Dr. Carol H. Artis
Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction

Our Mission 
Wayne County Public Schools holds high expectations for all students by collaborating with parents and the community to provide individualized support.

Our Vision 
Cultivation, Personalization, Innovation - Every Student, Every Day!

Academic Standards 
Wayne County Public Schools place a strong emphasis on balanced reading and writing programs which are integrated into all subject areas at all grade levels. Math, centered on problem solving and real-life learning problems, is also a major component of our curricular focus. Science, social studies, and a well-rounded fine arts program, along with Career and Technical Education programs, gives Wayne County Public Schools a rich curricular framework.

Our schools offer an array of instructional and extracurricular programs to students. In addition to the North Carolina Standard Course of Study, many electives are available to students both in the classroom and online to enhance their educational experience.

English As A Second Language (ESL) 
Wayne County Public Schools is rich with culture and diversity. Our diverse population is made up of students from around the world with 21 different languages represented. To help address the unique needs of our English as a Second Language (ESL) students, our schools provide the necessary personnel, resources, and ESL classes to help students learn and grow academically. Services from guidance counselors, social workers, psychologists, and school nurses are also available to students as needed.

Our Graduates 
Each year, our high schools graduate hundreds of students, with around 87% or more moving on to higher education and more than 8% entering the military or workforce. Because our graduates prove themselves both inside and outside the classroom, each year they earn millions of dollars in renewable grants, scholarships, and work-study aid. Many graduates also earn prestigious awards at colleges and universities throughout North Carolina and across the nation.

Dr. Carol H. Artis, Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction, Wayne County Public Schools

Wayne County Public Schools embraces a philosophy towards teaching and learning where classrooms are learning communities that foster a culture of thinking.  The Curriculum and Instruction department works to:

• Engage students actively in rigorous and relevant content

• Develop students’ understanding of the content and related concepts through problem-solving and critical thinking

• Provide cognitive challenge through innovative and project based instructional experiences

In our classrooms, we strive to create communities of learning where adults and children learn together. We believe that inquiry learning and complex thinking and problem-solving promote lasting understanding. Our curriculum, therefore, reflects our beliefs about the importance of learning experiences that will lead to lasting understanding and the ability to apply and use knowledge in new contexts. These approaches are highly innovative, and are designed to enhance educational instruction and support student learning.

Our instructional practices address the standards outlined by the state of North Carolina for all subjects and courses, and programs are continually evaluated and refined following a curriculum review process. This curriculum includes a set of academic expectations that all students should master by the end of each grade level. These standards also reflect the knowledge and skills students need to succeed in life after high school, in both post-secondary education and a globally competitive workforce.

Core Subjects
A balanced literacy approach provides each student with rich experiences in reading, writing, listening, speaking, phonics, word study and grammar, with a large portion of the language arts block dedicated to guided reading. Leveled readers are used during guided reading instruction to differentiate instruction so that all children read on their appropriate reading level. This approach provides the opportunity to accelerate children to the next reading level as soon as they demonstrate mastery. Writing is emphasized at each grade level with instruction on developing ideas, sentence fluency, organization, word choice, voice, conventions and presentation.
 
English As A Second Language (ESL)
Wayne County Public Schools is rich with culture and diversity. Our diverse population is made up of students from around the world with 21 different languages represented. To help address the unique needs of our English as a Second Language (ESL) students, our schools provide the necessary personnel, resources, and ESL classes to help students learn and grow academically. Services from guidance counselors, social workers, psychologists, and school nurses are also available to students as needed.

Special Area Subjects
In addition to the core curriculum, students participate in art, music and physical education classes .Students visit and utilize the media center, computer labs, and mobile technology carts support instruction.

Elementary Schools (K-5)

We are aware that as children enter school they are eager to learn and willing to participate in new learning experiences. Therefore, in grades K-2 the curriculum provides a framework for hands-on activities that promote the acquisition of a variety of thinking skills. 

The reading program is researched based and encompasses a balanced program of direct and indirect instruction. There is a balanced emphasis between skills, meaning, and vocabulary, as well as systematic phonics.

Instruction is provided in higher-order thinking skills through problem solving activities in mathematics, social studies, and science. Art, music, and Spanish are integrated effectively to enhance the core curriculum areas.

Daily writing for different audiences is an integral part of the curriculum in K-5. A variety of tools are utilized in the delivery of learning including: big books, guided reading books, novels, technology resources, math manipulatives, audiovisuals and various hands-on models.

Middle Schools (6-8)

Wayne County Public Schools understands that students are facing substantial change during their middle school years. We realize that moving into the teen years can be challenging academically and emotionally.

Our middle schools have a mission to provide the best schooling possible for students in grades 6-8. We strive for excellence in student achievement and promote the importance of community service.

Wayne County’s middle schools strategically transition students from the self-contained classes of elementary school to the more independent environment of high schools. Students have numerous opportunities to participate in extracurricular activities ranging from reading and math competitions to yearbook and cheerleading. Our comprehensive physical education curriculum includes team sports such as football, basketball, soccer, baseball, and softball.

We believe our middle schools provide students with wholesome educational atmospheres that give young people opportunities to advance mentally, emotionally, physically, morally, and socially.

High Schools (9-12)

High schools share a progressive mission to offer students a quality education that prepares teens for life in the 21st Century, by equipping them with the necessary tools to enter college or the workforce. In addition to the basic core courses, the schools offer an innovative curriculum that immerses students in workforce development, cultural arts, physical education and second language.

In recent years, state and national leaders have worked to redesign high schools to better prepare students for the global challenges of the 21st Century. Wayne County Public Schools prides itself for being on the forefront of these high school reform efforts. Throughout our schools, the new three “R’s”, “Rigor”, Relevance”, and “Relationships” can be found being emphasized both inside and outside the classroom.

Some of the most exciting programs and strategies being implemented include our two newest high schools; Wayne Early College High School, located on the campus of Wayne Community College; and the Wayne School of Engineering, located on the Goldsboro High campus. Although these innovative high schools are very different, students who graduate from either school can earn both a high school diploma and a two-year college Associates Degree. At our traditional high schools, Freshman Academies have also been implemented to help students better make the transition from middle school to high school.

Courses are taught at various levels to accommodate the needs of the students. Each high school also offers an array of free web-based courses. Students can earn college credits through “Learn and Earn online,” as well as take college prep courses through the new North Carolina Virtual High School.

In addition to virtual opportunities, students can take advantage of advanced placement and college preparatory courses that are offered in all eight of the high schools. College-bound students can also earn college credits for free through “Jump Start”, which allows the students to take advanced level courses at the local community college. Students receive credit for these courses at the high school and college level.

All of our high schools provide students with leadership opportunities, and an assortment of student organizations, clubs and athletic teams.