Number 10

NCDPI Accepting Applications for 2023 Summer Internships - Deadline February 28

Interested candidates are encouraged to review the list of available 2023 summer internship opportunities prior to submitting an application. An online application, along with a resume and unofficial transcript are required for consideration. An optional cover letter may also be included.

Applications are currently being accepted with an application deadline of February 28 for summer 2023 opportunities.

Learn more and apply here.

Number 9

Eight High School Teams Compete in 2023 N.C. Jr. Chef Competition

"Eight high school teams from across the state will show off their culinary creativity next month in the 2023 North Carolina Jr. Chef Competition. Based on recipes they submitted, the teams selected as finalists to compete in a statewide cook-off are from Apex High (Wake County Public Schools), Ashe County High, Brevard High (Transylvania County Schools), Franklin High (Macon County Schools), Havelock High (Craven County Schools), Northern High (Durham Public Schools), Swain County High, and Weaver Academy (Guilford County Schools)."

Congratulations to the eight teams who have been selected as finalists in the 2023 North Carolina Jr. Chef Competition! Read the full press release here.

Number 8

Portrait of a Graduate Playbook - Critical Thinking

This month’s Portrait of a Graduate Playbook focus is Critical Thinking. The updated playbook includes new activities by grade span to reinforce this competency. Each month, another competency will be added until all seven are reflected in the document.

For additional resources including a video, graphics and English/Spanish versions of the Portrait, please visit the NC Portrait of a Graduate webpage.

Number 7

Center for Safer Schools to Host 8 ‘Mini-RISE’ Sessions

The need for instruction regarding school safety has never been more important. The Center for Safer Schools’ annual RISE conference is intended to prepare all stakeholders for the upcoming school year by providing trainings from statewide experts in many fields. School safety is a yearlong focus, so the CFSS will host eight “mini-RISE” sessions this spring.

The session topics will include the following:

• Guns and Gang Violence
• Behavioral Threat Assessment
• Supporting Student Mental Health
• Bullying Prevention
• Trauma Informed School Safety
• Restorative Justice
• Emergency Preparedness
• School Resource Officer Training

Learn more here.

Number 6

SY21-22 Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) Information

The Office of Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) for school year 21-22 will be conducted in the 22-23 school year. The federal government has not yet published an official start date or requirements for the collection. NCDPI will notify PSUs once an announcement has been made. At this time there is no need to run the CRDC Preview Report in PowerSchool. 

PSUs can begin to prepare for the SY21-22 CRDC by:

• Verifying or updating the CRDC Coordinator contacts in EDDIE (all PSUs must have at least one CRDC Coordinator contact in EDDIE)
• Ensuring Section 504 data for SY21-22 has been recorded in the Special Programs section of PowerSchool.
  
  • Use the Enrolling Students in a Special Program guide to add student records.
  • PSUs using third party applications for Section 504 will be required submit Section 504 data to the CRDC on their own if a record is not added to PowerSchool.
  • Section 504 Designation guidance is provided at the local level. Please contact the PSU 504 Coordinator with any questions.

Please email nc.ocr.crdc@dpi.nc.gov with any questions you may have. If you would like information about the CRDC but are not the CRDC Coordinator contact, add your contact information here.

Number 5

Friday Institute Free Spring Professional Learning Courses

The Learning Differences course unravels brain science making it approachable for educators and directly applicable to students and classroom learning. By focusing on executive functions such as attention, memory, task prioritization, organization, and planning, this course helps teachers and students understand how strengths and struggles in any of these areas manifest in classroom learning and what strategies support all functions of the brain. With a deeper understanding of learning differences, you can create a whole-child approach that recognizes each student's uniqueness and needs in the learning experience.

Developed for educators and completely redesigned in 2023, this course is open to participants from all schools and grade levels. Learn more and register here.

Number 4

NC State Rehabilitation Public Forum

Join the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation Services (DVRS) and the NC State Rehabilitation Council at their public forum on March 9 from 4:30-6:30 p.m. Share ideas, ask questions and learn about education, employment and transition programs for people with disabilities in North Carolina. 

Learn more and register here.

Number 3

Leading with Character: Nurturing the Climate and Culture of Your School Free Workshop

Join Person Early College, a state and national School of Character, and NCDPI for a free workshop to:

• Learn how to use the 11 Principles of Effective Character Education as a tool to evaluate your school, district and/or community climate.
• Understand how state and national Schools of Character have implemented effective initiatives and practices and develop a "plan of action" for your school

The workshop will be held at Person Early College on April 20 from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. The deadline to register is April 14. Register here. 

If you need funding for a substitute to attend the workshop, please contact Justyn Burgess.

Number 2

Report: Post-Pandemic Teacher Turnover Rate Remains Mostly Unchanged

"The latest State of the Teaching Profession report presented to the State Board of Education shows the teacher attrition rate in the state mostly remained steady during the 2021-22 school year.

The report showed the teacher attrition rate, also referred to as the teacher turnover rate, came in at 7.78% for the 12-month period of March 2021 to March 2022. That’s a drop of .4% over the previous pre-pandemic year’s reported 8.2% rate.

'It’s a positive sign that last year’s attrition rate for the state was about on par with what it was before the pandemic,' State Superintendent Catherine Truitt said in a press release. 'It indicates that things are stabilizing following a tremendous period of uncertainty in the 2020-21 school year.'

According to the report, before the pandemic the teacher turnover rate had declined from 9% in 2015-16 down to 7.5% in 2018-19 and 2019-20."

Read the full report here.

Number 1

Perspective Piece from Martez Hill, Superintendent of North Carolina Cyber Academy: Bringing ‘Portrait of a Graduate’ Competencies to Life

"Standardized testing is missing the mark. More than 800 higher education institutions agree. They’ve made the switch to a test-optional policy on their college applications, leading to more applications and a more diverse applicant pool. But what’s the alternative?

In part, it’s building a broader, more holistic way of measuring success, including evaluating the qualities we hope to instill in our children, and employers look for in our workforce. In our state, that’s taking shape in the North Carolina Portrait of a Graduate proposed by State Superintendent of Public Instruction Catherine Truitt.

This framework, the result of a year’s research and listening, lays out the “seven core competencies that, when combined with academic rigor, will create a deeper learning experience for all students,” in Truitt’s words. This portrait puts front and center the things that matter in and beyond our schools: adaptability, collaboration, communication, critical thinking, empathy, learner’s mindset, and personal responsibility."

Read the full piece here.