The State Board of Education will be considering
policy changes to teacher licensure and evaluation processes at its
March meeting. ES&P 2 - Policy
Recommendations for Teacher Licensure and Evaluation Process was
on the Board’s discussion agenda in February and will be back on the Board
agenda for potential action in March. The
policy recommends that Standard 6 for teachers and Standard 8 for principals be
eliminated. However, as a part of the formal evaluation, student growth would be used
as another artifact in informing needed improvements and successes.
Currently, state law citations for student growth
requirements include:
a. The General Assembly’s stated intent to use, in
part, student growth as part of a future performance pay plan. SL 2013-360,
Section 9.5 "Pay for Excellence;"
b. Student growth measure as requirement for
"clinical educator" (i.e., supervising teacher of student teacher). SL
2015-241, Section 8.41(a) [new G.S. 115C-296.11]; and
c. Student growth as 20% of A-F School Performance
Grade formula. G.S. 115C-83.15.
According to state law, the State Board of Education
can no longer give waivers to its policies. That is the reason why school
growth can no longer be used to give an individual teacher a student growth
measure.
In addition, I want to draw your attention
to the other licensure changes that are outlined in the Board item for March.
The policy changes are intended to provide you with some relief from the Highly
Qualified requirements so that you will have a broader pool of potential
teachers to hire, especially in the elementary grades.
If you or your staff
members are interested in providing us with feedback on these
changes, please note that you may do so by going to the Department’s website and clicking on Let’s Talk.
In Let’s Talk, there is a dialog topic called Education Policy Feedback. Please
use this tool to send me your feedback. It routes your feedback directly to
my office.
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 Spring 2016 Principal READY Launches in March
Spring 2016 Ready sessions will begin in March and extend through April
across the state. Fall Principal READY session participants requested more
session choices, more time to discuss information with colleagues from across
the region, and more actionable resources to take back to schools.
NCDPI Educator Human Capital Policy and Research Director Tom Tomberlin
and his team will be back to discuss 2014-15 educator effectiveness data results
and State Board of Education student growth updates for the 2016-17 school
year.
Please visit the Educator Effectiveness NCEES Wiki to reserve your seat
today.
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Severe Weather
Preparedness Week: March 6 – 12
With winter on its way
out and peak severe weather season looming, Gov. Pat McCrory has proclaimed
March 6 – 12 as Severe Weather Preparedness Week to encourage schools, families
and residents to prepare now for unpredictable, severe weather including
thunderstorms.
These storms can
produce damaging winds, hail, tornadoes and even flash floods. Faculty, staff
and students need to know what to do in the event that a tornado touches down
during school hours.
North Carolina will
hold its annual tornado drill on Wednesday, March 9, at 9:30 a.m. Most NOAA weather radios will NOT sound an audible alert
to mark the beginning of the drill. As such, schools are encouraged to
self-initiate their tornado drills at 9:30 a.m. as if an alert had been
broadcast. The drill will conclude when participants complete their drill
activities. No all-clear message will be issued. If this time is not convenient
for your school’s instructional program, you may reschedule the tornado drill
on another day close to March 9.
North Carolina Emergency
Management encourages everyone to follow four simple steps to prepare for
severe weather: make a plan, practice the plan, have an emergency supplies kit
and stay informed. Teaching students how to be ready for disasters can get the
entire family ready. For details, visit www.ReadyNC.org.
Global Readiness Webinar
Join NCDPI and World View staff on Tuesday,
Feb. 23, from 4:30-5:30 p.m., for a webinar on the Five Levels of Global
Readiness. This webinar will provide context and examples of what it means
to be global-ready at the individual, classroom, school, district and state
levels. Global education best practices and resources will be shared, and the
State Board of Education Global Education Initiative along with other statewide
global initiatives will be highlighted. This webinar is appropriate for
administrators and teachers of all disciplines and grade levels.
You may register online. Once you have registered, you will
receive a confirmation email with participation instructions.
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Multi-Tiered System of Support:
Data Evaluation
Implementation data, paired with
student data is essential in a Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS). MTSS
implementation challenges districts and schools to analyze both in order to
determine the effectiveness of implementation, which is driving the outcomes.
The following are
recommendations for creating and sustaining a comprehensive, balanced
assessment system:
* District MTSS team determines which
district-level support personnel and school-based staff members should
understand and have access to this comprehensive, balanced assessment system.
* School staff understand and have access to
data sources that address the purposes of assessment.
* Clear procedures and protocols are created to
administer assessments, use data and allow teams to problem-solve around
student data.
* In addition to student data, district and school
leadership collects data on fidelity of MTSS implementation to examine the
current academic and behavioral practices and improve MTSS implementation.
Teams representing 10
districts/charters attended last week's first Data-Evaluation Session. In the coming weeks, an additional 175
participants will attend this session focused on data accessibility, outcome
data, and student data needed to implement an MTSS. Additionally, registration for
teams is now available for Problem-Solving
in a MTSS Framework taking place in March.
If you have any questions,
please contact Amy Jablonski.
