NCDPI Office of Charter Schools (OCS) Updates
Did you know……
DPI has a wealth of information and resources available to schools. Most divisions have consultants specifically assigned to charter schools or state regions. The DPI website has been redesigned and the search function is very helpful. This link will also provide a variety of resources that may be helpful. If you need assistance finding resources or contacting staff, please reach out to our office.
Did you also know.....
The Charter School Health Annual Report is the primary indicator for how well your school is following Department of Health & Human Services standards, determining your status on the A17 Performance Framework measure.
Please click here and review the template for this self report that your school will submit in May. It is very important that the person filling out the report for your school understands all of the questions, practices at your school, and expectations in order to meet compliance. Your school may be doing everything right but if the report incorrectly indicates 'no' it is going to result in a less than perfect Performance Framework report. When the annual report window opens for submission we will provide a link in an Epicenter task to bring it front and center!
Within Epicenter, there is a webinar for the A17, check it out! https://register.gotowebinar.com/recording/8679661741044244232
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Newsletter for Professional Development and Renewal
Professional Learning 101
The Scoop with Coop - Renewals
The Scoop with Coop is a newsletter that focuses on the North Carolina Charter School Renewal process. In addition, this letter provides insight on a variety of charter school topics to assist our leaders and readers alike! https://www.smore.com/8hcf9
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SAVE the DATE: March 9, 2020 to March 11, 2020 Charter School Connections Conference-Cullowhee
How can charter school teachers build networks of support for schools, staff, and students? With each charter school operating as an independent LEA, how do we form communities with other charter school educators to share best practices and increase community support?
Explore how teachers can better advocate for their specific school and charters in general and how to develop your own leadership style to help support school initiatives. Learn best practices in connecting students to digital learning and student leadership development through exploring personalized, project-based and flipped learning. Discuss ways to model these practices in your schools. Using a “make and take” model, participants will have time to develop a communication or networking plan, digital lessons, and project-based modules to share with your school.
CLICK HERE TO APPLY
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Charter School Leadership Institute 2020
SAVE the DATE!
Charter Schools Leadership Institute 2020
Triangle Math & Science Academy
312 Gregson Dr., Cary, NC 27511
October 22nd & 23rd, 2020
For Counselors By Counselors ---- March 17th!
Calling all counselors within the North Carolina charter school network! The Office of Charter Schools is hosting the first annual FCBC social! Please come and enjoy meeting one another. YOU have a network, YOU are appreciated!
Location: 301 N Wilmington St, Raleigh, NC 27601
Room: 150B
Time: 1:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
RSVP at the link below!
https://forms.gle/q22bqpMcmVnbFLui6
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2020 SECU People Helping People Scholarship (DEADLINE IS MARCH 20TH)
Charter High School leaders:
It is time again to begin thinking about the 2020 SECU Foundation People Helping People Scholarship! Each year, $10,000.00 scholarships have been awarded to three graduating senior attending North Carolina Charter Schools.
These scholarships will be awarded to students attending one of the 16 constituent campuses of the University of North Carolina. Funds are made possible through the contributions to SECU Foundation by members of the State Employees’ Credit Union.
Please see the attached memo, Eligibility Criteria, Program Application and Consent Form linked below.
2020 Charter Schools People Helping People Memo
2020 Charter Schools People Helping People Eligibility Criteria
2020 Charter Schools People Helping People Operating Procedures
2020 Charter Schools People Helping People Consent Form
2020 Charter Schools People Helping People Application
Important reminder prior to running your enrollment lottery
Dear school leaders and vendors who assist with PowerSchool or the enrollment lottery, please note you must enter student records individually into PowerSchool. Do not import batch data.
As Charters begin to prepare for the new school year, NCDPI would like to remind PowerSchool admins and third-party management companies that students should not be imported into the system. Importing student records bypasses our UID integration and customization, therefore all students should be entered individually, following the steps providing in this Quick Reference Document. Importing student records bypasses our UID integration and creates duplicate records in PowerSchool if the student has an existing record in the UID system. We currently have an overwhelming amount of duplicate records and clean up of duplicate records could take an extended length of time.
Please review the steps provided in this document and let us know if you have any questions. We appreciate your cooperation in this process.
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NC Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI) Updates
FBS - Financial and Business Website Outline Helps Visitors Find Content
If you need help locating content on the new Financial and Business Services (FBS) website, check out the FBS website outline in the What’s New section on the FBS home page.
