Charter Schools Weekly Newsletter (Includes Action Items)

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Office of Charter Schools

6303 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699-6303  •  919.807.3491


WEEKLY NEWSLETTER  –  March 29, 2018


Upcoming Events

 

April 4 - 5, 2018

State Board of Education Meeting 

 

April 9, 2018

Charter Schools Advisory Board Meeting


Action Items Due

 

March 1 - April 4, 2018 - Deadline Extended

Teacher Working Conditions Survey


March 31, 2018

PF Submission #1


Action Items Due Next Week

 

April 3, 2018

EC Directors' Webinar - 10:00 - 11:00 am

 

April 5, 2018

PowerTeacher Pro Cohort II Registration - http://bit.ly/2F59veN


Future Action Items  

 

April 17 - May 10, 2018

PowerTeacher Pro Training Opportunities


April 19, 2018

Preparing to Lead with Character Registration Due - Register Here

 

April 23, 2018

DLI Grant Due

 

April 25, 2018

Preparing to Lead with Character Workshop

 

April 30, 2018

PF Submission #2

 

May 1 - June 1, 2018

Charter School Health Report

 

May 11, 2018

Dyslexia Capacity Building Application Due

 

May 15, 2018

Coding and Mobile Application Grants Due

 

June 5, 2018

EC Directors' Webinar - 10:00 - 11:00 am

 

June 15, 2018

McKinney-Vento Data Submission

 

June 26, 2018

Final Opportunity - WS-FTP Historical Download

 

July 15-17

NC  Association for Public Charter Schools Conference

 

August 7, 2018

EC Directors' Webinar - 10:00 - 11:00 am

 

August 7 - 9, 2018

Growing Success for ELs Conference

 

October 2, 2018

EC Directors' Webinar - 10:00 - 11:00 am

 

December 4, 2018

EC Directors' Webinar - 10:00 - 11:00 am


NCDPI Office of Charter Schools (OCS) Updates

 

Reminder: March 2018 Performance Framework (PF) Submission - Final Reminder

 

 

The March 31, 2018, PF deadline is this week. 

 

The submission criteria for March is below:

 

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

 

Please use previously established credentials to submit information into the SharePoint system in pdf format only.


For questions regarding the required documents for the 2018 Charter School Performance Framework, please contact Ms. Stephenie Clark at stephenie.clark@dpi.nc.gov.

 

For technical support, please contact the Help Desk at (919) 807-4357.


Upcoming PowerSchool Training Opportunities - All Charters Should Register

 

 

Beginning April 17th - May 10th, 2018, PowerTeacher Pro Admin and Teacher trainings will be offered across the state.  It is imperative that charters attend this training as all districts and charter schools will be moving to PowerTeacher Pro beginning in the 2018-2019 school year.   Registration information can be found by going to this bit.ly:   http://bit.ly/2F59veN

 

Please contact Ms. Tiffany Kinney at  tiffany.kinney@dpi.nc.gov with questions or concerns. 


NC Teacher Working Conditions Survey

2018 Teacher Working Conditions Survey - Deadline Extended - 29 Charters Needed to Reach 100% Charter Participation

 

As we enter the final week of the 2018 North Carolina Teacher Working Conditions Survey, we want to say thank you for the leadership you have provided in your district/school in encouraging teachers to complete the survey.  The survey window has been extended to April 4 at 11:59 pm to give all educators in North Carolina the opportunity to have their voice heard. Please see the attached report which details the charter schools that need to reach the 40% participation mark. 

 

Some important reminders as we head into the last days of the TWC Survey administration:

 

 

 

 

 



The headcount cannot be changed once the survey window closes. 

 

 

 

 

 

  • NEW SURVEY END DATE: April 4, 2018, at 11:59 pm
  • GOAL: Research shows the higher a school’s response rate, the more accurate their data will be for school improvement planning purposes, so please continue to encourage everyone in your district/school to complete the survey. It is North Carolina’s goal to get to at least 92% participation across the state!  Remember, our state superintendent has issued the Krispy Kreme challenge to reach 95%!



Check participation rate here: https://ncteachingconditions.org/progress/index

 

 

 

 

 

 

  • Prizes: All schools who reach 100% will be entered into a live drawing on April 5th. The sooner you reach 100% the more times you will be entered. Also, there is a “Nick of Time” cash prize category that will be given to the last school in North Carolina to reach 100%, so it’s never too late to participate!
  • Need help? Feel free to contact your Regional Education Facilitator.


Attachment:     Charter Schools Needing to Reach 40% Participation Rate on Teacher Working Conditions Survey


NC Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI) Updates

 

 

2018-19 Home Base Opt-in Coming Soon


NCDPI is pleased to announce that the full suite of Home Base will become available to all districts and charter schools for the 2018-19 school year in early April.  The cost will remain the same as last year - $1/ADM which gives access to Schoolnet and local control of professional development components in Truenorthlogic.  Districts and charter schools can still acquire Canvas for an additional cost of $3.74 per user through the state-negotiated convenience contract.

 

Home Base users can expect to see more reporting features, including a Benchmark Reporting Dashboard, Standard Performance Reports, and an updated Teacher Dashboard with one-click access to pre-formatted reports in Schoolnet.  Truenorthlogic will also include updates to the Local Professional Development Tracking and Course Creation, Attendance Tracking, and Educator Evaluation Instruments based on Framework for 21st Century Learning and NC Teacher Standards.

 

We hope to see 100% district opt-in, as we had last year.  If you have questions concerning the 2018-19 Home Base Opt-in process, please contact Yolanda Wilson, Home Base Opt-in Administrator, at (919) 807-3485 or yolanda.wilson@dpi.nc.gov.


