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 – November 3, 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.
Allotment Policy Manual Updates – All PSUs
The State Board of Education approved several updates to the State Allotment Policy Manual at their November meeting. They have been posted to the website, including a brief summary of changes.
Allotment Updates – LEAs and Charters
There are several allotments that will be posted to the system next week. Below is a timeline on when to expect to see the changes in the system. As a reminder, all charter schools that are not on disciplinary status will receive 100% of their state allotment on November 7.
Charter School State Initial Allotments – Posted to the allotment system by the end of business Tuesday, November 7, 2023.
Month 1 Charter School Adjustments – Posted to the allotment system by the end of business Tuesday, November 7, 2023.
Federal Initial (for all PRCs that have budgets) – Will follow immediately after the charter school allocations.
Please email all questions to allotments@dpi.nc.gov to ensure they get addressed as quickly as possible. Thank you!
CASH processing for November and December – all PSUs
Due to the changes in the NCFS system, we must limit the volume of cash transactions to help ensure a better process flow. We are currently processing cash request once-a-week. This will not violate any State or Federal laws. (Frequently referred to as the “3 day” rule).
Initially, DPI was planning to process cash requests on Monday, and distributions on Wednesday (Local), Thursday (State), and Friday (Federal). However, due to system issues, we are not able to implement that plan at this current time. We had to revamp the process that is more feasible for the system. The following changes have been made to request cash: Monday (Federal), Tuesday (State), and Wednesday (Local), all which would receive funds on Friday.
During the Holiday Schedule, there will be changes to the current processing structure. To receive federal funds in the last week of November, we would have to make the cutoff date November 24, 2023. However, DPI cannot move the cash request date due to the Thanksgiving Holiday. We need four days after the cutoff date to process the local, state, and federal requests. If not processed before November 24th, funds will not be received until December 1st. The dates used in November will impact how we process cash for December.
Please follow the schedule below for November and December. PLEASE ORDER CASH BY 5:00 PM TO GUARANTEE DELIVERY OF FUNDS ON THE FUND REQUEST DATE.
- Last Cash Requests for November must be received by:
- November 16, 2023, to receive Federal Funds on November 22, 2023
- November 17, 2023, to receive State Funds on November 22, 2023
- Last Cash Requests for December must be received by:
- December 18, 2023, to receive Federal Funds on December 22, 2023
- December 19, 2023, to receive State Funds on December 22, 2023
Reminder: We will be processing the September and October Zero-Out next week.
Due to the retirement of Edwin Stone, please send all Cash Management inquiries to Jessica Vaughan (Jessica.Vaughan@dpi.nc.gov) and Laura Greenwood (Laura.Greenwood@dpi.nc.gov).
Financial Statement Audits Due – All PSUs
The financial statement audit was due by October 31st. Although an audit will be considered late after October 31st, DPI will not require a letter of explanation from the PSU’s auditor if the audit is remitted before November 30th. After November 30th an explanation from the auditor should be sent to the PSU’s board chair with an explanation of the reason for the delay and the estimated completion time. A copy of the letter should be submitted to Irwin.Benjamin@dpi.nc.gov. Please note that untimely audit submissions may be subject to noncompliance procedures.
Local Charter School Transfer of Funds Templates and FAQ
Session Law 2023-134 (HB 259) modified the per pupil Local funding for virtual charter schools to be consistent with other funding to other charter schools at the per pupil share of the local current expense fund of the LEA (previously capped at $790).
The Local Charter School Transfer Guidance document and templates have been updated to reflect this change. Virtual charter schools are required to remit a monthly transfer request to the applicable LEAs. Guidance and templates are provided on DPI’s website under the Webinars section. An FAQ for Local Charter School Transfers can be found on DPI’s website under the Webinars section.
Please note the original transfer request and payment templates have both been updated since they were originally published. Charter Schools and LEAs using the templates, should use the most recent templates.
