NCDPI Office of Charter Schools (OCS)
Training Opportunity
Board members from charter schools that are opening in 2018 are required to attend 5 face-to-face Planning Year Sessions from September to January. The school leader and some of the board members are also required to attend the New Charter School Leaders Institute in June. As a customer service, the Office of Charter Schools continues to open up these sessions to all charter schools. If you have a new school leader and/or a new board member interested in attending any of the sessions, he or she must register to attend. Please note the schedule below:
Registration is now open for the October session. Registration ends on Sunday, October 15th. Please use this link to register.
For questions, please contact Dr. Kebbler Williams at kebbler.williams@dpi.nc.gov.
 Upcoming OCS Professional Development Opportunities
Digital Teaching and Learning: The Charter School Connection
Location: NC Center for the Advancement of Teaching (NCCAT), Cullowhee, NC
Date: Monday, November 13 – Thursday, November 16
Registration Information:
Please apply by Friday, October 6. This is a new and unique collaboration between OCS/NCDPI, NCCAT and the Friday Institute focused on digital teaching and learning within the charter school context. There are 24 spots available for this event. As such, we ask that only one person apply from each school. Participants will be notified if they are selected to attend. Though primarily focused on teachers, technology facilitators and administrators can also apply. Following the event, participants will be expected to be ambassadors for best practices and strategies for digital teaching and learning. All lodging and meals will be provided by NCCAT at no cost to program participants; participants will be responsible for all other travel-related costs. Participants will receive a certificate of completion for CEU credit. You can see the draft agenda HERE and apply to attend HERE.
OCS Training Camp
Location: KIPP GASTON
Date: Monday, October 30
Time: 8:30-4:00
Registration Information:
Registration is NOW OPEN for this event! Schools who have received or anticipate receiving a low performing designation are invited to attend. Registration information must be received by Wednesday, October 18. Please register HERE. This is a free event and lunch will be provided by KIPP Gaston.
If you have any questions about these opportunities, please contact craig.tucker@dpi.nc.gov
|
Curriculum Leaders Collaborative (CLC) for Charter Schools - 2017-18 SY Update
The CLC was a
huge success in its first year and is coming back again this school year!
Here's what the first year participants are saying about it:
·
"It is a chance for the school leaders to think
systematically about their approaches, without interruption of day-to-day
activities.
·
"If you want to feel more effective and efficient in your
efforts, and feel that you are making progress with the hours of work you are
putting in, then CLC is an important step."
Additionally,
over 96% of year one participants
agreed that the CLC met its goals and will improve student
outcomes.
Applications for the 2017-18SY Charter School
Cohort will be sent out in late 2017 and will be held between February and
April 2018 in Raleigh NC.
Please keep an eye out for more information in the
coming months! If you have any questions in the meantime, please reach out to Hunter
Huffman, Special Projects Manager, at (e): Hunter.Huffman@dpi.nc.gov or (p):
919.807.3633.
NC Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI) Updates
Seeking Proposals for the (Connecting Communities of Education Stakeholders (CCES) 2018 Conference!
Interested in Presenting at DPI’s NEW Connecting Communities of Education
Stakeholders (CCES) Conference?
The Connecting Communities of Education Stakeholders (CCES) Conference
Planning Committee is seeking proposals for the CCES 2018 Conference.
Preference will be given to proposals that address this year’s conference
theme, “Fostering Innovation Across Our State,” as well as highlighting
conference goals and strands.
This year, the conference will feature three types of sessions: Operational
(45 minutes), Concurrent (75 minutes), and Poster (75 minutes).
Exemplary proposals demonstrate clarity in content, processes and solutions.
Proposals may only be submitted through the online proposal system.
The proposal window is open now through Oct. 31. Visit the CCES web page for more information. Please
click the link at the bottom of the CCES Proposal web page to access the
proposal submission form.
 NC Virtual Public School Advisory Council to Meet
The North Carolina Virtual Public School (NCVPS) Advisory Council will hold
its quarterly meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 17, from 10 a.m. – noon. The
meeting will be held in the Springboard Conference Room 205, Poulton Innovation
Center, NCSU Centennial Campus, 1021 Main Campus Drive, Raleigh.
Agenda items include updates on the NC Digital Learning Plan, NCVPS Math I
Intervention Pilot, NCVPS research, and election of officers. The draft agenda
is available here.
Questions regarding this meeting should be directed to NCVPS at
919.513.8550.
|
Supporting Third Grade Readers
As NCDPI continues the Read to Achieve work, the K-3 Literacy team would like to
offer an online option for the formative, diagnostic reading assessment for
third grade students.
Amplify has released an online assessment, mCLASS Flex, which brings the
flexibility of both observational and online assessments to teachers.
Some of you will be familiar with it because you have purchased mCLASS Flex for
4th and 5th grades.
