OCS Weekly Newsletter for February 28, 2023

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Office of Charter Schools

February 28, 2023

Some upcoming dates of note:

  • NCSTAR Spring 2023 Professional Development; Mar. 6-7 in Wake County, Mar. 22-23 in Randolph County, and more locations in May.
  • NC Center for Safer Schools 10th anniversary celebration - March 17th
  • NCSECU People Helping People Scholarship Nominations due March 21st
  • Social Studies Leader's Institute March 23 - 24
  • CRDC PowerSchool Preview Report Submission Due by March 31, 2023.  There is no need to run the report before March 1, 2023.

NC PoG

The Office of Innovation at NCDPI is interested in showcasing exemplars of the Portrait of a Graduate Competencies as an extension of the Promising Practices Clearinghouse, and we are hoping each of you will be able to assist us in collecting these exemplars.

As you know, the competencies include Adaptability, Collaboration, Communication, Critical Thinking, Empathy, Learner’s Mindset, and Personal Responsibility. We are seeking to spotlight these competencies from various perspectives, such as leaders being collaborative, teachers being critical thinkers, students being adaptable, etc. We are especially interested in student-based exemplars. We are collecting this information on the Portrait of a Graduate Exemplars Google form. Please direct any questions to Angie.Mullennix@dpi.nc.gov

POG Exemplar Flyer - Please Share!


School Business

Local Use PRC for State Grants: 431-School Bus Replacement Program – All PSUs

DPI has assigned local use PRC 431 for the State Grant being awarded by the NC Department of Environmental Quality. The name of the grant is: School Bus Replacement Program.

This is State grant funding not appropriated thru NCDPI so you will use a LOCAL fund code (2, 8, etc.) with a PRC (Program Report Code) in the 400-499 series. Examples are Smart Start, NC Pre-K, etc. Please see the Chart of Accounts section of the FBS website for more information on the various PRCs in the supplemental information section.

Since PRC 431 is a Local State Grant PRC, DPI will not assign a Chart of Accounts. Review the grant to decide which account codes to use for this PRC. Ensure you have this PRC flagged appropriately to reflect the revenue and expenditures as state funds.

Any additional questions about the specific grant funding, please contact NC Department of Environmental Quality directly, Sheila Blanchard, sheila.blanchard@ncdenr.gov.

For questions related to the coding structure please contact Roxane Bernard in School Business at roxane.bernard@dpi.nc.gov.


Charter Schools PRC 056 – School Bus Transportation Fuel Reserve Contingency

In anticipation of the pending Fuel Reserve Contingency Funds allotment policy item going to the State Board of Education in March; fuel reserve contingency request data collection will be sent to Charter Schools via newsletter. Requests for the period July 1, 2022 through January 31, 2023 are due by March 9th and are designed to provide additional funding for diesel fuel costs exceeding $2.75 per gallon (with taxes removed). Charter Schools who operate yellow school buses as defined in G.S. 20-4.01(27)n. are eligible to request funding. Further contingency requests for fuel reserve funds will be accepted in May; additional information will be forthcoming.  This potential fuel reserve allocation is within available funds and pending approval by the State Board of Education.

For questions related to the School Bus Transportation Fuel Reserve Contingency please contact Kevin Harrison in School Transportation at kevin.harrison@dpi.nc.gov.

Did you know? You can find all School Business newsletters on the website, organized by year. 


Summer Bridge Camps and Read To Achieve Summer 2023

RtA Reading Camp funds will be provided in PRC 016. These funds should be available Spring 2023. PRC 016 funds are to be used for RtA Reading Camp only, per Legislation. If you have any RtA reading camp questions, feel free to reach out to Tonia.Parrish@dpi.nc.gov.


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.

 

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 the 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 the evaluation of a school’s School Improvement Plan.

 

To register, please click here.

NCStar23

OCR/CRDC -SY2021-2022 - Collection Information Pending Federal Opening

Dear Coordinators,  

Please share with other staff as appropriate. 

The Office of Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) will be conducted in the 2022-2023 school year.  Data for the collection is from the previous year (School Year 2021-2022).  Note:  PSUs which were not open in the school year 2021-2022 will not participate in this collection. 

To date, the Federal government has not published an official start date or requirements for the collection.  The information from the Federal government may be published as late as the summer of 2023.  NCDPI will notify PSUs once an announcement has been made. 

