EASTWAY AND DPS INCREASING ACHIEVEMENT
D
y E a s t w aa r y : t E l e m e nt o b e a t poised odds the
Dr. Stacy D. Stewart, Assistant Superintendent for School Transformation, and Mr. Jonathan Brooks,
Principal of Eastway Elementary School, are pictured seated in the second of two Restorative Practice rooms.
espite many successes and hard work, Eastway Elementary
to prepare the youngest of Durham’s talent to compete in a global
School has consistently ranked among the bottom five
economy. The plan serves as a blueprint for student success. And
percent of schools in proficiency according to North Carolina
while it evolves to meet the constantly changing environment in public
educational performance standards, a position in which no school
education, DPS’ goals are clear: increase academic achievement, ensure
wants to remain. But in 2019, something changed. For the first time
fiscal and operational responsibility, attract and retain outstanding
since 2014 Eastway Elementary School exceeded the state’s school
educators and staff, strengthen school, family, and community
proficiency expectations and exited low-performance status. How did
engagement, and provide a safe school environment that supports the
they do it?
whole child. To achieve these goals, the U.S. Department of Education provided Eastway and other schools within the DPS system with a
“A change in attitude. Intentionality behind everything from the start
School Improvement Grant (SIG), as is typical for schools flagged as
to the end of the day,” said Jonathan Brooks, Eastway Principal. “We
“high needs” by the state.
determined that we’d provide opportunities throughout the day for each student to have a win and to find something they enjoy so we can
Being new to Eastway in 2019 and knowing the grant had an expiration
affirm them, especially the non-intrinsically motivated students.”
date of June 30, 2020, Principal Brooks quickly sought and gained the commitment of his staff, parents, and students. He formed a parent
Eastway is part of a larger story that is still unfolding and a strategic
advisory committee to learn how to keep parents and students
plan that is being implemented across Durham Public Schools (DPS)
engaged in ways that matter to them. As a result of convening this