Number 10

Report: Teacher Effectiveness Tied to Better Student Outcomes in NC Schools During Pandemic

"North Carolina teachers with higher effectiveness ratings prior to the disruptions of the 2020-21 COVID-19 school year helped mitigate learning loss as students and teachers managed remote instruction, hybrid learning and other responses to the pandemic, a new analysis of student outcomes shows.

A whitepaper report released today by the Department of Public Instruction’s Office of Learning Recovery and Acceleration (OLR) found that students scored better on the state’s End-of-Grade and End-of-Course exams during the 2020-21 school year if their teachers had in past years shown strong student outcomes."

Read the full press release here.

Number 9

State Superintendent's Student Advisory Council Now Accepting Applications

High school juniors are invited to apply to serve as a Student Advisor on Superintendent Catherine Truitt's Student Advisory Council. If you are interested in state education issues, advocating on behalf of your fellow peers, and serving as an advisor to decision-makers in K-12 education, this opportunity is for you!

Advisory members meet monthly and serve a two-year term that concludes at the end of senior year of high school. At the conclusion of each year, advisors will present a proposal to address an evolving state education issue to the Superintendent among other state leaders. 

The deadline to apply is February 7. Learn more and apply here.

Number 8

Arts in Education Artist Residency Grants Deadline Approaching

This grant is designed to give schools and school districts funding to bring artists into the classroom, either virtually or in person, for a residency during the fall semester of 2023 or spring semester of 2024. Grant funding supports standards-based, long-term (5 days and longer) artist residencies that provide students with the opportunity to gain in-depth knowledge and skills in the arts. Educators and artists collaborate to design an artist residency that meets the specific needs of the school and engages students in hands-on, participatory arts learning. At a minimum, artists work with the same group of students for 5 days during the residency. Residency days and weeks do not have to be consecutive.

The deadline to apply is March 1. Learn more and apply here.

Number 7

Sponsors Needed to Help Provide N.C. Summer Meals

"More than 900,000 North Carolina students rely on the nutritious meals and snacks served during the school year through the breakfast, lunch, and afterschool meals programs provided at their schools. When school is out of session, North Carolina’s Summer Nutrition Programs help fill the gap by providing free meals and snacks to children ages 18 and younger who might otherwise go hungry.

The need for sponsoring agencies and sites for Summer Nutrition Programs is at an all-time high. One child struggling with hunger is one too many. Schools and community organizations are needed to serve as sponsors for Summer Nutrition Programs this year to help ensure children with limited access to food at home get the nutritious meals they need for optimal growth, development and overall well-being."

Read the full press release here.

Number 6

NC Teacher Ranks Held Steady Last Year Despite Lingering COVID Disruptions

"About 440 fewer teachers left North Carolina’s public schools during the 2021-22 school year than the previous year, improving the state’s overall teacher attrition rate, which had edged up slightly during 2020-21, when the COVID-19 pandemic was at its peak.

Data presented today to the State Board of Education as part of the Department of Public Instruction’s annual report on the state’s teacher workforce showed an attrition rate of 7.78% for the 12-month period between March 2021 and March 2022, a decline of about 0.4% from the 8.2% attrition rate during the previous 12 months, which began with the onset of the pandemic. The state’s attrition rate prior to the pandemic had declined from 9% in 2015-16 to about 7.5% in 2018-19 and 2019-20."

Read the full press release here.

Number 5

NCVPS Reinstating E-Learning Advisor of the Year Award

The North Carolina Virtual Public School (NCVPS) is reinstating their annual E-Learning Advisor (ELA) of the Year award recognition. NC Virtual teachers and staff will be nominating an ELA for this honor through Friday, February 17th. As usual, school administrators, and teachers, etc. may submit nominations. And, this year, ELAs may also nominate themselves! The E-Learning Advisor award recognizes an ELA whose innovative practices serve as a model for other schools or districts. Their innovation results in improving the overall effectiveness of online learning and contributes to the success of students taking NC Virtual courses. This success has visibly led to learning opportunities for students and improved student achievement.

Number 4

National School Counseling Week February 6-10

Next week is National School Counseling Week! The week of February 6th-10th celebrates the theme: School Counselors Helping Students Dream Big!

Click here to find fun activities to celebrate school counselors. 

Number 3

NCSTAR Spring 2023 Professional Development

The Office of District & Regional Support within the Division of District & School Support Services is excited to announce the Spring 2023 NCStar & School Improvement Planning Professional Development!

This two-day training will be offered in six different locations across the state during the months of March through May. These sessions will cover the same material and resources shared during the Fall 2022 sessions.

Learn more and register here.

Number 2

NCVirtul IRT program

NCVirtual is hosting an informational webinar on February 10th at 12 pm regarding NCVirtual in Real Time (NCVirtual IRT), a pilot program for whole-class middle school core courses with required synchronous sessions. All districts/schools are invited to attend to learn more about NC Virtual IRT.

Click here for more information and to register to attend.

Number 1

NC Portrait of a Graduate Rubric Writing Team Accepting Applications

NCDPI is inviting teachers and instructional leaders to join the agency in creating rubrics for the NC Portrait of a Graduate. This is the second of three phases to support educators, administrators, and students as they build these durable skills that prepare them for an ever-changing world.

This month, the Rubric Writing Team will develop grade span rubrics for each of the seven competencies, providing additional support for educators who are integrating them into their classroom learning environments.

The deadline to apply is February 10. Learn more and apply here.