October 2016 NC Public School Partners Newsletter

Having trouble viewing this email? View it as a Web page.

header

OCTOBER 2016

youtube twitter facebook

Public Invited to Comment on NC’s K-12 Education Plan for the Every Student Succeeds Act

Public comment sessions begin Oct. 6

US Department of Education

How should North Carolina measure school quality? What measures are appropriate for elementary, middle and high schools?

You have an opportunity to share your thoughts on these questions with Department of Public Instruction staff to help frame North Carolina’s federal Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) plan, which is due to the U.S. Department of Education in March. This plan is North Carolina’s application for federal education funding.

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. The public is encouraged to attend.

ESSA Public Comment Sessions


States must continue to measure reading and math in grades 3-8 and in high school, but there are other opportunities for flexibility and state decision-making, especially around other indicators not necessarily measured through traditional testing. NCDPI staff members are working with more than 90 associations and all public school educators to ensure broad input into the state’s plan. 

Please keep in mind that you can provide suggestions on ESSA at any time by going to the Department’s home page and clicking on the “Let’s Talk” icon on the left.

38 New Charter Applications Received

Approved schools will open for students in fall 2018

Charter School Students

Thirty-eight nonprofit boards submitted applications for public charter schools to open in August 2018. A spreadsheet of applicants as well as their applications are available on the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI) Office of Charter Schools’ website.

The Office of Charter Schools will review the applications for completeness before forwarding them to the NC Charter Schools Advisory Board (CSAB). The CSAB will use an established structure, including external evaluators and applicant interviews, to review the applications. At the conclusion of this process, the CSAB will recommend applicants to the State Board of Education for approval.

Currently, 167 public charter schools are open for students in North Carolina. An additional eight schools received a favorable report in August from the State Board of Education to begin their planning year for preparation to open in August 2017. NCDPI staff will provide training for these applicant groups during the next year as they prepare to open. These eight, along with five charters that were scheduled to open in August but asked for a one-year delay, will bring the state’s total number of charter schools to 180.

Charter schools are public schools operated by nonprofit boards. The schools have open enrollment; and no tuition is charged to attend. Public tax dollars are the primary funding source for charter schools.

Visit the NC Office of Charter Schools’ website for more information.

NC Students Make Gains on SAT, AP Exams

NC’s performance increases, while nation’s declines on SAT; More students take AP exams and do better

College Board

North Carolina high school students saw performance gains last year on key measures of college readiness – the SAT college admissions exam and on Advanced Placement tests, according to results released by The College Board, which administers the national exams.

North Carolina’s average SAT scores for 2016 high school graduates from all schools increased by 1 point each on the critical reading (502) and math (508) portions of the exam. State gains on both parts of the test outpaced gains nationally, which showed a 3-point drop on the critical reading section (494) and a 4-point decline on the math portion (508).

The state’s participation and performance continued to increase on Advanced Placement (AP) exams, which can help students earn transferrable college credit and save on college costs.

Nearly 70,000 students (69,957) took at least one AP exam in 2015-16, up from 67,451 in the previous year, an increase of about 3.7 percent. Of those, 37,839 students achieved a score of 3, 4 or 5 on an exam, an increase of 3.9 percent from the year before. Students who earn a 3 or better on the exams, which are scored on a five-point scale, can qualify for college credit, although policies vary by institution.

The numbers of tests taken by North Carolina students also were up by similar rates, reaching nearly 130,000 (129,538) from about 125,000 in 2014-15.

State education leaders and lawmakers in recent years have made a priority of broadening access to college-level courses for qualified students. During the last two years, lawmakers provided funding to pay the cost of AP exams for all students and appropriated funding for professional development of teachers through the NC AP Partnership.

National Blue Ribbons Awarded to Eight NC Public Schools

Recipients to travel to Washington DC to receive award

Congratulations to the following eight North Carolina public schools for recently being named 2016 National Blue Ribbon Schools:

  • Pisgah Elementary, Buncombe County Schools;
  • The Early College at Guilford, Guilford County Schools;
  • Jay M. Robinson Middle, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools;
  • Wrightsville Beach Elementary, New Hanover County Schools;
  • Central Academy of Technology and Arts, Union County Schools;
  • Davis Drive Elementary, Wake County Schools;
  • Morrisville Elementary, Wake County Schools; and
  • Bald Creek Elementary, Yancey County Schools.

