Number 10

NC Teacher Working Conditions (TWC) Survey - DEADLINE EXTENDED TO APRIL 5

The 2024 North Carolina Teacher Working Conditions Survey is open and will be available to take through Friday, April 5. 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

Edvantage Tutoring with NC Virtual Public School

Edvantage Tutoring, as part of North Carolina Virtual Public School (NCVPS), is in the midst of another great semester, continuing to tutor students across NC. The semester is moving right along and exam time will be here soon! Consider allowing your students to participate in Edvantage for tutoring as they prepare for exams!

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
• High School Chemistry
  *An asynchronous Writing Lab is offered

Tutoring for the Spring is available Monday-Thursday from 4-7:30 p.m. nightly through May 23. 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.

There is a flat fee of $35/hour for tutoring. All tutoring slots are available in 30-minute increments.

Please take a few moments to complete the NCVPS Edvantage Tutoring: Districts/Schools Partnership form to sign-up. To learn more, send an email here. 

Number 8

Kindergarten Readiness Resource from the Office of Early Learning

If you have young learners headed to kindergarten, be sure to check out our Office of Early Learning readiness resource, "Let's Get Ready!" The guide provides family-friendly material on age-appropriate developmental skills, support tips, and at-home activities where adult/child interactions are the central focus.

English and Spanish versions are available here. 

Number 7

Arts Education Draft 2 Survey - Deadline March 31

State Board of Education policy specifies that the NC Department of Public Instruction will formally collect feedback on the draft revised standards from educators, administrators, parents, students, institutions of higher education, business/industry representatives, national organizations, and other education agencies.

The purpose of this survey is to obtain input from educators and stakeholders familiar with the Dance, Music, Theatre Arts, and Visual Arts Standard Courses of Study in order to inform revision decisions. The Arts Education team requests your thoughtful input and comments on the draft revised academic standards for Dance, Music, Theatre Arts, and Visual Arts to inform the revision process.

The 11-question survey closes March 31. Find the survey here.

Number 6

Rural Summit 2024: ‘Education and Economic Development are One and the Same’

"Six hundred and eighty rural advocates and leaders from 79 counties gathered March 20-21 in Raleigh for the NC Rural Center’s annual conference, which this year focused on the essential building blocks of rural community economic development: physical assets, business growth, social and civic vibrancy, talent development, and authentic leadership.

Patrick Woodie, president and CEO of the NC Rural Center, opened the summit by calling back to last year’s theme, the forces driving change. With those eight factors identified, he said, rural communities can move forward with knowledge, succeeding in spite of the challenges these changes create. The goal is to 'build a stronger economy that works for everyone, and lifts all boats,' Woodie said."

Read the full story here. 

Number 5

NC Virtual Public School Offering Free Summer School Classes

The NC State board has extended special funding for NC Virtual Public School (NCVPS) summer classes. Be sure your school maximizes its funding! Enrollment opens April 1 and classes begin June 25.

Learn more on NCVPS' Summer 2024 webpage.

Number 4

District Highlight: Chatham County Schools - Chatham County Offers New Mental Health Service to Students

"A recent report from NC Child shows the number of school-aged children diagnosed with anxiety or depression has increased by more than 49% over the last few years.

Chatham County students now have more options for their mental health needs at no cost. Since its launch in the district in late January, more than 70 students have already joined a new virtual therapy program through Daybreak Health.

'We are seeing a lot of barriers to high-quality mental health counseling across the state of North Carolina,' said Breanna Ellington, the district’s student services and 504 coordinator.

More than 36% of the Chatham County’s high schoolers and more than 32% of its middle schoolers reported feeling persistently sad or hopeless, according to the district, and North Carolina’s schools are considered understaffed to address these issues.

With more professionals available to support students, the mental health program helps increase their capacity to serve more students."

Read the full story here. 

Number 3

SparkNC Program Brings High Tech Courses to High Schoolers, and It’s Looking to Expand

"A state-funded pilot program is bringing high tech learning experiences to high school students in 17 school districts.

School districts participating in the SparkNC program have set up labs where students can choose from a menu of short courses in topics like robotics, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence and software development.

Students can explore tech fields or pursue high school credit, working at their own pace during school hours or as an extracurricular activity. Industry partners help teach the content, while students are led by a coach at their school.

SparkNC’s Senior Director of Partnerships Lynn Moody said plans for the program coincidentally started the same day that Apple announced it would be building a headquarters in Raleigh."

Read the full story here. 

Number 2

2024 Burroughs Wellcome Fund Teacher of the Year to be Announced and Livestreamed April 5

Join us for a livestream of the 2024 Burroughs Wellcome Fund North Carolina Teacher of the Year Ceremony on Friday, April 5. The livestream begins with a pre-show salute to our sponsors and finalists beginning at 12 p.m., with the ceremony honoring our nine regional and charter school finalists beginning at 12:30 p.m. The event concludes with the announcement of the 2024 Burroughs Wellcome Fund North Carolina Teacher of the Year.

The event will be livestreamed on Facebook and YouTube. Read more about the 2024 Teacher of the Year finalists here.

Number 1

Arts in Schools Month "Spotlight on Arts Education" Performance Series at NCDPI

In celebration of March being Arts in Schools Month, NCDPI has had the pleasure of hosting several amazing student performances at the education building in Raleigh! 

Thank you to the following schools for showcasing your artistic talents and supporting arts in our public schools:

• GW Carver Elementary (Kannapolis City Schools)
• W Jesse Gurganus Elementary (Craven County Schools)
• Pinecrest High (Moore County Schools)
• West Charlotte High (Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools)
• Oxford Preparatory School
• George Moses Horton Middle (Chatham County Schools)
• Hugh M. Cummings High (Alamance-Burlington School System)

Check out their recorded performances here, and check out NCDPI's Facebook for photos from their visits.