New Director for the Office of Charter Schools Named
I am pleased to announce that Ms. Ashley Baquero has been named the new Director of the Office of Charter Schools starting September 6, 2022. Ms. Baquero is no stranger to the Office of Charter Schools as she has served within office for over 4 years, most recently serving as the interim director following Mr. Dave Machado’s transition from the department. In Ashley’s time as a consultant within the office, she has supported various charter school workflows including the liaison to the Charter School Advisory Board, Risk Assessment, ready to open processes, reviewing applications, and annual reporting to the State Board of Education and General Assembly.
Prior to her experience at DPI, she served as a middle school ELA teacher, team leader, and project manager for schools in North Carolina and Georgia, including time with Teach for America. Prior to her experience in the classroom, Ashley served as an attorney representing municipalities in land use and employment matters. Ashley’s background as an attorney provides a unique and valuable perspective for the Office of Charter Schools. Outside of education, Ashley is a proud mom to a 2nd grader attending a charter school. She enjoys running, travel, and fostering dogs.
We are excited about the various experiences and background Ashley brings to the Office of Charter Schools and look forward to her leadership.
Please join me in welcoming Ashley in her new role as Director of the Office of Charter Schools.
~ Andrew Smith, Ed.D., Assistant State Superintendent for Innovation
Office of Charter Schools (OCS) Update
From the desk of Ashley Baquero, Director of OCS:
Charter leaders,
I’m extremely grateful and excited for the opportunity to lead the Office of Charter Schools. Over the four-plus years at the office, I have seen the growth of the charter school community, its many strengths, and its challenges. We have all been impacted by the last few years of a global pandemic; our public education system was the bedrock ensuring that children and families could access everything from food, devices and internet, mental health services, and so much more, all while implementing large scale remote learning. As we make our way into this post-pandemic phase, recognizing there are currently and will continue to be pandemic-related challenges, I hope that OCS can serve as a partner and support so that you may focus on the most important people in the charter community – our students. I look forward to making my way across the state this school year to see the wonderful things happening on campuses from east to west, and to hear about your most pressing concerns and areas of needed support. Reach out at any time – OCS is here to support you!
To a wonderful school year, Ashley
Read more:
https://nc.chartercoalition.org/2022/09/02/ashley-baquero-named-as-director-of-the-office-of-charter-schools/
We are excited to share that the 2022 AIM Conference registration is now OPEN!
What to Expect: Assemble your team and prepare for an exciting opportunity to learn about current policy and legislation and glean insights into best practices through a variety of concurrent sessions. All breakout sessions are aligned to Operation Polaris and details will be posted on the AIM Conference site by early September. Regional Lunch and Learn events will provide you and your teams a chance to dig into district and regional problems of practice. District team work time is also provided in the agenda. Participants will also enjoy time to network during special unstructured events throughout the conference.
Schedule: Check out our Schedule-At-A-Glance!
Pricing and Perks: Early-Bird pricing is $100 per participant until September 30, 2022. Registration includes continental breakfast, boxed lunch, and a heavy hors d’oeuvres reception on October 27 as well as a continental breakfast and boxed lunch on October 28. Internet will also be provided for multiple devices.
District Team Registration (Administrators and Non-Teaching Staff): Register now, Early Bird Registration ends September 30 when fees will increase from $100 to $150 per participant. PSUs may register at bit.ly/AIM22Registration.
Teacher Registration: We also encourage PSUs to bring teacher leaders to the main conference on October 27 & 28, 2022 as a part of their PSU team! All teacher registration fees have been provided by our sponsors, but space is limited! Teachers may register at bit.ly/AIM22TeacherRegistration.
FREE AIMazing Teacher Conference: Please encourage teachers to register for the FREE AIMazing Teacher Conference beginning the evening of October 28 with breakout sessions on October 29. All teacher registration fees have been provided by our sponsors, but space is limited! Teachers may register at bit.ly/AIM22TeacherRegistration.
We are recommending that charter schools bring teams of 3.
Important Communication- Diabetes Care Law and Epinephrine
Important Resources for Charter Schools: (Please Read)
Please click on each link.
