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.

2019 Performance Framework Resubmissions

OCS collects evidence of operational, financial, and academic compliance through the Charter School Performance Framework (PF). Charter schools were required to submitted evidence documents using the web-based tool Epicenter from January through April. OCS consultants are finalizing the initial review process of the submitted materials. As a reminder, if a task has been deemed non-compliant it will be returned to the submitter.

All schools have until June 30, 2019, to correct any returned submission tasks and to satisfy the reopened task in Epicenter. If you have a question about the “Returned” submission task, contact the OCS consultant who provided the feedback using the contact information listed in the email notification for that particular task.

Please note that all correspondence should happen through the Epicenter system. If a task is returned by an OCS staff member, the submitter will receive an email correspondence from the Epicenter system notifying them that the submission document has been returned and that the task has been reopened in the system.

Please check the tasks queue using the web-based tool Epicenter for any outstanding submission tasks that need to be completed. To view the webinar training recording click here.

Web-based Resources:

2019 Performance Framework Resources

Frequently Asked Questions

For questions regarding the 2019 Charter School Performance Framework, please send an email to performanceframework@dpi.nc.gov. 

For technical support, please contact the Epicenter Support Center at (855) 899-1624 or support@epicenternow.org.

OCS Summer Huddle

Contact: ocs@dpi.nc.gov

July 16, 2019 | Register Here

Mark your calendars for the OCS Summer Huddle! Please join us at Gray Stone Day School in Misenheimer, NC on July 16^th for a full day of development and support. You can register here and stay tuned for more details. We will not host a huddle at this year’s Financial Business Services (FBS) Conference, though there will be some charter-specific programming for those attending.

Charter Applicant Training

Training for new applicants will be held on the following dates:

Wednesday, June 26, 2019 9am – 1pm

Monday, July 15, 2019 10am – 2pm

Trainings will take place in Room 150 of the NC Department of Public Instruction. 301 N. Wilmington Street, Raleigh, NC 27601

Please email ocs@dpi.nc.gov for assistance with any questions or concerns.

Deadline for Requesting Federal and State Cash for FY 2018-2019

The last day by which you may request Federal cash for FY 18-19 is Monday, June 24, 2019, with a Funds Requirement Date (FRD) of Friday, June 28, 2019.

The last day by which you may request State cash for FY 18-19 is Tuesday, June 25, 2019,

with a Funds Requirement Date (FRD) of Friday, June 28, 2019.

If you have questions, please contact Roxane Bernard at roxane.bernard@dpi.nc.gov

Greetings HR Directors (**New Instructions**) Human Capital/Licensure Webinars

In an effort to keep you all better informed about changes to state policy, NCDPI will begin offering monthly webinars closely following State Board of Education meetings.  The purpose of the webinars is to provide you with the opportunity to hear about proposed and approved changes to state policy that have an impact on Human Resources departments.  

Because we anticipate many participants, the webinar will not offer a "Q & A" session.  We will, however, have a chat feature enabled and will try to answer the most common questions raised from the field.  Additionally, we will record these webinars and place those recordings online so you will be able to hear the information even if you are unable to attend.  Attendance is, of course, optional, but we hope you all will join us for the webinars.

Charter School directors can designate a staff member to attend these webinars. To do so, the Charter School director/head of school should email Kimberly Evans <Kimberly.Evans@dpi.nc.gov> and request access to the webinar. Please include the designee’s name, position, and email address.

Here is a list of the dates we are planning to schedule the webinars:  

June 7

July 15

August 12

September 6

October 4

November 8

December 6

Specific times and the login for the webinar will be provided in the invitation.  Please let me know if you have any questions or comments.

Thomas Tomberlin

Director, Educator Recruitment and Support

Office of the Deputy State Superintendent of District Support

North Carolina Department of Public Instruction

(O) 919-807-3440

STEM Career Showcase for Students with Disabilities

The North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences will host the 7th annual STEM Career Showcase for Students with Disabilities on Tuesday, October 15th. Designed for 6th-12th grade students, functioning at or around grade level, the event connects students to professionals with disabilities who have thriving careers in STEM fields.

