Number 10

NCDHHS Spring Break Guidance Toolkit 

NCDHHS just released new poster and social media graphics to share important reminders about spring break safety. Feel free to share through your communication channels!

Safer Spring Break (ncdhhs.gov)

Safer Spring Break-Spanish

Safer Spring Break Social Media | NC DHHS COVID-19

Number 9

Career and College Ready Graduates (CCRG) Program

Thank you for your continued effort with this opportunity for students to become remediation-free at the NC Community College System. 

NCDPI anxiously awaits legislative funding to secure the needed platform for the 2021-22 school year. 

Note: NCDPI and NCCCS want to support flexibility for implementation.  CCRG content may be offered during the summer.

NEW! CCRG Report:  A new report called CCRG Student List has been created and entered in all NC PowerSchool instances.  This report lists students enrolled in the special program for CCRG English or Math. Schools must assign a special program of NC-CCRG English or NC-CCRG Math for the report to pull the students.  The report is located in PowerSchool under the CCRG heading/folder. 

Number 8

FAQ From the Field-Absent or Present? 

Question:  If a district moves for Plan A for 4 or 5 days a week must they accept a student as present who has signed up for Plan A but decides to stay home and then joins remotely with no quarantine requirement or verifiable requirement to be home on instructional days?

Response: Local policy will need to address absences and virtual participation for students who are not on an approved virtual plan.  Establish the local policy and procedures and communicate to students/families as soon as it is applicable.

Number 7

How to Get Your Social Post Right, Every Time

Forthright Advising

In today’s pretend scenario, your organization has been working on a policy change for months—and you just won! You want to share the news on your social media accounts. But you’re short on time and wondering if you can drop the same exact message into all of your social media accounts…

I have to be Forthright with you here—the answer, sadly, is no. We’re often asked about ways to save time when prepping social media—and we get it!

But we also know that customizing your social media is one of the best ways to speak directly to your audience.

The extra time is worth it, we promise. 

Want to know how? Click here to read the blog and download free tools!  

Number 6

Graduation Requirements (GRAD-004) Updates

Due to COVID-19, the State Board of Education approved the following changes regarding graduation requirements for the Graduating Class of 2021; same as was approved for the Class of 2020.

• SBE waives the CPR graduation requirement for the graduating class of 2021.
• For Occupational Course of Study students, SBE reduces the graduation requirement of paid employment to 157 hours.

Occupational Course of Study Graduation Requirements for Students entering in Grade 9 have also been approved with various new courses that were approved earlier in the year.

Number 5

Reading Research to Practice Earns Accreditation from the International Dyslexia Association

NC Superintendent Catherine Truitt on Twitter: "Major congratulations are in order for the @NCECDivision for becoming the first state education agency in the country to earn this accreditation. Way to go! 👏👏👏" / Twitter

Congratulations to the NC Exceptional Children Division! North Carolina is the first state education agency in the United States to earn accreditation from the International Dyslexia Association (IDA) for its Reading Research to Classroom Practice (RRtCP) course on the Science of Reading. Staff from the division’s NC SIP submitted the application to IDA for recognition. 

Number 4

TeachNC Initiative-Great Resources for School Counselors

TeachNC.org provides free resources and information to prospective teachers across North Carolina. From financial aid and scholarships to information about educator preparation programs and teacher licensure, TeachNC strives to be a one-stop resource for everything candidates need to know about becoming a teacher. Most importantly, TeachNC also provides personalized supports and targeted outreach to help a candidate go from interested to applying.

We believe TeachNC will be a great addition to your counselor toolbox and we hope you will share it with your students who are also potential future educators. To aid you in utilizing TeachNC, we have designed this “cheat sheet” that is chock full of resources and tools, such as:

• Quick facts about becoming a teacher in North Carolina
• Basic planning steps to make teaching a reality
• Tools and resources offered by TeachNC to make the journey easier (and cheaper!), like free one-on-one advising and financial aid opportunities.

We will also be holding two informational webinars to help orient you to TeachNC.

Webinar 1: Wednesday, March 31 from 10:30-11:30 a.m.

Webinar 2: Monday, April 5 from 4:00-5:00 p.m.

In the meantime, if you have students who you know are interested in becoming a teacher, please share this digital postcard with them or direct them to the “About TeachNC" page of our website.