  

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 are recorded in EDDIE
    • As a reminder, all PSUs must have at least one CRDC Coordinator contact in EDDIE
  • Ensuring Section 504 data for SY 2021-2022 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.

PSUs will be required to gather and submit the following data for the CRDC:

Review and collect data using the SY2021-2022 CRDC School Form for the following survey questions:

  • OFFN-5: Offenses -Number of Incidents Committed by School Staff
  • OFFN-6: Offenses -Allegations Against School Staff (Resignation or Retirement)
  • OFFN-7: Offenses -Allegations Against School Staff (Determined Responsible)
  • OFFN-8: Offenses -Allegations Against School Staff (Determined Not Responsible)
  • OFFN-9: Offenses -Allegations Against School Staff (Determination Pending)
  • OFFN-10: Offenses -Allegations Against School Staff (Duty Reassignment)

Please email nc.ocr.crdc@dpi.nc.gov with any questions you may have. 

 

Want information about the CRDC, but are not the CRDC Coordinator contact?  Add your information here:  2122 CRDC – Info Only Contacts List


Advertising Upcoming Social Studies PD in Region 1

In Partnership with NCDPI, the Ashbrook Center at Ashland University will be hosting a one day seminar in Elizabeth City on Saturday March 25. This free professional learning session is open to all 6-12 Social Studies and ELA teachers who want to increase their content knowledge on the Kennedy and Johnson presidencies and who would like to earn 8 contact hours towards CEUs. The seminar and discussion will all be using primary documents to model best practices for students. A light breakfast and lunch will be provided. Please see the registration linked. Please contact Tom Daugherty if you have any questions.


New Round of Grants for Digital Teaching & Learning Available for 2023-24

Digital Teaching and Learning in North Carolina’s public schools will benefit from a new round of competitive grants approved December 1, 2022, by the State Board of Education.

Up to $1.25 million in grants funded by the General Assembly through the state’s Digital Learning Initiative will be available to school districts, charter schools, lab schools, and regional schools during the 2023-24 school year. 

These competitive grants are intended to support North Carolina districts and schools as they address challenges, harness opportunities, and leverage resources for digital-age teaching, and learning. As specified in the state’s Digital Learning Plan, this grant program is intended to support the development and dissemination of local innovative digital teaching and learning across North Carolina.

For the 2023-24 school year, there will be two request-for-proposal applications: the Digital Learning Impact Grant and a mini-grant for professional learning and also for emerging technologies. The window for the request for proposals for the grants opened December 1, 2022, and will close with a February 28, 2023, deadline.

For more detailed information, please see attached RFP Announcement.


Charter schools and AGPIP

School leaders,

As you may be aware, the statutory investment authority for NC’s charter schools was recently expanded. In particular, charter schools can now participate in the Department of State Treasurer’s investment program for non-pension governmental entities, referred to as the Ancillary Governmental Participant Investment Program (AGPIP). To assist charter schools, we have drafted some FAQs regarding AGPIP (linked).

We also included a few questions regarding the Supplemental Retirement Plans (NC 401(k) Plan and NC 457 Plan) because similar eligibility questions may arise for SRP and AGPIP.

The link to the Department’s AGPIP page is here: AGPIP and Investment Management Programs | NC Treasurer.

You can find more information on SRP at www.myNCPlans.com and the Board of Trustees page (Supplemental Retirement Board of Trustees | My NC Retirement).


Arts Educators; CAST Lunch and Learn Promo 

The Counselor Advising and Scheduling Tips (CAST) for Arts Education Lunch & Learn is designed to guide school counselors and other course advisors in understanding North Carolina Arts Education programs, course codes, options, best practices, resources, etc., so that these educators can be best equipped to advise students on what courses to take to align with their future aspirations. We will specifically address the unique nature of these mastery-based standards, whether students can repeat the same course code (they can) and how to navigate the inherently honors structure with students of varying levels all in the same ensemble. Although this content is most relevant for high school counselors, any other school personnel are welcome to participate. 

