Comprehensive and Targeted Support
(CTS)
2025-26 - Year 1 (Planning Year) = Diagnose, Engage, and Design
2026-27 - Year 2 (Implementation) = Launch and Monitor
2027-28 - Year 3 (Sustainability) = Refine and Sustain
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Year 1: Planning Year
The planning year is foundational. It’s about gathering data, diagnosing needs, and building a strong, evidence-based plan.
- Data Review & Needs Assessment
- Analyze student achievement, growth, subgroup performance, graduation/attendance rates, and teacher/staff capacity.
- Conduct root cause analyses to understand barriers to success.
- Analyze student achievement, growth, subgroup performance, graduation/attendance rates, and teacher/staff capacity.
- Stakeholder Engagement
- Involve teachers, administrators, families, students, and community partners.
- Use surveys, focus groups, and advisory committees.
- Involve teachers, administrators, families, students, and community partners.
- Plan Development
- Develop a multi-year improvement plan aligned with federal/state requirements (e.g., CSI/TSI, state low-performing).
- Select evidence-based interventions (aligned to ESSA tiers of evidence).
- Establish measurable goals and interim benchmarks.
- Develop a multi-year improvement plan aligned with federal/state requirements (e.g., CSI/TSI, state low-performing).
- Capacity Building
- Provide leadership training, instructional coaching, and early professional development (PD) to prepare for implementation.
- Provide leadership training, instructional coaching, and early professional development (PD) to prepare for implementation.
- Resource Alignment
- Map federal, state, and local funds (Title I, II, III, IV, PRC 105, etc.) to the plan (Resource Allocation Review – Self-Assessment)
- Identify staffing and partnership needs.
- Map federal, state, and local funds (Title I, II, III, IV, PRC 105, etc.) to the plan (Resource Allocation Review – Self-Assessment)
Year 2: Implementation
The first implementation year is focused on launching and monitoring the new strategies.
- Strategy Roll-Out
- Begin implementing selected interventions (e.g., MTSS, evidence-based literacy/math programs, extended learning).
- Provide professional learning tied directly to new practices.
- Begin implementing selected interventions (e.g., MTSS, evidence-based literacy/math programs, extended learning).
- Coaching & Support
- District Leaders, Charter Leaders, Lab School Leaders, School Leaders, NCDPI CTS Team and/or ODSSS team provide direct coaching and feedback (e.g., NCStar).
- Monitor fidelity of implementation.
- District Leaders, Charter Leaders, Lab School Leaders, School Leaders, NCDPI CTS Team and/or ODSSS team provide direct coaching and feedback (e.g., NCStar).
- Progress Monitoring
- Collect and analyze interim data (formative assessments, attendance, discipline, surveys).
- Adjust supports as needed.
- Collect and analyze interim data (formative assessments, attendance, discipline, surveys).
- Communication & Transparency
- Provide regular updates to staff, families, and stakeholders.
- Share early wins to build momentum.
- Provide regular updates to staff, families, and stakeholders.
Year 3: Sustainability
The second implementation year focuses on refining and sustaining the work.
- Refinement of Practices
- Use Year 1 lessons learned to improve fidelity and efficiency.
- Scale up successful practices and phase out ineffective ones.
- Use Year 1 lessons learned to improve fidelity and efficiency.
- Deeper Capacity Building
- Empower teacher leaders and PLCs to carry improvement forward.
- Strengthen instructional leadership in principals, teachers, staff.
- Empower teacher leaders and PLCs to carry improvement forward.
- Sustainability Planning
- Plan for long-term funding as temporary sources (e.g., PRC 0105) expire.
- Embed interventions into school/district policy and practice.
- Plan for long-term funding as temporary sources (e.g., PRC 0105) expire.
- Outcome Review & Adjustments
- Compare student outcomes against long-term goals.
- Adjust the improvement plan for continuous growth.
- Compare student outcomes against long-term goals.
CSI- Low Performing (CSI-LP) - ESEA section 1111(c)(4)(D)(i)(I)
CSI- Low Graduation Rate (CSI-LG) - ESEA section 1111(c)(4)(D)(i)(II)
CSI- Not Exiting Additional Targeted and Support (CSI-AT) - ESEA section1111(c)(4)(D)(i)(III)
| Designation | Exit Criteria | Exit Timeline |
Comprehensive Support and Improvement-Low Performing (CSI-LP) | Meet measure of interim progress for the All Student subgroup in all subjects (reading and math). and Achieve above the lowest 5% of Title I served schools for the most recent and previous school year | Every three years |
Comprehensive Support and Improvement-Low Graduation Rates (CSI-LG) | Graduation rate greater than 66.7% in the most recent and previous year | Every three years |
Comprehensive Support and Improvement-Additional Targeted Support Not Exiting Such Status (CSI-AT) | Same as TSI-AT in the exit year
* First Exit 2028–29 using 2027–28 data | Every three years |
Comprehensive Support and Improvement - Tiers
For the fall 2025-26 identification, tier levels remained the same.
These tiers indicate the level of support provided by the Office of Federal Programs to implement more rigorous interventions. | Tier 1 Group 1: Newly identified CSI-LP, CSI-LG, or CSI-AT at the start of the 2025-26 school year Tier 2 Group 1: Identified at the start of the 2018-19 school year as CSI-LP or CSI-LG Group 2: Identified at the start of the 2022-23 school year as CSI-LP or CSI-LG |
TSI-Additional Targeted Support (TSI-AT) – ESEA section1111(d)(2)(C)
Designation: Subgroup(s) performance grade is at or below the highest CSI-LP identified school, and the school’s subgroup(s) is identified as TSI-CU in the identification year.1.
