NCDPI Office of Charter Schools (OCS) Updates
Charter School Operations Survey: Hurricane Florence
Please complete this survey to help NCDPI gather appropriate information
on how Hurricane Florence has impacted the operations of our NC Charter
Schools. The deadline to submit this survey is Friday, September 28, 2018. If you have any questions please don't hesitate to contact the OCS.
Here
CHARTER SCHOOLS: DID YOU KNOW?
All low-performing charter schools must develop a school
improvement plan. These plans must be submitted using the state system, NCStar.
In that system you will receive feedback on your plan from DPI staff. Please go
to https://ncstar.weebly.com/ for more
information and to register for training on how to use NCStar.
In addition,
these plans will be reviewed by our office annually through Performance
Framework. Low-performing schools are also required to provide parental
notification within 30 days of identification (G.S. 115C-105.37). If you would
like a template academic notification letter, please contact Ashley.baquero@dpi.nc.gov.
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New OCS Data
Management System
Contact: ocs@dpi.nc.gov
The Office of Charter Schools is
very excited to announce the implementation of a new data management
platform called Epicenter which will assist with automating and
streamlining our compliance and performance processes.
Any information that you
need to submit to the Office of Charter Schools for the renewal, ready to open,
and performance framework processes will be uploaded and stored in Epicenter,
along with academic, operations, and personnel information. All schools will
transition to Epicenter later this fall and trainings will be held across the
state for users. More
information to follow. Stay tuned!
Follow the
Office of Charter Schools on Twitter
Contact: ocs@dpi.nc.gov
The Office of Charter Schools is
officially tweeting! Follow us
@NCCharterOffice for news, updates, and to see the great things happening
at charter schools around the state.
NC STAR
Regional Trainings
Contact: Alessandro.Montanari@dpi.nc.gov
Federal Program Monitoring &
Support will be conducting regional NCStar Trainings. These regional
opportunities will contain both beginner trainings and Q&A sessions for
experienced users. From 8:30am – 1:00pm at each location, beginner training
will be conducted and then from 2pm-4pm Q&A sessions for experienced users
will be held.
Registration is open at www.ncstar.weebly.com.
Space is limited and registration for each site will close once site capacity
is reached. Please remember that any school identified in a federal or state
list will be required to use NCStar to create and manage their school
improvement plan. Any school that wishes to use the tool, must attend a
beginner training at least once. These are the eight dates and sites:
- October 2nd
– Asheville City Schools at 85 Mountain Street in Asheville
- October 3rd – Linda
Rader Staff Development Center at 240 Eighth Avenue in Cramerton
- October 5th – Wake
County Schools Webster Center Crossroads II at 110 Corning Road in Cary
- October 11th – New
Hanover County Schools Board of Education Center at 1805 South 13th Street
in Wilmington
- October 19th –
Sadie Saulter Educational Center at 400 Spruce Street in Greenville
- October 23rd –
Workforce Development & Continuing Education Building at 629
Industrial Park Avenue in Asheboro
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Planning Year Sessions for RTO
Board members from charter schools that are opening in 2019 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:
Date
Time
Location
Topic
September 26, 2018
8:00 - 4:15
DPI: Room 150
Charter School Governance
October 31, 2018
8:00 - 4:15
DPI: Room 150
Charter School Finance
November 14, 2018
8:00 - 4:15
DPI: Room 150
Charter School Operations & Accountability
December 12, 2018
8:00 - 4:30
DPI: Room 150
Meeting the Needs of All Students
January 30, 2019
8:00 - 4:15
DPI: Room 150
Our School Opens in 7 Months! Now What?
June 11 - 12, 2019
8:00 - 5:00
DPI: Rooms 150, 224, 564
New Charter School Leaders Institute
Registration is now open for
the October session. Registration ends on Sunday, October
21st. Please use this link to register: https://goo.gl/forms/OrBieAkHvrBfPPlk2
For questions, please contact Shaunda
Cooper at shaunda.cooper@dpi.nc.gov
and Stephenie Clark at stephenie.clark@dpi.nc.gov.
