Last week, the State Board of Education received a report from Dr. Alisa Chapman, vice president for academic and university programs in the UNC system, that highlighted the state of teacher preparation in the system.

Enrollment in both bachelor’s degree and master’s degree education programs has dropped by 30 percent since 2010. While this rate of decline has slowed over the past year, it still is a major concern as we consider future staffing needs for schools.

North Carolina depends on traditional UNC system teacher preparation programs to help us fill the approximately 10,000 teaching vacancies that are expected annually. Out-of-state teacher education programs provide approximately one-third of our new recruits, but enrollments in those programs also are down.

These trends underscore the need to improve the teaching profession so that it is more rewarding to current teachers and more attractive to young people considering their future careers. As I told General Assembly members earlier this year, North Carolina can be bold in this area if we have the will to do it. If we are not, I think that we will all regret this lost opportunity.    

State Board of Education
Meeting Highlights

At last week’s State Board of Education meeting in Raleigh, members approved policies governing services for children with disabilities, recommendations for charter schools expiring in 2016, and a report to the Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee on a multi-year survey of driver education.

Members also discussed program approval modifications for Institutions of Higher Education, policy recommendations for the teacher licensure and evaluation process, proposed student perception surveys, reform for continually low-performing schools, and the Board’s 2016-17 Supplemental Budget recommendations.

A list of Board action items is available online.

Implementation Science:
A New Way of Work

Using the principles of implementation science helps staff effectively select, begin, evaluate and sustain new initiatives. NCDPI has partnered with the State Implementation and Scaling-up of Evidence-based Practices Center to increase capacity for implementation and scale-up of department initiatives to maximize students' academic and social outcomes. View this brief video to learn more.

The Office of Early Learning is partnering with school districts across the state using implementation science principles to scale-up the NC K-3 Formative Assessment process. Eight school districts are early innovators, leading the way in this effort, as they apply this new way of work to scale up the NC K-3 Formative Assessment process: Chatham, Clinton City, Dare, Elizabeth City-Pasquotank, Harnett, Iredell-Statesville, Swain and Winston-Salem/Forsyth. 

Wake County School Counselor Honored as Finalist for National Award

Congratulations to Centennial Campus Magnet School (Wake County Schools) Counselor Durenda Ward who was recently recognized by First Lady Michelle Obama as a finalist for 2016 School Counselor of the Year.

Ward was one of six finalists honored at the White House on Jan 28 along with School Counselors of the Year from across the country. Other finalists were from Arizona (winner), Washington, Ohio, Indiana and Missouri. First Lady Michelle Obama noted “the important role school counselors have in students’ lives and how difficult that role is given that the average student-to-counselor ratio is 471-1.”

Visit NCDPI’s School Counselor Facebook page to read more. 

NC Teacher Working Conditions Survey Launches March 1

North Carolina educators are just a month away from making history with the NC Teacher Working Conditions Survey (NC TWCS): 100 percent response rate from every school in the state! The window for this anonymous, online survey will run from 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.

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!

Statewide System of Support Establishes Action Research Team

The East Service Support Team is organizing the first Action Research Team in the North Central Region to continue the work of the Governor’s Teacher Network. This team’s purpose is to conduct and support action research in teachers’ classrooms that will lead to instructional improvement and increased student learning.

The first meeting will be on Tuesday, Feb. 16, at 4 p.m., in the auditorium at Apex Friendship High School in Wake County. For more information, contact East Service Support Coordinator Angela Jackson.

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. This self-paced module is worth 1.0 Literacy Credit. Courses are added monthly so bookmark this link!

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: Characteristics of an Effective Online Instructor - Feb. 16

*  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.

NCVPS Professional
Development Opportunities

The North Carolina Virtual Public School will host two webinars in February 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.

All webinars will start at 7 p.m. Dates and topics are as follows:

-  Feb. 15: Cyber Bullying; and

-  Feb. 29: Assessment and Feedback for Teachers in Online and Blended Learning Environments.

World View PD Opportunities Reminder

As a reminder, World View is offering two spring professional development opportunities for teachers. Both will be held at The Friday Center for Continuing Education, UNC-Chapel Hill.

•  Building Bridges: Cultural Respect and Equity in the Classroom will be held March 22-23 (1.5 days). This seminar explores issues of multicultural education and equity to build a culture and climate of respect in the classroom. 

•  Europe at a Crossroads will be held March 23-24 (1.5 days). This seminar explores critical issues facing Europe including Europe’s Islamic face, Putin and Russia’s ascendancy on the world stage, the European Economy, the European Union and the refugee crisis.

Registration fees are $175 per person or $600 for a team of four. If you attend both seminars, it’s $325 per person and $1200 for a team of four. CEUs offered and may be applied toward the Global Educator Digital Badge. For more information, visit World View’s website. 

STEM Essay Contest for Select Districts

Attention all 10th – 12th grade students in Buncombe, Brunswick, Guilford, New Hanover, Robeson and Wilson Counties who are looking to change the world! If you had no obstacles and unlimited resources to pursue a STEM career how would you ignite an idea or show great innovation or inspire someone else? How would you make a difference in your community?”

If these questions energize you and sound interesting, then here is your chance to ignite, innovate and inspire others. Get your keyboard or video camera and enter the Ignite, Innovate, Inspire: RTPi3 STEM Essay Contest. Submissions will be accepted March 4 - April 29. For more information contact Tatiana Jenkins.