The outline lists the main navigation areas for the site, then highlights content that is available for each area.
Web Links:
NCTWC#2 2020 Principal Tip Sheet
District & Regional Support February 2020 Notes
Next Maintenance Weekend - February 14, 2020
The next Home Base maintenance weekend is planned for Friday, February 14 through Monday, February 17, 2020. Applications scheduled for maintenance include PowerSchool only.
PowerSchool will be taken offline, Friday at 5 p.m. and returned to service no later than Monday, February 17 at 6 a.m. Once maintenance is complete, the maintenance curtain in PowerSchool will be taken down so that users will not have to wait on NCDPI's approval.
Questions or comments pertaining to this maintenance activity may be addressed to home_base@dpi.nc.gov. Stay apprised of all Home Base planned maintenance periods by visiting our 2019-20 Home Base Maintenance Schedule.
SAVE THE DATE - February 27!
Innovate! Every Classroom, Every Day
Digital Learning Day 2020 is February 27! Save the date and join thousands of educators and students in celebrating #DLDay. www.digitallearningday.org
Register Now for the 3rd Round of Home Base Meet-Ups!
The third round of Home Base Meet-Ups for the 2019-20 school year is scheduled for Monday, February 24 through Thursday, February 27, 2020.
Don't miss this great opportunity to collaborate and network with your peers face-to-face. Live stream options for all products will be offered for those who cannot attend a face-to-face session.
For complete registration details, please link to the February 2020 HBMU Invitation. Click on the Home Base Meet-Up Registration link to register, and visit the Home Base Meet-Ups 2019-20 Schedule for future meeting dates and locations.
The Annual Technology Directors' meeting will be held on Wednesday, March 4 from 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM in Room 402 at the Raleigh Convention Center. The theme this year is Reimagining Collaboration and Support! Light snacks will be served. Please register at bit.ly/NCTIesDirectorsRegistration.
Through a partnership with NCTIES, NCCoSN, and NCDPI DTL, we will honor one of our very own Technology Directors/CTOs as the North Carolina Director of Technology/Chief Technology Officer of The Year. If you would like to participate by nominating a colleague or yourself, please complete the NC Director of Technology/CTO of the Year application. All applications are due by 12 noon, February 14.
The purpose is to recognize a Technology Leader (Director or CTO) in a Public School Unit (PSU) whose impact on technology's role in transforming learning has been significant. Any Technology Director or Chief Technology Officer may apply or be nominated who meets the eligibility criteria outlined below.
CTO/Technology Director-of- the-Year Eligibility Criteria
- CTO/Director must have a minimum of 5 years' experience as a Director/CTO within North Carolina.
- CTO/Director currently occupies a Director of Technology/CTO role in an NC Public School Unit.
- All candidates must attend the State Technology Directors’ Meeting at NCTIES.
Process
- Each nominee or person nominating the candidate must complete the application form.
- Each application will be reviewed by a committee made up of Steering Committee members and in year 2 the previous DTOY. Each candidate who meets the eligibility criteria will be scored based on the rubric.
- If a tie occurs, a vote will take place between finalists.
- All finalists will be invited to the Annual State Technology Directors/CTO’s Meeting held at the NCTIES conference.
- The finalist will be announced annually at the meeting.
We look forward to seeing you on March 4 to collaborate, network and learn together through discussions and roundtable events.
Register Now! Leading with EVAAS: Administrator Edition- Sandhills Region
IMPORTANT EVASS TRAINING NOTICE
Leading with EVAAS: Admin Edition
Date: Thursday, February 27, 2020
Time: 9:00am - 4:00pm
Location: Cumberland County ERC
396 Elementary Drive * Fayetteville, NC
Number of seats per LEA: 8
Click Here to Register
** Registration will close on Wednesday, February 19th. Unused spaces will be reallocated on Thursday, February 20th.
Course Description
In this advanced course for administrative teams, school and district leaders discover how they might use student growth data to inform leadership decisions. This hands-on simulation course guides administrators through a process where they analyze schoolwide data and poses questions that revolve around how administrative decisions impact school or district data. As part of the process, administrative teams work collaboratively to discuss teacher and student placement, professional development planning, scheduling, and school improvement.