Cash Management and MSA Training (Charter Schools):
We will have a Cash Management and MSA training class for Charter
Schools on Friday, October 12, 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.
If you would like to
attend this class, please provide your name, charter school name, charter school
number and email address.
Please email
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.
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Attention
Teachers of American History: Founding Principles, Civics, and Economics:
Did you know that
there are 13 Founding Principles required by N.C. law to be taught in the American History: Founding Principles,
Civics, and Economics course? Are you currently teaching all 13 of
the “Principles” which have been identified by the N.C. General Assembly?
If you would like to learn more about the Founding Principles
contained in the legislation and discuss some ways in which you might be able
to make sure all of them are incorporated in your curriculum, consider taking the
Founding Principles course in Canvas. You will earn 2.0 CEUs and reflect on
some of the Founding Principles you may already be teaching as well as plan
ways to integrate those you are not currently teaching.
If interested, fill out this form. When asked the name of the course,
put in “Founding Principles”. Registration ends Oct 12. Course will run from
Oct 15 – Nov 16. Contact Tom Daugherty with any questions.
Tom Daugherty
Husband/Father
K-12 Social Studies
Education Consultant
Division of Curriculum and Instruction
North Carolina Department of Public Instruction
6th Floor Social Studies Section
6307 Mail Service Center Raleigh, NC 27699-6307
(919) 807-3862 (P)
Good News!
September 25, 2018
PRESS RELEASE
Moore Montessori Wins
National Education Award
MOORE COUNTY, NC –
Moore Montessori Community School (MMCS) has
been awarded $400,000 over two years in a federal grant competition. Funded
through the Charter School National Dissemination Competition Program within
the US Department of Education, the grant will provide support to MMCS to fully
implement its public Montessori program.
Katherine Rucker, founder and Head of School, said,“Our community
persevered for two years to make our school a reality. This national
recognition underscores the promise of our school community, and the funding
ensures we will be able to provide the very best in public Montessori for our
students in the years to come.”
Dr. Benjamin Greene, Chairman of the MMCS Board, said, “MMCS has
had a great opening this year. It is a major undertaking to open a new school,
especially one with a unique approach to education. I am thankful for the hard
work and dedication of our founding board, the MMCS faculty and staff, and the
support we have received from our parents and community. We are eager to move
to the next step in providing a quality Montessori education program to our
community. The grant from the US Department of Education will allow us to do
just that.”
MMCS is a publicly funded, tuition-free charter school currently
serving children in Kindergarten through second grade. The school will expand
to serve children up to sixth grade over the next four years. MMCS’s mission is
to be a vibrant learning community, where diverse students build strong
academic foundations, executive function skills, and trust in their abilities,
in preparation for lives of joy and purpose in the 21st century. For more
information, please visit www.mooremontessori.org.
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The 2018 Charter School Leadership Institute is coming!
What is it?
The Charter School Leadership Institute is an annual gathering of charter leaders, staff, and board members from across the state. Join us for informational sessions, hands on workshops, and panel discussions on a wide range of topics including specific tracks for finance and serving special populations. Sign me up!
When is it?
Great question! Thursday, October 18 (8am-4:30pm) and Friday, October 19 (8am-1pm)
Where is it?
Even better question! This year’s Institute will be at Pine Springs Preparatory Academy at 220 Rosewood Centre Drive, Holly Springs, NC 27540. Huge thanks to Pine Springs for hosting!
How much does it cost?
Less fun, but extremely relevant question. The registration fee is $55 per participant.
Where should I stay?
There are a few options in the immediate vicinity. Here are some recommendations: Hampton Inn and Suites Holly Springs (3.3mi); Comfort Inn Apex (2.7mi); Holiday Inn Express Apex-Raleigh (3.2mi)
What else should I know?
Lunch will be provided both days. Agendas, speakers, logistics, and more coming soon!
NC Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI) Updates
Leadership announcement
Colleagues:
I am pleased
to announce that Joe Maimone will be joining the department as Chief of Staff
on Monday.
Joe will be
an excellent addition to the team of professionals who make up DPI by adding
his 20-plus years’ experience in education and finance oversight, as well as
his experience serving on boards and councils throughout the state.
