Where Is This Happening?

North Little Rock Schools began using Opportunity Culture models in 2017–18 as a pilot for the Arkansas Department of Education (ADE)’s statewide initiative to reach all students with excellent, personalized teaching. The ADE is continuing to expand Opportunity Culture to more districts, including:

• Brinkley Public Schools: This district will begin implementing Opportunity Culture in the 2021–22 school year.
• Crossett School District: This district will begin implementing Opportunity Culture in the 2021–22 school year.
• Earle School District: This district will begin implementing Opportunity Culture in the 2021–22 school year.
• Forrest City School District: The ADE expanded Opportunity Culture to this district in the 2019–20 school year.
• Gentry School District: This district began using Opportunity Culture in the 2020–21 school year.
• Lincoln Consolidated School District: In 2019–20, the ADE expanded Opportunity Culture to three schools in this district.
• North Little Rock School District: This district was the first in Arkansas to use Opportunity Culture models, beginning in the 2017–18 school year.
• Osceola School District: This district will begin implementing Opportunity Culture in the 2021–22 school year.

Maricopa County: Arizona’s Office of the Maricopa County School Superintendent helped Phoenix-area districts implement Opportunity Culture models beginning in 2016–17. Participating districts in Arizona include:

• Maricopa County Regional School District #509
• Nadaburg Unified School District #81
• Phoenix Elementary School District #1
• Valentine Elementary School District
• Wilson Elementary School District #7

Fulton County Schools: This Georgia district, which sandwiches the separate school district for the city of Atlanta, began using Opportunity Culture models in 2016–17.

Chicago Public Schools: The third largest school district in the United States began using Opportunity Culture models in 2018–19.

Indianapolis Public Schools: Indianapolis Public Schools, the first district in the country to include Opportunity Culture roles in its teacher contract, began using Opportunity Culture models in 2016–17.

Baltimore City Public Schools:  This Maryland district began implementing Opportunity Culture in 2019-20.

Public Impact launched the Opportunity Culture initiative in 2013, beginning with the Project L.I.F.T. innovation zone in Charlotte. Opportunity Culture districts in North Carolina now include:

• Cabarrus County Schools: Cabarrus County Schools in North Carolina began using Opportunity Culture models in 2014–15.
• Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools:  In 2013–14, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools became the first district to implement Opportunity Culture, expanding to many more schools within the district each year.
• Cumberland County Schools: This North Carolina district, based in Fayetteville, began designing its Opportunity Culture plans in 2020, for fall 2021 implementation.
• Edgecombe County Public Schools: This rural North Carolina district began using Opportunity Culture models in 2017–18. Opportunity Culture was implemented district-wide in 2019–20.
• Guilford County Schools:  This North Carolina district, based in Greensboro, began using Opportunity Culture models in 2018–19.
• Halifax County Schools: This rural, eastern North Carolina district began Opportunity Culture implementation in fall 2019.
• Hertford County Public Schools: This rural, eastern North Carolina district began designing its Opportunity Culture plans in 2019, for fall 2020 implementation.
• Lexington City Schools: This small North Carolina district began implementing Opportunity Culture in 2019–20.
• Vance County Schools: This North Carolina district along the Virginia border began using Opportunity Culture in 2017–18.
• Wilson County Schools: This North Carolina district began designing its Opportunity Culture plans in 2020, for fall 2021 implementation.
• Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools: This North Carolina district began implementing Opportunity Culture in the 2020–21 school year.

Several North Carolina districts also participated in a pilot of Remotely Located Multi-Classroom Leadership—a partnership of the College Board, North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics (NCSSM), and Public Impact to create a five-person team of teachers in various N.C. districts led by a multi-classroom leader based at NCSSM. Learn more about the pilot in this “first look” in EdNC.

Syracuse City School District: Syracuse, one of New York’s largest school districts, began using Opportunity Culture staffing models in 2014–15.

Hamilton County Schools: This Tennessee district, based in Chattanooga, began implementing Opportunity Culture in 2019-20.

Memphis Charter Cohort: With support from the Memphis Education Fund, 12 Memphis schools from several charter organizations began designing Opportunity Culture models in 2019-20. Participating charter organizations include:

• Compass Community Schools
• Frayser Community Schools
• Leadership Prep Charter School
• Memphis Scholars
• STAR Academy Charter School

Opportunity Culture began in Texas in the 2015–16 school year when the Texas Education Agency (TEA) made Texas the first state to support multiple districts in creating an Opportunity Culture. Opportunity Culture districts in Texas now include:

• Aldine Independent School District: This Houston-area school district will begin implementing Opportunity Culture in the 2021–22 school year.
• Big Spring Independent School District: The Big Spring ISD, an eight-campus district in west Texas, began Opportunity Culture implementation in the 2015–16 school year.
• Ector County Independent School District: In 2019-20, Ector County ISD in Odessa, Texas, along with Midland ISD, began designing Opportunity Culture with residencies in partnership with the University of Texas Permian Basin.
• El Paso Independent School District: El Paso ISD, the largest school districts serving El Paso, Texas, will begin implementing Opportunity Culture in the 2021–22 school year.
• Fort Worth Independent School District: The fifth largest school district in Texas, Forth Worth ISD will begin implementing Opportunity Culture in the 2021–22 school year.
• Harlandale Independent School District: Harlandale ISD, in south-central San Antonio, began implementation in the 2016–17 school year.
• Klein Independent School District: Klein ISD will begin implementing Opportunity Culture in the 2021–22 school year.
• La Vega Independent School District: La Vega ISD, outside Waco, will begin implementing Opportunity Culture in the 2021–22 school year.
• Midland Independent School District: In 2019-20, this Texas district, along with Ector County ISD, began designing Opportunity Culture with residencies in partnership with the University of Texas Permian Basin.
• Mineral Wells Independent School District: Mineral Wells ISD began implementing Opportunity Culture in the 2017–18 school year.
• Socorro Independent School District: Soccorro ISD, the second largest school district in El Paso, will begin implementing Opportunity Culture in the 2021–22 school year.
• South San Antonio Independent School District: South San Antonio ISD began implementation in the 2017–18 school year.
• Spring Branch Independent School District: Spring Branch ISD, which serves portions of western Houston, began implementing Opportunity Culture in the 2017–18 school year.
• Waco Independent School District: Waco ISD will begin implementing Opportunity Culture in the 2021–22 school year.