Number 10

NC Teacher Working Conditions (TWC) Survey Opens Tomorrow, March 1

The 2024 North Carolina Teacher Working Conditions Survey opens tomorrow, March 1! Teachers will receive a direct link to the survey in their school email inbox and the survey will remain open through Sunday, March 31. 

If you do not receive the survey link on March 1 and think you should have, please reach out to your school's TWC Coordinator. 

As a reminder, we will be hosting weekly office hours throughout the month of March on Thursdays from 4-5 p.m. Additionally, the survey help desk can be reached at 888-404-9704 or surveysupport@adi.org.

Number 9

District Highlight: Dare County Schools Recognized as National Board Accomplished District

"Dare County Schools (DCS) has received national recognition for its highly trained faculty and staff. Over 30 percent of the teachers and counselors in the district have earned National Board Certification. DCS is among the top 14 districts nationwide with the distinction of being a National Board Accomplished District.

National Board Certification is a highly respected credential for PreK-12 teachers and counselors. To earn National Board Certification, teachers must undergo a rigorous performance-based, peer-reviewed assessment.

'Dare County Schools has for years encouraged our teachers to take on this challenging recognition to grow their knowledge and abilities as leaders in their fields,' said Dare County Schools Superintendent Steve Basnight."

Read more here. Congratulations on this accomplishment, Dare County Schools! 

Number 8

A Guide to Help PSUs Sustain Effective Programming Post-ESSER

The Office of Learning Recovery and Acceleration (OLR) has just released a Grant Sustainability guide that is designed to support districts and schools in navigating the landscape of available funding opportunities following the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) program.

This guide aims to empower program leaders by offering insights into various grants that can sustain and bolster initiatives initially funded through ESSER. Through clear, accessible information and curated links to relevant resources, this guide equips educators with the knowledge and tools necessary to identify suitable funding avenues and maximize the impact of their programs. Moreover, it provides practical examples illustrating how these grants can be strategically utilized to ensure the continuity of programming.

If you have questions about how you might apply for any of these grants to sustain ESSER-funded programming in your PSU, please reach out to our team at olr-esser-support@dpi.nc.gov.

Find the OLR Grant Sustainability Guide here. 

Number 7

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 6

Project ExCITE Professional Development Opportunity

Project ExCITE II is an ExCITEing opportunity from NSF to increase capacity to teach AP Computer Science Principles with a hands-on robotics-based curriculum. Recruitment is open now for the 2025-2026 school year. Participants will receive training, travel expenses, a stipend, and a classroom set of Hummingbird Bit Robotics Kits.

More information is available on the Project EcCITE II flyer.

Number 5

2024 Fight the Bite Contest

The NC Division of Public Health, Communicable Disease Branch invites all K-12 students across the state to create and submit an educational poster to help promote the annual “Fight the Bite!” campaign. The goal of “Fight the Bite!” is to educate North Carolinians on preventing vector-borne diseases caused by ticks and mosquitoes such as Rocky Mountain spotted fever, Lyme disease and La Crosse Encephalitis.

Learn more here.

Number 4

Elementary Computer Science Professional Development Opportunity

Announcing the spring Elementary Computer Science professional development courses aimed to equip educators with foundational knowledge and skills to integrate technology effectively into elementary school classrooms. The courses cover the topics of coding basics, digital literacy, and educational technology tools, fostering a comprehensive understanding of how to engage young learners in the rapidly evolving digital landscape. Participants gain practical insights into designing age-appropriate activities, fostering critical thinking, and preparing students for the increasingly technology-driven world.

More information is available on the Spring Elementary Computer Science Professional Development flyer.

Number 3

Dr. Jeni Corn Shares How NC Teacher Working Conditions Survey Will Maintain Anonymity of Respondents

NCDPI's Director of the Office of Research and Evaluation Dr. Jeni Corn, talks about the ways the NC Teacher Working Conditions Survey ensure teachers' responses to the survey are anonymous, "because we value your feedback and we value your voice."

Watch the video here. 

Number 2

$1.3M in Grants Allow NC Schools to Expand Breakfast Access

North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper announced $1.3 million in grants to public school districts and public charter schools across North Carolina to expand access to healthy school breakfast on Tuesday.

The announcement about the NC Innovative School Breakfast Grants is good news for more than 51,000 students across 42 districts. 

'Our public schools not only provide safe places for children to learn, but also healthy meals for students who sometimes face food insecurity at home,' said Cooper. 'These grants will help more public schools provide breakfast for children in the classroom so they can start their day ready to learn and be successful.'

Read more here. 

Number 1

DPI Wants School Grades to Better Reflect School Performance in New Model Presented to Lawmakers

"State Superintendent Catherine Truitt presented the Department of Public Instruction’s (DPI) proposal for school performance grade redesign to lawmakers on Monday during a House education reform committee meeting.

To move forward, the model requires legislative action.

'The new proposed model… aims to tell parents and the public more about the quality of each school and how it is preparing students for life after graduation, rather than solely reflecting student performance on high-stakes testing,' DPI said in a press release.

Currently, school grades are based on each school’s achievement score, weighted 80%, and on students’ academic growth, weighted 20%. Education leaders say that formula does not capture the full picture of the work happening in our public schools. DPI’s presentation said national data 'affirms North Carolina schools are performing considerably better than their state performance grades otherwise suggest.'"

Read the full article here.