Paid Parental Leave Substitute Reimbursement – Independent Public Schools Only
Finance Directors of Charter Schools (CS) who opt in through EPIC to participate in the Paid Parental Leave Policy and the Lab schools will be required to complete and sign the attestation statement on the Parental Leave Substitute Reimbursement Form.
The interactive form will be made available under Paid Parental Leave in the What’s New Section on the FBS Website after the Office of Charter Schools (OCS) obtains the final compilation of IPSs that elect to opt in. This section also contains a presentation, employee benefits manual updates and reimbursement procedure documents relating to paid parental leave. Additional guidance will be provided prior to the first reimbursement submission.
Please adhere to the submission dates to ensure timely allotment reimbursements in January and June. As a reminder, these are allotted with state funds that expire on June 30th. No funding is available to honor requests that are submitted past the final deadline as these reimbursements must be made in the same fiscal year.
For policy questions, contact OCS at ocs@dpi.gov.
For allotment questions, contact Allotments@dpi.nc.gov.
From the District Operations Division – All PSUs
School Safety Grant Reminder
The School Safety Grant application is open in CCIP until 13 November at 11:59 p.m. This grant is for Safety Equipment, Services for Students in Crisis and Training to Increase School Safety. Please submit your application to the “Chief Administrator Approved” status by 13 November.
Reminders
Application for ESSER II Liquidation Extension - Complete the online survey by November 3, 2023 and the application process by November 17, 2023. Without an approved extension, obligated ESSER II funds must be liquidated by December 29, 2023.
Details are in the October 27, 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 *
Retroactive salary adjustments related to the implementation of the State Budget for salary and benefit increases must be completed by November 30, 2023.
Details are on the October 27, 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.
K-8 Digital Literacy (Learning.com) Funding Opportunity
The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI) is pleased to announce that public school units (PSUs) in NC Tier 1 and Tier 2 counties are eligible to receive NCDPI K-8 Digital Literacy funding for the 2023-2024 school year. This funding will support the implementation of the Learning.com K-8 Digital Literacy curriculum, which is designed to encourage student growth in computational thinking, coding, digital citizenship, online safety, keyboarding, business applications, and computer fundamentals. If your PSU has already accepted funding for the 2023-2024 school year, no further action is needed.
For additional information, please join one of our webinars:
We ask that all PSUs in Tier 1 and Tier 2 counties that have not already accepted funding, complete this form by November 20, 2023 indicating their interest. We anticipate this form may take 8-10 minutes.
If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to your DTL Regional Consultant:
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
Teaching the Craft of Writing PD
The NCDPI ELA Team invites teachers to participate in professional learning on Teaching the Craft of Writing. This one-day PD will be grounded in the Literacy Instruction Standards, ELA Standard Course of Study, current research, and the recommendations and guidance in the NCDPI ELA Team’s writing guidebook (to be released in January 2024). Collectively, participating teachers can use this learning to make informed and effective decisions when developing their vision for teaching writing.
Professional learning will be held face-to-face on the dates, times, and locations below. Participants are encouraged to bring a device.
East: February 1, 2024 | 8:30 AM - 3:30 PM | Lenoir County
West: February 13, 2024 | 8:30 AM - 3:30 PM | Burke County
Central: February 15, 2024 | 8:30 AM - 3:30 PM | DPI
Central: February 16, 2024 | 8:30 AM - 3:30 PM | Hoke County
Central: February 21, 2024 | 8:30 AM - 3:30 PM | DPI
Virtual: February 29, 2024 | 8:30 AM - 12:30 PM
Please note priority registration will be given to districts attending PD closest to their region.
Spots are limited for the in-person option. Once a location’s registration is full, registrants will be put on a waiting list. Registration is not finalized until registrants receive confirmation from the NCDPI ELA Team.
Register Today!
Multilingual Learners brief
Our commitment to fostering diversity and inclusivity within the classroom is steadfast. We strive to ensure that every student, regardless of their background or linguistic proficiency, is provided with opportunities to excel and reach their full potential. In this pursuit, the ML/Title III and the Advanced Learning and Gifted Education teams are working together in an effort to recognize ML Students whose exceptional abilities and talents often remain concealed within the complexities of language acquisition. We are pleased to share a Call-to-Action paper: Strategic Actions to Realize Equity and Excellence in Gifted Education for Multilingual Learners.
