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!

Annual Charter School Health Services Report and Section Two-Worksheet

The Annual Charter School Health Report will open May 1, 2023, and must be completed no later than June 20, 2023.

A preparation worksheet is provided with the reporting criteria. All schools are encouraged to download the worksheet and mark the appropriate responses before beginning the online report survey. You may click here to access the worksheet.  Once you have prepared your responses, save the document to your local computer. This worksheet cannot be accepted as your report requirements. You will use it as a tool to enter your information into the online survey system once the report opens.

North Carolina’s charter schools are required to comply with the Care of Students with Diabetes and with the School Supply of Epinephrine Auto-Injectors laws. Annually, charter schools report on compliance with each law, providing information that identifies staff educational and support needs related to compliance and student safety. 

The Charter School Health Report is designed to assist schools in addressing the healthcare needs of students. Responses will be used to inform future training topics and to report on compliance with required legislation and policies such as Care of Students with Diabetes (§ 115C-375.3.) and School Supply of Epinephrine Auto-Injectors (§ 115C-375.2A ).  The survey will open May 1, 2023, and should be completed no later than June 20, 2023. 

Please contact annette.richardson@dhhs.nc.gov or amy.t.johnson@dhhs.nc.gov with questions or concerns.

SIS Charter Connect registration deadline: Noon on Tuesday, April 11, 2023

• April 17 - Drury Inn & Suites Burlington, 1767 Glidewell Drive Burlington, NC 
• April 18 - Fairfield by Marriott Kinston, 667 Sheffield Dr., Kinston, NC 28504

If interested, please register by April 11, 2023, at Noon. Click here to register. 

Please note NCDPI may cancel a session if enough participants are not registered.

Survey for Scheduling April PIO call

Dear Public Information Officers and Communication Leaders,

In preparation for the upcoming quarterly call this month, we would like to get your input on a date that is best for you and would like to hear if there are any topics of particular interest/concern to you.

Please complete this survey by Wednesday, April 12.

Thank you for all you do to support North Carolina Public Schools. Please reach out to us at communications@dpi.nc.gov with any questions.

NCDPI Spring Webinar for High School Leaders on the new National Student Clearinghouse data

Dear Secondary/High School Charter Leader,

NCDPI will be hosting a series of webinars in the spring for all our high school leaders (i.e. principals, assistant principals, counselors, dean of students) focused on understanding how to use a data set that is brand-new to North Carolina from the National Student Clearinghouse (NSC).  

We are providing three options for a webinar in the late spring to give an overview of a new (and exciting) data set for our state. Our goal is that representatives from every high school in our state participate in these webinars. 

Come to this session to explore your high school's NSC StudentTracker Report and see how the data can be used to facilitate best practices and spur innovation. 

The same webinar will be repeated three times to accommodate your schedules: Register Here

• Tues April 25 at 9am 
• Wed April 26 at 11am
• Thurs April 27 at 3pm

NC has a new partnership with the National Student Clearinghouse (NSC) StudentTracker® for High Schools, funded through a new recurring budget item. This partnership provides reliable information on your high school graduates’ college transition rates that also allows you to compare your rates to those of similar schools across the country, including those serving low income and minority students and compare your high schools to national averages. For more information about NSC in NC please see our January 2023 presentation to the State Board of Education.

This data can help high schools and school districts more accurately gauge the college success of their graduates by answering such key questions such as:

• How many of our high school graduates enroll in college?
• Do they persist and graduate from college?
• How long does it take for them to get their degrees?
• Do they go in or out of state for college?
• Do they attend a two- or four-year school?
• Which colleges do they most commonly attend?

As a result of this partnership, each year, every North Carolina traditional and charter high school will receive a comprehensive StudentTracker report. This report will provide more than 30 color graphs and charts outlining the postsecondary enrollment and achievements of high school graduates.

