How should North Carolina measure school quality? What
measures are appropriate for elementary, middle and high schools?
Your colleagues and you have an opportunity to share your
thoughts on these questions with the Department of Public Instruction as it
works to complete North Carolina’s federal Every
Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) plan, which is due to the US Education
Department in March.
A second round of ESSA public comment sessions will be held
in October. Dates and locations are noted in the table below. All sessions will
be held from 5-7 p.m. except for the Tarboro location, which will be held from
4-6 p.m. Teachers are welcome at these sessions and encouraged to attend. There
are some non-negotiables such as measuring reading and math in grades 3-8 and
in high school, but there are other opportunities for flexibility and
decision-making especially around other indicators not necessarily measured
through traditional testing. In addition, DPI staff members are working with
over 90 associations to ensure they too have the opportunity to provide input
into the state’s plan.
Please keep in mind
that you can provide input on ESSA at anytime by going to the Department’s home page and clicking on the “Let’s
Talk” icon on the left
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NC Math 1, 2 and 3
Virtual
Sharing Sessions
Attention all NC Math
1, 2 and 3 middle and high school teachers. Join NCDPI staff for our “Just in Time”
Virtual Sharing Sessions in October.
During these
collaborative sessions, we will chat as an educational community about student
work, supporting students and each other, and many math topics. Facilitated by
partnering NC educators across the state, we will frame our discussions around
a task aligned to the revised high school math standards that can then be
implemented immediately in your classroom.
By signing up for the
webinar in advance, you get early access to the task (Tuesday before session),
materials for implementing the task, and an opportunity to provide feedback
through a follow-up survey. Don't wait, sign-up for one of the following sessions
today!
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Please note that you can click on the drop down arrow to the right to view upcoming webinar session dates and times. If you have questions, please contact NCDPI
K-12 Mathematics Section Chief Jennifer
Curtis.
2016–17 NC Check-Ins (formerly known as Proof
of Concept Study) Specification Information
This item applies only to
schools participating in the NC Check-Ins administrations.
The specification documents for the 2016–17 Grade 5 Math and
Grade 6 English Language Arts (ELA)/Reading NC Check-Ins (formerly known as
Proof of Concept) are available at the new NCDPI NC Check-Ins web page.
Below are a few changes to note:
* The number of
schools sampled to participate increased for the 2016–17 school year.
* The
administration windows were adjusted based on teacher feedback.
* The NC Check-Ins
student books can be kept at the school for five weeks. This decision
was based on teacher feedback.
* Stakeholders may
subscribe to the NCDPI NC Check-Ins email updates at the NCDPI home page by clicking on “Sign
Up for Updates.”
* The assessed
content standards for Grade 5 Math were adjusted based on teacher feedback.
* The short-answer
open response items were removed for the 2016–17 school year.
Additional informational documents are
posted on the NC
Check-Ins page. Questions should be directed to your LEA or charter school
test coordinator or your Regional
Accountability Coordinator.
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2016 PAEMST Finalists Named
Congratulations to the following teachers who were
recently selected as finalists for the 2016 North Carolina Presidential Award
for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST):
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2016 PAEMST Elementary
Science finalists:
Andrea
Gladden
Icard Elementary
Burke County Schools
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Adam
Haas
Rocky River Elementary
Union County Schools
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Laura
Juliana Thomas
The Exploris School
Wake County
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2016 PAEMST
Elementary Mathematics finalists:
Candace Crothers
Glenwood Elementary
Chapel Hill-Carrboro City
Schools
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Claudia
Fann
Pleasant Garden Elementary
Guilford County Schools
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Heather Landreth
W.H. Robinson Elementary
Pitt County Schools
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The PAEMST Awards are the highest honor
bestowed by the United States government specifically for K-12 mathematics and science
teaching. The program, administered by the National
Science Foundation (NSF) on behalf of the White House Office of Science and
Technology Policy, recognizes outstanding K-12 science and mathematics teachers
from across the country for their contributions to the teaching and learning of
mathematics and science.
A panel of distinguished scientists, mathematicians, and
educators will now select one mathematics teacher and one science teacher from
North Carolina to receive the award. Each will receive a
$10,000 award and a trip to Washington, D.C. to attend the National Awards Recognition Program. This year’s cycle is for
elementary teachers (grades K-6). Secondary school teachers (grades 7-12) will
be eligible to apply during a future cycle.
Natural and Cultural Resources
Offers Resources
to Support SCOS
The NC Department of Natural
and Cultural Resources (DNCR) is all about what’s happening today in the arts
and music, but also about what’s happened in the past to get us here and
preserving our state’s scenic splendor.
DNCR is home to 27 historic
sites, seven history museums, two art museums, two science museums, three
aquariums and Jennette's Pier, 39 state parks and recreation areas, the N.C.