Charter School Diabetes Memo
Charter School Epinephrine Memo
Smart School Bus Safety Pilot Replacement PSUs
Interest Survey Due September 7, 2022
Nine (9) of the twenty-four (24) PSUs identified by the General Assembly to participate in the Smart School Bus Safety Pilot Program (SL 2021-180 Section 7.70) have elected not to participate. This is a program which allocates SFRF funds from the US Treasury to enhance the technology on school buses in two primary areas, communications and information, and student wi-fi. For each PSU that has withdrawn, the legislation allows DPI to authorize one replacement PSU with a “similar population of students”. As there are nine potential replacements Transportation Services has elected to do an initial interest survey. After the survey is complete, we will compare ADM figures of those interested with all PSUs which have declined funding. We will then present official paperwork regarding participation to those PSUs with a similar population of students to the nine which have elected not to participate.
Charter schools that operate yellow school buses are eligible to participate in this pilot.
Direct Questions to: Kevin.Harrison@dpi.nc.gov
Survey Link:
https://ncdpi.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_1M5yTR0kw3tOisS
Refer to this resource for more on school bus safety.
DUE SEPTEMBER 15: 2022 School Mental Health Policy Report
Dear Charter School Leaders,
All charter schools are required to report their progress on meeting the guidelines set forth by the NC State Board of Education's SHLT-003:School-Based Mental Health (SBMH) Policy. We have included the required reporting questions in the Healthy Active Children's (HAC) policy report, and you will be able to complete your report online. In the online reporting portal, you will indicate that you are a charter school, and you will be directed to the SBMH policy questions. To make it easier for you to assemble your report information prior to going online, a Word version of the online survey is linked. Please complete the online survey to submit your report.
The information needed to complete the SBMH progress report will come from your School Mental Health Improvement Plan, which is required to upload and must include the mental health training program and suicide risk referral protocol.
Please note the deadline to complete the HAC Progress Report / School Mental Health Policy Report is September 15, 2022.
You can access the reporting portal through the link below.
If you have questions or challenges in completing this online survey, please contact Les Spell at Les.Spell@dpi.nc.gov.
We appreciate the time and energy spent in completing this report and look forward to reading each submission. The Healthy Active Children Report / School Mental Health Policy Report is a valuable tool in efforts to provide quality school health systems that will raise academic achievement and promote physical and mental health among North Carolina’s schoolchildren.
Thanks for all you do.
Les
Les Spell
Data & Policy Consultant
Division of Academic Standards
NC Department of Public Instruction
(W) 984-236-2815
Les.Spell@dpi.nc.gov
CRDC Contacts in EDDIE Due October 1
The Office of Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) will be conducted in the 2022-2023 school year. Data for the collection is from the previous year (School Year 2021-2022).
To date, the Federal government has not published an official start date. The NCDPI will notify PSUs once an announcement has been made.
NCDPI would like to make sure that we have the most accurate contact information for your PSU’s Civil Rights data coordinator. Please update EDDIE with two CRDC Coordinator contacts by October 1, 2022. PSUs are also strongly advised to verify or update the Student Information Coordinator contact as well.
Instructions for creating Staff Entries (Roles) in EDDIE are in the Help Using EDDIE section of the NCDPI website.
Note: PSUs which were not open in the school year 2021-2022 are not required to participate in this collection.
Please contact Terra Dominguez at terra.dominguez@dpi.nc.gov with any questions you may have.
Healthful Living PSU Standards Revision Surveys
The NCDPI K-12 Healthy Schools team continues to move forward in the Healthful Living standards revision process. A critical component to the process is collecting feedback from all stakeholders, including educators, parents, business/industry representatives, and community members. To ensure a greater opportunity for PSU input, the window for the PSU surveys has been extended. Each PSU should submit feedback on the current grade level/content area standards for K-12 Health and/or Physical Education.
Our records indicate that we are missing some PSU survey submissions for Health Education and Physical Education. Please use the links below to provide your input.
If you have questions regarding the Healthful Living Standards, contact Dr. Ellen Essick (ellen.essick@dpi.nc.gov).
Health Education
https://ncdpi.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_6RnHh3ob72DXo4S
Physical Education
https://ncdpi.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_54hnQVfPkpsuafI
School Business – September Updates
Reminders
Smart School Bus Safety Pilot Replacement PSUs is due September 7, 2022
Details are in the August 26, 2022 newsletter *
ESSER I and GEER Grants expire September 30, 2022
Details are in the August 19, 2022 newsletter *
* View prior newsletters online: Newsletters and Guidance | NC DPI
Have questions about student health requirements? Counseling? Healthy schools in general? The NC Healthy Schools staff can help …
Sarah Blanton, Healthy Schools Consultant
Kisha Bryant, School Counseling Consultant
Ellen Essick, Section Chief
Burt Jenkins, Healthful Living / Athletics Consultant
Pachovia Lovett, School Social Work Consultant
Lillian Pinto, Reproductive Health Consultant
Susanne Schmal, School Health Partnerships & Policy Consultant
Les Spell, Data and Policy Consultant
Another EL Data Training
Join NCDPI's Multilingual Learner (ML)/Title III Team as they explore the ins and out of English Learner Identification, EL Data in PowerSchool, Screening students for language services, and federal compliance around EL Data. The training will be held on Monday, September 12th from 9 - 11:30 am. The Registration link is here.