As
headmaster of Thomas Jefferson Classical Academy since 1998, Joe successfully
led the growth of TJCA from 110 students in grades 7-9 in 1999 to 1,300
students in grades K-12 today. Students thrived at TJCA, which earned many
state and national honors during Joe’s tenure; Joe was inducted to the NC
Alliance of Charter Schools Hall of Fame in 2011.
He holds an
MBA with a concentration in finance and marketing from the University of
Chicago and a bachelor’s degree in economics from Hamilton College.
Joe was
appointed by Gov. Pat McCrory to the Charter School Advisory Board from 2013-17
and was reappointed by House Speaker Tim Moore in 2017, where he serves as
chairman of the Performance Committee.
Please join
me in welcoming Joe to the team.
Mark
2018 Exceptional Children Educator of Excellence Recognition
Please see the attached
Memoradum regarding 2018 Exceptional Children Educator of Excellence
Recognition.
Fall 2018 Statewide Meeting of Related Services Representatives
Please see the attached
Memoradum regarding Statewide meeting of LEA representative practitioners
(Audiology, Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, School Psychology,
Speech-Language Pathology and School Nursing).
Registration Open - 68th Conference on Exceptional Children:
Registration is now open for the 68th Conference on Exceptional Children.
More information is located at https://ec.ncpublicschools.gov/conferences-profdev/annual-conference.
Registration deadline is October
31 so be sure and register early.
The Exceptional Children Division looks forward to seeing everyone at the
conference!
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Day of Dyslexia flyer
http://nc.dyslexiaida.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/41/2018/08/Day-of-dyslexia-flyer-2018.pdf
ARE YOU READY TO HELP
SHAPE NC STUDENTS' DIGITAL LEARNING STANDARDS?
As part of the NC
Standards Review, Revision and Implementation process, the Department of Public
Instruction is seeking your input on the current student information and
technology standards (known as ITES, Information Technology Essential
Standards) via survey. The survey may be accessed via: ncvps.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_3EO3ABH2pjftRVH
Thank you in advance
for taking the time to complete this survey and assisting in our evaluation of
the 2009 ITES. We value your expertise and unique perspectives on digital
teaching and learning in our state. The ITES Steering Committee will be
reviewing this data to determine if they should be revised.
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Charter Read to Achieve Webinar
Many charters have requested
benchmark extensions due to the disruptions or closures caused by Hurricane
Florence and its aftermath. We have also had additional extension
requests due to technology and classing issues some districts have encountered
this year.
In an effort to accommodate the
needs of affected schools and districts, the state will extend the BOY
window for mClass:Reading 3D to Monday, October 8th. Exceptions to
this final extension date include those districts and schools in the Southeast
and Sandhills regions. You can set your Charter date anytime before October
8th.
Many of you have emailed me about
dates beyond October 8th and I have approved those dates (you do not need
to email me again). If you have not contacted me and will need a date beyond
October 8th, email be with the date you wold like your window to close and the
reason for the needed extension.
Rebecca Belcastro
K-3 Literacy Consultant, Piedmont-Triad
North Carolina Department of Public Instruction
919-789-1036
rebecca.belcastro@dpi.nc.gov
September Data Files Due
School Financial Reporting
SCHOOL BUSINESS DIVISION
FINANCIAL AND BUSINESS SERVICES
This is a reminder that
September 2018 (FY2018) Financial and MFR data files need to be built and
available to DPI no later than 11:59 p.m. on Tuesday, October 2, 2018
For LEAs using the LINQ
software, once the month is closed your data will be created and sent to
LINQ for submission to DPI. Should any LINQ LEA encounter problems with
the monthly closing, please contact the LINQ HELP Desk.
DPI will begin processing
data files first thing on October
3, 2018. Please make every effort to create the data
files on the due date. We also ask that you please make certain there is
someone on site October 3, 2018 to answer any data-related
questions DPI may have.
If this reminder needs to
be sent to others at your district, please forward this message to them
and amanda.cruz@dpi.nc.gov.