Accessing your high school-level reports from NSC: 

The StudentTracker report for each of your high schools was placed on the Accountability secure shell on October 11, 2022; The reports are located in the following folder - 2023 / Pickup folder.  It is a zip file.  Just right click to open the file. Your Accountability Director should have access to the files. 

School Business

• The FBS website continues to be updated with information related to School Business and our ongoing operations. Please check the FBS homepage regularly for updates. 

  ---

  House Budget (HB259)

  We will provide separate correspondence and an update related to the House Budget (HB259) next week after all amendments and final approval by the House has been completed.  We have attached our DRAFT summary to help get everyone started.  The current documents can be found on the NC General Assembly website:  North Carolina General Assembly (ncleg.gov)

  ---

  From the Office of Exceptional Children

  IDEA American Rescue Plan (ARP) for PRC 185, PRC 186, and PRC 187

  ARP funds allocated through PRC 185, PRC 186, and PRC 187 have a period of availability from 7/01/2021-9/30/2023. All ARP funds must be encumbered by 9/30/2023 and liquidated by 12/31/2023. There is currently $50.405,046.90 in PRC 185, $3,328,605.34 in PRC 186, and $952,294.88 in PRC 187. These funds, if not liquidated, will be reverted to the federal government.

  The Office of Exceptional Children is currently reviewing each PSU's current carryover to determine next steps which may include a reversion of funds and re-allocating to districts who have utilized their funds.

  Please work with your EC Director/Coordinator to create a plan for spending these funds. If you need assistance, please have your EC Director/Coordinator reach out to your fiscal consultant and/or your regional consultant.

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!

Google Admin Bootcamps

The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction’s Office of Digital Teaching and Learning is excited to offer Google Admin Bootcamps across the state this spring!  Through the Digital Learning Initiative, we are partnering with Amplified IT to offer Amplified Level 1 Certification to our public school units with Google Workspace.  Please refer to the Amplified Level 1 Certification information for the training description, appropriate audience, prerequisites, and outcomes.  Upon the completion of the bootcamp, participants will take the Google EDU Workspace Admin Level I Exam.

Registration, Attendance, and Costs:

• PSUs may register one (1) participant through April 1, 2023 at bit.ly/GABRegistration.  
• After April 1, 2023, PSUs may register for any open slots. 
• The cost of the bootcamp and exam are provided by the Digital Learning Initiative.
• Space is limited to 45 slots per date and location.
• If someone registers, but does not cancel at least 2 days prior to the session, they will be responsible for a $120 “No Show” fee.
• To cancel your registration, please visit bit.ly/GABCancelation.

Dates and Locations:

April 24

Beaufort County Schools EdTech Center

820 Bridge St

Washington, NC 27889

April 26

Rowan-Salisbury Schools Wallace Ed Forum

500 N Main St

Salisbury, NC 28144

April 27

Burke County Schools

509 W Concord St

Morganton, NC 28655

Other Information:  

• The event will begin at 9:00 AM. It will not be catered, but we will have a working lunch.  Participants are encouraged to bring snacks, beverages, and lunch so that time can be optimized for the bootcamp and certification exam.  We hope to finish up the exam by 4:00 PM.

If you have any questions, please contact Jill.Darrough@dpi.nc.gov. 

If you need to cancel your registration, please visit https://bit.ly/GABCancelation. 

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.

ML/Title III Program Quality (PQ) Updates Stay informed and on top of the latest Multilingual Learner (ML)/Title III Program Quality updates with our new monthly update document! This valuable resource is tailored specifically for charter leaders and will include the latest updates and best practices to help you stay ahead of the curve.   Bookmark and explore now to stay informed and make the most of your school's program to support multilingual learners. ML/Title III Monthly Program Quality Updates for Charter Schools

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.

