Parents, educators and interested citizens are invited to provide feedback regarding proposed revisions to the content standards for high school math courses Math 1, 2 and 3 via an online survey. The survey will be available through May 20.

NC Department of Public Instruction staff review the state’s Standard Course of Study on a five-year cycle per subject, and mathematics is currently under review. The State Board of Education approves content standards for all subjects.

To date, Department staff have engaged local teachers and curriculum leaders in reviewing content standards via small groups, detailed surveys and focus groups. Information from other resources, including recommendations provided by the Academic Standards Review Commission, also was included in the process. As a result of this feedback, modifications to the sequencing of standards as well as revisions for clarity of the standards have been proposed. Background documents regarding the changes are listed below.

As proposed, the changes could go into effect as early as this fall if the State Board approves the changes at its June meeting. The K-12 English/Language Arts Standards revision process will proceed this summer with the K-8 mathematics standards and fourth level high school mathematics standards revision process proceeding in the fall.

*  NC Math 1 Draft Standards

*  NC Math 2 Draft Standards

*  NC Math 3 Draft Standards

*  Summary, Overview and Rationale

At last week’s State Board of Education meeting, members approved School Reform Models to be applied to five schools in four districts, its FY 2015-16 Final Allotment adjustments, Long-Range Facility Plans (Five-Year Report), requests for local flexibility in the Analysis of Student Work, and a number of consent agenda items including the Middle School Athletics Manual update.

Members also discussed Digital Learning Competencies/Digital Learning Plan, Math I, II and III Draft Standards revisions, and Career and Technical Education Licensure revisions. They also heard a presentation on the Military and Education Connection.

The complete list of this month’s Board actions is available on the Board’s website. The Board’s May agenda as well as supporting executive summaries are available online by clicking on the SBE Meetings tab.

To date, NCDPI staff have traveled to Wilmington, Cary, Charlotte and Bethel to gather public input on what the state should include in its plan to meet the requirements of the Every Students Succeed Act. Comments so far have focused on the need for less or better student testing, for remembering the needs of students with cognitive disabilities, and the importance of including measures beyond test scores in the state’s accountability program.

If you are within traveling distance of the final two initial public comment sessions, staff hope you will make plans to attend. Both are scheduled from 4-6 p.m. People who wish to speak should sign up at the registration table by 4:15 p.m.

*  Tuesday, May 17 – East Forsyth High School, Kernersville
*  Wednesday, May 18 – Charles D. Owen High School, Black Mountain

If you can’t make these sessions, written comments also are welcomed. You may submit comments to the Department of Public Instruction through Let’s Talk by selecting the ESSA dialog topic. Simply click on the Let’s Talk link on the NCDPI website to start the process.

Keep in mind the following questions when formulating your comments:

-  What do you expect from our schools?
-  What school characteristics are most important?
-  How should we measure school success?
-  How do we ensure that all schools are successful?
-  How should we celebrate school success?

Your feedback is very helpful as we work to complete North Carolina’s state ESSA plan. The state plan will be completed this fall and submitted to the US Department of Education in February 2017 at the earliest.

The NCDPI is submitting a request for a waiver of section 421(b) of the General Education Provisions Act (GEPA) (the “Tydings Amendment”) as it affects the authority of the Department and its sub-recipients to obligate fiscal year FY 2015 and FY 2016 School Improvement Grant (SIG) 1003(g) funds after Sept. 30, 2017 (FY15 Funds) and Sept. 30, 2018 (FYI 16 Funds).

Specifically, NCDPI is requesting that the authority to obligate funds for the state-administered Elementary and Secondary Education Act CFDA 84.377A School Improvement Grants program be extended to Sept. 30, 2021.

The public is invited to review and comment on the waivers being requested by May 20. To read more, please visit the NCDPI Public Notices website.

Thanks to all North Carolina educators who participated in the 2016 Teacher Working Conditions Survey (NC TWCS). The survey window closed April 4.

The official statewide response rate was 85.4 percent representing feedback from over 101,800 educators. Approximately 8,600 more educators participated in 2016 than 2014. Congratulations also to the 1,076 schools who achieved the goal of a 100 percent response rate! These schools will be eligible for incentives sponsored by BB&T, California Casualty, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Duke Energy, Lenovo and NCAE. Winners will be selected beginning May 23.

The NC TWCS results will be presented to State Board of Education members in June, and available for school districts soon afterward. For more information, please contact Yvette Stewart.

The fourth annual statewide Give Five – Read Five campaign is coming to a close. Districts, schools, businesses, nonprofits, churches and other community partners will wrap up their 2016 book drives in late May. These books will be distributed to students before the end of the school year to provide them with quality reading material over the summer to reduce summer learning loss.

In the remaining weeks of the campaign, please support your local school’s Give Five – Read Five project by donating books. Contact your local school principal to find out the deadline for donating books and learn about other ways to support local Give Five – Read Five efforts.

If your organization is participating in the campaign, please share what you are doing to promote summer reading with Diane Dulaney. If you held an independent drive to collect books, we would appreciate you submitting the totals by taking a quick online survey.

Thank you for your interest in North Carolina’s Give Five – Read Five campaign. Your support will help students across our state return to school this fall better prepared to learn.

Did you know that the federal Every Kid in a Park initiative allows fourth graders nationwide to obtain a pass for free entry for them and their families to more than 2,000 federally managed lands and waters nationwide for an entire year?

The second year of this annual program begins Sept. 1. To find out how to get a pass, or for more information to help plan trips, check out the Every Kid in a Park website.