Number 10

Seven N.C. Summer Nutrition Program Sponsors Receive Awards

"The N.C. Department of Public Instruction recently recognized seven Summer Nutrition Programs for their efforts in going above and beyond to provide nutritious meals and educational enrichment to kids and teens when school is out. The following 2023 N.C. Summer Nutrition Program awardees were announced during SummerPalooza! Summits held across the state.

N.C. Summer Nutrition Champion Awards

• Boys & Girls Club of the Coastal Plain (Rising Star Award)
• Boys & Girls Club of Wake County (Going the Distance Innovation Award)
• Cumberland County Schools (Going the Distance Innovation Award)
• TCK Providence, Inc. (Going the Distance Innovation Award)
• Franklin County Schools (Farm to Summer Award)
• Gaston County Schools (Farm to Summer Award)

Turnip the Beet Award

• Beaufort County Schools

N.C. Summer Nutrition Champion Awards recognize sponsors who are implementing innovative and creative practices to expand their Summer Nutrition Programs. The Turnip the Beet Award, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), recognizes outstanding Summer Nutrition Program sponsors who work hard to offer high quality meals that are appetizing, appealing and nutritious. For the awards, sponsors may be self-nominated or nominated by a third party such as a community partner. A review panel evaluates all applications and selects the awardees."

Click here to read the full press release. 

Number 9

Educator STEM Day at Fort Liberty

Join Educators from across the state of North Carolina in learning how Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math are integral to the XVIII Airborne Corps. 

• Learn how predictive analysis, AI, and machine learning shape XVIII ABC operations
• Immerse yourself in a hands-on experience as the Robotics
• Training Facility displays Army innovation
• Meet & greet with Army Soldiers utilizing S.T.E.M. skills to solve Soldier problems
• Create your very own take home Conditions Awareness Tool utilizing coding, circuitry, and thermodynamics

Educator STEM Day will be February 28, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. at Fort Liberty. Registration closes February 14. 

Learn more and register here.

Number 8

NC Teacher Working Conditions (TWC) Survey Webinars

NCDPI has overhauled the NC Teacher Working Conditions Survey (TWC). The two main goals for revising the NC TWC include reducing the data collection burden on schools improving data quality and data use. 

To get an overview of the new website, survey updates and process for data collection, register for one of the webinars below:

• District-level: Superintendents, PIOs, etc. (Jan. 16, 8-9 a.m.)
• School-level: NC TWC Coordinators, Principals, APs (Jan. 17, 4-5 p.m.)
• Charter, lab, regional and residential schools: Jan. 18, 11 a.m.-12 p.m.
• NC TWC Open House for Teachers: Jan. 30, 4-5 p.m.

Please note that the webinars are capped at 500 participants, but will be recorded and shared. 

Number 7

NCDPI Accepting Summer 2024 Internship Applications

NCDPI is excited to offer an internship program designed to invite both undergraduate and graduate-level students pursuing degrees in public policy, public administration, education, communication, business management and related fields into the heart of a state government agency. All internships are paid internships. Interns can expect one-on-one guidance from agency staff, opportunities to meet with agency leaders, and the ability to contribute to the work of advocating for and supporting educators and students across North Carolina.

Internship applicants should specify their personal and professional goals in their application documents in order to best pair successful candidates with relevant projects and teams within the Department. Opportunities exist for internships in various fields and with a number of different work units, including opportunities in research, communication, data analytics, legislative affairs, and program management.

Interested candidates are encouraged to review the list of available 2024 summer internship opportunities prior to submitting an application. Learn more about internships at NCDPI and find the online application here.

Number 6

Registration Open for NC State's Annual Hispanic/Latino Professional Educators Summit

Hispanic and Latino educators, as well as non-Hispanic educators from across North Carolina, are invited to attend the 2024 North Carolina Annual Hispanic/Latino Educators Summit. This exciting event will be hosted by the College of Education at NC State and the N.C. Society of Hispanic Professionals.

The summit is a great opportunity to connect with like-minded individuals and explore current trends in Hispanic/Latino K-12 education. Attendees can also learn from expert speakers who will share valuable insights on multilingual learners and will have the chance to network with Hispanic/Latino leaders who share their educational journeys and practical strategies for success.

Learn more and register here.

Number 5

Perspective Piece from Superintendent Truitt: Looking Back and Looking Ahead Across Key Priorities, Dedication of Educators Sets the Standard for Excellence

"As we begin the new year, it is time to reflect on the year’s accomplishments and what is to come. Throughout this past year, the key priorities of the N.C. Department of Public Instruction (DPI) have centered on reading, readiness and reform.

I would like to take this opportunity to share the tremendous strides made in these priorities because of you and what to expect in the coming months as we embark on a new year."

Read the full perspective piece where Superintendent Truitt provides an update and an outlook for 2024 on Reading, Readiness and Reform here.

Number 4

NCDPI CTE Employee Featured as Leader to Watch in Technology and Engineering Education journal

Brent Curran, Computer Science, IT, and Technology Education Consultant on NCDPI's CTE team, is featured in the January issue of the Technology and Engineering Education journal as a leader to watch for the upcoming year!

Congratulations, Brent, and thanks for all you do to support public education in our state! 

Check out the journal here.

Number 3

January Video Message from NC Center for Safer Schools Director Karen Fairley

In her message for January, NC Center for Safer Schools Director Karen Fairley spotlights that January is National Human Trafficking month. She shares some of the Center's upcoming initiatives and events designed to educate stakeholders about human trafficking, recognize the signs and ways to help individuals, especially students, who are caught in this cycle of violence.

Watch the video here.

Number 2

Happy New Year Message from Superintendent Truitt

"Happy New Year to all North Carolina Public Schools students and educators and their families! I wish you a wonderful 2024 ahead and can’t wait to see what we accomplish in the new year!"

Watch Superintendent Truitt's Happy New Year video message here.

Number 1

Latest Data Shows Continued Improvements on Learning Recovery

"A new analysis of North Carolina 2022-23 test results indicates clear signs of continued academic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. This latest evidence of post-pandemic recovery in the state’s public schools was presented today to the State Board of Education by Dr. Jeni Corn, director of research and evaluation in the N.C. Department of Public Instruction’s (NCDPI) Office of Learning Recovery and Acceleration (OLR).

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Superintendent Catherine Truitt created the OLR in March 2021 to help recover the lost instructional time resulting from disrupted educational experiences across the state. The mission of the OLR is to serve Public School Units (PSUs) by providing the information and support needed to make evidence-based decisions and to mitigate the impact of lost instructional time while accelerating learning for all students. One important undertaking of the OLR was a report that would measure the pandemic’s impact on learning across all grades and subjects for North Carolina’s students.

Released today, the 2023 Year-Over-Year State Analysis Report indicates further progress toward the recovery thresholds, meaning that North Carolina schools are steadily continuing to recover from the pandemic with gains virtually across all grades and subjects. Two of 16 standardized assessments (EOG Reading Grade 3 and EOC English II) already show gains above the recovery thresholds."

Read the full press release here.