1 The score designated for CSI-LP identification is recalculated at the time of CSI-LP identification. The score calculated for
the most recent identification year (36) will be used for exit purposes during non-identification years.
| Exit Criteria | Exit Timeline |
1) Identified subgroup(s) achieve a three-year growth index of 1.0 or higher1; or 2)are on track to meet the subgroup(s) twelve-year proficiency goals in reading and math; or 3)there is no longer a subgroup whose overall performance as measured by the School Performance Grade score is at or below the score designated for CSI-LP identification and previously identified subgroup(s) improved performance on the School Performance Grade score as compared to the score at the time of identification.2 | Every three years then reviewed annually for next three years.
Cohort 1 (2018–19 Identified Schools) • Exit Criteria was applied at the end of 2024–25 school year. •If unable to exit, and school is a Title I school, it became CSI-AT for the 2025–26 school year.
Cohort 2 (2022–23 Identified Schools) • Exit Criteria was applied at the end of 2024–25 school year.
Cohort 3 (2025–26 Identified Schools) • Exit criteria will be applied at the end of 2027–28 school year. |
1 The three-year growth index calculation will require three years of growth indices, be an average of the index scores, use the most recent three years of available data and require a minimum-n of thirty for each of the three years used.
2 The score designated for CSI-LP identification is recalculated at the time of CSI-LP identification. The score calculated for the most recent identification year will be use for exit purposes during non-identification years. For the 2024-25 exit, the score of 32 was used.
Targeted Support and Improvement – Consistently Underperforming (TSI-CU) – ESEA section 1111(c)(4)(C)(iii)
Designation: One or more of the same subgroup(s) with a designation of “F” (School Subgroup Performance Grade) for the most recent and previous two years.
(For the fall 2025–26 identification 2022–23, 2023–24, and 2024–25 data were used.)
| Exit Criteria | Exit Timeline |
Achieve a letter grade of “D” or higher (School Subgroup Performance Grade) for previously identified subgroup(s) in the most recent and previous year.
For the 2025–26 fall exit, 2023–24 and 2024–25 data were used.) | Annually |
Targeted Support and Improvement - Cohorts
| Cohort 3 | Cohort 2 | Cohort 1 - Non Title I Schools | Cohort 1 - Title I Schools |
| School subgroups identified at the start of the 2025-26 school year at ATSI (Exit Criteria applied after 3 years) | School subgroups identified at the start of the 2022-23 school year as ATSI and did not meet the exit criteria at the end of the 2024-25 school year (Exit Criteria applied annually). | Non-Title I school subgroups identified in 2018-19 that have not yet met the ATSI exit criteria (Exit Criteria applied annually) | Title I school with at least one subgroup identified in 2018-19 as ATSI that did not meet the exit criteria by the end of the 2024-25 school year (First exit will be at the end of the 2027-28 school year). |
Required Indicators:
| Identification | Required Indicators for NCStar 1.0 | Required Indicators for NCStar 2.0 |
| D.1.02 - Resource Allocation Review | CSI-ATSI .02 - Resource Allocation Review |
| A.4.01 - Evidence Based Intervention | G1.02 - Evidence Based Intervention |
| A.4.10 - Evidence Based Intervention | CSI-LG .01 - Evidence Based Intervention |
CSI / TSI-AT Comprehensive Plans (ESEA Sec. 1111):
- Comprehensive plans include goals of student performance against state’s long-term goals and /or measurements of interim progress.
- Comprehensive plans include at least one evidence-based intervention.
- Comprehensive plans are based on data from a school-level needs assessment prior to implementation.
- Comprehensive plans are approved by school, local education agency, and state education agency.
- Comprehensive plans are reviewed and periodically monitored by state education agency.
- School Improvement Teams have various stakeholders including at least on parent.
- School Improvement Teams meet at least once per month to discuss CSI comprehensive plan intervention(s) and are documented with agenda/minutes and available for public view.
- Parent Notification Letters (various languages/format) are sent home annually to families directly (sent home) and indirectly (website) by November 30th.
Comprehensive plans are submitted twice per year to the state education agency via NCStar for review.
- Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
- Key PRC 0105 Funding Reminders
- PRC 0105 Allowable Use Reference Guide - REV.10.6.25
- NCDPI Chart of Accounts
- NCDPI School Business Data Analytics and Reporting Tool (DART)
- Non-Regulatory Guidance: School Improvement and Related Provisions
- Non-Regulatory Guidance: Using Evidence to Strengthen Education Investments
- CSI/TSI Annual NCStar Feedback Process Instructional Video
- PSU NCStar Feedback
- Sample - PSU CSI / TSI Support Plan
Section Chief:
Alessandro Montanari - Alessandro.Montanari@dpi.nc.gov - (919) 600-3388
| Program Administrator | Assigned Regions | Phone |
| Southwest and Western | (828) 361-5277 |
| Northwest and Piedmont-Triad
| (984) 236-2978 |
| North Central and Sandhills | (919) 548-6435 |
Vacant (Alessandro Montanari) | Northeast and Southeast | (984) 236-2109 |
TDE's matched funding offer - Annual Book Fairs - 01.10.2026
- Webinar Presentation: NC Annual Book Fairs follow-up webinar, 12-10-2025
- Webinar Recorded Link (password: Ygmp3cMJ)
For questions or additional information, please contact Brontë Forsgren, Director, Coalition for Evidence-Based Policy, at bforsgren@evidencebasedpolicy.org.