Zoo, the N.C. Symphony, the State Library, the State Archives, the N.C. Arts
Council, State Preservation Office and the Office of State Archeology.
NCDPI is honored to partner
with DNCR to ensure educators know about, have access to, and take advantage of
these resources that are aligned to the NC
Standard Course of Study. Their September newsletter highlighting
incredible field trip opportunities is available online
and we ask that you please share across your district as appropriate.
NCCAT Professional Development Opportunities
The North Carolina
Center for the Advancement of Teaching (NCCAT), a recognized national leader in
professional development programming for teachers, is offering educators a
number of professional development opportunities in the coming months – a few
of which are noted below.
Applicants are
encouraged to register as soon as possible to ensure a spot. Programs are
available at the Cullowhee and Ocracoke campuses, online and with NCCAT faculty
visiting school districts. For more information visit www.nccat.org and click on the Programs tab.
14258 • MOTIVATING DISENGAGED STUDENTS
Oct. 24-27; Ocracoke
Designed for teachers
of grades 6–12
This program will
review and evaluate strategies for motivating disengaged students and will
prepare you to implement them upon your return to the classroom.
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14259 • 4C-ING A BETTER LEARNING EXPERIENCE: TECHNOLOGY AND TOOLS TO
TRANSFORM YOUR TEACHING
Nov. 1- 4; Cullowhee
Technology
can engage our learners and open opportunities for communication, collaboration
and creativity in exciting ways. Come participate in interactive, personalized
sessions that will put you back in control, regulate the deluge of incoming
notifications, and spark new ideas to inspire student-learning opportunities
both in and out of the classroom. Our time together will culminate in a Lesson
(re)Design that synthesizes your learning into a tangible takeaway you can
implement right away. This program is offered along with The Friday Institute.
14260 • LITERACY IN THE MIDDLE GRADES: READING PROFICIENCY = CONTENT
MASTERY
Nov. 1-4; Cullowhee
Designed for teachers
of grades 5–8.
As our students
transition to Reading to Learn, we are often unsure how to support those who
struggle with comprehension. Learn how to drill down and assess individual gaps
in reading skills and the intervention strategies to help students become
better readers. Focus on vocabulary strategies for building students’ word
knowledge and access to difficult texts. Explore close reading and
comprehension strategies for empowering students to think deeply about text.
World View
Professional Development Opportunity
Where will you be on
Oct. 19-20? Join World View
for its annual K-12 Global Education
Symposium to explore Innovation and Technology
to Drive Global Learning.
Keynote
speakers have been announced and include Phaedra Boinodiris, named one of the top 100 women in the gaming
industry; William Ferriter, a
leader in educational technology and a NBCT from Wake County Public Schools; Sara Klatchko, an award-winning
photojournalist and educator; Hiller
Spires, an award-winning professor at NC State; and James Thomas, a leader in global
public health.
Location: The Friday Center for
Continuing Education
Cost: $175 per
person. $600 for a team of four. $150 for each additional member.
CEUs: 1.5
CEUs will be awarded upon completion of program study guide.
Schedule
of Events and Registration
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Sept. 30 is Deadline to Submit Poster to Support
Fire Prevention Week
As
a reminder, Sept. 30 is the deadline
for students to submit a poster in support of this year’s Fire Prevention Week
in North Carolina (Oct. 9-15). Second and third graders are asked to submit a
poster supporting this year’s theme, “Don’t Wait – Check the Date,” which
emphasizes the importance of knowing how old your smoke alarms are and
replacing them every ten years.
Winning
poster designs will be displayed on the Office of State Fire Marshal’s website,
and every child who participates will receive a personal thank you for helping
keep North Carolina fire safe. Contest details are available on the Office of
State Fire Marshal website.
If you have any questions, please contact Colin Day, assistant director of Public
Information, Office of State Fire Marshal.
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Duke Energy Offers
Schools Solar Opportunity
(Information taken from Duke Energy press release.)
For some North Carolina
students, learning about solar power will soon be as easy as looking outside
their school window. Duke Energy, through Raleigh-based nonprofit NC
GreenPower, will invest $300,000 in solar PV systems for up to 10 schools in
the state. The program will spur the generation of more clean energy, while
creating a learning environment for students.
Modeled after NC GreenPower’s
Solar Schools program, this particular initiative will pay for 100 percent
of the installation costs for rooftop or top-of-pole mounted systems on school
property. The program also provides monitoring equipment, training and
curriculum to students and teachers.
Any K-12 North Carolina
school served by Duke Energy Carolinas may apply. Consideration will be given
to schools that have expressed past interest in solar or schools in
economically challenged Tier 1 counties. NC GreenPower will use approved solar
installation companies to manage the installation process for interested
schools.
Schools must apply
through NC GreenPower for consideration. Information and future applications can be
accessed here. The application deadline is Dec. 2. Recipients will be named by Feb. 13, 2017.
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