Participants learn the following skills:
• To identify patterns in student growth data and use these trends to inform administrative decisions
• To use teacher and student data to maximize teacher strengths and capitalize on strategic planning
• To consider best practices for leading discussions around growth data
• To integrate student growth data with other sources of data, such as discipline and attendance reports, to reflect upon and improve school programs
Participant Suggestion:
District/School administrative teams who already understand the basics of SAS EVAAS
Prerequisite
EVAAS entry-level course
Please reach out if you have any questions. Have a wonderful weekend!!
Jessica B. Swencki | District & Regional Support-Sandhills Region
N.C. Department of Public Instruction-Sandhills RST
jessica.swencki@dpi.nc.gov | 910-524-7020 | @JessicaBSwencki
MTSS Charter Message
February 14, 2020
School teams spend a great deal of time talking about “interventions” yet there are varying perspectives of what an intervention actually is. Simply defined, an intervention means, “to come between”. Thus, in education, we use interventions to interrupt the students trajectory and to change a learning outcome. Intervention is additional instruction meant to level the playing field of learning and to help students make progress towards benchmarks. Your school may develop an intervention system that integrates use of small group instruction in addition to core and explicit systematic instruction geared towards skill deficits for those students not making gains with core instruction alone.
Teams are learning more about intervention systems as they participate in MTSS Module 2 professional development and examine LiveBinder resources. This Intensification Strategy Checklist has proved helpful as they look for more examples of how to intensify support for students. Please reach out to your IABS Consultant with additional questions.
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Start Time and End Time Report is Open for Corrections
The Start-Time and End-Time Report was re-opened on February 1, 2020 to give public school units (PSUs) the opportunity to make any necessary corrections or modifications. Corrections must be completed and reports submitted by March 1. PSUs may refer to the QRD, School Start-Times and End-Times (https://files.nc.gov/dpi/documents/school_info/PS_QRD_SET.pdf), for assistance.
Endorsement Calculation
Following the deployment of the ACT Endorsement, NCDPI became aware that the endorsements were not calculating properly. Further investigation revealed that the SAT benchmark isn’t being picked up in the endorsement calculation, and some students who meet the ACT benchmark do not have the endorsement checkbox checked.
PowerSchool is working to correct this issue. NCDPI will notify PSUs when the problem has been resolved.
FERPA and PowerSchool Parent Portal Update
The FERPA Opt-in/Opt-out feature that was planned for the PowerSchool Parent Portal has been removed from all instances and will not be implemented until August of 2020. We apologize for the inconvenience and confusion this has caused. Please continue your normal processes for collecting this data within your PSU. In the future, NCDPI will provide further guidance on this requirement for next year.
PLANNED PURPLE STAR EVENTS:
This only applies to the following Required Activities: Item #4 (Professional Development) and Optional Activities: Items A and C.
If your school has a pre-planned event that will take place after the Purple Star application submission deadline of February 28, 2020, your school can still use that event as evidence. Please provide documentation to clarify what that event entails (i.e. social media outreach, timeline, potential outcomes, or any other relevant information). For example: Jim Jones Elementary has a Purple Up! event scheduled for April. The event can still meet the requirements, as long as the evidence provided indicates the event details so that it is clear during the application screening process. All planned events that coincide with this academic school year (for the 2019-2020 Purple Star Award period) must be complete no later than June 30, 2020.
SAVE THE DATE: The Purple Star Award Ceremony will be held in Wayne County on April 30th. Plan for the event to last from 10-12, but with an unknown number of applicants at this point, the event could extend beyond that window. Thank you Dr. Dunsmore for housing this event!
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EC Division
NEW STATE CONSULTANT FOR OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY
The Exceptional Children Division is proud to announce and welcome Mrs. Bridgette LeCompte the new State Consultant for Occupational Therapy (OT). Bridgette is a North Carolina native who joins us from Virginia Public Schools where she worked as an Occupational Therapist. Prior to moving to Virginia, Bridgette worked in Buncombe County Schools.
Her work has focused on promoting the value of occupational therapy in schools, especially regarding school mental health, social participation, job/community readiness, and the evolving role of OT in MTSS. Bridgette is happy to be returning to NC and honored to serve practitioners, families, students, and other stakeholders in her new role.
The Exceptional Children Division is excited to have Bridgette join our team and are confident she will be a tremendous asset to our state. She may be reached at 828-582-5505 and Bridgette.LeCompte@dpi.nc.gov.
Please join me in welcoming Bridgette LeCompte.
SOCIAL STUDIES ACADEMIC POLICY UPDATE
Please review the attached memo providing an update on the recent Social Studies changes adopted by the State Board of Education (SBE).
