Operation Polaris
State Superintendent Catherine Truitt unveiled Operation Polaris in September of 2021 to create stronger policies and systems to guide North Carolina’s K-12 public schools in six key areas. Superintendent Truitt launched her signature action plan during the height of the pandemic, identifying the most urgent priorities facing our public schools: literacy, human capital, testing and accountability, and student support services. Operation Polaris also created the framework for the Office of Learning Recovery and Acceleration (OLR) to drive data-based decisions and to work in tandem with the Office of District and Regional Support (DRS) to operationalize its findings and to better target resources to support the state’s students, schools and staff.
Operation Polaris 2.0, in collaboration with the NC State Board of Education and the NC General Assembly, builds on the successful strategies implemented during the past two years and seizes the opportunity to optimize systems and introduce policies that drive the best possible outcomes for students in NC public schools and public charter schools.
There are seven strategies identified in 2.0, with an emphasis on transformational reform to ultimately strengthen faith and trust in the state’s educational system, rebuild the future teacher talent pipeline, and prepare students for success in an ever-changing world.
There is still much work to be done, but Superintendent Truitt and every staff member within the NC Department of Public Instruction are committed to tackling the most pressing problems to build stronger students and to provide better outcomes for all.