NCDPI Office of Charter Schools (OCS) Updates
Important Title 1 message from NCDPI Federal Programs Department.
“There have recently been questions surrounding the agreement with Head Start that appears within the application for federal funds (ESSA SEC. 1119). We are currently working with different divisions at NCDPI to compile guidance and resources to provide to all charters in our next newsletter.”
New Charter Shout Out!
The Digital Teaching and Learning Team would like to thank the fourteen new charter schools opening in the 2019-2020 school year for their hard work over the past two weeks. Charter leaders worked diligently to set-up their new instances in preparation for their very first year! We appreciate your time and dedication in preparing for a successful opening of your charter school!
Did you Know???
Performance Framework A17 requires charter schools to be in compliance with all student health and safety requirements as defined in General Statute, SBE policy, and Charter Agreement. Reporting for compliance with immunizations (GS 130A-155(c)) and health assessment (GS 130A-441) takes place November 1st each year. The Annual Charter Schools Health Services Report opens each year on May 1st and closes at midnight June 1st each year. A worksheet is distributed in April to help schools gather information for the annual report. Communication regarding these requirements take place via the Office of Charter Schools newsletter.
The actual documentation is collected by the Department of Health & Human Services, so be sure you understand the expectations at the start of the new school year! If you have questions about these expectations please reach out to the Charter School Nurse Consultant, Annette Richardson annette.richardson@dhhs.nc.gov. If you have general questions about Performance Framework, please contact performanceframework@dpi.nc.gov.
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Performance Framework
We have wrapped up the 2018-2019 Performance Framework year and are awaiting results from departments other than the Office of Charter Schools so we can send out final reports. Early indications show that it was a very good year!
Please make sure you have a dedicated staff member assigned as a user in Epicenter, and keep an eye out for 2019-2020 items beginning in September. Thank you for working with us as we continually improve this process.
Our goal is to see every single one of the NC charter schools exceeding operational expectations by 2021!
Charter Exceptional Children Leadership Institute (CECLI) 2018-19 Cohort Graduation
On Thursday, July 25, 2019 the Exceptional Children’s Division awarded certificates of completion and CEUs to 23 graduates of the Charter Exceptional Children Leadership Institute (CECLI) 2018-19 Cohort. The CECLI, a specific leadership institute designed to support North Carolina’s Charter Public School Units, provides leadership training aligned with the North Carolina Competencies for EC Directors addressing leadership, planning and improving curriculum and instruction, policy and procedures, community relations, personnel practices, and fiscal management in the administration of special education. Please join us in congratulating the members who have successfully completed this CECLI cohort.
Southeast Region
Calandra Edmonds-Best (Wayne Preparatory Academy)
North Central Region
Sandra Joyce (Cardinal Charter)
Mary Miller (Central Wake High School)
Claire Jacobs (Crosscreek Charter)
Maggie Gray (Youngsville Academy)
Sandhills Region
Becca Meroney (Southeastern Academy)
Piedmont-Triad Region
Kathleen Mezgar (The Experiential School)
Heather Moore (The Experiential School)
Shamela Flowers-Harrison ( Triad Math & Science Academy)
Southwest Region
Kay Johnson (American Renaissance)
Rebecca Snyder (Charlotte Secondary)
Brittany Fogarty (Iredell Charter)
Maura Brown (KIPP Charlotte)
Alexandra Schneider (KIPP Charlotte)
Missy Hill (Lakeside Charter)
Luke Ruggieri (Pine Lake Prep)
Stephan Bill (Pinnacle Classical Academy)
Elizabeth Bridges (Pinnacle Classical Academy)
Sequita Lipscomb (Sugar Creek Charter)
Western Region
Alyssa Moore (FernLeaf Community Charter)
Tammy Barron (The Catamount School)
Carol Jean Smith (The Learning Center)
Cindy Dotson (Thomas Jefferson Classical Academy)
SAVE the DATE!