OSEP Feedback Link on Innovative Strategies and Best Practices
The Exceptional Children Division received a request from the US Department of Education Office of Special Education Programs(OSEP) to complete the survey below. In an effort to provide OSEP with broader input from NC stakeholders, we invite you to provide input by completing this survey. It will be open until 2/14/20.
OSEP is seeking stakeholder feedback on Innovative Strategies and Best Practices to Attract, Prepare, and Retain Effective Personnel.
If you would like to provide feedback on this very important topic, please follow this link to share your input. https://osepideasthatwork.org/stakeholders-input
Webinars
NCEES upcoming webinars
Mark your calendars for the upcoming NCEES webinars. All webinars will be recorded and posted to the Webinar Series document located on http://bit.ly/ncees-support. Click the titles below to register.
Please click the following link to review the full list: NCEES 2019-2020 Webinars.
UPCOMING WEBINARS:
Note: Participants only register 1 time for all 10 meetings included in the series.
Description: New assistant principals need consistent ongoing support. This New Assistant Principal NCEES Series will offer 10 meetings over the 2019-20 school year. Each meeting will address timely topics to support NCEES, ensuring fair and reliable practices for assistant principals to support teacher growth. This series will also focus on the growth and development of the AP using the NC School Executive Standards within the AP evaluation process. An agenda outline for all 10 meetings has been developed. In addition, participants will have a link to submit questions and ideas for topics/ standards to be covered throughout the series. This participant driven agenda will provide relative professional development that is immediately applicable for leader success. A deeper study of the standards will be guided by the feedback survey. Also note: The agenda may change throughout the series depending on professional development needs of the participants.
Link to agenda outline for all 10 meetings
Target Audience: NEW Assistant Principals
Remaining Dates: February 25, March 31, April 28, May 26, June 16
Time: 4-5 p.m.
Description: The Summative Evaluation can be difficult and stressful for the evaluator and the teacher. This webinar will provide ways to use the language of the Professional Teaching Standards and the rubric to ensure accurate and reliable feedback as it relates to the Summative Evaluation. Effective feedback strategies and practices will be discussed, including how to structure a framework/protocol for the Summary Evaluation Conference.
Target Audience: Observers and Evaluators
Remaining Dates: March 3
Time: 4-5 p.m.
Description: Participants will gain an understanding of the process for completing the Professional Development Plan End-of-Year Review. Teachers will explore the steps leading to the Summary Evaluation Conference, how to complete the signatures acknowledging the summary evaluation and how to provide a written response and artifacts.
Target Audience: Teachers and Support Staff, Evaluators, Observers
Remaining Dates: March 10
Time: 4-5 p.m.
Conferences, Workshops and Institutes
2020 EC Directors March Institute
Please see the attached memo regarding the 2020 EC Directors March Institute.
March Institute Registration Link:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSepGs8Rdia6Fs0zWO7gJXUGdNVobqqL4KbL_EUWTaQtBa7usQ/viewform?usp=sf_link
Registration closes 2/17/2020 - no onsite or late registrations will be accepted.
Hotel Reservation Link:
https://book.passkey.com/event/49921850/owner/2511/home
Room block closes 2/14/2020 please reserve your rooms as soon as possible.
Register Early for the CCES 2020 Conference and SAVE!
www.ncpublicschools.org/cces/
Early Bird Registration for the 2020 Connecting Communities of Education Stakeholders (CCES) Conference is now open. This year, credit card payments will be accepted! Rates will increase February 29, 2020.
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Registration BEFORE February 29, 2020
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Registration ON/AFTER February 29, 2020
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1 Day only (Monday through Wednesday)
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$150
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$175
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2 Days (Monday through Wednesday)
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$200
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$225
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3 Days (Monday through Wednesday)
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$250
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$275
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Post-Conference (Thursday)
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$75
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$100
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All teachers, student services personnel, principals, superintendents, parents, school administrators, community and business representatives are invited. Our registration options provide flexibility for schools and districts. Visit the Registration Webpage for more information.
Registration Link: bit.ly/CCES2020Registration
NC Reading Conference
51st NC Reading & Literacy Conference Spark the Magic: Creating a Passion for Literacy
Geared to K-12 teachers and administrators, the 51st Annual NC Reading Conference will be held at the Benton Convention Center, Winston-Salem, March 22 – 24, 2020. Educators can earn up to 2.0 literacy CEUs attending sessions by NC DPI, nationally recognized professional speakers and authors, college professors, classroom teachers and specialists. NEW THIS YEAR: Leadership track for administrators – sessions by Adam Dovico, Steve Lassiter, Jason Griffin.
