October 16, 2009

Dear Parents and Prospective Parents:

We are pleased to make available to you the Durham Public Schools Report Card for the 2008-09 school year. You will find that our students are engaged in learning and have teachers who are committed to helping all students realize their potential. The annual North Carolina School Report Card offers one way for parents to learn more about
our school district. It contains information about student performance, class size, attendance, school safety, instructional resources and teacher quality in our schools. The district report card and reports for all schools in the state are online at www.ncreportcards.org.

A total of 35 of 51 schools measured, or two-thirds, met their overall expected growth target during the 2008-09 school year, and four were named Schools of Distinction. More students than ever are taking Advanced Academics courses and Advanced Placement exams. Our students received more than $13 million in scholarships, including some to the nation’s most prestigious institutions.

Individual school report cards are provided to give you a snapshot of how your child’s school compares to others in the district and the state. We incorporate much of this information and additional data into our own school Scorecards. Principals and other administrators use these Scorecards to benchmark progress on specific areas of importance. Like your child’s report card, these documents, which include testing and other numbers, tell only part of the performance story. Enrollment shifts, program changes and other factors may affect a school’s performance. To learn more about our schools, please talk with other parents, contact principals to visit schools and check out school Websites at www.dpsnc.net.

We appreciate your interest in Durham Public Schools. It is a strong indication of your ongoing support of your child’s education, and of the work we do in DPS. We welcome parents as partners in student success.

Sincerely,

Carl E. Harris, Ed.D.
Superintendent