2018 STEM Career Showcase Highlights

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SmQsa1ZoN0c

Students with disabilities meet successful STEM role models with disabilities at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, featuring keynote speaker Dr. Caroline Solomon.

David Wood
Coordinator of Accessibility and Inclusion, Visitor Programs
North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences
11 West Jones Street | Raleigh | NC 27601 | USA
(919) 707-9819 | david.wood@naturalsciences.org

Reporting 2018-2019 Training Hours for Interpreters and Transliterators

Please see the attached requirement of reporting educational interpreters and cued language transliterators required 15 hours of job-related training.  The due date is July 15, 2019.

If you have any questions, please contact Antwan Campbell at Antwan.campbell@dpi.nc.gov or 919 807-3272. 

• Memo-Interpreter Training Hours.pdf

Significant Disproportionality/Mandatory Coordinated Early Intervening Services (CEIS)

Please see the attached information regarding LEAs that are identified as having significant disproportionality in identification and disciplinary actions in 2018-19 and the corresponding requirement for use of 15% of LEAs' federal funds for Coordinated Early Intervening Services.

If you have any questions, please contact Nancy Johnson (ntjohnso@uncc.edu / 704 576-2760), Amanda Byrd (Amanda.byrd@dpi.nc.gov / 919 807-3948) or your regional consultant. 

• Memo-CEIS Significant Disproportionality.pdf
• Memo-CEIS 2018-19 Significant Disproportionality Determination.pdf
• Memo-CEIS 2018-19 Significant Disproportionality Determination Process-Identification rev-2019.pdf
• Memo-CEIS 2018-19 Significant Disproportionality Determination Process-discipline-rev.2019.pdf
• Memo-CEIS 2018-19 Significant Disproportionality Determination Process-Placement rev.2019.pdf

ECATS: Training Locations and Guidelines for Registration

Attached is information on ECATS training for the Special Education and Service Documentation modules.  Please carefully review the information and registration process.

If you have any questions regarding the training, please contact Sherry Thomas at sherry.thomas@dpi.nc.gov or 919 807-3969.

• ECATS Training Dates and Locations Special Education.pdf
• ECATS Training Dates Locations Service Documentation.pdf
• Memo-ECATS Training.pdf
• ECATS Seats and Allotment.pdf

Prepare for NCEES EOY is June 28, 2019

The Evaluation and Professional Development Plans for the 2018-2019 school year will close on Friday, June 28 at 5 PM. At that time the vendor will archive complete and non-completed plans.

Please have all necessary evaluations and PDPs completed and locked.  Once the plans and the data within are archived no further updates can be made. 

The system will remain open for Professional Development courses.  

✅ Confirm Staff Lists are accurate

✅ Delete/archive unnecessary evaluation plans 

✅ Confirm Evaluation & PDP Plans are complete

✅ System will close out Friday, June 28, 2019 at 5PM

The Evaluation/PDP Plans for the 2019-2020 School year are scheduled to be ready for Monday, July 8th.  Please await for another communication before assigning plans and advising educators to begin plans.

IMPORTANT: 

NCDPI advises printing any and all reports needed for End of Year and for review during 19-20SY. Print or save a digital copy of staff reports. 

Click here: 

List of DPI published 2018-2019 Ad-Hoc Reports

for a list of DPI published reports for District Administrators and/or Principals.

There is  known issue in the system when running a previous year Ad-Hoc Report such as Summary Evaluation Ratings that the report will pull (for example) the correct 17-18 ratings form while printing current year name, location and teacher plan type. 

Due to over the summer name changes, employment changes across schools in district or out of district and staff that may have a different plan type/title in 19-20 affect past year reports you run in the fall. NCDPI strongly advises LEAs and Charters run all needed reports by the end of the current year. 

NCDPI is working with the vendor, Powerschool, on investigating a fix for pulling the correct location and and teacher plan type that matches the year of the ratings form requested. 

NOTE to NCEES District Admins:  if using System Administration > Export a Plan to PDF to run Summary Ratings individual reports - please start those early. Those reports are queued statewide and may have to wait until the initial reports in the queue fully complete. Please try to break down the size of the report you are running.

