AN EXPLORATION OF OPPORTUNITY CULTURE® MODELS IN A RURAL MIDDLE SCHOOL

K-12 schools are currently facing twin crises of staffing shortages and decreasing student outcomes. These challenges are magnified in many rural districts. As a result, districts are increasingly turning to third-party organizations to provide technical expertise in strategic staffing designs to ensure all students receive high-quality instruction despite teacher shortages. Public Impact® is an organization dedicated to improving education through innovative strategies and research-based solutions. One of its flagship initiatives is the Opportunity Culture® model, which is designed to extend the reach of excellent teachers, create sustainable career pathways for teacher-leaders, and provide job-embedded professional development to support all educators. These models aim to improve student learning outcomes, enhance teacher retention, and ensure equitable access to effective teaching for all students. This study examined, in detail, the first year of OC™ implementation in a rural middle school in the Southern United States. By using interviews and document analysis, the study investigated perceptions of these models during the first year. Through the application of the Active Implementation Framework implementation drivers, the researcher examined how the school was able to leverage three key implementation drivers – competency development, organizational supports, and leadership – in the first year of using new staffing models.