NCDPI Office of Charter School (OCS) Updates
State Employees Credit Union Foundation (SECU) High School Scholarship Opportunity - Final Reminder
Since the SECU Foundation was established in August 2004, it has awarded annual $10,000 “People Helping People” four-year scholarships – increasing from two to three in 2014 – to graduating seniors attending North Carolina Charter Schools. These scholarships will be awarded to students attending one of the 16 constituent campuses of the University of North Carolina. These funds are made possible through the contributions to the Foundation by members of State Employees' Credit Union.
Below are the steps for applying for this scholarship opportunity:
- Review the ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA and share scholarship information with eligible students and their parents. New for 2018: The SECU People Helping People Scholarship is only available to graduating public high school seniors who are either members of SECU or the child of a parent/guardian who is a member of SECU.
- Develop a school-level scholarship selection committee comprised of three or more members who will make the final decision on the school-level nominee. The scholarship selection committee must also identify an alternate (runner up) for each school-level nominee in the event the named nominee becomes ineligible (i.e., receives a full scholarship, declines the scholarship, chooses to attend a private or out of state university, etc.).
- Submit the following information for the school-level nominee:
-
Completed Student Application and Essay. Note: This document must be sent as a Word Document only. The document is enabled to allow SECU Foundation to import student data into our database directly. Please do not send this document as a PDF or Google Doc.
- Copy of University Acceptance Letter
- Photo of Nominee (head shot only)
- A Brief Bio Written by Nominee with Accomplishments and Awards Noted. A guide for writing the bio is provided HERE.
- Written Scholarship Selection Committee Statement (signed by all committee members verifying the selection of the nominee). In this letter, include the name of the selected school-level alternate nominee.
-
Signed Consent Form. Each recipient of the scholarship and their parent/guardian must sign the Consent Form to release their names and images for press releases to the local news media as well as within State Employee’s Credit Union and the SECU Foundation. In addition, the nominee and their parents are asked to complete all the information on the Consent Form which will be used to verify their eligibility as an SECU member.
- Scholarship recipient information from each school must be received by the NCDPI Office of Charter Schools by 5:00 pm EST on March 9, 2018. Application information must be sent via email to Dr. Deanna Townsend-Smith at ocs@dpi.nc.gov. Schools should only submit application information for the school-level nominee. Application information should be collected for the alternate nominee, but the information should not be submitted until requested.
- Schools should notify the Office of Charter Schools if the school-level nominee or alternate are no longer eligible for the scholarship.
The Office of Charter Schools appreciates the dedication and hard work by the members of each school’s Scholarship Selection Committee. Please contact Dr. Deanna Townsend-Smith @ ocs@dpi.nc.gov if you have any questions or concerns about the scholarship opportunity.
Note:
SECU Foundation also provides each North Carolina Community College two (2) $5,000 scholarships. Recipients are selected by the Scholarship Selection Committee at the community college. If you have a student who will be attending a community college and exemplifies the membership philosophy of credit unions, “People Helping People”, please direct them to the Financial Aid office at the community college.
 2018 Charter School Performance Framework - March Submission Updates
OCS collects evidence of
operational, financial, and academic compliance through the Charter School
Performance Framework (PF). Please find the submission criteria due on
March 31, 2018.
Deadline- March 31, 2018- All
Schools
A6- Admissions Policy and Lottery Application
A11- Board Meeting Schedule
A12- Board Residency
A19- EMO/CMO Public Records Request (only for schools contracting with EMO/CMO)
2019
Renewal Schools Only
B1- Graduation Requirements
B2- Student Promotion Requirements
B7- Student Discipline Policy
All schools must submit the
required documents per the established reporting timelines. Please submit information into the SharePoint system
in pdf format only using previously established credentials. While
the submissions are divided over two months, schools are invited and able to
submit all items at one time if doing so is more convenient.
NOTE: There is a
new upload document to reflect the correction of A19 (formerly listed on
correspondence as A17 – EMO/CMO Public Records Request). The error has been
corrected and a revised upload document placed in the PF Resource Attachments.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q.
What is new with the Performance Framework for 2018?
A.
Submission
requirements have changed.
·
This year, all
schools are required to submit all applicable documents per the established
reporting times. In the past, schools that did not have changes to documents
were able to submit new documents only. For the 2018 Performance Framework, OCS
is collecting required documents for all schools.
·
Two new submission
requirements have been established (A20 and A21). These criteria documents are
due by April 30, 2018. There will be future correspondence that explains
whether a school is applicable to submit the evidence for A20 and A21 along
with information on document requirements.