U.S. Secretary of Education John B. King Jr. in naming the schools said, “National Blue Ribbon Schools are proof that we can prepare every child for college and meaningful careers.”

State Superintendent June Atkinson congratulated educators and students at these schools for their receipt of this prestigious award. “In my travels across the state I see first hand how hard our principals, teachers and support staff work to ensure that students excel in the classroom and life. It’s rewarding when those efforts are recognized,” she said.

National Blue Ribbon Schools are recognized in one of two performance categories, based on all student scores, subgroup student scores and graduation rates:

*  Exemplary High Performing Schools. Schools are among their state’s highest-performing schools as measured by state assessments or nationally normed tests.
Exemplary Achievement Gap Closing Schools. Schools are among their state’s highest-performing schools in closing achievement gaps between a school’s subgroups and all students over the past five years.

All eight of North Carolina’s award winners were recognized as Exemplary High Performing Schools.

For the past 34 years, this coveted award has been bestowed to fewer than 8,500 of the nation’s most successful schools. Schools selected model excellence in leadership, teaching, curriculum, student achievement and parental involvement.

Representatives from each of these schools will be honored at a conference and awards ceremony to be held Nov. 7-8 in Washington, DC. They will receive a plaque and a flag signifying their selection as a National Blue Ribbon School.

First Book Program Supports Literacy Initiatives

Non-profit’s mission is to provide new books to students in need

NC Elementary Student Reading

As the 2016 Give Five – Read Five campaign comes to a close, we want to bring to your attention another opportunity to promote literacy for North Carolina students. First Book, a non-profit with the mission of providing access to new books for children in need, launched a new program they are calling “Give Big Collections.”

The First Book team has crafted five special Give Big Collections featuring a mix of high-quality and high-interest titles. The average price per book in each collection is only $1.75, so schools and their community partners have the opportunity to stock school and classroom libraries at an affordable price. In addition, these books may be given to students to take home during school breaks to reduce learning loss and instill a love of books and reading.

The Give Big Collections are available in quantities of 5,000-10,000, depending on the targeted age range. They are pre-bundled collections, so the title lists are fixed and provide a great mix of themes, interest areas and subject matter.

If you’d like to take a look at the full title and quantity list for each collection, please visit the Give Big Order Form Page. This is a limited time opportunity, while inventory lasts, so please contact Candace Radoski from First Book if you have any questions.

American Red Cross Seeks Student Leaders

Program provides scholarship opportunity

American Red Cross

The American Red Cross is looking for community-minded high school and college students who are interested in a leadership and scholarship opportunity.

Leaders Save Lives is a great program for students who are leaders at their schools, students who are looking for scholarships and students who want to build their resumes.


Here's what students can gain from the Leaders Save Lives program:

1.  leadership experience with the American Red Cross;
2.  accomplishment of helping save lives;
3.  a chance to win a scholarship;
4.  an opportunity to earn a gift card; and
5.  achievements for the High School Leadership Program.

Encourage students you know to check out the Leaders Save Lives program and sign up to host a blood drive during their winter break.

Search Underway for Nation's Top Youth Volunteers

Students to be recognized for community service

Prudential Service Award

Prudential Financial, in partnership with the National Association of Secondary School Principals, is sponsoring its 22nd annual Prudential Spirit of Community Awards.

Students in grades 5-12 are invited to apply for the awards if they have made meaningful contributions to their communities through volunteer service within the past 12 months. Students must complete the application by Nov. 8 and submit it for certification to a middle or high school principal. Schools will then select the top recipients in early November and submit those names for state-level judging.

The middle and high school recipients for each state will be named Feb. 7. The top middle and high school candidates in each state receive $1,000, an engraved silver medallion, and a trip to Washington, D.C., with a parent for four days of recognition events scheduled for May 6-9. Ten national honorees will be named and receive an additional $5,000 in awards.

For more information, please visit the Prudential Spirit of Community Awards website.

subscribe

State Board of Education Meetings

  • Oct. 4 - 6, 2016 (Work Session/Monthly Meeting, Appalachian State University, Boone)
  • Nov. 2 - 3, 2016
  • Nov. 30 - Dec. 1, 2016

 

Celebrate NC Schools

This Month's Highlights