What: Leading & Learning Days (formerly LP/CLP bootcamps)
Where: Healthy Start Academy, Durham
When: September 26th 2019
Invitations and agendas will be sent to schools
For more information, contact Claire Porter @ Claire.Porter@dpi.nc.gov
CSLI - Charter School Leadership Institute (2019)
What: Charter School Leadership Institute 2019
When: October 17 and 18, 2019
Where: Envision Science Academy
Registration is open! Click link below.
2019 Charter Leadership Institute registration
Please send your checks for $55.00 per person. Your receipt will be sent to confirm your registration. Parking at Envision will be limited so please plan on carpooling with others from your school.
For more information, contact Claire Porter @ Claire.Porter@dpi.nc.gov
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2019-2020 NC ACCESS Fellowship Cohort 1
The Office of Charter Schools hosted the first NC ACCESS Fellowship convening on July 25th. Nine charter schools were awarded subgrants in 2019 ranging from $250,000-$600,000 and 18 administrators and instructional leaders from those schools began the year-long ACCESS Fellowship. Fellows will participate in both face-to-face and virtual sessions. By the end of year, the NC ACCESS Fellows will have developed and demonstrated best practices in serving all students, especially those who are educationally disadvantaged.
Participants began the day with Phil Boyte discussing school culture by design.
Phil Boyte inspires the NC ACCESS Fellows, who were also provided a copy of Phil’s book, School Culture by Design.
Dr. Barbara O’Neal of the NC ACCESS Program team reviewed the expectations and monitoring with the cohort.
Charter School Teacher of the Year (TOY)
Dear Charter School Teacher of the Year Coordinator:
NCDPI is pleased to coordinate the 2020 Burroughs Wellcome Fund North Carolina Teacher of the Year (TOY) Program. The program provides an opportunity to honor and recognize exemplary teachers in North Carolina and to call attention to the importance of the teaching profession.
As the TOY Coordinator, you are responsible for your local Teacher of the Year selection process. This process is at the discretion of your Board/Director. You are asked to submit one teacher from your charter school to proceed in the regional process. As a reminder, your nominee must hold a Continuing License, be employed full time, and spend at least 70% of his or her time in direct instruction of North Carolina public school students.
If you are interested in participating or have questions about the process, please contact Sonya Rinehart srinehart@ecps.k12.nc.us As the TOY Lead Regional Education Facilitator, she will communicate with you the next steps. She will also support you entering into this process and making sure we receive your TOY nominee portfolio (due September 13, 2019).
Click the link below for the TOY Schedule:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/185z0zY3126KoMF8nxukRNfnafe9w68fN-6RMzaATWqQ/edit?usp=sharing
The North Carolina Virtual Public School invites you to its 2019 Virtual Open House
When: Tuesday, August 20, 11 AM - 12 PM or Thursday, August 22, 7 PM to 8 PM
This year we are offering two opportunities to attend the Annual Virtual Open House. Please choose the date that works best for your schedule
Where: The event will be hosted in an NCVPS online classroom. Details will be sent following registration.
Presenters: NCVPS staff, teachers, and students.
Topics: The presentation will include Who is NCVPS?, Teaching and Learning with NCVPS, Meet the Teacher, See the Classroom, Support All Around, and Q & As.
Audience: The NCVPS Open House is open to the public. While our presentations are geared toward parents and students in public schools, private schools, and home-schools, we have something for everyone. Educators will learn about the NCVPS teaching and learning process. The general public will discover what online learning is.
Register: August 20, 11 AM
Register: August 22, 7 PM
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OCS Professional Development Corner (PD)
https://www.smore.com/hwt4x
Upcoming Charter School Advisory Board Meetings - CSAB
September 9, 2019
October 7 - 8, 2019
Upcoming State Board of Education Meetings - SBE
September 4 - 5, 2019
October 2 - 3, 2019
Follow the Office of Charter Schools on Twitter
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.
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NC Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI) Updates
FYI
Charter Schools have flexibility with this. For more information, send an email to ocs@dpi.nc.gov.
