CORRECTED OCS Weekly Newsletter for March 7, 2023

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Office of Charter Schools

Please note two corrections to the newsletter sent earlier today:

  1. The CRDC report does not need to be submitted in Powerschool. See further text below.
  2. The due date for fuel reimbursements has been extended from March 9th to March 14th as explained with detail in the charter school leadership blast sent Friday March 3rd.

March 7, 2023

Some upcoming dates of note:

  • NCSTAR Spring 2023 Professional Development; 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

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.

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


Applicant Tracking and Onboarding Systems Implementation Opportunities for Charter Schools

DPI is happy to announce we are ready to begin implementations once again for Applicant Tracking and Onboarding systems for PSUs through our Office of Systems Modernization.  If you took advantage of this opportunity last year and implemented Applicant Tracking, you may want to implement Onboarding this year.  The Onboarding system integrates with Applicant Tracking and allows you to send your newly hired candidate their onboarding or new hire ‘paperwork’ electronically using the Onboarding system.  This frees up time in your office of someone having to sit with each new hire and have them complete forms in the office and then hand deliver them to the appropriate department or staff person.  The Onboarding system not only allows you to create your forms in an electronic format, but also allows for the creation of workflows so that as forms are returned they are distributed through the designated workflow and delivered to the assigned staff. 

 

If you haven’t taken advantage of Applicant Tracking yet, you may want to do so now before you are in the thick of hiring season for the 2023-2024 school year.  This system comes to you setup with the basics of what you need, but allows you to setup your Candidate Portal individually for you school and allows for each PSU to review the items that have been setup in the base system and make changes to them to suit your needs.  This system is integrated with the TeachNC SchoolSpring statewide job board for more visibility for your job postings to bring you more applicants.  The training is a one-day virtual training session, materials and your session will be recorded so you can continue to use the recording as you work through your review and setup on your own. 

 

Onboarding training is the same with a one-day virtual training, materials and recorded session and then you continue to work on your own.

 

Both of these systems are offered to you at no cost to your school.

 

If you are interested in implementing either of these systems, please email Wendy Hinson at wendy.hinson@dpi.nc.gov with the following information:

·       Name of your school

·       Assigned LEA #

·       Which system you wish to implement (you can choose both) – Applicant Tracking or Onboarding

·       Name of Primary Contact

·       Email of Primary Contact

 

We are hoping to start our first training sessions in late March/early April so please get your information turned in as soon as possible.  If your school has already contacted Wendy, there is no need to email again unless you have additional questions.  Thank you!


NCEES System Enhancements Survey 2023

NORTH CAROLINA EDUCATOR EFFECTIVENESS SYSTEM (NCEES) SYSTEM ENHANCEMENT SURVEY 2023

 

This survey is for PSU (Public School Unit) District Administrators and Site Administrators of the NCEES system.  District and Site Administrators are welcome to share this survey with other NCEES Admins in your district with a similar or higher role. This survey will be open from Mar. 1 - Mar. 17, 2023.

 

The goals of this survey are to:

1) identify areas of enhancement in the online tool   

2) inform the NCEES product Road Map on future enhancement's priority with the vendor, PowerSchool

3) improve the system user experience when using the online tool

 

Please review this Wakelet list of 10 enhancements that NCDPI has submitted to the PowerSchool Ideas Portal. 

 

NCDPI is requesting survey respondents to rank the enhancements through this survey in order of importance 1-10. 

 

Please complete this NCEES Enhancement Survey by close of business, 5PM EST, on Friday, Mar. 17, 2023.

 

Please send any questions to Home_Base@dpi.nc.gov


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.


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:


OCS

Office of Charter Schools (OCS) Updates

TMSA Triangle Model UN Co-Organizes a Virtual Panel at the UN!

Image removed by sender.

Dear Friends of TMSA,

TMSA Triangle Model UN co-organizes a virtual panel at the UN CSW67, and NC Superintendent Catherine Truittt will be our keynote speaker!

As part of the UN 67th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women, TMSA Triangle's Model UN students co-organize a virtual panel on STEM education and gender equality in collaboration with Journalists and Writers Foundation.

In a one-and-a-half-hour webinar, they share their perspectives highlighting the role of STEM education in empowering women and girls in social and economic life and lead a discussion.

TMSA will create a platform for their students to be active stakeholders in implementing Sustainable Development Goal #5: Gender Equality.

We are looking forward to seeing you all at our panel!

TMSA Public Charter Schools

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

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