School
districts affected by Hurricane Matthew are reminded that Jan. 23 is the deadline to register with FEMA to apply for
assistance. Visit FEMA’s North Carolina Hurricane Matthew website
or call 800-621-FEMA for assistance or additional information.
Please see
this week’s information items for you from across NCDPI’s divisions.
K-8 Mathematics Standards
Review Update
This week, each LEA will receive the first draft of revisions for
K-8 Mathematics Standards. As part of the writing process, staff view LEAs as
an extension of our revision teams. As such, we encourage input from all 115
LEAs. This input will be used to further revise the standards before opening for public comment.
LEAs will soon receive detailed instructions on the process as well as
a three-week window to gather input from teachers before submitting their
feedback.
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NC
SchoolJobs Powered by PeopleAdmin
NCDPI Technology Services is
pleased to announce that the NC SchoolJobs Powered by PeopleAdmin initiative is
going well with 40 LEAs live to date.
Rollouts have included LEAs of
all sizes with Cumberland County being the largest live to date and the
Winston-Salem/Forsyth rollout underway. This initiative is of tremendous value
to your LEA and the state as a whole as we solicit and hire teachers,
substitutes, classified staff and bus drivers.
NCDPI is providing the statewide
software license and offering the application to LEAs on an opt-in basis. This
means no incremental cost to LEAs as we sunset the old applicant tracking
application and move forward with a new application.
Please contact Technology
Services NC SchoolJobs project team, led by Quentin Parker and Joel
Leeper with any
questions.
North Carolina Student Surveys
Student Surveys are available to
all third – 12th grade North Carolina public school teachers free of
charge.
The 2016-17 participation options include whole-district opt in and
individual teachers participation. Visit our Wiki or send an email to Educator Effectiveness staff to learn more.
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Multi-Tiered System of Support:
A Part of Everyday Business
Each component of a Multi-Tiered System of
Support (MTSS) is rooted in the everyday work of North Carolina public schools.
A clear example of this can be found in these three components alone:
-
data-evaluation;
- problem
solving; and
-
instruction/intervention.
A day doesn’t go by when educators and
administrators don’t discuss effective instruction, accountability and working
with the resources available to create the very best system.
The work of building a MTSS is about promoting a
sense of urgency that allows for districts and schools to innovatively support
their students and staff. The investment of building effective systems for all
students will provide the positive outcomes we seek.
For more information on the critical components of a
Multi-Tiered System of Support, visit our LiveBinder
or engage in conversation with your MTSS team on progress toward the
implementation milestones. For additional questions, please contact NCDPI Director
of Integrated Academic and Behavior Systems Amy Jablonski.
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Center
for Safer Schools Joins NCDPI
The
Center for Safer Schools is now calling NCDPI home as a result of House Bill
17, which transferred the Center from the Department of Public Safety to NCDPI’s
Safe and Healthy Schools Support. Kym Martin will continue as the executive
director and will bring support staff to the department to provide safe school
support for North Carolina public schools.
We
believe this move will strengthen efforts to make our schools safe havens for
public school students. Be on the lookout for information as we collaborate for
safer schools.
Questions or concerns regarding this transfer should be directed
to NCDPI Deputy CFO for Operations Ben
Matthews or 919.807.3501.
Digital Teaching & Learning:
Professional Learning
An integral part of the North Carolina Digital Learning
Initiative includes a comprehensive and layered approach to professional
learning.
This fall, NCDPI and the Friday Institute collaborated to serve 1,620
NC educators in 25 professional learning sessions. Participants said...
“The
information has been great and has provided me with valuable tools that will
help me with my district digital plan.”
“Thank you
for this incredible opportunity! I feel empowered and rejuvenated to continue
to impact my school culture.”
“Information
provided was informative and was presented in a manner which was engaging.”
“Loved
making connections between the hands-on activities and classroom application.
Also, appreciated making the connection between digital learning frameworks.”
Educators will want to consider participating in the following upcoming professional learning
opportunities:
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 Speak Up, North Carolina!
Take the Speak Up survey before Jan. 27
and learn about the aspirations of your district! Join the conversation about the use of technology for learning through
Speak Up, a national research project facilitated by Project
Tomorrow.
By encouraging participation in Speak Up
you will have the unique opportunity to have your views—as well as the views of
your educators, students, their parents and the local community—included in the
increasingly important U.S. national and state discussions on digital learning
policies, programs and funding. More importantly, you will receive free online
access to your participant results with state and national comparisons to use
for your own technology assessment needs, budgeting, planning, or evaluation
beginning in February.
Help make North Carolina one of the top participating Speak Up states! Participate in Speak Up today before the survey period closes on Friday, Jan. 27.
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 2017 Home Base Symposium
NCDPI’s Digital Teaching and Learning
staff invite you to “PLUG IN & CONNECT” with your peers at the 2017 Home
Base Symposium scheduled for Feb. 22 -
24 at the Sheraton Four Seasons, Greensboro. Don’t forget to BYOD (bring
your own device)!
Conference sessions will showcase each
of the digital tools and resources available in Home Base. More than 100
instructor-led sessions will focus on all ranges of skills and experience, from
beginner to advanced. Sessions will identify key features and “How To”
functions of each component.
The registration fee is $175 by Feb. 8, and $250 after that date.
Please read the 2017
Home Base Symposium Invite
and registration details located on the NC SIS website. You
also can follow conference happenings on Twitter @NCHomeBase.
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Request for Student Presentations
at CCSA
In
2015, the Collaborative Conference on Student Achievement (CCSA) began to
include student voices in the conversation around academic achievement. Because
of the positive reception, we have extended this focus to include student-led
concurrent sessions.
We
will continue this tradition this year by once again including student-led
concurrent sessions as well as student presentations as a keynote session during
Tuesday's luncheon. For more detailed information on both the concurrent and
keynote sessions click here.
If
you are aware of student presenters or an adult mentor who would like to bring
students to present at the CCSA conference, please have them complete the Student Session Proposal Form for the
concurrent session, the keynote session, or both. Proposals must be submitted
before Jan. 27.
If
you have any questions about the concurrent session, please contact Justyn Knox.
If you have questions about the keynote session, please contact Fay Gore.
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 Nominations for 2017 NC Presidential
Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching Due April 1
April 1
is the deadline to nominate secondary teachers (grades 7-12) for the 2017 North
Carolina Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching
(PAEMST). The PAEMST is the highest honor bestowed by the United States
government specifically for K-12 mathematics and science teaching.
Anyone – principals, teachers,
parents, students, or members of the general public – may nominate a teacher by
completing the nomination form available on the PAEMST website. Nominees may
recommend more than one educator and must provide each teacher’s name, email
address, and school contact information. Teachers also may apply.
One mathematics teacher and one
science teacher will be selected from North Carolina. Each will receive a
$10,000 award and a trip to Washington, D.C. to attend the National Awards
Recognition Program. Elementary school teachers (grades K-6) will be eligible
to apply during a future cycle.
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