Career and College Ready Graduates (CCRG) - SB99 Session Law 2018-5 Update
Thank you for your patience as NCDPI and the NC Community College System work through the final phases of development and planning for the implementation of the Career and College Ready Graduates (CCRG) legislation. The CCRG legislation requires that “the State Board of Community Colleges, in consultation with the State Board of Education, shall develop a program... that introduces the college developmental mathematics and developmental reading and English curriculums in the high school senior year and provides opportunities for college remediation for students prior to high school graduation through cooperation with community college partners.” An extension was received in summer of 2018 to support further development and implementation, with a statewide implementation requirement in the 2020-21 school year.
Our teams have been working diligently to design a statewide strategy that supports each of our local institutions and educators in this innovative opportunity to enhance post-secondary readiness for students across North Carolina. While much progress has been made, there are still some logistical issues that are being addressed in order to meet the requirements for qualifying students in NC public schools. The NCDPI and the NC Community College System leadership are continuing collaboration around the implementation strategy, supporting course content, student eligibility, and professional development opportunities for district teams and educators.
Timeline:
- Begin Phase 1 in Spring 2020 with a small number of schools aligned to NCCCS RISE program
- Statewide Implementation in 2020-21, pending funding for platform
As we move into installation, we will continue to keep you updated with more details to help local districts, schools, and teachers know how to plan. Please use this form to submit questions or comments, which will be used to help inform our implementation of the legislation. Thank you for your dedicated partnership and collaboration in this effort to prepare students for post-secondary opportunities.
Coding and Mobile App Dev Grant
Coding and Mobile App Development Grant Program Second Round, August 2019 Announcement To further expand opportunities for students, increase professional development opportunities for teachers and administrators and deepen partnerships with industry, State Superintendent Mark Johnson is offering a second opportunity to apply for grant funding through the Coding and Mobile Applications Grant Program for the 2019-2020 academic year.
Local School Administrative Units and Charter Schools are eligible to apply for these funds. The purpose of the program is to provide opportunities for North Carolina students to learn computer science, coding and mobile app development to help them gain the skills needed to: (1) create and contribute, not just use and consume, in the digital economy; and (2) actively engage as informed citizens in our complex, technology-driven world. Previous applicants may edit and re-submit applications to be considered for this second opportunity. Applications will be accepted August 2, 2019 through August 30, 2019.
Completed applications must include all required materials and be submitted by 5:00 p.m. on deadline via email to Stacia.Solomon@dpi.nc.gov .
http://www.ncpublicschools.org/docs/cte/coding-grant-application-fy20.pdf
EC Directors'/Coordinators’ August Webinar Change
The August EC Directors’/Coordinators’ Webinar is being rescheduled to Tuesday, August 13th at 10:00 AM.
Please follow this link August 13th Webinar Registration Link to register for this webinar. You will need to register ahead of time in order to connect to the webinar. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.
Questions to be addressed during the Q & A session should be submitted to Kelly Breest - Kelly.Breest@dpi.nc.gov by 5:00 pm on Wednesday, August 7th.
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PD - Neurological Visual Impairment including Deaf-Blindness
Attached is information regarding a professional learning opportunity for professionals serving students with neurological visual impairment including deaf-blindness. The event is September 20 in Chapel Hill. There is no registration fee but pre-registration by September 6 is required. The registration link is in the attachment.
If you have any questions, please contact Dottie Snyder (Dorothy.snyder@dpi.nc.gov) or Amy Campbell (amy.campbell@dpi.nc.gov).
Remember to Register for the Next Home Base Meet-Ups!
The first round of Home Base Meet-Ups for the 2019-20 school year is scheduled for Monday, August 5 through Thursday, August 8. These collaborative sessions are great opportunities for networking and sharing ideas.
Note: Canvas will be offered on Wednesday, August 7 only. There will be a streaming option available for those who want to join virtually.
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PowerSchool Support Reminders
In case You Missed It!
Effective July 15th, PowerSchool Support provides all technical support for your SIS instance.
Three ways to request PowerSchool support:
- CHAT: Chat support will be available for you through the PowerSchool Community at: Launch Chat Support
- CASE: Submit a case via the PS PORTAL: https://help.powerschool.com/
- CALL: 1-855-339-4790 NEW! - This is a dedicated NC Support line
* If you are reporting an outage or performance issue (P0 or P1), please CALL or use CHAT. This insures immediate attention by PowerSchool support.
