Clarification on recent legislation:
Are charters included in the new computer science requirement for graduation?
YES. The new graduation requirement is written to include all public school units, so charter schools are required to participate. Computer Science coursework may be completed in either middle or high school to fulfill the requirement.
Are charters required to offer a 3-year graduation option?
NO. Charter are not required to offer a 3-year graduation option (though they may do so).
Are charters allowed to offer more than state requirements for graduation?
YES. Charters are not prohibited from establishing additional requirements beyond the minimum SBE requirements.
This information will be clarified in policies and rules as they go forward. The most recent legislative session was extremely busy in terms of education legislation and DPI staff is working as quickly and diligently as possible to make sure requirements are clear and resources available. Continue to reach out to our office with questions as we navigate changes and know how much we appreciate your patience and support.
2023 School Safety Grant
The 2023 School Safety Grant application opened Friday, Oct. 20, 2023, at noon and closes Monday, Nov. 13, 2023, at 11:59 p.m. This funding is available only for public school units (school districts and charter schools) in North Carolina.
The grant categories included in this application are Safety Equipment, Services for Students in Crisis and Safety Training. Please note that funding for the hiring and training of school resource officers is not included in this application.
School districts and charter schools can access the School Safety Grant application through CCIP under “FY 2024, Funding application: Safer Schools.”
Before applying for this grant, make sure to read N.C. Session Law 2021-180 (https://www.ncleg.gov/Sessions/2021/Bills/Senate/PDF/S105v8.pdf) and Parts II and III of N.C. Session Law 2019-222 (H75v7.pdf (ncleg.gov)).
The funding application must be submitted at least through the “Chief Administrator Approved” status by the closing time. No exceptions.
If you have questions, please submit them to schoolsafetygrants@dpi.nc.gov.
School Business – October 27, 2023
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.
UPDATE on RETRO-PAY ADJUSTMENTS (ALL PSUS who participate in TSERS – State Retirement System)
For those PSUs who will need the month of November to complete their processing of any retroactive salary adjustments the State Retirement Office is providing this guidance to ensure you do not have a penalty and so your file is cleanly accepted thru the ORBIT system.
The Retirement Systems Division (RSD) recommends to PSUs to report July 2023 retroactive salary increases in November 2023 which can then be accepted by RSD. The PSU can either:
- PREFERRED METHOD: Report as regular pay, but change the pay period begin date from July 2023 to August 2023 (or later) which will place the payment within 90 days or
- Change the July 2023 retroactive payment to a bonus with pay period begin dates in August 2023 or later.
- For the IPS districts this requires using Object Code 183.
- For the LEAs you would use object code 129 for certified staff and the normal salary codes for the classified staff.
Please note that some PSUs may try to report June pay period begin dates in their October payroll, but those dates will create the same issue as they are outside the 90-day window and would need to be changed to July pay period begin dates and reported as either regular pay or a bonus.
Please also be advised that all retroactive salary adjustments related to the implementation of the State Budget for salary and benefit increases must be completed by November 30, 2023.
If you have any questions please contact, Jennifer.Bennett@dpi.nc.gov.
Initial Allotment Updates
Allotments has posted the following initial allotment supporting documents:
- Statewide Avg Salaries
- Dollars per ADM for Charter and Lab Schools
- Dollars per ADM for Restart Schools
- State Initial Allotment Formulas for FY2023-24
The allotments team is currently working on month one adjustments and charter school initial allotments. These items will be posted in the allotment system by November 7th, due to some items needing State Board approval before they are posted. As a reminder, state allotments will be provided on a monthly basis for charter schools that are non-compliant at the Disciplinary level.
All supporting documentation can be found on the State Allotments website for the 2023-24 fiscal year.
If you have any questions about initial allotments, please email allotments@dpi.nc.gov. Thank you for your continued support.