Wednesday, Mar 15, 2023, 12:00 PM - 12:30 PM

Register HERE


Social Studies Leaders' Institute

 

SS leaders

CFSS10yr

Exceptional Children Logo

 


Student Accounting Manual Update (SASA)

The SBE approved the attached updated draft of the SASA Manual at their meeting on November 3, 2022. We have linked the full SBE packet so you can see the changes that were made. Most are technical corrections for legislative changes such as the Student Code of Conduct and those applicable items now applies to ALL PSUs and not just LEAs. We also have provided the update to the PMR Attestation statement as well as updated coding that is no longer applicable post-pandemic. If you have any questions, please contact LaShon Creech at lashon.creech@dpi.nc.gov. Please make sure your LEA Data Managers are aware the manual has been updated.


Save the Date July 14th for Office of Learning Recovery & Acceleration and The SAS Institute

Greetings, 

We look forward to continuing our conversations from last summer and introducing you to the latest data available from The SAS EVAAS Team!

You will hear about innovative promising practices, evidence-based and data-supported strategies, as well as opportunities to network with colleagues from across the state, and much more!

Keep an eye on your email for updates from our office as the date approaches. So, remember to SAVE THE DATE 😊 & email me at:  richard.lewis@dpi.nc.gov with any questions.

Richard W. Lewis, Ed.D.Education Program Administrator IOffice of Learning Recovery and AccelerationDivision of Standards, Accountability, and ResearchNC Department of Public Instruction

Cohort 4 July 14th.pdf


Important MEMOs:


ACCESS

NC ACCESS Program Offers Teach Like a Champion Training

 

Over 200 Charter School Administrators and Teachers across North Carolina attended a 2-day educational development training, offered by the NC Office of Charter Schools and NC ACCESS Program. The training was held on January 24 – 25, 2023 at The McKimmon Conference and Training Center on the campus of NC State University.

 

Teach Like a Champion is about the belief that the solutions to education challenges exist in the classrooms of real-life teachers, and that exceptional practitioners of the art of teaching are the true experts. Their job is to find them, study them, and share what they do, so others can copy, practice, and adapt it to their own teaching. Their mission is to dramatically improve teaching. By studying outstanding teachers and leaders and sharing what they learn from them, they aim to help schools create classrooms that are radically better for children, especially in communities where systemic inequities and discrimination have left students with limited access to an education worthy of their highest aspirations.

 

Teach Like a Champion provides educators with a set of techniques, a shared vocabulary, and a framework for practice that equip teachers to achieve dramatic results with their students.

One of the initiatives of the NC ACCESS Program is to host immersive professional development experiences intended to provide leaders and teachers with specific strategies they can use to ensure students are served in the best way possible.

By the end of year 5, the NC ACCESS Program will have created a community of 160 charter school leaders who have developed and demonstrated best practices in serving educationally disadvantaged students.

 

Some of the positive feedback and quotes from the training are as follows -

  • “The passion and care that has been put into each component of this training has been impeccable!”
  • “Great videos and real-life examples. Loved that same strategies we were taught were used in our training (writing, turn and talks, etc.)”
  • “I really appreciated all the practice time as well as the way the practice was modeled.”
  • “I really enjoyed how well the information was presented and that we were able to see all of these components applied in a classroom and what they would look like with different teaching styles.”
  • “The energy level was amazing. Great balance of "teacher talk/student talk."
  • “I plan to use at least one method from each technique in the next couple of weeks in my classroom. I have a guide to help me pace when I do it, so it is not overwhelming for me or my kids.”

To learn more about the NC ACCESS Program, please visit the website.

TLAC1TLAC2TLAC3TLAC4

OCS

Office of Charter Schools (OCS) Updates

NCAPCS Incubator Program

The NC Association for Public Charter Schools (NCAPCS) is dedicated to providing the support necessary to establish a strong foundation for the formation of new, innovative charter schools. Phase One of the NCAPCS Incubator Program's implementation will provide small grants ($1,000 maximum) to select planning year schools to assist in recruiting and marketing efforts. The Incubator Program committee will fund the schools with the strongest applications. Deadline to apply:  March 31, 2023.

 


OPEN NOW: 2023 NC Charter Applications 

The 2023 North Carolina Charter School Application is now open, as of Friday, January 27th at 5 pm. The 2023 charter application window will close on April 28, 2023 at 5pm. Applicants who are interested in opening a charter school in 2024 under the accelerated timeline, or in 2025 under the standard timeline must submit their charter applications on or before the April 28, 2023 application close date. 

 

Both the online application and $1,000 application fee must be submitted on or before April 28, 2023 at 5pm. 

