High stakes test scores are like time--both must continually advance.

A distinctive trait of North Carolina's Cumberland County Schools (CCS) is not resting on our laurels, which explains why we went searching for a way to improve student performance at a time when the district was doing pretty well. We were not satisfied with test scores staying the same; we wanted to do even better than we had. Plus, at that time, the No Child Left Behind Act, with its consequent statewide accountability and Adequate Yearly Progress requirements was just coming into effect, and we wanted to ensure that we could show improvement each year.

Additionally, in 2003, the district created the "Vision 2010: What Our Schools Will Become" program, which was designed to help us meet the needs of 21st century students. Among the program's elements were mandates for the district to provide integrated instructional technology and flexible structures for teaching and learning.

At the time, we had become interested in how brain research could improve student learning. However, since we know we'd be using state, local, or federal funds, we wanted to find something that was scientifically based and proven to be successful. Several staff members, including myself, had heard about a company called Scientific Learning, which developed software based on neuroscience research.  A group of us investigated the research behind their Fast ForWord software and found that it accelerated learning by training the brain to process more efficiently, the way physical workouts train the body to be fit and strong.

We persuaded the superintendent to pilot the program at one primary school. We pre- and post-tested the students, and the results were so good the superintendent agreed to immediately fund more schools. However, because of our diverse student population, each school implements the software differently. As a matter of fact, we have 45 different implementation models, one for each school currently using the software.

Each time CCS expands the program's implementation, schools must submit a proposal to the district to apply for the software. This process creates buy-in from the school improvement team instead of being only the principal's decision. Further, if the principal leaves, the team can continue to ensure the software is successfully implemented.

The proposal form asks questions such as, "How will this enhance your current reading initiative?" We emphasize that the software is not to replace the school's basal text; it is to enhance what educators already doing. We ask what type of data they'll look at--both quantitative and qualitative. While it's good to see test scores rise, if students' scores don't rise and their self-esteem does, that's important as well.

The schools have to show why they want the software, which children will use it, which protocols they'll follow, and what's going to set them apart from another school that wants it. I have not had any push back from anyone having to use the proposal form. It's a good exercise for the schools because it provides them with a plan. If they address all these issues before they ever install the software, it takes care of a lot of the problems that might arise.