Q. What is
the required evidence for A12- Board Residency criteria?
A. Provide a Board Membership list for the
2017-18 board of directors and include the city and state of residence for each
board member.
Q. How do I log
in to access the SharePoint system?
A. An account username was emailed separately
to every school’s lead administrator and board chair. Use the website address https://leadpincgov.sharepoint.com/sites/lea/Pages/pfp.aspx and type that username into the log in screen.
·
Having trouble
logging in? Try the following:
o
Clear the web
browser history and clear browsing data.
o
Try using an
“incognito mode” web browser window.
o
Ensure you are using
the correct login username. It should contain the following aspects within it: cs_LEACODE_lead
followed by the domain @lea.dpi.nc.gov
·
If the user password
is not known or forgotten, contact the Help Desk at (919) 807-4357 for a
password reset.
Q. What happens
after I submit the required documents?
A. Process for review and notifications are
below.
·
OCS consultants will
review the March 31, 2018 submission documents from April 1 through April 30,
2018. As a reminder those documents for review will include A6, A11, A12, A19,
B1, B2, and B7.
·
Correspondence will
be sent ONLY in the event
that a required document was not submitted properly, the document provided is not compliant, or a required document
was not submitted at all. This correspondence will be sent to the Lead
Administrator and Board Chair and will include a deadline for
correction.
Q. Will I
receive correspondence that my documents were received and will be marked
compliant?
A. No, see the question and process above.
Schools will receive correspondence if documents are not compliant, improperly
submitted, or were failed to be submitted.
For
questions regarding the 2018 Charter School Performance Framework, please
contact Ms. Stephenie Clark at (919)807-3492 or stephenie.clark@dpi.nc.gov.
For technical support, please contact the Help Desk
at (919) 807-4357.
Attachment: 2018 Performance Framework Resource Documents
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K-3 Literacy Funding
Through the
North Carolina Read to Achieve Program, the state is making funds available to
support K-3 literacy instruction and parental engagement. Under this
initiative, each district and charter school will receive an allotment of $200
per K-3 reading teacher. (Allotted at a teacher:student ratio of 1:20 K-3 ADM.)
It is the
intention of DPI that administrators partner with their K-3 classroom teachers
to decide what materials will be purchased for their students and classrooms.
Funds may be
used for literacy instruction and parental engagement, including:
- Books
to send home with students to support and encourage reading over the
summer
- Books
for classrooms
- Online
subscriptions for digital or downloadable books and instructional
materials
- Hands-on
resources for individual students, small groups, or work-stations –
especially materials to support students at risk of being reading retained
- Equipment,
instructional tools, and supplies to aid teachers in whole class, small
group, or individual instruction
Funds may be
used to support literacy instruction in the classroom or at home.
If you have
questions or would like ideas for books and resources to purchase, please
contact Nanette Wells.
The funds
will be available on or about March 8, 2018. Questions about the allotment may
be directed to karla.casteen@dpi.nc.gov.
 NC Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI) Updates
Electronic Manage File Transfer Service (eMFTS) Update
All Charter Schools were sent correspondence on September 21,
2017 on the new Electronic
Manage File Transfer Service (eMFTS) process and
the WinSCP application. As a refresher, the eMFTS process will enhance the
way Charter Schools view and download their UERS/MFR files. The reports will
now be viewed via WinSCP which is an application that allows file transfers
between PCs. WinSCP can also be used to transport other files as
needed. Please see the attached instructions on how to download the WinSCP application. The recommended date to complete the download
was September 26, 2017.
NCDPI is requesting all Finance Officers download and save any
historical reports that they would like to keep for their records from WS-FTP
before all access to the network folders is removed. The network folders can
be found on J:\SCHFTP\ XXX. (XXX represents the Charter School Number) The network
folders will no longer be available after June 30, 2018.
In order for this to be a successful transition, we need your
support. Please retrieve the reports by Tuesday, June 26, 2018 so that
we can begin implementing this new process.
For questions, please contact Latrice Barner via email
Latrice.Barner@dpi.nc.gov
Attachment: Accessing
WinSCP
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English as a Second Language (ESL)/Title III Updates
Please see the attached document that contains important LIEP information for the 2017-18 school year. Contact Xatli Stox at xatli.stox@dpi.nc.gov with questions or concerns.
Attachment: ESL/Title
Update
 Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS) Updates
Any Charter School
focused on school improvement will want to read the March MTSS Communication
Brief available here. The brief contains valuable information on:
● Creating Common Understanding of MTSS,
● Determining Readiness for Implementation,
● Preparing for Change, and
● Building Capacity and Infrastructure.
