Read to Achieve legislation filed in Senate
Yesterday, Senate Leader Phil Berger introduced Senate Bill 438, the Excellent Public Schools Act of 2019, which makes evidence-based policy changes and incorporates input from a large group of education stakeholders.
Senate Bill 438 addresses in-classroom instruction, reading camps, educator training, and data collection by the following measures:
In-classroom instruction
- Introduces individual reading plans for students who need additional assistance in literacy.
- Ensures parents know of of their child's individual reading plan and can access reading resources online or in hard copy to help at home.
- Directs DPI to develop the Digital Children’s Reading Initiative, a website containing free materials for parents to help students improve literacy skills.
- Directs DPI to develop or identify model curriculum for use by school districts to ensure best practices proliferate throughout the state.
Reading camps
- Provides an incentive for teachers who have earned reading bonuses to participate in reading camps by allowing that experience to count for two literacy credits required for licensure renewal.
- Allows retired K-3 teachers to come back and teach at summer reading camps, and provides compensation for doing so.
- Directs DPI to determine which methods are working and which are not, and then develop model standards for school districts.
Educator training
- Directs the North Carolina Center for the Advancement of Teachers (NCCAT) to focus more extensively on early grades literacy training and to develop high-quality programs in coordination with the UNC system and DPI.
- Allows DPI to renew and expand its contract with WolfPack Works, which provides coaching to early career teachers.
Data Collection
- Provides a uniform format for reporting data to make analysis easier.
For more information on the bill, click here.
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Update: School Safety Grant program for 2019-2020
As you may know, School Safety Grant applications are not yet available. At this time, DPI is not able to offer grant applications because the grant program is dependent on fiscal year 2020 appropriations from the General Assembly. Once the 2019-2020 budget bill has passed, DPI will post applications on the Center for Safer School's website.
Seeking feedback on Late Liquidation waiver
Deadline approaching: April 8
DPI Is seeking public comment on its request for a waiver (called a Late Liquidation waiver) to gain access to expired funds for use in the 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC) rather than returning them to the federal government. We wanted to make sure that LEAs get an opportunity to comment on this proposed request in the case that anyone would like to make a comment. Please share this information with anyone else in your central office (CAO, COO, etc.) who may have an opinion on this issue.
The complete notice seeking comment can be found here.
For any questions, please contact Michael E. Wells, Director, Federal Program Monitoring and Support Division: michael.wells@dpi.nc.gov.
$500 Grant opportunity for teachers
Ag in the Classroom: Going Local
Going Local Grants help educators provide students with valuable, real-world education and experiences directly related to the agricultural industry and the Common Core State and Essential Standards. Teachers at all grade levels are encouraged to apply.
The deadline for submission is April 15. Click here to learn more and to apply.
2019-20 Home Base Opt-in Availability
DPI is pleased to announce that the full suite of Home Base will become available to all districts and charter schools for the 2019-20 school year in early to mid-April. The cost will remain the same as last year - $1/ADM which gives access to Schoolnet and NCEES Unified Talent Perform and Professional Learning. Districts and charter schools can acquire Canvas for an additional cost of $3.74 per user through the state negotiated convenience contract.
Home Base users can expect to see a streamlined assessment creation and scheduling dashboard, including easy access to share assessments and locally created question banks in Schoolnet. NCEES Unified Talent Perform and Professional Learning will offer:
- Updated dashboards to track CEUs through local PD course modules and varied PD opportunities
- Free access to NCDPI self-paced Canvas and Moodle modules aligned to staff standards and elements
- Effective educator evaluation instruments based on NC teacher standards and NC standards for administrators
We hope to see 100 percent district opt-in as in the past. If you have questions concerning the 2019-20 Home Base Opt-in process, please contact Yolanda Wilson, Home Base Opt-in Administrator, yolanda.wilson@dpi.nc.gov.
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EdNC hosts student contest for Teacher Appreciation Week
This year, Teacher Appreciation Week is May 6-10. To honor great educators in North Carolina, students are encouraged to submit a piece of work that describes a teacher and how he or she has made an impact on them. Students can submit work in any of the following categories: video, photo, drawing, essay (Maximum: 1,000 words), or poem.
EdNC will select submissions in each category to publish online at EdNC.org during Teacher Appreciation Week in May.
Click here to access the form to submit work.
All submissions must be turned in before 8 a.m. on Monday, April 22. All North Carolina public school students are welcome to submit. There is no age limit. For questions, contact rkinlaw@ednc.org or visit https://www.ednc.org/appreciation/.
Cooperative Innovative High Schools – Letters of intent to apply
Due April 22
Are you interested in establishing a Cooperative Innovative High School (CIHS) in your school district for the 2020-21 school year? Do you want to provide innovative opportunities for dual enrollment grades 9-13 on site of a college campus? DPI announces the opening of the CIHS application cycle.
We invite superintendents and Institutes of Higher Education to jointly submit a letter of intent by April 22 to apply to open a CIHS. Please see this memo for more information. All CIHS applicant teams will receive application development technical assistance from DPI and the Joint Advisory Committee throughout the application process. Questions? Please contact Sneha Shah Coltrane at CIHS@dpi.nc.gov.
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Letters of Recognition from the State Superintendent
For students, faculty, and staff
Do you know of a student or faculty or staff member who has achieved something extraordinary? State Superintendent Mark Johnson would like to recognize individuals and groups who have earned such accomplishments with a letter applauding their achievement. Examples of excellence include special service to one’s community, receiving recognition or awards, excellence in competition, athletics, or academia, and more.
If you wish to request a letter of recognition from Superintendent Johnson, go to https://www.ncsuperintendent.com/letterrequest and provide the information requested. We look forward to hearing about your good news.
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