NCDPI Office of Charter Schools (OCS) Updates

New Charter School Leaders Institute

Registration is now open for the 2016 New Charter School Leaders Institute.  This 2-day event will be held June 14-15 at the DPI Building in downtown Raleigh (301 N. Wilmington St.).  

Participants will have an opportunity to hear from experts from DPI, DHHS, DPS, and local charter schools on various topics.  Some of the topics will include the Multi-Tiered System of Support, School Safety, State Health Requirements, Building Culture Through the Hiring Process, and more! 

Please use this link to register:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1pQKCFBbG82MHm1PbD9PkNbqfBYPU_cP1hpyWByFqIrs/viewform?usp=send_form

The registration deadline is Sunday, May 22.  Please contact Dr. Kebbler Williams at kebbler.williams@dpi.nc.gov or 919-807-3598 if you have any questions about the Institute.

NC Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI) Updates   2016-17 Charter School Annual Budget Submission Change     The Division of School Business and the Office of Charter Schools no longer require charter schools to submit an electronic copy of the board approved annual budget beginning with the Fiscal Year 2016-2017 budget.  Please note this does not eliminate the school’s requirement to meet generally accepted fiscal standards, budgeting requirements, State Board of Education (SBE) policies, and any applicable state laws and regulations.  Budgets and supporting documents are public documents and may be requested by government agency staff, media, and/or the general public at any time.

Poster Display and School-Based Enterprise Bazaar at the 66th Conference on Exceptional Children (EC)

Please see the attached invitations to participate in the Poster Display and the School-Based Enterprise Bazaar at the 66th Conference on Exceptional Children, November 9 – 10, 2016, in Greensboro, NC.

The application deadline is June 24, 2016.

If you have any questions, please contact Beverly Colwell at Beverly.colwell@dpi.nc.gov.

Attachments:    Memo-Poster Display 66th Conference

                              Memo - School Based Bazaar

NC Center for the Advancement of Teaching (NCCAT) Professional Development Programs       The North Carolina Center for the Advancement of Teaching provides teachers with new knowledge, skills, teaching methods, best practices and information to take back to their classrooms.  NCCAT is best known for teachers who learn by doing and work collaboratively to discover education insights – through residential, online and school-based experiences. For more information about NCCAT’s professional development programs, visit www.nccat.org or call 828-293-5202.

New Exceptional Children Accountability Tracking System (ECATS)

The Department of Public Instruction (DPI) is in the midst of the new Exceptional Children Accountability Tracking System (ECATS) RFP and legally cannot communicate information related to the RFP. With this in mind, DPI can communicate a new policy approved by the State Board of Education that directly affects ECATS. 

In March 2016, the State Exceptional Children Division Director, William J. Hussey, presented to the State Board and received approval that the new ECATS be designated as a Uniform Education Reporting System. This designation means ECATS is the official means by which data contained in the system is reported to the DPI. You may read more about the presentation and approval in the March 2016 State Board Meeting Minutes via the link below.

http://stateboard.ncpublicschools.gov/minutes-actions/sbe-minutes/2016-minutes/mar-minutes.pdf/view

DPI’s intent is to deliver to the districts a base system that includes Special ED or IEP module, MTSS module, and Medicaid module.  The RFP is running longer than expected, but is still being evaluated.

DPI’s recommendation is that LEAs and charters take the above information into consideration prior to making a decision on whether to use a system other than ECATS for their collection and reporting of Special Ed, MTSS, and Medicaid data.

If you have any questions, please contact William Hussey at 919 807-3970 or Sherry Thomas at

919 807-3992. 

Legislative Update   Please see the attached document detailing the Legislative updates for the week ending May 13, 2016.    Please contact Rachel Beaulieu at rachel.beaulieu@dpi.nc.gov with questions or concerns.         Attachment:     Legislative Update 5.13.16.pdf

IDEA Part B 611 and 619 Grant Submission Date Change

Please see the attached information regarding IDEA Part B 611 and 719 grant submission date change to Friday, June 17, 2016.

If you have any question, please contact Tracy Riddle at tracy.riddle@dpi.nc.gov or 919 807-3948.

Attachment:     Grant Submission Date Change

NCDPI Newsletters 2016 Governor's School Selections Announced  Avery County School Bus Driver is Best in State  Principals' Biweekly Message     Schools/District Recognized for Participation in 2016 NC Teacher Working Conditions Survey     Superintendents' Weekly Message      Finance Officers' Newsletter        NCDPI Web Highlights

IMPORTANT REMINDER – EDDIE is the authoritative source for NC public school numbers and demographic information, is used by multiple NCDPI technology systems including; Accountability, PowerSchool, NC School Report Cards, and is used to meet federal reporting requirements.  LEAs and charter schools are responsible for ensuring their data in EDDIE are complete, accurate, and current.  EDDIE is located at: http://apps.schools.nc.gov/eddie.