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 NC Teacher Working Conditions Survey Launches
March 1
North Carolina educators are just a month away from making history with
the NC Teacher Working Condition Survey (NC TWCS): 100 percent response rate
from every school in the state! The window for this anonymous, online survey is
March 1-25.
For the past 12 years, the survey has been a platform used to amplify
educator’s voices concerning working conditions in their schools and
districts. It also is used to inform state level policy decisions.
Please visit the NC TWCS website or talk to your school’s NC TWCS representative if you have
questions about the survey process. If your school does not have a
representative, please contact your Regional Educator
Facilitator for assistance.
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 Governor’s Teacher Network
Action Research Portal Available
Are you looking for the most innovative practices in
today’s classrooms? Look no further. The Governor’s Teacher Network is a
database of approximately 220 action research projects done by North Carolina
teachers in North Carolina classrooms.
Dana Wells, 5th grade teacher in Henderson County, wanted
to see if the direct teaching of discussion techniques in mathematics deepened
students understanding of problem solving strategies and math concepts and
increased instances of students giving correct feedback. Dana, with the help of
her vertical math PLC, proved that directly teaching discussion techniques
improved the quality of discussions and participation. It also fostered the use
of high-yield instructional strategies.
For more details on Dana’s action research project or to
explore projects covering a wide-range of topics, check out the NC Teacher Action Research Portal today!
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 Educator Effectiveness’ Guide
to Getting the Most from Online Professional Development
“Self-paced” professional development doesn’t have to be
done alone! If you’re looking for ways to use online professional development
more collaboratively, look no further. The modules in the Home Base
Professional Development system are designed to allow districts to implement
them in the way that best suits their resources, calendars, and professional
development implementation plans.
Educator Effectiveness’ newly updated online guide, Getting
the Most from Online PD,
describes six different models for implementation at the district level,
including best practices and facilitation strategies. The guide is available online.
Literacy Credit Available in
Home Base PD System
The module, Preparation
for Foundation of Reading Licensure Exam, provides an excellent resource
for teachers wanting to refresh their knowledge on the foundations of reading development
and comprehension. This course is just one of over 88 self-paced and
facilitated modules available in the Home Base Professional Development System.
For a full description of the course,
please visit www.rt3nc.org. Courses are added monthly so bookmark this link! This
self-paced module is worth 1.0 Literacy Credit.
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Educator Effectiveness 2016
Webinar Series
NCDPI staff invite you to take advantage of the weekly
Educator Effectiveness Webinar Series, which invites system users to discuss
timely topics. These webinars are always free and offer attendees the
opportunity to learn about best practices, tips for success and new aspects of
the system. Participants also are given a chance to ask questions and connect
with experts.
Upcoming topics include:
*
Home Base PD System: Organizational Tools for District Administrators - Feb. 23
*
NCEES Process: End of Year for Teacher Evaluations - March 8
*
Home Base PD System: Office Hours - March 15
*
Home Base PD System: Course Dashboards and Course Approval System -
March 22
For a full list of upcoming topics, webinar start times
and registration links, please visit the NCEES Wikispace. Please give the flyer a minute to load.
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 NCVPS Professional Development Opportunities
The North Carolina Virtual Public School is
hosting a webinar on Feb. 29 at 7 p.m. at no cost to administrators and
teachers who are interested in learning more about leading, teaching and
supporting teachers in an online and blended environment. Registration for
Assessment and Feedback for Teachers in
Online and Blended Learning Environments is available online.
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College for Every Student
College for Every Student (CFES), a non-profit organization committed
to helping underserved students get to and through college, has received
funding to select four low-income schools for a Closing the Gap program award: a three-year school program to
help underserved students become college and career ready.
CFES currently supports 25,000 students in 200 rural and urban K-12
schools in 30 states and Ireland by providing a framework that allows schools
to customize the implementation of three core practices (Mentoring, Leadership
Through Service and Pathways) proven to help students develop essential skills
for college success and 21st century job readiness.
Information on the College for Every Student Closing the Gap program awards
can be found online. Interested schools
should complete the application by March 1.
2016 NC Presidential Award for Excellence in
Mathematics and Science Teaching Awards Nomination Deadline Approaching
April 1 is the deadline to nominate elementary teachers (grades K-6) for the
2016 North Carolina Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and
Science Teaching.
The Presidential Awards for Excellence in
Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST) is the highest honor bestowed
by the United States government specifically for K-12 mathematics and science
teaching.
Anyone – principals,
teachers, parents, students, or members of the general public – may nominate a
teacher by completing the nomination form available on the PAEMST website. To submit a nomination, you’ll need
the teacher’s name, email address, and school contact information. If you know
more than one teacher deserving of this award, you may submit more than one
nomination. Teachers also may apply.
One mathematics teacher and one science teacher will be selected. Each
will receive a $10,000 award and a trip to Washington, D.C. to attend the
National Awards Recognition Program. Secondary school teachers (grades 7-12) will be
eligible to apply during a future cycle.
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