Number 10

13 Districts and Schools Earn $800,000 in Grants for Coding & Mobile App Development

"A dozen North Carolina school districts and one charter school will benefit this year from a total of $800,000 in grants aimed at developing student skills in computer science through coding. The Coding and Mobile App Development Grant program, launched in 2017 with funding from the General Assembly, supports partnerships with local businesses to help schools develop computer science, coding and mobile app development programs for middle and high school students.

The grants, which range from nearly $80,000 to $25,000 this year, help districts and schools purchase equipment, digital materials and cover the costs associated with teacher professional development to build capacity in coding, computer science and mobile application development initiatives."

Read the full press release here.

Number 9

NC Portrait of a Graduate Playbook Now Available

Last month, NCDPI unveiled the statewide North Carolina Portrait of a Graduate. The Portrait identifies seven competencies that when combined with academic rigor will prepare students for success after high school. To help understand the Portrait better, NCDPI will be launching one competency per month in the NC Portrait of a Graduate Playbook.

The playbook includes background information, suggestions to spark conversations within your school buildings, and an activity to promote each competency. Note: this is a living document and we ask that you share feedback and suggestions to improve it!

Find the playbook and learn more about the competencies here. For additional resources on the Portrait, please visit the NC Portrait of a Graduate webpage here.

Number 8

Progress Continues on Effort to Revise NC School Grading Model

"Progress continues for the advisory group of school leaders who convened again today for the third time to discuss revising the state’s unpopular A-F school performance grading model. During today’s meeting, members split into groups to consider alternative indicators, academic and non-academic, that could be included in a final model to better measure school quality.

Following a statewide survey last month that showed strong interest in overhauling the current grading approach, the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI) has worked to share those results and solicit deeper feedback from a broad range of audiences on additional indicators that could be used to measure school quality."

Read the full press release here.

Number 7

PRC 189 Optional Office Hours

NCDPI's Office of Federal Programs and Office of Learning Recovery and Acceleration are hosting an optional office hour for PSUs needing assistance with a PRC 189 amendment. 

November 14 from 1 p.m. – 2 p.m.
Click Here to Join at 1 p.m. November 14th
Password: YymCEVBr377

Number 6

Kenan Fellows Program Applications Now Open

Applications for the 2023-24 fellowship year will open Nov. 14, 2022 and close Jan. 13, 2023. Fellowships will be awarded to North Carolina K-12 teachers working on projects related to workforce development and STEM education.

Learn more and apply here.

Number 5

Outcomes Based Contracting Webinar: November 30th

Join the Office of Learning Recovery and Acceleration for an exciting webinar focused on Outcomes-Based Contracting, used to help reshape the relationship between school districts and vendors. We will be joined by Dr. Brittany Miller, with the Southern Education Foundation, who will guide us through the vision, benefits, and implementation of OBC to increase positive student outcomes and better utilize your districts' dollars! Learn more about Outcomes Based Contracts here.

Questions? Email Jay Johnson, jay.johnson@dpi.nc.gov.

Wednesday, November 30th
11 a.m. – Noon
WebEx Link

Number 4

Digital Teaching and Learning FREE Professional Development

Digital Teaching and Learning is excited to share two new self-paced professional development courses on the LMS, Canvas. The Growing with Canvas and Diving Deeper with Canvas courses can be found in the NCEES Self-Paced PD Guide.

Learn more here.

Number 3

National School Psychologist Awareness Week

During National School Psychology Awareness Week, November 7-11, we recognize the range of services our school psychologists provide to support students' academic achievement and social-emotional well-being. Thank you for all you do!

Number 2

Beginning Teacher of the Year Nominations Due Nov. 14

The NCCAT 2023 Empower NC Beginning Teacher of the Year Nomination Form is now open for submission. As a reminder, the nominee should be in their second year of teaching during the 22-23 school year and be employed in the same district/charter school as last year. Portfolios are due by November 14, 2022. 

You can find timeline information and portfolio directions at www.nccat.org/btoy.

Contact Karen Sumner (karen.sumner@nccat.org) with any questions. 

Number 1

Thank you, Veterans!

In honor of Veterans Day tomorrow, Nov. 11, we want to honor thank those who have served and continue to serve in their selfless efforts to keep us safe.