If you have any questions, please reach out to Haley Pittman, Manager of Regional Initiatives with TEACH.org, at hpittman@teach.org.

We can’t build the pipeline of future teachers alone. We hope you will join one of our webinars and share these digital materials with students or members of your community who are - or might be - interested in the teaching profession.

Number 3

Education Matters: The Science of Reading and Building Literacy Skills for Children

(WRAL.com) Education leaders Munro Richardson, Johanna Anderson and Catherine Truitt talk about early literacy and the direction North Carolina is heading in regard to children's reading skills.

Click hear to watch or listen! 

Number 2

Additional Updates/Clarifications to StrongSchoolsNC Toolkit

On Tuesday, March 23, Governor Cooper and Secretary Cohen announced updates to the StrongSchoolsNC Public Health Toolkit (K-12) in alignment with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance.

To support education leaders in meeting the updated K-12 public health requirements and recommendations, NCDHHS has revised the documents listed and linked below, particularly to ensure clarity around the following information:

Updated Recommendations for Plan A

Physical distancing is recommended under Plan A at a minimum of three feet and whenever feasible between students, and at a minimum of six feet between adults. There is no required minimum physical distancing under Plan A. Under Plan A, required mitigation strategies are even more critical: wearing cloth face coverings, keeping hands washed and surfaces clean, and the recommended emphasis on cohorting students and teachers into groups that will not intermix. Physical distancing of six feet at all times is still required under Plan B.

Daily Symptom Screenings

NC DHHS is aligning with the CDC that does not currently recommend schools conduct daily symptom screening for students. However, parents, caregivers, or guardians (“caregivers”) are strongly encouraged to monitor their children for symptoms of infectious illness every day through home-based symptom screening.  Students who are sick should not attend school in-person. The CDC still recommends considering screening for employees. Adults are more likely to have symptoms with COVID-19 than students and are more likely to spread the virus that causes COVID-19 to others. Data from studies in school settings show that viral transmission is more likely adult to adult or adult to child than child to child or child to adult.

Key K-12 Guidance Changes as of 3/24/2021

Number 1

NEW! COVID-19: Interim Guidance on Special Events & Graduation Ceremonies (March 25, 2021)

Understanding the milestones that special events and high school graduations represent in the lives of our students and families, the North Carolina Departments of Public Instruction and Health and Human Services offer the following interim guidance and important reminders of our responsibility to abide by requirements outlined by current Executive Orders and the StrongSchoolsNC Public Health Toolkit (K-12) to maintain the safety of students, families, and staff members.

CONSIDERATIONS

Decisions to conduct special events or graduation ceremonies are at the discretion of local school boards and superintendents.

Plans should include consultation with local health officials on the current state and local public health requirements and other questions related to health and safety.

Local education leaders should consult their legal counsel to ensure special events or graduation ceremonies comply with applicable public health requirements as outlined in current Executive Orders and the StrongSchoolsNC Toolkit.

All attendees age five or older must wear a face covering. Details and exceptions related to face coverings are outlined specifically in Executive Order No. 180 and Executive Order No. 163.

Events must comply with capacity limits required by the current Executive Order (which, as of March 26, 2021, is Executive Order 204).

Events must comply with public health requirements outlined in the StrongSchoolsNC Public Health Toolkit (K-12).

Districts and schools are encouraged to engage with students and families on the best approaches for their communities.

BEST PRACTICES & RECOMMENDATIONS

Physical Distancing: 6 feet between individuals at all times, small cohort groups, avoid mixing of households.

When possible, hold events outdoors.

Utilize rapid tests, free to schools through local health departments, to implement an advance screening protocol for students and staff members participating in the event. For more information, see NCDHHS Interim Guidance on K-12 COVID-19 Antigen Testing.

Avoid sharing food buffet-style.

Develop entry point screening protocols for participants.

Provide hand sanitizer stations available for participants.

Develop a plan for seating both students and visitors. Encourage visitors of the same household to sit together and ensure physical distance is maintained among other households.

SUMMARY

High school graduation and other special events such as prom are important milestones. Districts and schools are urged to engage families, local public health officials, and local board attorneys as events are planned. To protect the health and safety of students, families, and staff, districts must abide by requirements outlined by current Executive Orders and the StrongSchoolsNC Public Health Toolkit (K-12).