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As National School Choice Week approaches, we’re joining the National School Choice Week celebration because every child deserves an education that supports their talents and needs. School choice is the process of allowing every family to choose the K-12 educational options that best fit their children.
Check out all the resources provided by NSCW.- https://schoolchoiceweek.com/event-ideas/
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Register for OLR's February Regional Data and Planning Sessions
In response to the upcoming ESSER funding cliff, the Office of Learning Recovery and Acceleration at NCDPI will be hosting 10 regional workshops in February 2024 focused on new student outcome datasets and utilizing the ESSER Funding Cliff Toolkit. The purpose of these sessions is to provide PSU leaders with relevant information and data around ESSER expenditures and student outcomes as well as resources to understand which ESSER investments were most effective. Session participants will leave with an understanding of how to use a data-driven approach to evaluate investments and make sound budgeting decisions beyond September 2024. Review the draft agenda for more information about sessions and schedule.
Due to site capacity and funding, these sessions are limited to 6 attendees per district and 3 attendees per charter school. Please work with your district or school leaders to assemble a team of key decision makers around ESSER and budgeting. We suggest including at least the CFO, the Federal Programs Director, and Superintendent or designee.
To register to attend a regional event, please click here: https://app.smartsheet.com/b/form/11f2369d28fe44db87fda24067f4e4d5.
Once you register, you will receive an automated email that contains the address of the session you registered to attend.
If you have any questions, please contact the OLR Project Manager, Jay Johnson, at jay.johnson@dpi.nc.gov or ARP Program Administrator, Dr. Richard Lewis, at Richard.lewis@dpi.nc.gov
 
New Licensure Information
Education Leaders,
We hope this communication finds you well and your new year is off to a wonderful start. As always, our commitment to ensuring the highest quality education for North Carolina’s students remains unwavering. With this in mind, we are excited to inform you of our continued focus on supporting educator licensing and licensure staff training for the current school year. Please see the information in the linked memo on several initiatives, resources, and updated processes to better serve public school units and educators.
If you have any questions or need further information, please feel free to contact Susan Ruiz (susan.ruiz@dpi.nc.gov) or Tom Tomberlin (thomas.tomberlin@dpi.nc.gov).
Reminder: Upcoming NC Teacher Working Conditions Survey Webinars
School leaders and communication leaders,
As a reminder, NCDPI has overhauled the NC Teacher Working Conditions Survey (see presentation and revised survey). The two main goals for revising the NC TWC include 1) reduce the data collection burden on schools; and, 2) improve data quality and data use.
*NEW* NC Teacher Working Conditions Survey Timeline
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January 2023 WEBINARS* to get an overview of the new website, survey update, process for data collection
- Jan 18 at 11 → Charter, lab, regional and residential schools (register here)
- Jan. 30 at 4 p.m. → NCTWC Open House for Teachers (register here)
*webinars are capped at 500 participants but will be recorded and shared
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February - March 2024: Social media campaign kicks off, survey support is available, and weekly office hours in place
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March 1, 2024: Emails sent to every classroom teacher and student services personnel with an individualized link to the survey; NC TWC Help Desk Opens
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March 1-31, 2024: NC TWC Survey Open!
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April 2024: NC TWC local results shared with districts and charter leaders
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May 2024: NC TWC statewide results shared with NC State Board of Education
NC FOSTER CARE EDUCATION PROGRAM
The NC Foster Care Education Program will host a virtual training on Wednesday, January 17, 2024, from 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM titled Understanding ESSA 101 for New Foster Care Point of Contacts (POCs). This session is intended for foster care POCs who are new to their role and will provide guidance on the federal and state mandates concerning the educational rights of students in foster care. If you previously attended a Foster Care Education training earlier this school year, please know that you are welcome to attend this session as well, however, the same material will be covered. Registration is required, please REGISTER HERE.
If you have any questions or concerns about this training, please contact LJ Von Dohlen at lvondohlen@serve.org or 743-208-3686.
Threat Assessment Update (House Bill 605)
The Center for Safer Schools wants to update public-school units on processes related to House Bill 605. For more information, see the attached letter from CFSS Executive Director Karen W. Fairley.
If you have questions, send an email to cfss@dpi.nc.gov.
About the Center for Safer Schools
The Center for Safer Schools serves to promote safe learning environments for North Carolina K-12 schools. The CFSS serves as a hub of information and technical assistance on school safety to school faculty and staff, law enforcement, youth-serving community agencies, juvenile justice officials, policymakers, parents/guardians and students. CFSS staff focuses on school climate, school discipline and emergency preparedness concerns for North Carolina’s public K-12 schools. CFSS staff is available to provide training, guidance and technical assistance upon request for school faculty and staff and those working with children and adolescents. The CFSS is headed by Karen W. Fairley, Executive Director.
