State Board of Education Vision:Every public school student in North Carolina will be empowered to accept academic challenges, prepared to pursue their chosen path after graduating high school, and encouraged to become lifelong learners with the capacity to engage in a globally-collaborative society.
State Board of Education Mission:The mission of the North Carolina State Board of Education is to use its constitutional authority to guard and maintain the right of a sound, basic education for every child in North Carolina Public Schools.
Friday, October 28, 2022
Highlights:
EdNC Dean Drescher | 2022: The politics of North Carolina’s school boards - Voting in the 2022 midterms is underway, and this election could have lasting effects on North Carolina’s school districts, especially during this even-numbered election year when parents typically account for a larger share of the electorate.
What do school boards do?
Despite the appearance in headlines — often in regard to national hot-button political issues — school boards have critical, practical duties in ensuring the equal opportunity of North Carolina students to their constitutional right to a free, public education.
The powers and duties of local school boards are defined by N.C. General Statute sec. 115C-47 and include most importantly the power to elect the superintendent.
According to the North Carolina School Boards Association (NCSBA), school boards in North Carolina have five primary responsibilities:
Providing every child with the opportunity to receive a “sound basic education” during a minimum of 185 days or 1,025 hours of instruction covering at least nine calendar months.
Setting educational policy within the limits of its authority and overseeing the implementation of its policies and the state’s educational program.
Making decisions about the superintendent’s personnel recommendations.
Managing the financial affairs of the district.
Providing adequate school facilities.
Do I have a school board election this year?
Seventy-nine school districts across the state have upcoming elections.
If you’d like to find out more about your local elections, you can go to the North Carolina State Board of Elections website here and type in your information. Once you’ve selected yourself from the results, scroll down to the “Your Sample Ballot” section and view your ballot — school board elections in your district (if there are any) will appear on your ballot.
Early in-person voting began Oct. 20 and ends Nov. 5. Of course, you can always vote in-person on election day, Tuesday, Nov. 8, at your assigned polling place. You can learn more here.
The General Assembly’s Joint Legislative Commission on Governmental Operations (Gov Ops) holds government programs and agencies accountable and ensures that tax dollars are utilized in an efficient and effective manner. The Commission seeks to measure actual outcomes of government programs and ensure programs accomplish the goals they intended to achieve.
Do you want to report waste, fraud, abuse, mismanagement, or other ways state government actions fail to match their legislated goals?
NAEP, also known as the Nation’s Report Card, is conducted by the National Center for Education Statistics to measure math and reading performance of a representative sample of students in the fourth and eighth grades in each state and the jurisdictions of the District of Columbia, U.S. Department of Defense schools and Puerto Rico (math only). The assessment is typically administered every two years, but it was delayed from 2021 to winter 2022 because of the pandemic.
NAEP summary results are reported in terms of average scale scores and four performance levels – below basic, basic, proficient and advanced. The NAEP proficiency levels are set at a very rigorous level, and the proficient level is defined as mastery over challenging subject matter. NAEP’s proficient standard is roughly equivalent to North Carolina’s standard for Career and College Readiness used in measuring student performance on the state’s end-of-grade and end-of-course exams.
North Carolina was among 30 states/jurisdictions that saw statistically significant declines in average reading scores at the fourth grade from 2019 to 2022 and among 33 states/jurisdictions with declines in eighth grade reading scores. No gains were made by any state/jurisdiction in reading at the fourth grade, and only Department of Defense schools made a gain in their eighth-grade reading score.
For more detailed North Carolina results, follow links below:
ExcelinEdPressShop@ExcelinEd.org | Oct. 24, 2022: Governor Jeb Bush Responds to Alarming 2022 NAEP Scores - “Policy changes lives, and that begins with parents, which is why I believe we need to expand educational opportunities for all families, followed by every state investing in evidence-based literacy policies and well-informed math policies."
EdNCAlex Granados | Oct. 24, 2022: North Carolina shows declines in fourth and eighth grade reading and math scores - Michael Maher, the state’s deputy state superintendent for Standards, Accountability, and Research, added in an email to EducationNC, “While important, these findings shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone in North Carolina. The Lost Instructional Time reportreleased in March provided us with even more comprehensive information about the impact of the pandemic on student learning,” he wrote. “We will use these NAEP results consistent with the manner in which we have used all of the student performance data available to us and will continue to strive to provide programs and resources to students who have been most impacted by the pandemic.”
November is Veterans' History Awareness Month in North Carolina
On June 28, 2017, Governor Roy Cooper signed into law, An Act To Establish Veterans’ History Awareness Month In November. The intent of this law is to enable students to gain a better understanding of the meaning and importance of the contributions of American veterans and veterans from North Carolina. The North Carolina State Board of Education (NC SBE) is tasked with identifying recommended programs that schools can use during Veterans’ History Awareness Month.
Did you know that North Carolina is the 4th largest state in the nation in the number of school-aged military dependents of active-duty personnel? North Carolina is also home to over a quarter-million children of military retirees or veterans in every county in the state. Currently, there are more than 22 million Veterans who have served in the United States Armed Forces. Let us all thank and honor them in November.