We are grateful to
charter school leaders like those found at East Wake Academy who continue to work
towards intentional establishment of a framework for school improvement. Watch
their short video today
to learn more.
If you have not yet joined an MTSS
Cohort, guidance on next steps can be found here. If you
have other questions about MTSS please contact us at integratedsystems@dpi.nc.gov.
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North
Carolina Birth-3rd Grade Interagency Council Meets Thursday, March 15
The North Carolina Birth-3rd Grade Interagency
Council will meet Thursday, March 15, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. in the 7th Floor Board Room, Education
Building, 301 N. Wilmington Street, Raleigh.
The Council is charged by S.L. 2017-57, Section
7.231(a) to establish a vision and accountability measures for a birth
through grade three system of early education that addresses several criteria,
including standards and assessments; data-driven improvement and outcomes,
including shared accountability measures; teacher and administrator preparation
and effectiveness; instruction and environment; transitions and continuity;
family engagement; and governance and funding.
The purpose of the March 15 meeting is to convene the
Council to begin this work.
The meeting will be audio streamed for
those who cannot attend in person.
Questions regarding this meeting may be directed to NCDPI
Communications at 919-807-3450.
 2018 NC Teacher Working Conditions Survey
The 2018 North Carolina Teacher
Working Conditions Survey is now open and we want to hear from all charter
school teachers! Our goal is 100%
participation from educators across our state, so please remind the teachers at
your school to take the survey at their earliest convenience. The survey window is March 1-31. You
can track your school’s progress at www.ncteachingconditions.org.
If you need help or have questions, contact
your Regional
Education Facilitator. Thank you for your part in making this year’s survey
the best yet!
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Other News
NC Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) Updates
North
Carolina’s charter schools are required to comply with the Care of Students
with Diabetes and with the School Supply of Epinephrine Auto-Injectors laws.
Annually, charter schools report on compliance with each law, providing
information that identifies staff educational and support needs related to
compliance and student safety.
The Charter School Health Report
is designed to assist schools in addressing the healthcare needs of
students. Responses will be used to inform future training topics and to
report on compliance with required legislation and policies such as Care of
Students with Diabetes (§
115C-375.3.) and School Supply of Epinephrine Auto-Injectors (§
115C-375.2A ). The summary will open May 1, 2018 and be
completed no later than June 1, 2018.
Please contact Ms. Kristin Wike at kristin.wike@dhhs.nc.gov with questions or concerns.
NC Homeless Education Program (NCHEP) Updates
McKinney-Vento
data submission is due June 15, 2018.
Data collection training materials have been updated and are now posted on the NCHEP
data collection web page.
Reminders:
-
Review
“Requested LEA Actions” found on data collection page.
-
Preschool
and out-of-school siblings of identified students should be captured
in your data collection as soon as possible to avoid conflict with
any pre-enrollments for the coming school year.
-
Siblings
with multiple program school identifications (McKinney-Vento, CECAS,
migrant) can be captured in all relevant programs. Consult data
collection FAQs (Multiple Program Identification (CECAS or Migrant)
or contact your program specialist with questions.
-
If
your LEA’s last school day occurs after June 15th, and you have not
already notified your program specialist, please provide written
notification as soon as possible. Please include:
-
Name
of Homeless Liaison with phone number and email address
-
LEA,
charter school or lab school name with LEA code
-
Date
of your last school day within the current academic school year
-
Data
submissions are currently blocked until May 1, 2018.
Program specialist contact
information:
Email Paullett Wall or
phone (336) 315-7407 (Regions 1, 2, 3, 4)
Email Patricia Lentz or phone (336)
315-7402 (Regions 5, 6, 7, 8)
LEA Website Posting – Updated Information
As mentioned in the
Fall Regional Compliance Forums, all LEAs are required under ESSA to have
McKinney-Vento information posted to your website.
Regular LEAs
can visit the NCHEP website to find the McKinney-Vento
website information details.
Charter schools
should note that due to smaller student populations, there is no
requirement to post specific data counts to your website.
Instead, charter schools should post a link to the NCHEP Profile web page (https://hepnc.uncg.edu/about/)
In addition to this link, please provide the following:
-
Homeless
liaison name (first & last)
-
Homeless
liaison contact information (phone and email)
-
State
Coordinator’s name and phone number: Lisa Phillips –
337-315-7491
-
NCHEP website
( https://hepnc.uncg.edu/)
-
Definition
of “homeless” from McKinney-Vento Act
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