Featured professional speakers & authors: Colby Sharp, Tanny McGregor, Adria Klein, Pernille Ripp, Donalyn Miller, Sharon Draper, Sue Soltis, Lester Laminack, Stacy McAnulty, Nora Carpenter, Tracy Deonn Walker, John Claude Bemis, Camille Andros, Kelly Starling Lyons, Jennie Liu.
Sample session topics include:
* Best Practices for Imlementing the Current ELA NC Standard Course of Study
* Using the Best Digital Tools in the Classroom
* Differentiating Instruction for Diverse Classrooms
* Reading Complex Texts
* Fostering Academic Language in the Classroom
* Disciplinary Literacy
* Critical Literacy
* Making Data-driven Decisions for Instruction
* Involving Parents in Literacy
For online registration and detailed conference information, go to Annual Conference at www.ncreading.org. For conference questions, email ncra.execassist@gmail.com or call Jean House at 919-606-3806.
Leadership Institute for Future Teachers
Nominations are now being accepted for NC State's College of Education Leadership Institute for Future Teachers (LIFT), which will take place Sunday - Thursday, June 14 – 18, 2020.
LIFT is a five-day, residential program for students of color and bilingual students who are rising high school seniors in North Carolina interested in leadership development and exploring a career in education. The program will be held on NC State’s campus with all expenses paid except for travel to and from Raleigh.
LIFT students will have the opportunity to:
- Engage in intensive and innovative on-campus activities
- Interact with statewide leaders in education
- Enhance communication and leadership skills to be competitive for statewide and national scholarships
- Develop friendships with like-minded high school students across the state
- Be mentored by current NC State students who will serve as program co-facilitators
- Receive ongoing encouragement and support after the program through digital engagement
In order to participate in LIFT, students must be nominated by a high school counselor, teacher, principal, or parent. They can also self-nominate. If you know any students who could benefit from this opportunity, please nominate them by or before February 21 using one of the online nomination forms linked on the LIFT website.
You can view more information on the LIFT website (https://ced.ncsu.edu/LIFT) or in the attached flyer, which is in both English and Spanish.
LeadershipInstituteforFutureTeachers 1-28-20.pdf
Other News From Our Charter Schools
Union Academy
Secretary Michael S. Regan of the NC Department of Environmental Quality and his assistant Kathleen Lance visited Union Academy to present 4th grade teacher Ms. Jamie Dunleavy with her Environmental Education Certificate. Secretary Regan presented the certificate to Ms. Dunleavy in front of her students and colleagues in UA’s new outdoor classroom.
The full article is in the link below. A picture is included in the link.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1F4JBQConF_10c3OrfjTyT93RIjOs1_TtepwAivuPTrY/edit?usp=sharing
Leadership Opportunity with a North Carolina Charter School in Lake Lure, NC
Executive Director
(full time, beginning July 1, 2020 (or earlier if possible)
Lake Lure Executive Director Job Posting
Alpha Academy Hosting Science Olympiad
Alpha Academy is hosting it 1st NC Elementary Science Olympiad! The event will take place on April 4th on our campus. We are excited to provide the opportunity for third, fourth and fifth graders to engage and explore the fantastic world of science! The mission of Science Olympiad is to improve the quality of K-12 science education, increasing male, female and minority interest in science, creating a technologically-literate workforce and providing recognition for outstanding achievement by both students and teachers We are endeavoring to uphold the mission. Ms. Jones will assist in the sign up process and any coaching questions. Please contact her 910 223-7711 ext 235. Please join us and watch your students grow!
Inquiry Conference
The Cape Fear Center for Inquiry in Wilmington, NC is having its first ever Inquiry Conference. The Cultivating Curiosity Conference will be held on Saturday, March 28 with CFCI faculty and stakeholder presentations. It's a half day workshop focusing on the theme of Inquiry for All with keynote speaker, Dr. Brian Housand. Sessions are open to teachers, future educators, and parents who are interested in learning more about sparking wonder in their child's education. Topics included are "Inquiry and Innovation in the Math Classroom," "Emmitt Till and the Death that Ignited Change," and more. For more information, visit https://cfci.net/cultivatingcuriosity/
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