Franklin County Schools is focused on building a stronger community one life-long learner at a time.  The Curriculum and Instruction Department is committed to providing services and resources to support our schools and teachers as they prepare students for college, career, and life beyond the classroom. 

Franklin County Schools teaches the North Carolina Standard Course of Study for all subjects and content areas.  The Department of Public Instruction provides the standards that must be addressed in the district’s classrooms.  In addition, all statewide assessments (EOGs, EOCs, etc.) are based on these standards. The standards by grade level and content area can be accessed at the Department of Public Instruction

To implement these standards, Franklin County Schools utilizes a variety of resources to provide support to teachers for effective classroom instruction. Resources include locally-created curriculum units created by content specialists, instructional coaches, and classroom teachers using the state’s academic standards, specific content support documents provided by the Department of Public Instruction, CTE blueprint documents, and other standard-specific tools that enhance teacher understanding of the standards. All materials are reviewed to ensure that they thoroughly address the standards with an appropriate amount of rigor.

Franklin County Schools uses multiple interim and benchmark assessments to measure student progress on grade level and content standards. In grades K-3, students are administered the mClass assessment three times per year to measure kindergarten readiness and early reading skills. In addition, the district also uses iReady to identify content and skills gaps in math and reading. This instructional tool, used for approximately 30-45 minutes per week per content area, provides additional information to the classroom teacher on where a student may need additional support. It also contains rich, aligned instructional resources for classroom use. NC Check-ins also provide important benchmark data in courses with an associated End-of-Grade or End-of-Course test. Provided by the Department of Public Instruction, these assessments are completed two to three times per year on specific instructional standards. Principals and teachers use this information to target and differentiate instruction. 

All classroom instruction is formally monitored and evaluated using the North Carolina Educator Evaluation System (NCEES). This tool assesses teachers and support staff in areas such as classroom environment, instructional delivery, interaction within the educational community, and understanding of the grade level/content-specific standards. In addition to formal observations, frequent informal observations or walkthroughs are conducted by school administration, district leadership, district content specialists, and instructional coaches. 

Our district is made up of 16 schools and over 1,000 staff members who are all focused on providing the best education possible for the students of Franklin County. Curriculum and Instruction is responsible for overseeing all aspects of the educational program for students in grades Pre-Kindergarten through 12. Within the area of Curriculum and Instruction are several departments that support the various components of educating our students.