The purpose of the William Penn Foundation grant was to support improvements in teaching, schooling and student achievement through the two clusters, in pursuit of the goals of Children Achieving. The district and foundation identified three key areas for improvement

1.) Purchasing new books, materials, instructional resources and computers;

2.) Creating extended-day support programs for students; and

3.) Providing professional development.

NCREST's focus in data analysis and writing was on the use of the William Penn Foundation funds to improve teaching and learning, how teaching has changed over the years of the grant, and how student achievement has improved.