State Board of Education Meets This Week

The State Board of Education meets this Wednesday and Thursday, March 1-2, in the 7th Floor Board Room, Education Building, Raleigh. Action items include a report to the NC General Assembly on Career and College-Ready Graduates, school calendar for the Schools for the Deaf and Blind, renewal recommendations for Carter G. Woodson and Kestrel Heights Charter Schools, and an amendment to the Board’s Third-Grade Reading Bonus policy.

Board discussion items include English Language Arts Draft Standards revision, an update on NC Check-Ins, submission of restart application, and a School-based Mental Health policy.

On Thursday, Board members will receive reports on Educator Effectiveness & Equity and implementation progress for the Multi-Tiered System of Support.

The agendas for this meeting and executive summaries are available online (under Meetings tab). The State Board’s committee meetings and full Board meeting are audio streamed for those who can’t attend.

State Superintendent Opens Home Base Symposium

Citing innovation as a “game changer” for public education in North Carolina, State Superintendent Mark Johnson told the more than 1,000 attendees at the first day of the Home Base Symposium on Wednesday that their work is key to the state’s efforts to improve outcomes for all students.

Under his leadership, he said the agency will rank innovation alongside “urgency” and “ownership” as guiding principles in its role to better support the state’s schools, educators and students.

To read more about his address to Home Base Symposium participants, please click on the Feb. 23 Home Base Biweekly newsletter link.

College Board Names Five NC School Districts to 2016 AP Honor Roll

Congratulations to Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, Clinton City Schools, Columbus County Schools, Duplin County Schools and Wilson County Schools for being selected for the 2016 AP Honor Roll by the College Board. They were recognized for boosting both participation and performance on Advanced Placement (AP) exams during the past three years.

Overall, the state’s participation and performance continue to increase on AP exams with the percentage of graduates earning a score of 3 or higher increasing 4.5 percent since 2006. North Carolina’s class of 2016 ranked 19th in the nation for AP performance, with 20.6 percent of graduates earning a 3 or better on at least one of the exams.

Multi-Tiered System of Support:
Cohort Coordinators

Throughout March, NCDPI’s MTSS team is meeting with every MTSS cohort coordinator. The ultimate goal of these meetings is to develop into Regional MTSS Communities of Practice to allow your coordinator to:

-  further process MTSS Moodle content;

-  bolster implementation planning by sharing district and state resources;

-  build relationships and collaborate with other coordinators and consultants;

-  provide an opportunity to learn/practice selected coaching skills; and

-  prepare to effectively facilitate the district/charter MTSS Team meetings.

The coordinator is a critical link from the state team to the district team. However, MTSS is not a process that is carried on the back of one individual, but a school improvement effort that rests on every district, charter and school team in order to create effective systems that develop students who are college, career, and community ready.

Thank you for the vital role you play as a member of the MTSS Leadership team and for supporting your district team, including the coordinator in implementation. For further assistance, please contact NCDPI Director of Integrated Academic and Behavior Systems Amy Jablonski.

Superintendent Vacancy Announced: Public Schools of Robeson County

The Robeson County 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 Robeson County. The application deadline is April 17.

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.

NCVPS Offers NC Math 1 Intervention Program

The NC Math 1 course is a barrier to graduation and post-secondary school success for some students. The NCVPS NC Math 1 Intervention program is designed for students who have not experienced success in their past mathematics courses.

The program features two sequential math courses: Foundation of Math and NC Math 1. This is a co-teaching program where both the local school and NCVPS provide a certified math teacher. This program has been piloted in Bladen and Carteret counties this year with great success.

NCVPS also hosted a series of webinars on the program. If your district was not able to attend, or if you would like to view the webinar, please click here.

To learn more about the program and how to enroll, check out the NCVPS Math 1 Intervention web page. For additional assistance, please contact NCVPS Director of Outreach and Support Mia Murphy.

A+ Schools of North Carolina to Host Regional Information Meetings for Potential New A+ Schools

A+ Schools of North Carolina is the nation’s longest-running, most successful arts-based whole school transformation model. Newly released research on A+ demonstrates impressive results in school growth, student proficiency, and narrowing the achievement gap.

Want to learn more? A+ Schools is hosting two informational meetings for schools interested in joining the A+ Network:

• Tuesday, March 21, 5 – 7 p.m., at the Salt Block, 243 3rd Ave NE, Hickory
• Thursday, March 23, 5 – 7 p.m., at the North Carolina Arts Council, Archives and History Bldg., 3rd Floor Conference Room, 109 E. Jones Street Raleigh 

These free regional meetings will offer information to school and district representatives about A+ Schools and the process for becoming a part of this highly successful, nationally recognized network of creative schools. To RSVP to attend one of the meetings or for more information, please contact A+ Schools Program Director, Michelle Burrows or 919.807.6503.