Number 10

NCSTAR Spring 2024 Professional Development

The Office of District & Regional Support is excited to announce the Spring 2024 NCStar & School Improvement Planning Professional Development! 

This two-day training will be offered in six different locations across the state March-May. These sessions will cover content similar to what was shared during the Fall 2023 trainings, such as the continuous improvement pathway, and will offer collaborative work time for each school improvement planning component. Spring 2024 sessions also offer resources and strategies including tips for implementing recent changes to the 12 Key Indicators. 

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 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 evaluation of a school’s School Improvement Plan.   

To register, please click on this link: Spring 2024 Regional Training - NCStar Registration. 

Number 9

North Carolina Featured in 2024 National Educational Technology Plan

North Carolina was highlighted as a best practice example of having a state Digital Learning Plan that aligns with the state Portrait of a Graduate in the 2024 National Educational Technology Plan (NETP): A Call to Action for Closing the Digital Access, Design and Use Divides!

First released in fulfillment of Improving America’s Schools Act of 1994, NETP has been updated multiple times since its original release, most recently in 2016. While past NETPs have largely served as surveys of the state of the field, the Department of Education’s 2024 NETP frames three key divides limiting the transformational potential of educational technology to support teaching and learning, including: 

Check out the 2024 NETP here and find the highlight on North Carolina on page 19. 

Number 8

2024 NC Teacher Working Conditions (TWC) Reminders

Throughout the month of January NCDPI hosted a series of NC TWC webinars. The links to those webinars can be found here. 

NCDPI will continue to host NC TWC office hours every Thursday from 4-5 p.m. through March 29. Join office hours here. 

As a reminder for TWC Coordinators, if you have not already done so, please confirm or update your school's expected survey count. If you have questions about this, please email NCTWC@dpi.nc.gov. 

Number 7

National School Counseling Week

This week is National School Counseling Week, celebrating the theme: "School Counseling: Standards-Based, Student-Focused"

Please join the North Carolina School Counselor Association (NCSCA) for “Coffee with a Counselor” each day of National School Counseling Week for a variety of topics and grade bands by registering here.

Number 6

World Languages Draft 2 General Survey

State Board of Education policy specifies that the NC Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI) will formally collect feedback on the draft revised standards from educators, administrators, parents, students, institutions of higher education, business/industry representatives, and other education agencies. The purpose of this survey is to obtain input from educators and stakeholders familiar with the World Languages Standard Course of Study in order to inform revision decisions.

The NCDPI World Languages team requests your thoughtful input and comments on Draft 2 of the revised academic standards for World Languages to inform the revision process.

Complete the general feedback survey here. The survey will close on March 4.

Number 5

NC Virtual Public School (NCVPS) to Offer Free Digital Transition Professional Development Sessions for Educators in February

• February 13 at 6:00 pm - Teaching Difficult History: Part 1. CEU: Social Studies or General.
• February 21 at 6:30 pm - WORLD LANGUAGE track: Motivating World Language Learners in the Digital Classroom (German-focused). CEU: German or Digital Learning.
• February 28 at 6:00 pm - Teaching Difficult History: Part 2. CEU: Social Studies or General.

Visit the NCVPS Digital Transitions website for registration links and archived recordings of all sessions.

Number 4

Registration Open for North Carolina Alliance of Black School Educators First Annual Statewide Conference

The North Carolina Alliance of Black School Educators (NCABSE) will host its first annual statewide conference March 8-9, 2024 in Charlotte. The theme of the conference is "Leading Change and Embracing Innovation: Focusing on Accountability, Evidence of New Mindsets,
Positive Results and Improved Student Achievement." 

The conference is open to superintendents, principals, school board members, teachers, instructional coaches, curriculum staff, students, parents and community members. 

Learn more about the conference and register here. Early bird registration is open through February 9. 

Number 3

Consolidated Data Report Shows Decrease in Dropouts, Increase in School Incidents

"North Carolina public school units (PSUs) reported a decrease in dropouts in North Carolina school districts and charter schools in 2022-23, according to the annual Consolidated Data Report which was presented today to the State Board of Education by the Center for Safer Schools (CFSS). The report’s findings increase safety awareness and allow school districts to evaluate safety protocols while facilitating discussions around how to improve, identify and strengthen safety measures in schools and communities.

The number of acts of crime and violence, as well as suspensions, increased from the 2021-22 school year.

PSUs reported 10,523 dropouts in Grades 1-12, an 11.7 percent decrease from 11,711 in 2021-22. The number of high school dropouts (Grades 9-13) was the lowest in a non-pandemic school year since 2013-14. In 2022-23, 9,612 high school dropouts were reported, a 13.3 percent decrease from 10,841 in 2021-22."

Read the full press release and find the full Consolidated Data Report here. 

Number 2

North Carolina Students Set State Record for CTE Credential Attainment

"More than 325,000 credentials were earned by career and technical education (CTE) high school students in the 2022-23 academic year, the highest attainment rate in the 13 years that North Carolina’s Department of Public Instruction, and the Office of Career and Technical Education (NC CTE), has collected data.

This news comes from the 2022-23 Credential Attainment Data Report, which will be presented to the State Board of Education at its Wednesday meeting.

CTE students achieved a 41% credential attainment rate for the 2022-23 school year, an impressive jump from 28% in 2021-22. Additionally, there was a 44% increase in attainment of credentials that align with the North Carolina Workforce Credentials (NCWF) partners list."

Read the full press release here. 

Number 1

Toolkit from NCDPI, NC Chamber Foundation Connects Employers with Students

"A new toolkit is now available to align North Carolina’s rapidly changing workforce with the K-12 public education system. State Superintendent of Public Instruction Catherine Truitt joined the NC Chamber President and CEO Gary Salamido to unveil a new Employer Toolkit. This project is the latest partnership between the two, and a follow-up to the 2022 launch of “The Year of the Workforce,” where the NC Department of Public Instruction rolled out four workforce goals at the NC Chamber Foundation and published its workforce development website."

Read the full press release here. Find the Employer Toolkit here.