Thank you for participating in regional meetings, in your quarterly meeting and in other ways to provide input about the ESSA accountability and testing system. During September, staff and I will meet in each of the regions to get additional input from you.

I also appreciate your efforts in forming local ESSA teams to give us your perspectives and to begin considering your local district response to the new federal law.

If you need additional information or other materials to help in working with your local team, please let us know so we may assist you.

The July 21 Superintendents’ Quarterly meeting will be a great opportunity for you to refresh your thinking about how to communicate with your community and with your stakeholders.

I had the opportunity recently to engage in training through the Chief State School Officers on how to be effective in telling your story and engaging your stakeholders in a compelling way, and am excited to be able to facilitate the same opportunity for you.

The Goodman Center will host this training from 8:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. at the Sheraton Imperial Hotel, Research Triangle Park (see first item below). We will have some time to make announcements on time-sensitive topics and hear from the US Army regarding some opportunities developed by the Department of Defense to support STEM learning and improved academics.

You should have received an invitation to the July 21 meeting along with an RSVP form. Please plan to attend or consider sending your communication director or deputy superintendent if you cannot. I think you will be pleased with what you learn on that day.

Workshop for Superintendents Promotes Positive Action to Support Education

Grab your calendars and place a hold on Thursday, July 21, for a workshop that will help you promote education in your community through the art of storytelling all to persuade people to action.

The workshop will be hosted by The Goodman Center, which was launched in 1998 to help good causes reach more people with more impact. Over time, the Center became known for its workshops in storytelling, presenting, strategic communications and more.

The workshop will be held from 8:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m., at the Sheraton Imperial Hotel & Convention Center, Durham. Please submit your registration form for the July 21 Superintendents’ Quarterly meeting to register for this workshop. The deadline to register is July 15.

Survey Addresses Non-Academic Barriers that Could Impede Teaching and Learning

The State Board of Education created the Interagency Advisory Committee to study and make recommendations about the non-academic barriers that may impede teaching and learning in public schools.

In order to provide information about this, local superintendents are asked to complete an online survey regarding local school wraparound services and partnerships. The survey deadline is 5 p.m., July 15. Thank you for your help with this work.

NC Digital Learning Competencies Approved

North Carolina State Board of Education members approved the Digital Learning Competencies for Classroom Teachers and School Administrators at their June 2 meeting. These competencies will go into effect July 1, 2017.

The intent of the competencies is for teachers to improve their practice as they integrate digital tools and resources to drive student learning within their classrooms. The four focus areas within the teacher competencies have been aligned to the Professional Teaching Standards and the Digital Learning Plan with a subset of competencies that help to explain and ‘unpack’ each area. For more information about the Digital Learning Competencies, please visit bit.ly/NCDLCs.

To provide district leaders and teachers with an initial insight and support for these competencies, NCDPI Digital Teaching and Learning Division staff will provide professional learning sessions in July for district teams. Staff are partnering with various Institutes of Higher Education across the state to host these sessions. Together, we will dive deep into the competencies focusing on the scope of the competencies, exploring professional learning resources, and crafting a plan for district implementation. In addition, throughout the 2016-17 school year, staff will pilot the competencies and provide professional learning opportunities statewide.

If you have any questions, please contact Deborah Goodman.

Every Student Succeeds Act: Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM)

On May 31, the U.S. Department of Education (USED) posted the proposed rules to amend the regulations implementing programs under Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) to implement changes to the ESEA by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA).

The proposed rules include updates to the current ESEA general regulations to include requirements for the submission of state plans under ESEA programs, including optional consolidated state plans, and requirements for accountability systems and state and LEA report cards.

The comment period ends Aug. 1. To review the proposed rules, click HERE. Please note that particular issues identified for comment may be found in the Executive Summary section. If you read some proposed rules that you do not support, you should submit your comments to the USED. It’s also a good idea to mention the proposed regulations that you do support.

School Calendar Limitations Study

The NC General Assembly’s Program Evaluation Division has informed NCDPI that it will be conducting an “evaluation that will examine how limitations on school calendar flexibility have affected LEAs, school operations, students and the tourism industry in North Carolina.”