Discipline, Dropout, and ALPS data coordinator contact information
DISCIPLINE DATA
With the start of the 2022-2023 school year, NCDPI would like to make sure that we have the most accurate contact information for your PSU’s discipline data coordinator.
ALTERNATIVE LEARNING PROGRAMS & SCHOOLS (ALPS)
With the start of the 2022-2023 school year, NCDPI would like to make sure that we have the most accurate contact information for your PSU’s ALPS data coordinator.
With the start of the 2022-2023 school year, NCDPI would like to make sure that we have the most accurate contact information for your PSU’s dropout data coordinator.
The NC Digital Learning & Media Inventory (DLMI) is due Sep 30, 2022.
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All PSUs (LEA, Charter, Lab, Regional) must complete the DLMI annually.
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Remember that this data feeds into the NC School Report Card, the Office of Civil Rights Report, and the new Digital Dashboard required by legislation.
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For your data to be on this year’s School Report Card, it MUST be input into the DLMI system by the Sept 30 deadline because we must submit the SRC data the following week.
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Charter, Regional, Lab schools must complete the PSU level as well as the School level, therefore need to request PSU admin access.
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Please see the 2022 NCDLMI Training Deck for directions and links.
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Contact your regional consultant for further assistance.
Register for Fall Literacy Instruction Standards (LIS) PD!
To assist districts and schools in implementing the Literacy Instruction Standards (LIS), the NCDPI ELA Team will provide regional train-the-trainer sessions for instructional leaders that include:
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Building a deeper understanding of the LIS and practices
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Utilizing the "Literacy Look-Fors" tool to observe and coach
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Planning next steps for improving literacy in their PSU
We are inviting up to 3-5 leaders per charter to attend. Suggested participants:
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K-12 representation; Vertical representation
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Content area representation
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Instructional leaders who will support/provide PD locally
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Literacy and/or Instructional Coaches
The charter session will take place October 5th from 11:00 AM - 2:00 PM.
The NCDPI ELA Team encourages charter teams to work with their school leadership to ensure registration accurately reflects needed charter representation. While each team member should register separately, charter leaders should follow up with their team members to ensure individual registrations are completed.
Register for your session!
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To learn more about the support the ELA Team will provide for the 22-23 school year, view our public-facing timeline. If you have any questions, please let us know!
Thanks,
Stacy Daniel, Ed.D. Section Chief for ELA & Languages English Language Arts and Languages Office of Academic Standards NC Department of Public Instruction P: (984) 236-2829 stacy.daniel@dpi.nc.gov
Important MEMOs:
MEMO: 2022–23 Annual Testing Program and Accountability Requirements
Thoroughly read the linked memo, 2022–23 Annual Testing Program and Accountability Requirements, from Dr. Michael Maher and Dr. Tammy Howard.
Some important resources from our DPI partners working in School Mental Health and Counseling. 988 Is Now Live!
988 offers 24/7 access to trained crisis counselors who can help people experiencing mental health-related distress. That could be:
- Thoughts of suicide
- Mental health or substance use crisis, or
- Any other kind of emotion distress
People can call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org for themselves or if they are worried about a loved one who may need crisis support.
988 serves as a universal entry point so that no matter where you live in the United States, you can reach a trained crisis counselor who can help.
Printable PDF handouts in English and Spanish explain the basics about 988.
More about 988
School Mental Health Plan
Year Two PSU Q&A
Will we need to submit our SMH plan this year?
- Yes, you will be required to report to DPI by September 15th, 2022. The reporting portal is now open, and only one contact per PSU will have access to the reporting portal. You will answer the reporting questions as part of the Healthy Active Children's Report, the same as last year (charters bypass the HAC portions and only complete the SMH report). You will also upload a copy of your SMH plan.
- New charter schools opening this school year will need to report to DPI and submit their plan.