• Monday Message 4.3.23.pdf
• SummerCampbrochure2023Spanish.pdf
• SummerCampbrochure2023.pdf
• SummerCampPostcard2023spanish.pdf
• Weekly_Updates 3.29.23.pdf
• SummerCampPostcard2023.pdf
• Educational Equity Data 202340 (1).pdf
• 3.29.23 Sherry's Message.pdf

Important MEMOs:

• MEMO: 2023–24 Alternative Schools’ Modified Accountability System Options 4/4/23
  
• MEMO: 2023–24 Accountability and Testing Training
  
• MEMO: Justification Required for Exceeding 1.0 Percent Participation in the Alternate Assessment
• MEMO: Charter 2023 RtA Charter Specific 2/10/23
  
• MEMO: 2022–23 Alternate ACCESS Field Test for English Language Learners (ELLs)
  
• MEMO: 2022–23 Annual Testing Program and Accountability Requirements
• MEMO: 2022–23 Testing and Accountability Training
• MEMO: Alternative Accountability Model Options 4/5/22
• MEMO - ACT Minimum Composite Score Update 12/13/21
• MEMO: Lawful Student Absence 11/8/2021
• MEMO: Legal Restrictions for Cancelling School Days for Students and Staff 10/29/2021
• Important Notice from Karl Logan: Senate Bill 654 and Drivers Ed
• Economically-Disadvantaged-Student Count Guidance from Karl Pond 12/9/21

Office of Charter Schools and NC ACCESS Sponsored Training on Leading Equity-Based MTSS for All Students

On March 16, 2023, the Office of Charter Schools and the NC ACCESS grant held it’s 7^th Fellowship Institute at NCDPI.  Over 100 participants had an opportunity to engage in meaningful dialogue and training from Dr. Dawn Miller, one of the co-authors of Leading Equity-Based MTSS for all Students. The other co-author Amy McCart joined by ZOOM.

The presentation  provided participants with resources and ideas as to how any school, without requiring additional resources, can implement multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS) that engage each and every student, including students with significant disabilities, language differences, and those at risk for a variety of reasons.  An equity-based MTSS helps school teams engage all students across the full range of learning needs. MTSS ensures that the vision of equity for every student is achieved, with high expectations and quality instruction, while not straining a school’s budget or personnel. 

Amy McCart and Dawn Miller seek to transform education so that it benefits educators, students, their families, and ultimately the communities in which they live. The authors do this by providing tools and methods to implement equity-based MTSS to improve academic, behavior and social outcomes for all students. This strategy-filled session taught participants how to: (1) engage all students in learning through an equity-based approach, (2) analyze and utilize your resources, (3) apply strengths and evidence-based principles for implementation, and (4) incorporate effective tools to systematize MTSS.

Office of Charter Schools (OCS) Updates

The Office of Early Learning provides weekly updates on resources that OCS believes can be very helpful to Charter Schools. You can subscribe directly!

Save the Date- New Charter School Leadership Institute When: June 7-8, 2023 What: RTO School Boards & New School Leaders will come together for learning and networking before launching their 2023-2024 SY Day 1- Guest Speakers from NC DPI Share requirements for the Keys to a Successful 1st Year Day 2- Guest Speakers from the Field, DPI, and OCS Where: 8:15 AM -4:30 PM Room #150, 301 N Wilmington St, Raleigh, NC 27601 Who: New Charter School Leaders and CS Board Chairpersons Contact: natasha.norins@dpi.nc.gov

Take It Outside! conference at Pioneer Springs When's the last time you climbed a tree?  Stepped in a puddle?  Stood in the rain? The connections between nature and cognitive growth, creativity, emotional balance, and overall wellness have been well documented but, despite this knowledge, school settings and many programs intended for children, adolescents, and young adults are still limited to traditional  classroom settings.  Take it Outside! at Pioneer Springs is a celebration of nature education and integration in K-12 and other public settings.  The conference, led by educators for educators and nature enthusiasts,  promotes the integration of nature as part of a whole child approach.

OPEN NOW: 2023 NC Charter Applications 

The 2023 North Carolina Charter School Application is now open, as of Friday, January 27^th 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.