ESSER II – Application for Liquidation Extension
The US Department of Education is providing a process to apply for an extension on the liquidation period for ESSER II funds. The US Department of Education acknowledges that some grantees may require flexibility liquidating appropriately encumbered (obligated) ESSER II funds.
Public School Units (PSU) may request an extension for ESSER II funds, as long as the funds were properly obligated (encumbered) by September 30, 2023.
The Final approval of a written request for extension, will be granted by the U.S. Department of Education, and is based upon the specific facts and circumstances, in accordance with 2 CFR § 200.344(b). If approved under this process, the liquidation period may be extended up to 14 months beyond the 90 days already provided to liquidate ESSER II funds.
Without an approved extension, obligated ESSER II funds must be liquidated by December 29, 2023.
Application Instructions
Step One:
- Complete the online survey by November 3, 2023: https://forms.gle/Qs8DsFR4w2q3xCGA8
- Await further instructions via email from NCDPI, which will contain a link to individualized Google folder to complete the application process
Step Two:
- Complete the Liquidation Extension Request Excel file template and upload all supporting documentation(s) by November 17, 2023.
Important Dates:
- ESSER II Encumbrance or Obligation Date: September 30, 2023
- ESSER II Liquidation Date: December 29, 2023
Links to additional information:
US Department of Education “General and Technical Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs): https://oese.ed.gov/files/2023/05/Updated-Technical-FAQs-for-Liquidation-Extensions-5.5.23.pdf
Required Annual Reporting Due October 31, 2023
This the final reminder for the SS200 (All PSUs) and SS300 (LEAs only) reports, which are both due by October 31, 2023.
Please refer to September 22, 2023 and October 13, 2023 newsletters for guidance.
Reminders
The Legislated Survey for Federal Use of Funds is due for all PSUs on October 27, 2023
Details are in the October 13, 2023 newsletter *
FINANCIAL STATEMENT AUDITS – All PSUs must submit the audit by October 31, 2023
Details are in the September 15, 2023 newsletter *
School Nutrition Annual Financial Report (FC1-A) are due October 31, 2023
Details are in the September 29, 2023 newsletter *
2023 School Safety Grant application for all PSUs opens Friday, October 20, 2023, at noon and closes Monday, November 13, 2023, at 11:59 p.m.
Details are in the October 20, 2023 newsletter *
PSUs Required to Liquidate and Closeout Federal Grants are expiring on September 30, 2023 with a liquidation period of December 29, 2023
Details are in the September 15, 2023 newsletter *
*View prior newsletters online: Newsletters and Guidance | NC DPI.
Immunization and Health Assessment Compliance Reporting
Each year, all schools are required to report the immunization status of their kindergarten and 7th grade students, according to G.S. 130A-155(c) and G.S. 130A-440. The purpose of these reports is to ensure that all children enrolled in North Carolina schools are protected against vaccine-preventable diseases and to determine the number of children who meet state immunization requirements. Additionally, all North Carolina public and public charter schools are required annually to report on the status of Health Assessments for those students who are enrolling for the first time in a North Carolina public or public charter school (G.S. 130A-441(c)).
Report submission can take place after the 30th calendar day from the school’s official first day. A combined compliance report must be complete, by school name and ID number on-line at this link: https://survey.alchemer.com/s3/7475444/2023-2024-NC-HA-and-Immunization-Report. You may use the link to access instructions as well as worksheets to gather your responses prior to entering the online report. Compliance reports are due no later than November 1, 2023, but may be completed at any time prior to that date.
Required EL Headcount Details
ML Headcount: Due Friday, November 10th, 2023
Reminders:
- Work in your sql Headcount reports in PowerSchool as these reports are the ones with the information that is pulled to report your headcount numbers.
- Only students enrolled by November 1st with a Current EL status in PowerSchool will be included in the 2023-24 EL headcount
- EL headcount will be pulled from PowerSchool on November 12th, 2023
- The Submit button in PowerSchool appears on November 1st
Headcount Information can be found here: 23-24 Slides
Any corrections for Headcount requiring an RCR are due by November 1st. RCRs submitted after November 1st will be completed as time allows.