Research shows that observational assessment is the best way to measure
early literacy skills for beginning and off-track readers. Research also
validates the use of online assessment as an effective choice for students
exhibiting proficient or above proficient behaviors.
mCLASS Flex allows educators using mCLASS:Reading 3D the opportunity to
maximize instructional time by differentiating assessment opportunities
based on student need.
After BOY completion, teachers will have the option to use mCLASS Flex to
progress monitor and benchmark third grade students who have
shown proficiency in ALL Reading 3D assessments.
Proficiency means students are
- in the green or blue area in the DIBELS composite AND
- in the green or blue area in all DIBELS sub skills AND
- in the green or blue area in TRC AND
- reading beyond the end of third grade level expectation
(above and beyond Level P).
The K-3 Literacy Division values the diverse needs of all students and
acknowledges that third grade students demonstrating proficiency of all Reading
3D skills are ready to move to more student-driven assessment modes.
If at any time a student begins to decline in skills (less than green in
DIBELS subskills, composite, or TRC), the teacher MUST return
to progress monitoring in the observational Reading 3D process.
It is important to remember that in October of 2016, a progress monitoring
option was provided for teachers of third grade students with the same
proficiencies as those bulleted above. That option provides the third
grade teacher a choice about continuing to benchmark a third grade student
reading at level U in any subsequent benchmark periods. (The device prompts the
assessor to choose whether or not to continue when the child has reached level
U.)
Please remember that if level P is to be used as an alternate pathway for a
child to show proficiency, the child MUST be assessed in third grade and achieve
a Level P or higher during the third grade year. As we look at the state
results after each benchmark, we see that some students are reaching level U
before the end of second grade. This means that the students are decoding
words with accuracy at a fifth grade level AND are able to understand and apply
fifth grade level standards. The child’s teacher would have been
differentiating for those students on fifth grade standards in every day
instruction.
NCDPI hopes that this additional online option for assessing third grade
students reading beyond grade level expectations will support teachers in
targeting specific individual needs.
For more Flex implementation information, you may log in to mclasshome.com
with your username and then click on the orange “Training” tab. You may
also visit the link below, review the attached planning document, and contact
your K-3 Literacy consultant.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ukQtP5kFaKk&feature=youtu.be
Attachment: Implementation+Planning+for+R3D+with+Flex.pdf
 K-12 Social Studies
Beginning Teacher Webinar Series
On Wednesday,
October 25th from 3:45-4:45 PM, NCDPI K-12 Social Studies will have the third
webinar of the series for beginning teachers. The five-part webinar series is a
way for us to continue to provide support on effective implementation of
the Standard Course of Study for social studies teachers. The webinars
will feature some strategies to assist teachers with planning their lessons
and/or units in a way that will not only help students gain a deeper
understanding of the content, but also help teachers in the transition to
conceptual teaching.
The focus
of this particular webinar is providing a better understanding of how to
teach North Carolina Essential Standards' clarifying
objectives written using Disciplinary Literacy.
To
register for the webinar: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/686687176289026305
Did you
miss the previous webinars? Access it today: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/0B516ugysYYfpM25IbHg4aGFJek0
|
K - 12 2017 Social Studies Leaders' Institute
Please see the attached information regarding the 2017 Social Studies Leaders' Institute. Please register using this link - https://www.research.net/r/SSLeaders2017.
Attachment: 2017
Social Studies Leaders' Institute
 Reminder:
Register by Oct. 24 to Receive Early Bird Rates!
Registration Open
- 67th Conference on Exceptional Children
Prescriptive Instruction: The Key to
Proficiency
is the theme of the 67th Conference on Exceptional Children, North Carolina’s
largest gathering of educational professionals and parents of children with
disabilities. The Exceptional Children Division is pleased to invite
colleagues from across the state to join us for this annual synergistic event
to share and learn about innovations and exciting practices to help exceptional
children achieve. Please join us for numerous enriching activities: an
uplifting Plenary Session with inspiring keynote presentation, more than 90
informative Instructional Sessions covering the broad spectrum of exceptional
children education, the Teachers of Excellence reception honoring outstanding
North Carolina special educators, a Poster Display of innovative programs and
practices, the School-Based Enterprise Bazaar showcasing products being created
and marketed by North Carolina Public School students with disabilities, and an
Exhibitor/Vendor area that offers interactions with organizations and companies
specializing in serving exceptional children. Come be an integral part of this
annual gathering in Greensboro of more than 3,000 professionals and parents,
all working together to improve educational outcomes for all students!
Registration and additional information may be
found at:
https://ec.ncpublicschools.gov/conferences-profdev/annual-conference
We
look forward to seeing everyone in November!