Extended Deadlines due to Hurricane Florence
Please see the attached memo regarding extended deadlines for submission
to the EC Division due to Hurricane Florence.
Presidential Scholars Program
Please see the memo linked below from State Superintendent Mark Johnson and
Career and Technical Education Director Trey Michael.
September 2018 ECATS Newsletter
Please
find the September 2018 ECATS newsletter attached.
ECATS update
Please see the memo linked below from State Superintendent Johnson, Deputy
State Superintendent Maria Pitre-Martin, and Bill Hussey.
Reminder Exit Count Closes Friday, September 28, 2018
9/25/2018 -
Reminder Exit Count Closes Friday, September 28, 2018
If you have already submitted your Exit count, thank
you and please disregard this message. The 2017-18 Exit Count is well
underway. Please be reminded that all LEAs, charter schools and state operated
programs are expected to be certified by close of business on Friday, September
28, 2018.
*New Charter
schools that began in the 2018-19 school year do not need to complete the Exit
count.
Submitting
the Count:
The EC Director must sign into CECAS.
Open Data Exchange folder, Open the Periodic Count
folder, Click on Periodic Count Submissions.
On the Periodic Count Submissions page, click New
Submission. Click and fill in the drop lists on the following page.
To Certify
the Count:
Make sure the count status is VALIDATION COMPLETED
The EC Director must sign into CECAS.
Open the Data Exchange folder.
Open the Periodic Count folder.
Click on Periodic Count Submissions.
On the Periodic Count Submissions page, drop down
the Count period Type field. Select EC Child Count.
From the count period drop list
select September Exit 2018 Child Count.
Select your Region and LEA.
Do not
select a FILE TYPE.
Click Search. The Certify button will appear next to
the Search button.
Click Certify.
Print the next page for your records.
All errors must be corrected and all LEAs, Charters
and State Operated Programs must certify their
submissions no later than September 28, 2018. If you have any questions regarding the End-of-Year Reporting for
Exiting Data, please contact your Regional Trainer or the Help Desk at (919)
807-4357 and press option 3 for CECAS.
Florence updates from DPI #2 *(This is a separate Survey from previous OCS Survey)
As most of you know, the General Assembly will convene for a special session
on Tuesday, Oct. 2 to address the effects of Hurricane Florence. We are
working to have this information in time for legislators’ consideration of the
impacts to public schools.
Please click here to take the
survey.
Other News
Immunization and
Health Assessment Compliance Reporting
Each year, all schools are required
to report the immunization status of their kindergarten and 7th grade students,
according to G.S. 130A-155(c) and G.S. 130A-440. The purpose of these
reports is to ensure that all children enrolled in North Carolina schools are
protected against vaccine-preventable diseases and to determine the number of
children who meet state immunization requirements.
Additionally, all North Carolina
public and public charter schools are required annually to report on the status
of Health Assessments for those students who are enrolling for the first time
in a North Carolina public or public charter school (G.S. 130A-441(c)).
Report submission can take place
after the 30th calendar day from the school’s official first day. A
combined compliance report is available this year, by school name, and must be
completed on-line at this link: Annual Health Assessment and Immunization Report.
You may use the link to access instructions as well as worksheets to gather
your responses prior to entering the online report.
Compliance reports are due no
later than November 1, 2018 but may be completed at any time prior to that
date.
Communication From The Consultant
The Technical Assistance Summary provides
valuable school health information. School Health Coordinators and/or
School Nurses are encouraged to review this quarterly circular so you can stay
up-to-date with news and announcements from the Charter School Health Nurse
Consultant.
Do You Have a School Nurse or
School Health Coordinator?
In order to ensure proper delivery
of School Health Services information, please use this link to provide contact information.
The contact information provided will be used to ensure receipt of
important school health requirements and continuing education opportunities.
Please have your school nurse or school health coordinator fill out this quick
survey so they may be included on our distribution list.
Kristin Wike, MSN, RN, NCSN
Charter School Health Nurse
Consultant
NC Division of Public Health - Children
and Youth Branch
NC Department of Health and Human
Services
828 230 7148 office
828 230 7148 mobile
kristin.wike@dhhs.nc.gov
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