Headcount Office Hours start Monday, October 23rd. We will host office hours daily through November 2nd, from 8:00 to 9:00 a.m. Registration is not required. Join here: LINK
ELA Data Review Committee (DRC) Applications
Applications are open through Thursday, November 30th
DRC members review the data collected and compiled from Standard-by-Standard surveys, regional focus groups, and interviews, as well as research, policies, and legislation that pertain to English Language Arts (ELA).
*Note: The DRC analyzes the feedback and makes recommendations that help drive both the review and revision phases, so individuals chosen for the DRC cannot serve on the Standards Writing Team (SWT) that is convened during the revision phase.
Applications can be submitted through November 30, 2023. The ELA DRC will consist of a range of external stakeholders, including: K-12 educators, educational leaders, university professors, content professionals, experts from partner organizations, and community members. The DRC members will be chosen from across the state’s eight regions and represent varying perspectives and experiences regarding the current ELA Standard Course of Study.
PSU Standard-by-Standard Survey
Surveys Close November 10, 2023
State Board of Education policy specifies that the NC Department of Public Instruction will formally collect feedback on the current standards from educators, administrators, parents, students, institutions of higher education, business/industry representatives, national organizations, and other education agencies. The purpose of this survey is to obtain input from each public school unit (PSU) on the English Language Arts Standard Course of Study (SCOS) in order to inform revision decisions, which may include changes, clarifications, additions, deletions, or replacements to the current standards.
The English Language Arts team in the Office of Academic Standards requests your thoughtful input and comments on the current academic standards for English Language Arts to inform the review and revision process.
Please convene your PSU review team consisting of educators in your PSU familiar with the English Language Arts SCOS. This survey is estimated to take about 30-45 minutes to complete, depending on how you choose to deploy within your PSU.
The State Board of Education's (SBE) expectation is 75% of North Carolina's districts submit the PSU survey. View the PSU surveys tally, which shows PSUs in green that have submitted, along with the number of surveys from each district.
We thank you for your time and input. Your feedback is extremely valuable to the English Language Arts standards revision process. In addition to this survey, there will be several opportunities for you to provide feedback on the standards throughout the revision process. To stay updated on these opportunities, please subscribe to our listserv.
K-5
6-12
Invitation to Review & Provide Feedback on Our New Mental Health Care Toolkit for Schools
Rural Opportunity Institute (ROI) is partnering with the NC DPI and an expert named Sarah Broome to create a toolkit aimed at helping schools provide mental health care services and bill Medicaid for the cost. Our aim is for this toolkit to help schools greatly expand the availability of mental health care to their students at little to no additional cost.
To ensure this toolkit is as useful as possible, we are hoping to have one or more charter schools vet a draft and provide feedback. We would use the feedback to ensure the Toolkit is as useful as possible for schools like yours once it is finalized. If you would be interested in this opportunity, please email Graham Palmer, ROI's Director of Systems Innovation & Policy, at graham@ruralopportunity.org. Graham is happy to answer any questions you may have, and your initial email is not a commitment to provide feedback.
In-person Regional Training for the 2023 K-12 Science Standards
Greetings colleagues!
We are excited to announce that we have scheduled a full day of in-person training for each region this Fall to share explore the newly adopted 2023 NC K-12 Science Standards. We will share an overview of the new standards, including the Science and Engineering Practices (SEP) and the Revised Bloom’s Taxonomy (RBT). Participants will engage in strategic conversations and work collaboratively to plan for local implementation in 2024-2025.
Please see the link below, with more details, date/location for each regional training and a link to the registration. We are encouraging each district to send teams of 5 and for each charter school to send teams of up to 3.
We are excited to be able to be in-person with you and your staff! Please let me know if you have any questions. A copy of this email will also be shared with each districts CAO.
We hope your school year has started off as smoothly as possible. Thanks for everything you do to support science instruction in our classrooms!