 

For questions about the charter application process, please reach out to Melanie.Rackley@dpi.nc.gov.  

Please forward

School leaders, we encourage you to forward this newsletter on to your staff so they can subscribe to DPI bulletins directly through this link. They will enter their email and then it will bring them to another page where they can select “Charter School Comms Contacts” and any other public listserv to sign up for.


NCSECU People Helping People Scholarship

It is that time of year again!  NCSECU People Helping People Scholarship!  Please share as appropriate with your seniors and their families.  We would love to have a representative from every senior high school that has eligible students.  Remember parents or the student must be a member of the NCSECU credit union.  Let’s see if we can break 45 applicants!!!!!

  • Due Date back to Dr. Darian C. Jones, darian.jones@dpi.nc.gov COB, MARCH 21st, TUESDAY CLOSE OF BUSINESS, 5:00 p.m. The date of April 3 is the due date for our office to submit our names to NCSECU.  Please, please share with your team, your students, and families so they do not miss out on this opportunity.  We cannot take submissions directly from parents or students. 
  • Each school with an eligible student is to send me, 1 name, and completed application and materials as prescribed.

Please find the 2023 SECU Foundation People Helping People Scholarship materials linked below. I have also attached the PowerPoint that I used in our webinar, and you can access the recording of the webinar here (Passcode: 8.K4o9^u).

 

Please pay close attention to the Membership Verification Process document; this year we are asking our students to verify that they meet the SECU membership eligibility requirement prior to submitting their application materials, and that document outlines the process by which they will fulfill that requirement. The Membership Verification Process document should be distributed to students will all other application materials, and a student should not turn in their completed application packet to their guidance office unless it also contains the Membership Confirmation letter that I have pasted below. The link at the top of the Membership Verification Process document is disabled until the morning of December 16th; it will be active from December 16th through March 31st

Darian C. Jones, Ph. D.Education Program Consultant IIOffice of Charter Schools


HR Webinar Information - Licensure requirements, resources, and more for Charter School leaders

Once a month, Dr. Tom Tomberlin and his team provide State Board of Education and legislative updates to the human resources contacts in Public School Units (PSUs) across the state.

All sessions are 10:30-11:30AM

March 3

April 7

May 5

June 2

July 10 (Monday)

August 7 (Monday)

September 8

October 6

November 3

December 8

 

Link to Join:

Kim Evans' Personal Room

https://ncgov.webex.com/meet/kimberly.evans

 | 619435814 

Join by phone

+1-415-655-0003 US Toll

Access code: 619 435 814

Kim EvansProgram Coordinator, PEPSCOffice of Educator Preparation and LicensureDivision of Educator and Student AdvancementNC Department of Public InstructionP: (984) 236-2116M: (240) 498-5111kimberly.evans@dpi.nc.gov

Other Resources from DPI and beyond


Charter School Job Postings 

If you have current teaching/leadership positions open and wish to share them in this newsletter, reach out to Joseph.Letterio@dpi.nc.gov and provide a link to the posting/s. 


Whom Should I Contact at the Office of Charter Schools?

OCS Main Number: (984) 236-2700 / Email: ocs@dpi.nc.gov

Name

Email

Phone

Workflow

Ashley Baquero

Ashley.Baquero@dpi.nc.gov

984.236.2708

Director

Anita Holbrook

anita.holbrook@dpi.nc.gov

984-236-2753

Executive Assistant/Communications

Joseph Letterio M.

Joseph.Letterio@dpi.nc.gov

984.236.2703

Performance Framework/ Comms&Data

Natasha Norins

natasha.norins@dpi.nc.gov

(984) 236-2702

RTO/Planning Year

Davida Robinson

Davida.robinson@dpi.nc.gov

984.236.2878

NC ACCESS Program Manager

Barbara O’Neal

Barbara.ONeal@dpi.nc.gov

984.236.2706

NC ACCESS Program Administrator

Jenna Cook

Jenna.Cook@dpi.nc.gov

984.236.2707

Renewals

Darian Jones

darian.jones@dpi.nc.gov

984.236.2705

Prof. Dev./Stakeholder Support

Melanie Rackley

Melanie.Rackley@dpi.nc.gov

984.236.2712

Applications

Nicky Niewinski

nicole.niewinski@dpi.nc.gov

984-236-2709

SBE/CSAB and Amendments