2018-2019 MTSS Recognition

Across the state of North Carolina, many schools are implementing an MTSS framework and experiencing success in school improvement efforts. MTSS recognition is an optional process for schools to celebrate their accomplishments and learn from each other. It is important to acknowledge the work schools are doing to support all students in North Carolina.

The MTSS recognition system replaces the PBIS recognition system and now emphasizes building integrated academic AND behavior systems that produce positive student outcomes.

What are the MTSS recognition criteria?

MTSS recognition includes three award levels: Green Ribbon, Model, and Exemplar. To determine which level of recognition is most appropriate, schools can use the 2018-19 MTSS Implementation Criteria. Representatives from recognized schools will be invited to attend a ceremony in November 2019.

Who applies for MTSS recognition?

Individual schools can apply for MTSS recognition. School staff completes an online application which was shared with MTSS Coordinators in April 2019 which includes completing questions and uploading artifacts of their school’s MTSS implementation. The application deadline for 2018-19 recognition Friday, September 20th, 2019.

How can Your MTSS Coordinator support your school?

MTSS coordinators may want to assist schools by giving recommendations on appropriate levels of recognition or assisting in compiling implementation artifacts. Additionally, coordinators may want to hold a work session to assist your team in accessing, completing, and uploading items to the recognition application. MTSS/PBIS Coordinators will receive a list of schools who have completed a recognition application in late September.

Additional information on the Recognition process will be shared via the MTSS Coordinator Newsletters and the OCS Weekly News in late summer.

ESL/Title III Update - Link: bit.ly/ESLupdate519

Please visit the ESL/Title III Charter Schools Update with important information and action items about:

- Performance Framework: EL Component 2018-2019 (Extended deadline)

- EL PD Survey submission

- Professional Learning Series at no cost (Summer training)

- Technology Coordinators - Software Update for EL Screener and ACCESS Assessments.

Children's Internet Protection Act (CIPA)

Friends and colleagues:

   It is that time of year, again. 

NCDPI files the application for your Internet Access each year, and you, as a member of the consortium, must certify your Children's Internet Protection Act (CIPA) compliance by completing, signing and dating Form 479. Here is the link to the blank, fillable, pdf  Form 479 form.

https://erate.fi.ncsu.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/19/2018/06/FCC-479-fillable.pdf

CIPA Requirements

Instructions: Please fill out and scan as ONE document, not three.   Also, the form MUST be signed and dated by an employee of the school or school district.  Thank you. 

• Administrative Authority's Form Identifier:  This is something you make up - yes, you make it up.  We have some suggestions:      
• LEA #, XX County/City Schools or
• Charter #, XX Charter School/Academy

• Block 1:  Name of Administrative Authority: 
• this is the name of your school or school district - this is not your personal first and last name
• Funding year is 2019
• Address and contact at the LEA or charter - self explanatory  

• Block 2, Item #6:  THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT - ONLY CHOOSE ONE CHECK BOX!!!

• If you are an LEA you are already CIPA compliant - choose Box 6a
• If you are a charter who has been on NCREN, you are also (most likely) CIPA compliant and you also choose Box 6a
• If you are a NEW CHARTER, and are still BECOMING CIPA compliant, choose box 6b.
• NOTE:  Charter Schools, if you chose Item 6b last year, you MUST now choose Item 6a - you should have now completed the three steps to become CIPA compliant.
• Under NO circumstances should you choose multiple boxes - either 6a or 6b.  Please do not check multiple boxes, and NEVER check Box 6c or 6d    
• remember, either 6a (you are compliant) or 6b (you are working toward compliance).

• Block 2, Item 7 and 8:  Please SIGN and DATE  
• Print your name in item 9 
• Print your title in item 10 
• Print your phone number in item 11 

SCAN AS ONE DOCUMENT and attach as a reply to this message.

Jeannene Hurley State Coordinator and 

E-rate Specialist Northeast/North Central

NC Department of Public Instruction

jeannene.hurley@dpi.nc.gov