Attachment: At+A+Glance.jpg
|
Invitation to Apply - 2017-18 NC State Improvement Project
Please see the attached
memo inviting you to apply to become an NC SIP partner LEA. We look forward to
receiving your application for review by October 23 at 5:00 pm.
Attachment: 2017-18
NC State Improvement Project_Information_Memo
Low-Performing Schools Information
Please see the attached letter from Dr. Pitre-Martin and Dr. Nancy Barbour to LEA Superintendents and Charter School Directors.
Attachment: Letter
on Low-Performing Schools
 Upcoming NC K-3 Formative Assessment Process (FAP) Webinar Opportunities
OCTOBER NC K-3 Formative Assessment Process Webinars Coming Your Way: Check out these 30-minute
educational opportunities for teachers, administrators and instructional
coaches!
APPsolutely an Easy Way to
Collect Evidence: Using the NC K-3 Formative Assessment APP: Thursday,
October 12, from 3:30-4:00
This session will enable educators to manipulate this user-friendly app to
learn how to easily capture documentation in the moment. Educators will
leave this session ready to gather different types of evidence with just a few
taps within the NC K-3 Formative Assessment Process APP. Be sure to have
your devices ready so you can practice during the presentation.
Register HERE!
Got Evidence?: Monday,
October 16, from 3:30-4:00
Got Evidence? Now What? This webinar will walk you through how
to locate the evidence collected, how and when to individualize a piece of
group evidence, how to view the performance descriptors when making a learning
status, and much more about evidence collection!
Register HERE!
|
K-3 Literacy Progress Monitoring Webinar Opportunity
Join the K-3 Literacy team on October 25
at 3:30 for a webinar focused on progress monitoring in the elementary reading
classroom. We will discuss connections to instruction and offer tips for
managing the progress monitoring process. Please share this
opportunity with your elementary teachers, instructional facilitators, and
building-level administrators.
See registration details below.
Please register
for Best Practices in Progress Monitoring in Reading on Oct 25, 2017 3:30 PM
EDT at:
https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/6956415841161265667
As teachers, we are constantly checking in with our
students to see if they are responding to our instruction. This can be done
formally or informally, through observation or formal assessment measures. Do
you often find yourself wondering…what are the components of effective progress
monitoring? How should progress monitoring connect with instruction? How do I
begin to manage it all? Participate in this webinar to learn about getting the
most out progress monitoring!
This webinar will be recorded and archived on the Read
to Achieve LiveBinder. CEUs are not offered for this session.
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information
about joining the webinar.
Charter Schools In The News
RMP
Hosts 2017 Male Achievement Workshop in Collaboration with Nash-Rocky Mount
Schools
NCVA Student
Story on WRAL
MAUREEN
JOY CHARTER SCHOOL AN EARLY PIONEER IN NC CHARTERS
Other News
Burroughs
Wellcome Fund Application Open for Promoting Innovation in Science and
Mathematics (PRISM) Award
The
Promoting Innovation in Science and Mathematics or PRISM Award provides NC
public school teachers the opportunity to receive up to $3000 in funding
towards the purchase of STEM-related materials and up to $1500 for any
necessary training for those materials.
The award
was created in 2012 by the Burroughs Wellcome Fund to support teachers in their
efforts to provide quality hands-on, inquiry-based activities for their
students.
“The PRISM
Award enables teachers to provide new and inventive ways of teaching STEM in
their classrooms,” said Dr. John Burris, president of the Burroughs Wellcome
Fund. “For a relatively modest investment students all over North Carolina can
benefit from the wealth of material that may not otherwise be available to
them.”
The Fund
has provided 238 awards to 77 of North Carolina’s 115 school districts for a
total of $750,000. One teacher, Matthew Kinnaird in Buncombe County, used the
PRISM Award to build a radio telescope with his class to gather information for
NASA.
Teachers may apply at https://www.bwfund.org/grant-programs/science-education/promoting-innovation-science-and-mathematics. The deadline to apply is
December 5, 2017.
Call for
Papers: Teacher Leadership Journal
The Journal
of Interdisciplinary Teacher Leadership, an online scholarly publication of the
Kenan Fellows Program for Teacher Leadership, announces a call for papers for
its next issue to be published in early 2018.
The program
is most interested in manuscripts that address educational leadership,
specifically how teachers can grow their influence without leaving the
classroom, the interdisciplinary nature of STEM, project- and inquiry-based
learning, agricultural education, science literacy, and education policy and
advocacy.
They
welcome articles on research, case studies, analysis and literary reviews. They
will also accept evidence-based essays and editorials that are not simply
personal accounts or strictly opinions. Full manuscripts must be submitted
through kenanfellows.org/journals by
December 1, 2017.
Submissions will undergo a
blind peer review. Please direct questions to Amneris Solano, managing editor,
at asolano@ncsu.edu.
|
