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  –  APRIL 13, 2018


Upcoming Events

  


May 1 - 3, 2018 

State Board of Education Meeting 

 

May 7, 2018

Charter Schools Advisory Board Meeting


Action Items Due Next Week  

 

April 17 - May 10, 2018

PowerTeacher Pro Training Opportunities

 

April 19, 2018

Preparing to Lead with Character Registration Due - Register Here

 

April 21, 2018 

Positive Behavior Support (PBS) Teacher Summit


Future Action Items   

 

 

April 23, 2018

DLI Grant Due

 

April 25, 2018

Applications Due - Preparing to Lead with Character Workshop


April 27, 2018

Membership Report Due - Educator Human Capital Policy and Research 

 

April 30, 2018

PF Submission #2

 

May 1 - June 1, 2018

Charter School Health Report

 

May 7, 2018

Charter School Cash Management and MSA Training

 

May 11, 2018

Dyslexia Capacity Building Application Due

Charter School Cash Management and MSA Training

 

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

Home Base Opt-In

 

June 22, 2018

Middle School Summit

 

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

 

November 14-16, 2018

EC Conference

 

December 4, 2018

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


NCDPI Office of Charter Schools (OCS) Updates

 

Reminder:  April 2018 Performance Framework (PF) Submission - Reminder

 

The April 30, 2018, PF deadline is quickly approaching. If you have not done so, please take time to log into the SharePoint system and upload at least one required submission this week.  

 

The submission criteria for April is below:

 

Deadline- April 30, 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.


Reporting Deadlines

Action Required*** Payroll Deduction for Membership Fees - All Charter Schools Must Respond


The Office of the State Auditor has asked our NCDPI to assist with the collection of data related to school employees who pay their membership fees to a professional organization through payroll deduction.  It is our understanding that this information has been collected from LEAs and charter schools in North Carolina in the past.  We ask that each LEA and charter school complete the attached reporting template and submit it to NCDPI through the HR Secure Shell.  NCDPI will not accept templates via email. Our office will compile the data and transmit it securely to the Office of the State Auditor.

 

The deadline for reporting to our office is April 27, 2018 by close of business.

 

If you have questions about the purpose of the report or reporting requirements, please contact the liaison for the State Auditor (contact information is in the memo).  If you have questions about the HR Secure Shell, please contact our office (Educator Human Capital Policy and Research) by email (educatoreffectiveness@dpi.nc.gov).

 

 

Attachments: 



Charter Schools Transportation Grant Update

 

 

2.5 million dollars was provided to the NC Department of Public Instruction to establish a Charter School Transportation Grant Program for the 2017-18 school year.

  

The purpose of the Charter School Transportation Grant pilot program is to reimburse a charter school that has a student enrollment of at least fifty percent (50%) of its students residing in households with an income level not in excess of the amount required for a student to qualify for the federal free or reduced price lunch program. 

 

OCS has completed the review of the fall transportation grant submissions and notifications of the grant award was sent to each school.  

 

Schools wishing to receive consideration for the spring submission must send documentation (see attached) by May 18, 2018 to allow enough time to close out end-of-year (EOY) processes. 

 

Contact ocs@dpi.nc.gov with questions or concerns. 

 

 

Attachment:      Charter Schools Transportation Grant Application


Professional Development

NCStar School Improvement Training Opportunities

 

Please see the attached information regarding numerous opportunities to attend NCStar training. Low-performing and continually low-performing charter schools should attend these training offerings.

 

Attachment:     NCStar Information and Registration


Charter Schools Cash Management and Management Sciences America (MSA) Training 


The NCDPI Division of School Business will have a Cash Management and MSA training class for Charter Schools on Monday, May 7, 2108 or Friday, May 11, 2018 at the Department of Public Instruction in Raleigh, NC, Room #564 from 10:00 am - 4:00 pm.  There is no registration fee for the class, but you must register to attend.  

 

The class is designed for those who work in the charter school’s finance office.  The class consists of "Hands-on" training with the emphasis on understanding the monthly financial reports, a brief lecture on Compliance & Monitoring, and a brief overview of the Cash Management System.  Instruction is geared to the beginner or new user and as a refresher for others.  There are only a certain number of seats in the training room, so limited space is available on a first come, first serve basis.

 

The above training dates are for current charter schools.  New charter school training will be given later and the information will be sent out soon.

 

If you would like to attend this class, please provide your name, charter school number, email address and first and second date choices to Ms. Roxane Bernard at roxane.bernard@dpi.nc.gov.  


If you have questions, please call Roxane Bernard at 919-807-3725.  You will be notified by email when you have been successfully registered for the training class.


NC Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI) Updates


Apply Now for the NCDPI 2018 Student Leadership Institute  


In its seventh year, the institute, is designed to prepare students to take active roles in their schools and communities through service experiences that are aligned to the curriculum.  It is divided into three cohorts:  (1) rising fourth and fifth graders, (2) rising sixth through eighth graders, and (3) rising ninth through twelfth graders. Prospective participants register as a team of 4-6 students with at least one adult mentor from their school or district.

 

Selected teams will  receive:




  • Team building experiences;
  • Hands on, minds-on learning from experienced trainers in character and leadership development;
  • Experiential learning experiences;
  • Service-learning action-planning;
  • Evening activities that are fun, reflective, and impactful;
  • Tools and materials to support service-learning, character building, and leadership development beyond the Institute.



All expenses are paid for participants to include: meals, lodging, and transportation to and from the experiential learning site.

