Rowan-Salisbury Schools is a public PK-12 school system consisting of 35 schools, approximately 20,000 students, 3,000 staff and operates on an annual budget of approximately $170 million. The district is located in the Piedmont region of NC along the I-85 corridor between Charlotte and Greensboro. The district's Mission is: "To inspire and provide opportunities for innovative and engaging learning experiences." During the winter of 2014, committees began meeting to discuss the development of a new strategic plan and direction for our district. In less than two years, the district: · Adopted a 3-year Strategic Plan · Re-purposed funds for a digital conversion · Deployed iPads and Laptops to students and staff · Created a district-wide Literacy Framework · Increased bandwidth and infrastructure · Implemented a Visitor Identification System in schools · Opened schools to community visits · Provided recruitment fairs and hiring incentives · Encouraged ³go and see¹ opportunities for educators · Developed key partnerships with: o Apple o Discovery Education o Schoology o Achieve3000 And the list goes on... With these and more additions, instruction has changed in exciting ways. Classrooms are turning into collaborative learning spaces and students are being challenged to become critical thinkers and problem-solvers. Learning is fun and engaging for students. Much has happened in a very short period of time and it is amazing to see how teachers are embracing the different styles as students become involved learners.