Number 10

NC Teacher Working Conditions (TWC) Survey Open Through March 31

The 2024 North Carolina Teacher Working Conditions Survey is open and will be available to take through March 31! Teachers should have received a direct link to the survey in their school email inbox. 

If you or someone at your school did not receive the survey link on March 1 and think you or they should have, please reach out to your school's TWC Coordinator or Survey Support. 

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

Durham’s Northern High Wins 2024 NC Jr. Chef Competition

"Three high school teams competed as finalists in the annual North Carolina Jr. Chef Competition to create unique school lunch entrée recipes – and today one was crowned the winner. The Flaming Knights from Northern High School (Durham Public Schools) won first place and a silver medal for their crispy taquitos recipe.

High school students across the state were challenged to work with their teachers and School Nutrition administrators to develop creative recipes for school lunch entrées that are compliant with School Nutrition program standards, include at least two North Carolina-grown products and one USDA Foods item, are replicable by School Nutrition programs and are appealing to students."

Congratulation, Northern High Flaming Knights! Read more here. 

Number 8

Dual Enrollment in North Carolina Grew 12% in 2022-23

Dual enrollment increased by 12% in North Carolina during the 2022-23 academic year. According to a recent report to the General Assembly, more than 78,000 students across the state participated in Career and College Promise (CCP) — a program that allows high school students to take college courses tuition-free.

Dr. Brian Merritt, senior vice president and chief academic officer at the North Carolina Community College System (NCCCS), said in a press release that it’s no surprise participation continues to increase statewide.

“These tuition-free opportunities are drivers of economic mobility and generational change for high school students and their families,” he said.

Read the full story here. 

Number 7

A Rural North Carolina School District Welcomes Affordable Housing Complex for Teachers

"When Otis Smallwood was hired to be superintendent of Bertie County Schools — a return home to the school district he once attended as a student — he knew his charge was to find a way to attract more teachers to the district and get them to stay.

'The [school] board had challenged me, ‘We've got to find some teachers, find some teachers find some teachers,’' Smallwood recalled. 'And we’ve got to keep our teachers because they're leaving, going to other places.'

A lack of housing in the area was one factor impacting poor teacher retention. Now after several years of work, Smallwood hopes that a new housing complex — that school administrators helped to spearhead — will help curtail teacher turnover.

This summer, a new foundation called Partners for Bertie County Public Schools will open a 24-unit apartment complex in Windsor designed to house teachers."

Read the full story here. 

Number 6

Print Copies of Literacy Instruction Standards Available for Purchase

Visit NCDPI's Publication Sales Catalog to order print copies of the Literacy Instruction Standards (LIS) for use by PLCs, grade-level teams, etc. in exploring and implementing the LIS into classroom instruction.

Copies can be purchased by downloading the sales order form. Information about payment options is found on the Publication Sales homepage.

Number 5

NC DNA Day 2024 - Sign Up to Have a NC Scientist Speak With Your Classroom

Would you like a scientist from one of NC’s leading research institutions to talk with your high school science classroom?

Each year, NC DNA Day sends scientists to classrooms across NC. During the visit, the scientist will teach an interactive and engaging module on an aspect of genetics and biotechnology. In addition, the ambassador will talk with your students about his or her own research and about exciting careers in biotechnology!

To have a scientist speak with your high school classroom and present an engaging module covering a topic related to genetics and genomics, click here. The deadline to apply is March 31. 

Number 4

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 3

RISE Back to School Safety Summit Call for Proposals

The 2024 RISE Back to School Safety Summit – the Center for Safer Schools’ signature event – will be held in Wilmington from July 29-August 2. If you or someone you know has a school safety workshop that would be appreciated by participants at the summit, please complete the Call for Proposals form for each presenter and each topic.

The submission deadline is Friday, March 29, with notifications going out in late April. If you have questions, send an email to cfss@dpi.nc.gov.

Number 2

New SUN Bucks Food Program to Feed Children Over the Summer

"A new program is expected to provide food for nearly a million school children in North Carolina this summer. The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, in partnership with the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, today announced its intent to administer the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s new Summer Electronic Benefits Transfer (S-EBT) Program known as "SUN Bucks."

Communications from NCDHHS and NC DPI will be sent to families this week alerting them to the new SUN Bucks program. If you receive a call, email or text from NCDHHS, please do not disregard. Families are encouraged to keep their contact information up to date with their child’s school and with their local Department of Social Services if receiving nutrition or other benefits, so they do not miss out on the potential SUN Bucks benefit.

Families who qualify for the SUN Bucks program will receive a one-time payment of $120 per eligible child for the summer period. SUN Bucks will be delivered to families on debit-like EBT cards for families to purchase groceries at retailers that accept EBT, including most major grocery stores in North Carolina."

Learn more here.

Number 1

20 North Carolina Public School Units to Receive Nearly $1 Million in STEM Grants

"Twenty North Carolina public school units (PSUs) will benefit from nearly $1 million dollars in grants intended to expand and enrich Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education. The Increasing Engagement in STEM grants, included in the most recent budget by the General Assembly, provide funds to PSUs to engage grades 6-8 students in experiential STEM education programs.

The grant opportunity generated significant interest across the state, with the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI) receiving 68 applications - 43 from local education agencies (LEAs), or school districts, and 25 from charter schools."

Congratulations to the awardees! Read the full press release and see the list of grant awardees here.