Plans are underway for professional development across the state. A sql report 'Academically or Intellectually Gifted/ML students' will soon be active in PowerSchool. If you have any success with identifying ML students as AIG, please email ESLTitleIII@dpi.nc.gov. We would love to highlight your story!
Thank you!
Susan Walz Multilingual Learner/Title III Consultant English Language Arts and Languages Office of Academic Standards NC Department of Public Instruction P: (984) 236-2847 susan.walz@dpi.nc.gov
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
CTE Webinar and CTE State Assessment Training
The CTE Regional Services team is hosting its second webinar for charter schools who offer CTE programs or have student enrollments in CTE courses through NCVPS on Thursday, November 16, from 9:00 a.m. until 11:30 a.m. Participants will hear from NCDPI CTE on the following topics.
- CTE Concentrator Calculation Report and its connection to WorkKeys
- CTE CCP Course Codes and Pathways
- CTE Enrollment File
- CTE Item Banks
- NCCTE Admin Data Collection
Additionally, charter school contacts will receive CTE State Assessment training during this session. CTE State Assessment training is required of all charter schools who have students enrolled in CTE courses with a CTE State Assessment as the proof of learning.
November 16, 2023, 9:00-11:30 a.m. (Meeting link)
Charter school contacts who are unable to attend CTE State Assessment training on this date may join the makeup session on Friday, November 17, at 8:30 a.m.
CTE State Assessment Training Makeup: November 17, 2023, 8:30-10:00 a.m. (Meeting link)
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
After School Robotics and Plasma Games Competitive Grant Opportunities!
Greetings colleagues,
On behalf of the Dept. of Public Instruction I wanted to make you aware of 2 competitive grants that were approved by the General Assembly in the most recent budget and that we are excited to open for interest.
The grants will be run through the CCIP system. The applications and budget portions of the CCIP system are still being processed. We wanted to provide as much possible time for PSUs to review the opportunities and begin planning and pulling together necessary information. As soon as the applications are ready in CCIP we will immediately share the information with everyone.
All PSUs are encouraged to read through the grant details. A few important notes about both:
- The grants are specific to the 2023-2024 school year and must be fully spent with all related purchases/services fully delivered by September 30th, 2024.
- Both grants are tied to remaining ESSER 3 funds, so there remains the need to connect to pandemic recovery.
- The grants are similar to ones from the previous budget, but each does have some changes. Please read the new budget details, guidelines and criteria closely. Let us know any questions you have about either grant opportunity.
Please reach out with any questions. As soon as the applications are ready within CCIP we will reach out to all PSUs, in the meantime we encourage everyone to look over these wonderful opportunities and the specifics for each.
Respectfully,
Charles Aiken, Ed.D.Section ChiefMathematics, Science and STEM Office of Academic Standards NC Department of Public Instruction P: (984) 236-2837 charles.aiken@dpi.nc.gov
Important MEMOs:
Office of Charter Schools (OCS) Updates
It was wonderful to see Charter School Leaders at the October OCS Lunch+Learn Huddle. The conversation around Strategic Planning focused on Enrollment and Marketing was top-notch. Many participants said the session was informative and insightful. Participants also enjoyed an opportunity to mingle with colleagues.
Did you miss the October Huddle? No worries! You can review the presentation and resources HERE. Our presenters, Jonathan Bryant and Melissa Lasarsky from Lincoln Charter, are willing to connect with you. Their contact information is embedded in the presentation.
The Office of Charter Schools looks forward to connecting with you at our next Winter Lunch+Learn Huddle on February 19 at Pine Springs Charter in Holly Springs, NC. Register HERE.
For questions, contact Dr. Brandi Gill at brandi.gill@dpi.nc.gov
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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Other Resources from DPI and beyond
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
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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