School Business January 12, 2024
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No new items from SBS this week.
Deadline Reminders
ALL PSUs
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DUE DATE
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TOPIC
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NEWSLETTER
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PAST DUE
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Real Property Status Survey
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11/13/2023
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PAST DUE
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Financial Statement Audits
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9/15/2023, 11/03/2023, and 12/01/2023
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01/15/2024
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Plasma Games Competitive Grant Opportunity
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12/08/2023
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01/19/2024
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Legislated Survey for Federal Use of Funds
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01/05/2024
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*View prior newsletters online: Newsletters and Guidance | NC DPI.
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𝐃𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐄𝐱𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞 𝐉𝐚𝐧 𝟐𝟗 - 𝐅𝐞𝐛 𝟏, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒
Registration is NOW OPEN! Think Home Base Meetups meets Regional Technology Directors Meetings! The NC Digital Leaders Exchange (formerly Home Base Meetups) is coming to a location near you soon! Each event will run from the West to the East while also aligning each “exchange” with a part of the Digital Learning Plan. In January/February, along with our typical Home Base product offerings, there will be 3 tracks: One for SIS Coordinators, one for E-Rate support/filing assistance, and one for all other participants with content wrapped around Human Capacity.
Stay tuned for further information!
We will meet from 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM and lunch will be catered. Register for a date & location that best fits your schedule.
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Human Trafficking Prevention Month
January is National Human Trafficking Prevention Month, which raises awareness about human trafficking and serves to educate the public about how to identify and prevent it. The Center for Safer Schools is doing its part by hosting eight simultaneous screenings of the film “Choices” across each of its eight educational regions.
The screenings will be held at the following locations on Thursday, Jan. 25 from 6:00-7:30 p.m.:
Western: Minitorium, 175 Bingham Road, Asheville
Northwest: Bowman Middle School Auditorium, 410 S. Mitchell Ave., Bakersville
Southwest: West Cabarrus High School, 4100 Weddington Road, Concord
Piedmont-Triad: Morehead High School, 134 N. Pierce St., Eden
North Central: Room 150, Education Building, 301 N. Wilmington St., Raleigh
Sandhills: Turlington School Auditorium, 116 W. Prospect Ave., Raeford
Southeast: Odell Williamson Auditorium, Brunswick Community College, 50 College Road NW, Bolivia
Northeast: Northampton County High School, 152 Hurricane Drive, Gaston
Following the screenings, Center for Safer Schools staff will facilitate a discussion about the film and how it relates to human trafficking.
RSVP at https://forms.gle/gzmgVUiZAFWkiaRK7. If you have questions, send an email to cfss@dpi.nc.gov.
SRMP Training
The Center for Safer Schools announces dates for School Risk Management Plan training during the 2024 spring semester.
In-person sessions at the Training Center in Moore County will be held from 10 a.m. to noon Wednesday, Jan. 10; Wednesday, Feb. 7; Wednesday, March 6; and Thursday, April 4.
Online sessions via Webex will be held from 2-4 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 9; Tuesday, Feb. 6; Tuesday, March 5; and Wednesday, April 3.
After completing SRMP training, attendees will be able to:
- Input site-based school data to develop a comprehensive schematic diagram and plans into the SRMP portal.
- Both identify and discuss vulnerabilities and training gaps in their individual plans.
- At least once annually initiate a full schoolwide tabletop exercise on the procedures documented in the SRMP portal.
To obtain the most beneficial training within the SRMP system, charter school personnel should ensure that their school has been loaded into the SRMP and that they have an active NCID and are able to log into SRMP. LEA personnel should make sure they can log into SRMP using their NCID.
If you are not able to log in, click here to try to reset your NCID password first.
Attendees are encouraged to bring a laptop, as they will receive technical guidance to ensure their plans meet the necessary state requirements. Please register for only one session, as they’re all the same.
For more information on SRMP training, send an email to CFSS Assistant Director-Physical Security Karen Everett.
The NC SECU People Helping People scholarship application is due March 5th
NCSECU Foundation Scholarship
SECU Foundation takes an active role in assisting communities across North Carolina because we believe in “People Helping People®.” To support this commitment, the People Helping People scholarship was established to help North Carolina public high school students attend college. A scholarship award of up to $10,000 over four years will be awarded to 10 Charter High School Seniors across the state. The Application Process will open on December 1st. Please share this scholarship opportunity with your high school guidance counselors and deans to promote this scholarship opportunity. Applications will close on March 5th, 2024, with selection interviews starting March 22nd, 2024. All final nominations are due to Dr. Natasha Norins by March 5th via email with PDF attachments from applicants. For further assistance, please contact Dr. Natasha Norins, natasha.norins@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.