Respectfully,
Charles Aiken, Ed.D. Section Chief Mathematics, Science and STEM Office of Academic Standards NC Department of Public Instruction P: (984) 236-2837 charles.aiken@dpi.nc.gov
Career and Technical Education (CTE) Trainings
Are you new to offering Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs or do you want to know more about CTE? Check out our Charter Schools: Getting Started with CTE guide (https://bit.ly/CTEcharter) to connect with CTE resources, including course standards, required CTE proofs of learning, credentials, and reporting requirements.
The CTE Regional Services team is implementing a charter school user group during the 2023-2024 school year to provide training and support for charter schools who offer CTE programs or have student enrollments in CTE courses through NCVPS. Our charter school user group will meet quarterly to provide CTE updates, information about CTE programs, and training for administering and reporting student results for CTE proofs of learning, credentials, and CTE concentrator status for WorkKeys participation. We invite you to mark your calendar for the following dates and plan to join us online to learn more about CTE.
*This session will include a CTE State Assessment training refresher and full training required for schools administering spring administrations of CTE State Assessments who did not attend fall training
Questions may be directed to Misty Wolfe (misty.wolfe@dpi.nc.gov) or your CTE Regional Coordinator.
New Charter Amendment Process
As of August 1, 2023, OCS has implemented an updated charter application amendment request process via epicenter. Please refer to the "Epicenter Steps for Charter Application Amendment Request 0723" document linked here for instructions. Any material change to the charter application must be approved pursuant to State Board of Education policy CHTR-014, North Carolina Administrative Code 16 NCAC 06g.0510 and 16 NCAC 06g.0511. Questions? Contact Nicky Niewinski, OCS Consultant, at nicole.niewinski@dpi.nc.gov
Arts Education Standard Course of Study Review - Draft 1
We are excited to announce the Standards Writing Teams have released their first draft of the new Standard Course of Study for K-12 Dance, K-12 Music, K-12 Theatre Arts, and K-12 Visual Arts. Now, they need your feedback! You will notice some significant structural changes to the standards, which are reviewed below. District Arts and Chief Academic Officers will receive separate instructions on how to complete the PSU survey.
Structural Changes
ALL four arts disciplines are now aligned to the National Arts Standards strands of Connect, Create, Present, and Respond. It is our sincere hope that aligning these strands across arts disciplines will provide the opportunity for higher quality professional development and cross-curricular support.
To remove confusion about the “Proficient” level of our proficiency-based standards, we have aligned with the National Standards by renaming this level “Accomplished.”
In Theatre Arts, Technical Theatre Courses have been added in both non-honors and honors levels.
Music has had significant changes, with K-8 General Music standards being extended into high school in both non-honors and honors levels. These standards will support courses like general music, music appreciation, songwriting, digital music production, and other non-instrument-based explorations of music.
Five proficiency levels of Vocal and Instrumental Music have been created for students exploring band, choir, orchestra, piano, ukulele, guitar, or other instruments and ensembles. These have been created to meet the needs of students wherever they are - even if they are beginning the trumpet as a junior in high school.
Survey Guidance
This is the stakeholder survey, separate from the Public School Unit Survey. All North Carolinians are encouraged to provide feedback on the first draft of the revised Arts Standards through this survey.
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Rearrangement: Because the Standards Writing Team realigned many of the former objects if you feel that an objective is clear but perhaps more appropriate under a different strand, please provide that feedback by marking "change" and use the comment box to provide a recommendation to where the objective best aligns with the strand or standard
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Consolidation: If there are two or more objectives that could be combined into a more succinct objective, please mark "change" for both of the objectives and note the numbers to be combined in the comment box
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Measurable Objectives: Should objectives appear to be immeasurable, please mark "change" and provide suggestions for more measurable verbs in the comment box
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Remove: If an objective is redundant or unnecessary, please mark "remove" and leave a comment
To facilitate your ability to provide feedback preview the standards through the following links:
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English Language Arts Review Phase
All-Stakeholder Surveys: Standard-by-Standard and General
State Board of Education policy specifies that the NC Department of Public Instruction will formally collect feedback on the current standards from educators, administrators, parents, students, institutions of higher education, business/industry representatives, national organizations, and other education agencies. The purpose of these surveys is to obtain input from educators and stakeholders familiar with the English Language Arts Standard Course of Study in order to inform revision decisions, which may include changes, clarifications, additions, deletions, or replacements to the current standards.
