools.
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MONTHLY UPDATES
This Month in Opportunity Culture® Certification
JUNE 30 is the deadline to earn certification for this school year, but don't delay!
1. Check your school's certification status in the Opportunity Culture® portal.
2. See a how-to resource guide for step-by-step support.
3. Join a live certification webinar for clear guidance and hands-on support: |
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Certified schools attract applicants looking for support and career paths, and certification reassures parents, their community, state, and funders about the strength of a school's instructional system. |
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This Month in the Opportunity Culture® Portal
We're excited to share several enhancements that make your portal experience faster, cleaner, and more intuitive:
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Faster Access to Professional Learning Sessions: Finding what you need just got easier. When you click on a professional learning session from your dashboard, you'll be taken directly to that session—no extra steps required.
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"View Resources" Now One Click Away: A new "View Resources" link appears right on your dashboard, allowing instant access to session materials.
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Smile! Improved Profile Pictures: Profile images now display properly, so everyone's profile looks crisp and consistent.
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Educator Survey Closing Soon!
Get your opinions heard—fill out your survey in the portal by March 31! The annual Opportunity Culture® Educator Survey gathers your perspective on your school, role, and the impact of Opportunity Culture® implementation. |
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The insights gathered from this anonymous, voluntary, and free survey help identify strengths and opportunities for improvement at both your school and across the country. Questions? Contact your district's Opportunity Culture® lead or your Public Impact® consultant.
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Track Participation—and Access Data Reports After Completion: The OC® Educator Survey dashboard gives you access to the participation rate report, showing participation rates for each school in your district and district, state, and national averages—especially useful for school and district leaders to keep a pulse on engagement as the survey window closes.
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Once your school and/or district has completed the survey, additional data reports become available one week after your survey timeline ends, including comparisons to national results, to help guide ongoing improvement efforts.
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This Month in the Leadership Coaching
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We sprang forward into leadership coaching this month!
For a district that is scaling up its use of Opportunity Culture® teams, we focused on strengthening data-driven instruction, coaching principals on building strong systems for planning, data-driven instruction, and observation and feedback.
In post-coaching surveys, participants said they appreciated the meaningful team planning and collaboration, hands-on analysis of student work, and clear next steps for implementation. Leaders also valued the opportunity to practice tools and strategies they can use immediately. |
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As this school year begins to wind down, you'll want to equip your leadership team with strong planning structures for the year ahead! Contact us for help setting your school up for success from day one.
CONTACT US! |
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EVENTS
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The following terms are registered trademarks: Opportunity Culture®, Public Impact®, Multi-Classroom Leader®, OC®, and Certified Opportunity Culture School®. We thank sites using Opportunity Culture® models for adhering to trademark usage standards, signaling to the public that they are using data-proven models to dramatically increase student learning and boost teacher satisfaction. |
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To stay up to date on all Opportunity Culture® happenings—new resources, news stories, new Opportunity Culture® districts, and more—follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and Bluesky—and if you're posting, use #OpportunityCulture, @OppCulture, or @PublicImpact, and we'll retweet/share your comments! |
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The Public Impact® mission is to improve education dramatically for all students—especially students whose needs have not been well met. We are a team of professionals from many backgrounds, including former teachers and principals. We are researchers, thought leaders, tool builders, and on-the-ground consultants who work with leading education reformers. To learn more, please visit www.publicimpact.com.
This newsletter was made possible in part by supporters of the Opportunity Culture® initiative. The statements made and views expressed are solely the responsibility of Public Impact®.
© 2026 Public Impact®/Opportunity Culture® |
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Public Impact, 405 East Main Street, Carrboro, North Carolina 27510, United States |
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