Has anything changed about what we are required to do?
- There are no major changes. You will notice on the reporting page that we have added questions about prior years' compliance. These are based on the 2021-2022 school year.
- Your plans do not have to change. You can upload the same plan as long as it is still what you plan to use. You also can make any adjustment and changes to your plan prior to submitting. You must include your detailed training plan and suicide risk protocol and ensure it is up-to-date.
- You will see the requirements for abuse and neglect resources that are now included in the School Mental Health Policy. These materials must be distributed at the beginning of each school year.
What does the 2-hour subsequent training have to include?
- The 2-hr refresher addresses at least 2 of 6 MH training program areas, and on even-numbered years, 2 hours of sex trafficking and child sex abuse content must be provided.
- The 6-hr initial training (for new employees) must address all 6 areas, regardless of year.
Where do I find all the SMH Policy materials?
Questions can be sent to pachovia.lovett@dpi.nc.gov
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EC ANNOUNCEMENTS |
Please review the attached EC Division communication updates and Guidance.
As you are in the early weeks of the 2022-23 school year, or are gearing up for the first days of school, please know our Office of Exceptional Children is here to support you. We know your struggles with staffing are real and extremely difficult. We also know you are doing everything you can to meet the needs of the students you serve. We’re here to help problem-solve, talk through options or just be that listening ear that you might need as you deal with the burdens you’re under.
May the year ahead be one filled with celebrations of learning and advancement, and may you, your staff, teachers and students remain healthy and engaged.
Sherry Thomas and the entire Office of Exceptional Children
Calling ALL EL Data Stakeholders!
Are you relatively new to English Learner (EL) identification, EL Data in PowerSchool, the Home Language Survey process, and other critical elements for EL data? In that case, register now for the upcoming session. We recommend this for anyone with less than three years of working with multilingual learners, EL data, and PowerSchool.
September 12th from 9:00 - 11:30 am - Registration
New DOE Guidance:
 NC ACCESS Sponsored Professional Development for all Charter Schools – Fall 2022
Theme: Using Technology to Increase Classroom Effectiveness
Visit ncaccessprogram.com/learn for more information and to register.
September 14, 2022 | 3:30-5:30pm
Dr. Vickel Darby, Instructional Technology Specialist
Register
Cruising LIVE with Canva - Discover how you can lead LIVE with simple Canva Tools to engage your students! Canva for Education connects to all your classroom tools. Canva for Education integrates with core classroom tools, including Schoology, D2L, Moodle, Blackboard, Google Classroom, and Microsoft Teams. Easily connect work back to your LMS. Create engaging assignments with Canva and share and review student assignments from your LMS. Create and personalize lesson plans, infographics, posters, video, and more.
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Increase engagement with original content: Choose from a library of copyright-free resources, from lesson plans to reports and posters. Spark engagement with gifs, videos, animations, and music.
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Help students build critical skills: Students can use Canva to demonstrate learning through different formats — group projects, videos, posters, and more.
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Deliver impactful feedback in one place: Reach and motivate students wherever they are with real-time feedback. Share work as assignments directly through Canva or via your LMS.
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October 19, 2022 | 3:30-5:30pm
Dr. Vickel Darby, Instructional Technology Specialist
Register
Flipping with Flip Grid - Are you ready to engage students to answer questions openly and confidently? Have no fear! Let's flip the classroom with Flip Grid! Welcome to Flip, a place to create, share, and learn together! We've got everything educators need to bring the magic of Flip to students and share it with peers!
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November 16, 2022 | 3:30-5:30pm
Dr. Vickel Darby, Instructional Technology Specialist
Register
Are you ready to try something different with your students? Let's unite and learn about Quizaliz.
The best quiz platform for remote or face-to-face classrooms. Engage your class with fun, standards-tagged quizzes. Get instant data on student mastery. Automatically assign differentiated follow-up activities. Delivers game-changing results.
- Save time by instantly identify student learning gaps
- Conduct targeted instruction for students with shared strengths and weaknesses
- Quickly obtain data on student performance
- Have data-based discussions with students on their progress and learning
- Improve student engagement
Other Resources from DPI
Charter School Job Postings
If you have current teaching/leadership positions open and wish to share them in this newsletter, reach out to Joseph.Letterio@dpi.nc.gov and provide a link to the posting/s.
Whom Should I Contact at the Office of Charter Schools?
OCS Main Number: (984) 236-2700 / Email: ocs@dpi.nc.gov
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