 

Click here for more information and to apply today.  Applications are due by 5:00 pm EDT on Wednesday, April 25, 2018


Professional Development

Positive Behavior Support (PBS) Regional Teacher Summit - April 21, 2018


UNC-TV, PBS, the NC Department of Public Instruction's Digital Teaching & Learning Team, and Craven County Schools invites Pre-K - 12th grade teachers to join us for a day devoted to learning and sharing technology integration strategies and networking with colleagues.   UNC-TV & PBS will be sharing their digital content resources from PBS LearningMedia and its collection of over 120K standards-aligned digital resources.  NCDPI’s Digital Teaching and Learning Team and the Digital Learning Competency Ambassadors from across the state will be sharing current instructional practices aligned to the Digital Learning Competencies.

 

Date:   April 21, 2018


Time 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM


Location

 

Grover C. Fields Middle School

2000 Doctor M.L.K. Jr Blvd

New Bern, NC

 

This is a FREE event open to educators in North Carolina. Breakfast and lunch will be provided.  Participants may earn Digital Learning Competency CEUs.  Space is limited! Attached below is the invitation, agenda and registration for the event. 

 

Attachments:     Invitation  | Agenda |  Registration


Professional Educator Preparation and Standards Commission Meets Thursday, April 12



The Professional Educator Preparation and Standards Commission (PEPSC) will meet Thursday, April 12, at 9 a.m. in the 7th Floor Board Room, Education Building, 301 N. Wilmington Street, Raleigh.

The Commission will discuss policy issues related to Educator Preparation and Licensure.

The agenda is available online.  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.


NC Textbook Commission Meets Tuesday, April 17

 

The NC Textbook Commission will meet on Tuesday, April 17, from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in the 7th-floor board room in the Education Building, 301 North Wilmington Street, Raleigh, N.C.

 

Textbook Commission members will receive content criteria training in preparation for evaluation and adoption of K-8 Mathematics materials. Other agenda items include evaluation form training, recruitment of advisors and evaluation logistics.

 

The meeting will be audio streamed. To listen, please visit https://stateboard.ncpublicschools.gov/live-audio-streaming and use the link for live audio stream.

Textbooks

Home Base Opt-In Tool and Pricing for  2018-19

 

Please see the attached memo from Deputy State Superintendent Maria Pitre-Martin contains information about Home Base features and pricing for the 2018-19 school year along with a link to the online opt-in tool to ensure continued access to these key digital resources.

 

Attachment:     hb-pricing-final_memo%5B1%5D.pdf


Home Base

Home Base Opt-In Open for 2018-19 

 

 

Providing school districts and charter schools access to robust digital content is a priority for DPI. Through the Digital Learning Initiative, we are collaborating with state partners to bring additional digital content to Home Base in the 2018-2019 school year. 

 

The Home Base Opt-in Tool is now available for the 2018-19 school year. Access is limited to district finance officers and charter school directors.

 

A memo about Home Base pricing and features, sent Wednesday to superintendents and charter school directors, provides detailed information about the suite of digital tools for next year. All districts and charter Schools are asked to indicate their opt-in decision for school year 2018-19 using the opt-in tool by June 15. To ensure access to Schoolnet and local professional development components in Truenorthlogic by the start of the school year, a response must be submitted by the June 15 deadline.


Thank you for collaborating with us to offer powerful, integrated digital learning tools to improve learning opportunities for all students and educators across North Carolina. We hope to see 100 percent district participation as for the current year. 

 

Please see the Home Base Opt-in FAQs or contact Yolanda Wilson, Home Base Opt-In administrator, at yolanda.wilson@dpi.nc.gov or (919)  807-3485 if you have any additional questions.


Significantly Disproportionality/Mandatory Coordinated Early Intervening Services (CEIS) 

 

Please see the attached memo from Mr. William Hussey, Director, Exceptional Children Division on Significantly Disproportionality/Mandatory Coordinated Early Intervening Services (CEIS).

 

Attachment:     Significantly Disproportionality/Mandatory Coordinated Early Intervening Services (CEIS)


Superintendent's Arts Initiative

STUDENT ARTWORK REQUEST FROM SUPERINTENDENT JOHNSON



The NCDPI Arts Education Team wanted to make you aware that Superintendent Mark Johnson is soliciting student artwork as part of the State Superintendent’s Arts Initiative. The Superintendent’s Arts Initiative is an opportunity to recognize student artists and to encourage participation in all of the arts throughout the state, as well as in each school district and charter school.  All NC local superintendents received an email invitation to participate in this opportunity via the Superintendent’s Listserv.


Please check with your local school system Superintendent to ensure that your school system is represented in this collection.  Local Education Agencies and Charters may submit one work each. The letter of invitation that was sent to Superintendents, as well as guidelines, student release forms, and submission instructions are available at this link. Please contact Superintendent Johnson's Arts Initiative Coordinator Slater Mapp at (919) 807-3758 or slater.mapp@dpi.nc.gov with any questions or for further information.


Thank you to our NC school systems, arts educators, and students for contributing to this effort!


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State Superintendent Mark Johnson Announces Read to Achieve Funds for K-3 Teachers

 

April 12, 2018 - Home Base Bulletin


Buncombe student chefs win state title

  

K-12 Education Legislative Update - Friday, April 13, 2018


Charter Schools in the News

 

Pressure to innovate helps prompt charter school’s success 


Other News

 

NC Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) Updates

 

The Annual Charter School Health Report will open May 1st and must be completed no later than June 1st, 2018.  A preparation worksheet is provided with the reporting criteria.  All schools are encouraged to download the worksheet and mark the appropriate responses before beginning the online report survey. You may click here to access the worksheet.  Once you have prepared your responses, save the document to your local computer. This worksheet cannot be accepted as your report requirements. You will use it as a tool to enter your information into the online survey system once the report opens.   

 

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