NCSBE Rulemaking Information
Below is a link to the website where we post information about SBE Rulemaking. It typically gets updated on the Friday the week after the SBE proposes a rule.
Important MEMOs:
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Office of Charter Schools (OCS) Updates
January provided a grand opportunity to collaborate with the Office of Learning Recovery & Acceleration on ESSER funding and Program Enrichment support. If you missed us, you can view the presentation HERE.
 OCS Lunch+Learn
Mark your calendar! Our next quarterly Lunch+Learn is scheduled for February 19 at Pine Springs Preparatory from 11:30 am-1:30 pm. School tours will begin at 10:30 am. The topic of discussion is Navigating Charter School Legislation. Please RSVP HERE.
We look forward to collaborating with you!
Other Resources from DPI and beyond
NCVPS Updates
1. NCVPS Continues Tutoring Program
It is time for yet another upcoming, exciting, and highly beneficial semester of Edvantage Tutoring offered by North Carolina Virtual Public School (NCVPS). As a quick introduction (or reminder) about the program, you may view their infographic for an overview of Edvantage Tutoring.
NCVPS Edvantage Tutoring is offered in the following curriculum areas:
• 7th & 8th Grade ELA
• 7th & 8th Grade Math
• 7th & 8th Grade Science
• 8th Grade Math I
• High School Math I
• High School Math III
• High School Biology
*An asynchronous Writing Lab is offered
*ACT prep sessions are also offered
Tutoring for the Spring begins Monday, January 22, 2024, and will be available Monday-Thursday, 4:00 PM-7:30 PM nightly (through May 23rd). Daytime tutoring is also available per school/district request and may be utilized for students who are in ISS, suspended, homebound, absent, and/or working from home, McKinney-Vento, athletes needing extra support, etc.
2. Earn CEUs with NCVPS Free Professional Development
Each month, NCVPS offers several professional development sessions featuring interactive conversations in our Digital Transition webinars. Sessions feature a wide range of topics and offer CEUs in various disciplines. Sessions are also recorded, archived, and searchable. January sessions include:
“Digital Tools for Core Subject Courses”
Presenter: Nancy Hooper. Target Audience: All Are Welcome. CEU Type: Digital Learning.
Register for January 30th at 7:00pm
WORLD LANGUAGES: “Using Bloom’s Taxonomy to Create Escape Rooms for Language Learners”
Presenter: Elena Allen. Target Audience: Spanish & World Language Teachers; All Are Welcome. CEU Credit Type: Spanish or Digital Learning.
Register for January 31st at 6:30pm
Social Studies Educators,
Recognizing continuities and changes over time is a critical social studies skill students must acquire. So, what are some best practices for teaching Continuity and Change Over Time (CCOT)?
Join us in this webinar workshop to find out!
Use the QR Code Below and Register Today!
Michelle McLaughlin
K-12 Social Studies Consultant; U. S. Senate Youth Coordinator
Office of Academic Standards
NC Department of Public Instruction
(W) 984-236-2827
Michelle.McLaughlin@dpi.nc.gov
School Counselor Cohort resource
Any school counselors who wish to network may share their information in this form.
You may also view the current list through this link.
SEL statewide offerings
The peer-reviewed journal Social and Emotional Learning: Research, Practice, and Policy is seeking submissions for an upcoming special issue on: Adult Social and Emotional Learning: Implications for Educational Transformation. Check out the full guidelines to learn more and view an example Policy article to help you get started! All open-article fees are covered through funding agreements. Authors interested in contributing a manuscript for this special issue are asked to first submit a letter of intent via an online portal. Letters of intent must be submitted online by January 31, 2024. Click here to learn more and submit!
AMCHP has opened the application window for Replication Project grants. NC Project AWARE/ACTIVATE holds a designation as a Best Practice in AMCHP’s Innovation Hub and thus organizations can apply for a grant up to $25,000 to replicate elements of our school behavioral health model. Edgecombe County Schools has previously received an AMCHP Replication Project grant and applied the NC AWARE/ACTIVATE model to their HOPE Alternative Learning Program.
Application deadline is March 1, 2024.
See the Readiness Checklist. Reach out to Heidi.Austin@dpi.nc.gov if you have further questions.
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.
Lab School Opportunities
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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