For more information and to access additional resources, please view the Veterans' History Awareness Month flyer to help you and your students honor veterans. They can be used during this Veterans’ History Awareness Month or throughout the year.
U.S. Army - Fort Bragg - Pfc. Austin Robertson | October 21, 2022
Fort Bragg leaders hosted a group of high school principals from the surrounding Fayetteville community as well as education officials from the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction to learn more about the opportunities the U.S. Army offers students that would suit young adults graduating high school during an event called “Army STEM day”, Oct. 20, 2022.
‘STEM’ stands for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. The event was put together for the principals and education officials to get a better understanding of what the U.S. Army has to offer kids with these specific skills and interests in mind.
Mr. Tabari Wallace, special advisor to the North Carolina Superintendent of Public Instruction, said this event really gave him insight about the various opportunities the Army can offer young students as they venture out to the workforce.
“We are definitely getting to experience the STEM-based initiatives and activities that take place here on Fort Bragg,” he said.
This event was important because it provides information for principals to educate each and every child under their purview about the benefits of the Army.
“STEM Day allowed these educational leaders to see some of the unique opportunities and capabilities of the U.S. Army, and how the Army could benefit future careers of high school students in North Carolina,” said Lt. Col. Mark Newdigate, commander of the Raleigh Recruiting Battalion.
A topic of discussion throughout the event was the importance and value of the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery, simply known as the ASVAB.
According to Wallace, only one-third of North Carolina students pass the ASVAB on the first try. The U.S. Army Recruiting Command and North Carolina education officials want that percentage to improve.
The ASVAB is a timed, multi-aptitude test, taken by individuals seeking a potential military career. However, Newdigate feels that the test benefits all students and serves as a good benchmark to help students prepare for other standardized testing required for graduation and in preparation for college.
According to Newdigate, the state of North Carolina conducted testing of the ASVAB to over 8,000 high school students in 2021. Newdigate hopes that in the future that number doubles by having 15,000 to 20,000 high school students take the test.
He and several of the school officials who visited during the event are hoping they can meet this goal coming out of the Covid-19 pandemic, by getting the ASVAB back as part of a regularly administered exams.
“We are also here to get some ASVAB prep so we can better prepare our students to pass the ASVAB test,” said Wallace.
Wallace concluded the importance of the event by stating, “Kids love these types of things, problem solving, being creative, seeing a problem that they deal with every day and actually having the freedom, the autonomy, and the capacity to remedy that problem, the jobs are just limitless, and it’s just the best opportunity for our children.”
Since 1964 the U.S. Presidential Scholars Program has recognized and honored over 8,000 outstanding high school seniors, and thereby encouraged high attainment among all students. In 2022, North Carolina was honored to have three students recognized as U.S. Presidential Scholars.
Each PSUs may nominate up tothree students*, for the General Education category and the Career and Technical Education (CTE) category. From these PSU nominations, NCDPI will select and submit ten male and ten female candidates in the General Education category and five candidates for the CTE category.
All high school seniors graduating between January and June of 2023, who are U.S. citizens or legal permanent residents and who attend public schools are eligible.
Nominations are due to NCDPI on or before November 4, 2022.
Please note that students may not individually apply to the program but must be nominated by their LEA. Application for the U.S. Presidential Scholars Program is by invitation only.
POLOTICO Pro Mackenzie Wilkes | Oct. 26, 2022: Schools to get $80 million from new Energy Department program - A new $80 million grant program from the Energy Department may soon help schools with infrastructure upgrades. Starting in November, local education agencies, such as public schools and charter school boards, can apply to receive federal funds for energy improvements or renewable upgrades such as new ventilation systems, lighting or alternative vehicles for campuses, according to a Wednesday announcement from the department. “Nearly half of our nation’s school districts — and disproportionately low-income and rural districts — struggle to maintain aging facilities and ensure classrooms are free from health hazards,” Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm said in a statement.
JOCO WORKS is an innovative, industry-led collaboration between Johnston County Public Schools (JCPS), Johnston Community College (JCC), Benson Chamber of Commerce, Clayton Chamber of Commerce, Triangle East Chamber of Commerce, government, and various business leaders to meet the growing needs of the workforce in Johnston County.
Novo Nordisk, one of the largest employers in Johnston County, was the presenting sponsor of JOCO WORKS.
“More than3,000 8th grade students explored careers available to them in JoCo!,” said Kristie VanAuken, Special Advisor for Workforce Engagement to State Superintendent Truitt. “This hands-on experience helped students make smart educational and career decisions based on what they found interesting and fun. Plus, the entire community collaborated to support this incredible event. There is no question that JoCo Works.”
Be Pro Be Proud is proud of the partners, volunteers, and future skilled professional workforce who are making an impact on the skills gap. This initiative led by the N.C. Home Builders Educational and Charitable Foundation, is leading the movement to bring a new generation of pride, progress & professionals to North Carolina's skilled workforce.
Sign up for this Mobile Workshop to come to your school for free! www.beprobeproudnc.com
