Number 10

NCSTAR Fall 2022 Professional Development

The Office of District & Regional Support within the Division of District & School Support Services is excited to announce the Fall 2022 NCStar & School Improvement Planning Professional Development! This two-day training will be offered in six different locations across the state September through November. The sessions will cover the same material and resources shared during the Spring 2022 sessions.

Day 1: Participants will learn about school improvement using NCStar and how to navigate the platform to assess, create and monitor school-based practices. Participants will also learn about the components of Set Direction in NCStar, including the use of Performance Measures to monitor progress of school improvement goals.

Day 2: Participants will continue to learn about school improvement using NCStar with a focus on the Continuous Improvement Cycle (Assess, Create, Monitor) to create robust school improvement plans. Participants will also learn about best practices for school improvement teams, including how to run an effective SIT meeting, effective forms of distributive leadership and the critical role that SIT leaders and committees play in moving the school achievement needle forward, and evaluation of a school’s School Improvement Plan.

Click here to register.

Number 9

Advanced Math Course Announcement

The Advanced Math Course (AMC) legislation requires that any student who has demonstrated the highest level of mastery in the previous school year accesses advanced mathematics instruction the following year. The legislation also requires NCDPI to annually collect the number and demographic information for all students who are eligible for advanced math courses and whether or not they are currently placed in advanced math courses.

The reporting window for this year is October 1-15. To support you in this process, a video has been created to share the purpose and timeline of the advanced math course report along with step by step instructions for running, validating, and submitting the report and any data corrections.

For the video resource, additional guidance and resources, click here. The NCDPI team will also host Office Hours to provide technical assistance with the report in the coming weeks. Click here to find the meeting times and information.

Number 8

NC Featured in 2022 State EdTech Trends Report

State Educational Technology Directors Association (SETDA) recently released their 2022 State EdTech Trends Report and included a spotlight on NCDPI! 

Check it out here: Spotlight on North Carolina: Investing in Educators

Number 7

Quarterly PIO Call Follow-Up

If you were unable to make the quarterly PIO call on September 13 and did not receive a follow-up email, please reach out to communications@dpi.nc.gov for follow-up call materials.

Number 6

Coding and Mobile App Development Grant

Through public-private partnerships with LEAs and charter schools, industry and community leaders, this grant program is designed to help build local capacity and curricular programs through professional development for teachers and administrators development of locally-relevant digital computer science curriculum that are part of K-Career Pathways for students, and engagement of industry professionals to ensure a partnership that supports connections between local school
curriculum, future career opportunities for students, and industry demand.

The deadline to apply is September 26. Learn more here.

Number 5

Alexander County Schools Carpentry Teacher Selected as Harbor Freight Tools for Schools Prize for Teacher Excellence

Congratulations to Joshua Bowles, a carpentry teacher at Alexander Central High School in Alexander County Schools!

Joshua was selected as one of 50 nationwide finalists for
Harbor Freight Tools for Schools Prize for Teaching Excellence and is eligible to win up to $100,000! 

Winners will be announced in October. Learn more here.

Number 4

Perspective Piece from Columbus County Schools Educator: Hearing Students Say, ‘I’ve got it! I love reading!’ a Year into LETRS

"Last school year Tabor City Elementary School began the first half of LETRS training. I’m thankful for a training that enables all teachers, regardless of their prior experiences or trainings, to be equally well-equipped to teach reading.

Not only are teachers provided strategies to help readers, but they are given the knowledge as to how to determine which strategies work best with certain children and why."

Read the full perspective piece from Janet Tyler, a teacher at Tabor City Elementary School in Columbus County Schools, here.

Number 3

NCSBA Elementary School Poster Contest

The North Carolina School Boards Association (NCSBA) is asking elementary school students to express their love and appreciation of their teachers! There are two submission categories: kindergarten through second grade (K-2) and third through fifth grade (3-5).

Learn more here.

Number 2

DPI Convenes Advisory Group on Testing and Accountability

It is no secret that state leaders think it is time to reconsider the accountability model used to give schools performance grades across North Carolina.

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Catherine Truitt has been critical of the model, including during her testimony earlier this year before the House Select Committee on An Education System for North Carolina’s Future.

'We need to redefine school accountability and rethink what student testing looks like,' she told the committee.

When school performance grades were released earlier this month, only one member of the N.C. State Board of Education spoke in favor of them. But it is not just state leaders who are ready for a change."

Read the full story here.

Number 1

SBE Chair Eric Davis Recognizes One-Year Anniversary of Statewide LETRS Professional Learning

In his message to commemorate the one-year anniversary of the statewide implementation of LETRS professional learning for educators, State Board of Education (SBE) Chair Eric Davis recognizes the commitment and dedication of districts across the state and thanks them for their work to improve student literacy outcomes through their shift in practice.

Watch the video here.