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PowerSchool Upgrade - version 19.4.2
PowerSchool Phase I upgrade to version 19.4.2.0 will occur the weekend of August 16-19. PowerSchool will be brought down on Friday, August 16, 2019 at 5 p.m. and returned to service no later than Monday, August 19, 2019 at 6 a.m.
In order to be fully prepared, please consider completing the following items prior to the upgrade on August 16, 2019.
- Run any AutoComm/AutoSend which are currently using FTP because FTP will not be available after the upgrade. This includes third party applications your Public School Unit (LEAs/Charters) may use.
- Upgrade your AutoComm/AutoSend from FTP to SFTP
- Save/Print any of the following you may need for Open House, return of Teachers, etc. (These are just a sampling of items)
- Homeroom Lists
- Class Rosters
- Student Schedules
- Student Parent Contacts (Reports>NCDPI Reports>Auto Dialer Extracts)
- Progress Reports (Year-round schools)
- Report Cards (Year-round schools)
PowerSchool Phase II upgrade, which will improve the functionality of contacts, will occur January 2020. More detailed communications addressing the impact of the new contact functionality will be forthcoming.
New NCEES Vendor Support- PowerSchool
As a result of the 2018 acquisition of the North Carolina Educator Effectiveness System (NCEES) solution by PowerSchool, NCDPI has moved vendor maintenance and support of NCEES directly to PowerSchool by adding it to the main PowerSchool contract effective 7/1/2019. This is a contractual change and has no impact on the usage, implementation or support for the system.
NCEES district admins should continue to submit system issues to the ServiceNow Support Desk until further notice from NCDPI. To open a help desk ticket access the Support Portal at: https://ncgov.service-now.com/sp_dpi (Login with your NCID) Or call: 919-807-4357. Support for our Public School Units (LEAs and Charters) is very important to NCDPI and we look forward to continuing to serve our district's needs.
Greetings HR Directors (**New Instructions**) Human Capital/Licensure Webinars
n 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:
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
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Testing Update Webinar on August 12, 2019
Accountability Services will be hosting a Testing Update Webinar on August 12, 2019 from 11:00 to 12:00 pm to address the following items:
1. New Academic Achievement Levels for Mathematics
2. Beginning of Grade 3 Assessment for Read to Achieve
3. Legislative Updates
To register please click here.
This webinar will be recorded for those whom are unable to attend, but in order to access the recording you'll still need to register.
Questions about the webinar may be directed to Maxey Moore at Maxey.Moore@dpi.nc.gov.
Regional Meetings - Personalized Learning
Please join the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction this fall for an exciting opportunity to connect with practitioners from across North Carolina as we explore Personalized Learning and what it can mean for your district or charter school. Each of the regional events will be held from 9:30 A.M. to 3:00 P.M.
During this time, teams of educators will be guided through:
- An understanding of the working definition of personalized learning (what it can be and what it is not),
- An alignment of current efforts and approaches in your district or charter school, and
- Discussion and planning for next steps for personalized learning implementation through strategic plans and continuous improvement plans.
Each public school unit is asked to send a team of 2-3 staff to participate, so please consider those individuals who are influencers or key decision-makers in your district or charter school. Suggested participants may include those from Academic/Curriculum, Digital Learning or Technology, and a school-level leader.
Registration is open and can be accessed at bit.ly/PLFall2019Registration. Please have each participant complete registration.
- Below are the meeting dates and locations, but you may choose the date and location that best fits with your schedule or travel needs.
- Space is limited, so be sure to register your team as soon as possible.
- Once each meeting location is at capacity, a waitlist will be created for each location.
Please contact Emma Braaten with questions or for additional information at emma.braaten@dpi.nc.gov.
