Weekly Message - State Superintendent June Atkinson

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Superintendents' Weekly Message

July 18, 2016

June Atkinson

I look forward to seeing you at our meeting Thursday in conjunction with the annual Financial and Business services conference at the Sheraton Imperial, Research Triangle Park.

 

This is a special opportunity for us to learn new skills and develop new perspectives for communicating about public schools. Another treat on Thursday will be a brief presentation from the US Army regarding educational resources the Department of Defense has developed. These include a STEM van that we will have the opportunity to tour during the lunch break.

June Atkinson's Signature

NEW Legislated Reporting Requirements for LEAs


The state budget bill (HB 1030) recently passed by the General Assembly includes several new requirements for local school boards and charter schools to report information to the State Board, beginning as soon as Sept. 1. NCDPI staff will coordinate collection of this information and will provide specifics about each requirement in a separate communication. For now, please plan on the following estimated reporting calendar for these new reports:


Reports Timetable


Please direct any questions regarding this reporting calendar to NCDPI Chief Performance Officer Adam Levinson.

 

This afternoon, NCDPI staff will post detailed information to the Testing News Network (TNN) regarding the process for submitting the report on Local Testing Programs. Please see below for information about a webinar on this topic that DPI will hold July 26.

 

NCDPI will supply information regarding the other two new required reports in future newsletters.


Laptop

Report on Local Testing Programs Webinar

 

Effective with the 2016-17 school year, legislation recently passed by the General Assembly (G.S. §115C-174.12 [d]) requires each local board of education to “notify the State Board of Education (SBE) by Sept. 1 of each year of any local testing to be administered to students by the local school administrative unit…and the calendar for administering those tests.” Additionally, the local board of education must “include information on the source of funds supporting the local testing program.”

 

Section (e) of the same legislation requires that by Oct. 15 of each year, the State Board of Education must report this information to the Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee, along with a summary of the administration of the state testing program, including the number and type of state tests and the testing schedule.

 

Please see the Testing News Network (TNN) for detailed information regarding the process for submitting the local testing information to NCDPI by Sept. 1.

 

On Tuesday, July 26, NCDPI staff will hold a webinar from 10 -11 a.m., to discuss the new requirement to report on local testing, and to answer questions that test coordinators may have concerning how NCDPI will collect the data from LEAs. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.


Digital Learning Competencies

Digital Teaching and Learning Updates

 

Digital Learning Competencies (NC Digital Learning Plan) PD Sessions Being Held Statewide

 

NCDPI’s Digital Teaching and Learning Division staff are engaging district teams across the state in regional professional learning on the Digital Learning Competencies. These sessions, which began last week, have been well attended and have provided district teams with a robust overview of the Digital Learning Competencies as well as an opportunity to begin the planning process for implementation in July 2017. As you know, the North Carolina Digital Learning Plan provided recommendations for state actions that will support K-12 schools as they become digital-age learning organizations.

 

In 2013, the North Carolina General Assembly passed House Bill 23, which called on the State Board of Education to develop digital teaching and learning competencies that would “provide a framework for schools of education, school administrators, and classroom teachers on the needed skills to provide high-quality, integrated digital teaching and learning.” These competencies demonstrate skills that teachers and leaders should integrate into their practice in order to create digital learning environments. The State Board of Education approved the competencies on June 2.

 

Much of Digital Teaching and Learning Division staff’s work over the next few years will be supporting district staff as they implement these competencies. If you have any questions, please contact Digital Teaching and Learning Director Verna Lalbeharie.


PBS Regional Teacher Summit

 

NCDPI’s Digital Teaching & Learning Division is partnering with the Public Broadcasting System (PBS) and UNC-TV to engage K-12 educators to join staff on Aug. 4 for a day of learning, sharing and networking with colleagues around the state on learning in the digital-age classroom. This partnership helps introduce NC educators to resources that can be utilized in instruction.

 

Participants will have hands-on opportunities to work in small groups, share ideas, and make lasting connections. The Summit will be held from 8:45 a.m. – 4 p.m., at the UNC-TV studios in Durham. Participating teachers also can earn CEU credits. There is no cost for this professional learning; breakfast and lunch will be provided.

 

This professional development opportunity advances the state’s digital learning plan efforts, which recommend supporting the use and sharing of high-quality open educational resources and teacher-created resources.

 

The Department of Public Instruction engaged the Friday Institute at NC State University in developing the NC Digital Learning Plan, recognizing that digital learning requires very different tools and resources than traditional modes of learning. NC is committed to preparing educators and students for the digital age. This session has received an overwhelmingly large response and is already at capacity. Additional sessions like this one will be planned for a future date.


Multi-Tiered System of Support

Multi-Tiered System of Support:
Collaborative District-School Partnerships

 

Cohort 2 District Teams are meeting this month to discuss MTSS Professional Development content around creating readiness, essential elements of core instruction, and analyzing the effectiveness of core instruction. The goal of these meetings is to review the online content and plan for implementation at the school level. A critical portion of planning is related to narrowing the focus of the work by connecting the dots for the school teams.

 

The District Teams planned MTSS implementation using these components:

  • rating current level of implementation;
  • prioritizing implementation items;
  • identifying resources and barriers to implementation;
  • determining action items for successful implementation; and
  • mapping action steps using a Gantt chart to organize implementation effectively.

As the District Team defines and communicates these priorities, a shared vision between the schools and district will result. A carefully cultivated partnership between these two teams can yield results that far exceed expectations.

 

If you have additional questions, please contact Amy Jablonski.


NC Virtual Public Schools Logo

NCVPS Schedules Open House

 

The North Carolina Virtual Public School will hold its 2016 Open House on Thursday, Aug. 11, from 6-7 p.m., via an online classroom.

 

NCVPS staff and teachers will provide presentations on Who is NCVPS?, Teaching and Learning with NCVPS, Meet the Teacher, See the Classroom, Support All Around, and Q & As.

 

While the presentations are geared toward parents and students in public schools, private schools, and home schools, the NCVPS Open House has something for everyone. Educators will learn about the NCVPS teaching and learning process, and the general public will discover what online learning is all about!

 

Follow this link to register. Once registered, additional details will be sent


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