NC Elementary Students Reading

State Superintendent, Mark Johnson, Read to Achieve Memo

 

 

We wanted to provide you an update on the current Read to Achieve Diagnostic Assessment Request For Proposals. As you may recall, at the direction of the 2017 General Assembly, we issued a new RFP.

 

 After much time and effort, our business owners and evaluation team concluded it is in the best interest of the state to cancel the current RFP process and begin again with clarified specifications and additional time for implementation.

 

The current contract for mCLASS will be extended for the 2018-2019 school year. This will ensure staff and students are supported until a contract award is made under the new RFP. NCDPI is requesting additional time from the legislature to permit this reset and allow necessary time for educators to receive professional development and training prior to deployment. The re-posting will seek to award a contract with implementation beginning in the 2019-2020 school year. 

 

DPI will revisit and amend the current language of the RFP before re-posting and plans to seek additional input from local schools and institutions of higher education. If you are interested in being a part of the process, please contact Dr. Pamela Shue and Dr. Amy Jablonski at: Pamela.Shue@dpi.nc.gov and Amy.Jablonski@dpi.nc.gov.

 

We appreciate all that you do to support North Carolina public school students.


WorkKeys/National Career Readiness Credential (NCRC) Printing Instructions


Charter school students earning a WorkKeys certificate have the ability to print their own NCRC certificate through ACT’s My WorkKeys.com site.

 

When NCDPI CTE receives the ACT My WorkKeys.com user names and passwords from NCDPI Accountability, NCDPI CTE will upload them to VAULT for LEA access as has been provided in the past. Included in VAULT with the excel document of the MyWorkKeys.com username and passwords will be the CTE Congratulations letter, and the MyWorkKeys.com instructions for students to access My WorkKeys.com, create an account, create a certificate, and print a certificate. NCDPI CTE is anticipating receiving the needed information from NCDPI Accountability mid-April.

 

Monitor the CTE IMC and/or CDC Moodle for updates regarding concentrator identification and NCRC printing instructions.


NC State Board of Education Seal

State Board of Education Meets Next Week


The State Board of Education will meet next week, April 4-5, in the 7th floor Board Room, Education Building, 301 N. Wilmington Street, Raleigh.

 

The agendas for this meeting and executive summaries are available online.

 

Please note that Board members will discuss all agenda items (unless otherwise noted) in their committee meetings on Wednesday, April 4. Board members will summarize their committee discussions and take action on agenda items as appropriate during their full Board meeting on Thursday, April 5.

 

The State Board’s committee meetings and full Board meeting will be audio streamed for those unable to attend. To provide comments or feedback regarding specific agenda items, please email State Board members individually or email general comments/feedback.


Advanced Placement (AP)/International Baccalaureate (IB)/Cambridge International Education (CIE) Update


AP/IB Bonuses


Thank you for your hard work in helping to disburse AP and IB Bonuses.  We know this is not an easy task for you and your Finance Department and appreciate your hard work.

 

 

AP/IB/Cambridge Test Fees


Please see our website for this year's Test Fee Guidance document that went out initially last Fall.  NCDPI will continue to pay for all AP, IB and Cambridge exams for students who have enrolled in the corresponding course.  NCDPI has already paid IBO directly for all test fees and will continue to work with AP to pay those fees as well.  NCDPI is working to process payments for the Cambridge invoices as well.  Link:  http://www.ncpublicschools.org/docs/advancedlearning/apib/test-fees-guidance.pdf

 

 

NEW RESOURCE

OVERVIEW OF PUBLIC UNIVERSITY AND COLLEGE AP CREDIT AND PLACEMENT POLICIES


The College Board, in response to requests from the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction and other stakeholders, has developed an initial overview of Advanced Placement credit policies at North Carolina's public universities. Please find attached the Overview of Public University and College AP Credit and Placement Policies. 

 

 

Note: This data represents the best available information at the time of collection, but because policies change over time, they may not be always current. This document represents a snapshot of data available to the College Board as of February 2018.  Please encourage students and families to consult institutions directly for the most current policies.

 

 

For more information on credit-granting recommendations, please refer to aphighered.collegeboard.org or contact Pamela Kerouac, Ed.D., Senior Director, AP Higher Education Policy, at 850-521-4916 or pkerouac@collegeboard.org

 

 

AP Invoice and Test Ordering Information


Please see the NCAPP website at http://www.ncappartnership.org/ for the most current information regarding AP test ordering, etc., as well as other great resources to support your work.

 

As always, thank you for your support in providing advanced learning opportunities for NC's students. Please contact Ms. Sneha Shah-Coltrane with questions or concerns at Sneha.ShahColtrane@dpi.nc.gov.

 

 

 

Attachment:     NC+AP+Policy+Grid.pdf


Don't Miss This

NCDPI Weekly Newsletters

 

Superintendents' Weekly Message: March 20

 

Weekly Finance Newsletter - March 29, 2018

 

Weekly Legislative Newsletters


Charter Schools in the News

 

 

Wilmington’s GLOW Academy gets city approval for new school


Congrats to Fernleaf Community Charter School - 1st Charter School in the State to reach 100% on NC Teacher Working Conditions Survey! FernLeaf will receive a $1,000 prize for its diligence!


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

SAM Updates Its Registration Process by Grants.gov

 

Last week, the System for Award Management (SAM) updated its registration process, which is required before an organization can receive a federal grant. Now, when you register a new entity in SAM to do business with the U.S. government, SAM requires you to send an original, signed notarized letter stating you are the authorized entity administrator before SAM will activate your SAM.gov registration.

Wondering to yourself, “How do I complete my entity administrator notarized letter?” Read this FAQ from the Federal Service Desk (FSD) for more information.


Looking for more detailed information about this change, who is impacted, or wondering why it was made? Read this SAM Update from the General Services Administration (GSA).