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Date
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Region
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Location
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September 11
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Southwest
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Lincoln County Schools - 201 Jeb Seagle Drive, Lincolnton, NC 28092
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September 12
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Northwest
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West Concord Resource Center - 509 West Concord Street Morganton NC 28655
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September 16
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Piedmont
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Winston-Salem Forsyth Education Building - 4801 Bethania Station Rd Winston-Salem, NC 27105
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October 2
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Southeast
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WCPS Professional Development & Family Engagement Center - 415 S. Virginia St. Goldsboro, NC 27530
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October 3
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Sandhills
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BTW Educational Resource Center - 66 Booker T Washington Road, Clarkton, NC 28433
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October 9
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Northeast
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Beaufort County EdTech Center - 820 Bridge St
Washington, NC 27889
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October 10
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North Central
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Franklin County School - 53 West River Road
Louisburg, NC 27549
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October 17
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Western
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Buncombe County Schools Central Office -
175 Bingham Road, Asheville, NC 28806
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As your team examines FAM-S data, you will note that there are several items that can be used to plan for the implementation of Social Emotional Learning (SEL). Critical to students receiving social-emotional supports is creating an environment where teachers are supported to fully implement and assess the effectiveness of SEL practices. For example, several of the FAM-S items promote reflection and rich dialogue around questions such as these:
- Do schedules provide adequate time for professional development and coaching support (for academics, behavior, and social-emotional learning)?
- Do Core social-emotional practices exist that are defined schoolwide or across all grade levels/spans by essential components of instruction, curriculum, and environment (ICE)?
- If so, are these practices refined based on both student outcome and implementation data for continuous improvement?
- Is a comprehensive assessment system established, and do staff understand and have access to academic, behavior and social-emotional data sources?
- Across all tiers, when and how are attendance, behavior, social-emotional, and academic data used to analyze and hypothesize reasons students are not meeting expectations?
- What types of supplemental and intensive behavior and social-emotional practices exist that are defined schoolwide or across grade levels/spans by essential components of instruction, curriculum, environment and learner (ICEL)?
The IABS Team is in the final stages of developing Social Emotional Learning (SEL) Modules to share with your school team. The goal of these modules is to create readiness for Core SEL by building and affirming background knowledge, developing the “what” and “why” for SEL implementation, and preparing teams for successful SEL implementation. Watch for the release of these modules in the fall.
Please contact your MTSS Consultant or emailing integratedsystems@dpi.nc.gov if you have further questions.
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Financial and Business Services Newsletter
Please click on the link below for important allotment information
www.ncpublicschools.org/fbs/resources/newsletters/
Other News
Job Vacancy
Cardinal Charter Academy - EC Team Lead
- Prepares for and conducts Parent and student conferencing according to school policy.
- Delivers student instruction in modalities instituted by school and assigned program (may include but are not limited to: Individual or Group Direct Synchronous Instruction, Learning Support, Life Skills Support, Itinerant Support, Resource Room Support, co-teaching, writing lesson plans, telephone conferencing and instruction, Parent Learning Opportunities).
- Collects data and appropriate work samples.
- Plans and conducts appointments with parents as needed.
- Assists regular education teachers with specially designed instruction when necessary.
- Arranges for and assists with training for inclusionary practices.
- Acts as informational liaison for inclusion as appropriate.
- Assists with planning for classroom and testing accommodations for students with disabilities.
- Models strategies for inclusionary practices as appropriate.
- Provides assistance with developing and adapting curriculum materials and educational practices to meet the needs of students and teachers.
Special Education Responsibilities
- Maintains IEPs, Quarterly Reports, Progress Monitoring for caseload.
- Develops and Implements IEPs with measurable goals using Progress Monitoring.
- Collects and Reports Progress Monitoring Data for all student goals.
- Conduct IEP meetings within timelines.
- Makes data-driven instructional decisions to improve student outcomes.
- Completes Quarterly Progress Reports.
- Maintains accurate and compliant special education data (class lists with contact info, related services info, IEP due dates, etc.).
- Completes reevaluations in accordance with Regulations and best practice.
- Completes all special education paperwork accurately, according to regulations, and on time.
- Develops and monitors appropriate transition plans for students of transition age.
- Maintains communication with Related Service Providers and Case Managers to ensure compliance with provision of services, evaluations, and quarterly progress reports.
- Administers diagnostic assessments as needed.
- Obtains and maintains compliant special education student files.
**MAY PERFORM OTHER DUTIES AS ASSIGNED**
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