The Evaluation Division will be surveying superintendents regarding this issue. The Division will issue the survey via email around July 11, and will follow up to ensure that they have responses from all 115 LEAs. The Division also will be collecting data from NCDPI and interviewing DPI staff including the State Superintendent, Chairman Bill Cobey and some members of the NC State Board of Education, representatives from higher education, and partner organizations including NCASA and NCSBA.

The report and possible recommendations should be presented to the Joint Legislative Program Evaluation Oversight Committee in December. If you have any questions, please contact Rebecca Garland or Carol Shaw, principal evaluator, NC General Assembly.

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Multi-Tiered System of Support:
Communication and Collaboration that Support Implementation

Districts and schools implementing a Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS) are currently utilizing the Self Assessment of MTSS (SAM) to measure implementation at the school level. This data is conveniently aggregated to the district level for a larger scope lens of implementation.

SAM provides schools an opportunity to reflect on all aspects of MTSS implementation such as:

*  Does the staff have consensus and engage in MTSS implementation?

*  How does the school actively engage families throughout all layers of support?

*  What infrastructure exists to support the goals of family and community engagement?

*  What opportunities are available to collaborate around both implementation and outcome data?

The state’s MTSS strategic plan addresses communication and visibility, professional development, coaching and technical assistance. Research and evaluation support effective installation in districts, charters and state-operated program.

For a recent example of communication support, please see this update sent out to the 350-member email list. If you have additional questions, please contact Amy Jablonski.

Work Session Focuses on Ways to Transform School Culture, Empower Teachers and Raise Student Achievement

Are you seeking best practices for principals to transform school culture, empower teachers and raise student achievement? If so, you will want to mark your calendar for July 19 or 20 and join NCDPI District and School Transformation staff in partnership with the Northeast Leadership Academy (NCSU-NELA) at a special hands-on work session with school leaders and their teams to explore strategies for transformational change.

Principal Evelyn Randle-Robbins, author of The Hands-On Guide to School Improvement, will facilitate the one-day session with a keynote in the morning and application break-out sessions in the afternoon.

Connect with practitioners from across the state to engage in the work of transformation to support student achievement. Registration is open and may be accessed here. The July event is being held as a one-day work session in two areas of the state. On July 19, the session will be held at Nash Community College and on July 20, the session will be held at Davidson County Community College.

There is no registration fee for this event; however, districts and schools are responsible for travel costs. For more information, please contact Amelia McLeod.

Educator Effectiveness Data Sessions Scheduled for Teachers

In response to teacher requests for more information on data usage, NCDPI Educator Effectiveness staff have scheduled five regional sessions on Educator Effectiveness Data: Policies and Processes for EVAAS, ASW and Student Surveys. The sessions will be held from 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. on the following dates:

July 12 – Doubletree Hotel Riverfront, New Bern

July 14 – Crowne Plaza Hotel, Hickory

July 25 – Coastline Convention Center, Wilmington

July 27 – Durham Hilton Hotel, Durham

Aug. 8 – Western Carolina University, Cullowhee

Teachers were sent this information vial email on June 20. For more information, please contact Educator Effectiveness Lynne Johnson.

Superintendent Vacancy Announced: Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools

The Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools Board of Education is seeking a superintendent to lead the school system in its continuing pursuit of excellence. Candidates must have or be qualified to hold a North Carolina superintendent license. Central office and building-level experience are preferred. A doctorate degree or progress toward a doctorate degree is preferred but not required. The individual chosen will be required to live in the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools attendance area. The application deadline is Sept. 1.

An electronic version of the application is available by going to the N.C. School Board Association's website and clicking on the appropriate link. Inquiries and requests for applications also can be directed to Allison Schafer, Legal Counsel/Director of Policy, North Carolina School Boards Association, PO Box 97877, Raleigh NC 27624-7877, telephone 919/841-4040, fax 919/841-4020, email. All inquiries will be kept confidential.

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