The English Language Arts team in the Office of Academic Standards requests your thoughtful input and comments on the current academic standards for English Language Arts to inform the review and revision process.
Any individual who wishes to provide input on the English Language Arts SCOS may complete these surveys. The surveys are estimated to take about 10-20 minutes to complete, depending on the survey and/or grade-band you choose. If you would like to give feedback on more than one grade-level, you can return and submit another survey.
All-Stakeholder Survey for K-5
All-Stakeholder General Survey
Kristi Day, Ed.D.
Director
Office of Academic Standards
NC Department of Public Instruction
(W) (984) 236-2835
Kristi.Day@dpi.nc.gov
Important MEMOs:
Office of Charter Schools (OCS) Updates
OCS presented some updates at the NCAPCS Charter Conference. In case you missed it, or want the presentation, please find it linked HERE.
Office of Charter Schools' 2023-2024 Open Office Hours
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Date
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Time
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Topic
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Link
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November 28, 2023
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10:00 AM
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North Carolina Homeless Education Program Savannah Gay
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https://ncgov.webex.com/ncgov/j.php?MTID=mb2c987d2a54af5279aa891b5c7ce3273
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December (TBD)
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10:00 AM
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Home Base, NCEES, Mental Health docs Matthew Mayo, John Mair, Cami Narron
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https://ncgov.webex.com/meet/natasha.norins
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February 14, 2024
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10:00 AM
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School Leaders Inspire Us All Dr. Andrew Smith, Dr. Erika Shoulders- Royster, Tabari Wallas, ED.S.
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https://ncgov.webex.com/ncgov/j.php?MTID=mdb3a6a7f2dee947d09e1f406965ee97b
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March 20, 2024
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10:00 AM
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SEL (Social Emotional Learning) Anne Nixon and Dr. Natasha Norins
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https://ncgov.webex.com/ncgov/j.php?MTID=m9411d8ddf32bf2e7aea39b760d63594f
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April 17, 2024
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10:00 AM
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MTSS - Addressing Misconceptions
Ashley Springs + Rhonda Harrell (IABS)
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https://ncgov.webex.com/ncgov/j.php?MTID=m8c2cab43d4e6628256bf5f97a73fcbcd
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 The North Carolina Advancing Charter Collaboration and Excellence for Student Success (NC ACCESS) Program and Teach like a Champion have partnered to provide a series of workshops for NC Charter Schools to help improve the academic achievement of students and support the leadership and professional development school leaders and teachers. One of the trainings that is being offered will be held in-person on January 18 -19, 2024, 8:00am – 4:40pm at the McKimmon Conference and Training Center at NC State University in Raleigh, NC.
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Reading Reconsidered
Train-the-Trainer
In-Person Workshop in Raleigh, NC
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Join the TLAC Team for this in-person workshop on January 18-19, 2024, 8:00am - 4:30pm EST in Raleigh.
This practice-intensive workshop provides instructional leaders with materials and guidance to deliver high quality training on literacy instruction and provides teachers with tools to implement research-based literacy instructional practices with their students, both with the goal of driving literacy results in schools.
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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
Other Resources from DPI and beyond
 
FRESH TAKE CONFERENCE REGISTRATION IS OPEN!!!
Please share with your educator friends and colleagues.
We encourage you to pass this information along to anyone who is interested in either attending or presenting at the CSD Annual Fresh Take Conference on
March 1, 2024.
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?
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.
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