Center for Safer Schools marks 10 years State and local education officials from around North Carolina gathered Friday, March 17 as the Center for Safer Schools marked its 10th anniversary (March 19) at the Education Building in Raleigh. The meeting recognized the accomplishments of the CFSS while also keeping the focus on the importance of safer schools. During the anniversary meeting, officials praised the work of the CFSS – past, present and future. State Superintendent Catherine Truitt stressed the importance of keeping parents engaged in school safety initiatives. The CFSS plans to add a parent engagement section, which Truitt said will complement the Parent Advisory Commission she created in June. “Parents are their children’s first teachers and foundation for success in school and life,” she said. CFSS Executive Director Karen W. Fairley thanked the General Assembly – in particular Rep. John Torbett and former Rep. Jamie Boles – for their longstanding support of the CFSS. Fairley stressed that it’s vital for the CFSS to support school districts. “We respect educators,” Fairley said. “It’s the Center’s job to help them do better.” [Rep. John Torbett (left), State Superintendent Catherine Truitt, Center for Safer Schools Executive Director Karen W. Fairley and former Rep. Jamie Boles (DPI photo)]

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

 

Link to Join:

Kim Evans' Personal Room

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

Meet virtually with Cisco Webex. Anytime, anywhere, on any device. Simple, modern video meetings for everyone on the world's most popular and trusted collaboration platform. ncgov.webex.com

 | 619435814 

Join by phone

+1-415-655-0003 US Toll

Access code: 619 435 814

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

Other Resources from DPI and beyond

• Weekly Top Ten - March 30, 2023
• School Business – Website
• OEL RtA Friday Memo for Charters
• Arts Education Newsletter - Literacy Course Now OPEN!
• NC SIS Weekly Email Bulletin 3/29/23
• Monthly ELD Standards Update -- 22-23 SY 9th Issue
• March Global Education Newsletter
• ML Updates & Opportunities
• K-12 Education Legislative Update - House Budget - Monday, April 3, 2023
• North Carolina Public Schools - School Social Work Special Update- March
• Draft 2 of Proposed 2023 K-12 Science Standards
• Economical disadvantaged student calculation information and instructions
• Updated SASA-Manly dual-Nov2022
• NCDPI Joins NC Businesses for 13th Annual Students@Work℠ Program
• Center for Safer Schools Steps Up Statewide Outreach
• E-rate and School Connectivity Updates

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. 

• April 6th Employment Opportunities & Coyote Connections Teacher Recruitment Event @ ACS

  https://www.alamancecommunityschool.net/employment

• American Renaissance School in Statesville, NC is seeking a middle grades Principal. To apply, email your resume and cover letter to jim.duffey@arsnc.org. For more information contact Jim Duffey, Executive Director, at 704-682-9553
• Aspire Trade High School is currently accepting applications for all General Education teachers (7-12) for the 2023-2024 school year.
• Brevard Academy - Multiple opportunities!
• Carter G. Woodson - Principal/School Administrator

• Evergreen Community Charter School - Executive Director,  Associate Director, and EC Coordinator

• Henderson Collegiate - Multiple Opportunities

• KIPP North Carolina Public Schools – Multiple Opportunities!

• Millennium Charter Academy - Headmaster(2023)
• Roxboro Community School - Managing Executive Director
• The Magellan Charter School - Elementary School Counselor

• Union Academy - CFO and COO

• Uwharrie Charter Academy -- Multiple Opportunities
• Voyager Academy - Muliple opportunities
• CSUSA Senior Financial Analyst  Grant writer and Instructional Support Specialist
• Lab School Opportunity - 
  App State Lab Schools - EC Director

Whom Should I Contact at the Office of Charter Schools?

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

IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT – EDDIE is the authoritative source for NC public school numbers and demographic information, is used by multiple NCDPI technology systems including: Accountability, PowerSchool, NC School Report Cards, and is used to meet federal reporting requirements. LEAs and charter schools are responsible for ensuring their data in EDDIE are complete, accurate, and current. EDDIE is located at: http://apps.schools.nc.gov/eddie