Number 10

Happy Teacher Appreciation Week!

Teacher Appreciation Week is May 5-10! Join us as we thank our dedicated teachers across the state for the work they do to educate, mentor, advocate and inspire students to reach their goals and pursue their dreams!

Thank you for making a difference in classrooms across North Carolina everywhere, everyday! Watch Superintendent Truitt's Teacher Appreciation Week video message here. 

Number 9

Quarterly PIO Call Follow-Up

The Quarterly PIO Call was Wednesday, May 8. If you did not receive the meeting follow-up materials, including the slide deck and recording, please reach out to communications@dpi.nc.gov. 

Number 8

2024 Education in North Carolina Facts and Figures

The latest edition of Facts & Figures: Education in North Carolina features six new entries into the Spotlight On series, including:

• 20-Year Enrollment Trends in North Carolina Schools
• The North Carolina Teaching Fellows Program
• Teacher Supplemental Assistance Allotment
• Restart Schools in North Carolina
• School Expenditures in North Carolina During the COVID-19 Pandemic
• Early Literacy in North Carolina

See the full facts and figures resource here. 

Number 7

Submit a Proposal to 2024 AIM Conference NC K-12 Research Roundtable Session

Join NCDPI for a “Research Roundtable & Reception” at the Raleigh Convention Center on the evening of Monday October 7, 2024 at the 2024 AIM Conference.

NCDPI is interested in highlighting research and evaluation studies conducted in NC public school settings since 2020. This convening will provide an opportunity for researchers from around the state to engage directly with state education leaders, policymakers and district and school practitioners about their K-12 research and findings.

If interested, please complete this AIM Proposal for Research
Roundtables form by June 30, 2024.

Number 6

English Language Arts (ELA) Standards Writing Team (SWT) Accepting Applications

NCDPI is seeking educators, educational leaders and stakeholders who desire to become part of the ELA Standards revision process. The SWT will meet periodically throughout the revision process to review and revise the NC Standard Course of Study for ELA.

Applications are open through May 31.

Learn more, review the Scope of Work and apply here. 

Number 5

2024 Purple Star Award Ceremony

At a special ceremony on May 9, NCDPI honored 394 schools, including 9 charter schools and 26 districts across North Carolina, with the 2024 Purple Star Award designation. More than 130 military members, installation school liaison officers and district personnel attended the ceremony at the Friday Institute for Educational Innovation in Raleigh.

The Purple Star designation is awarded to schools and districts that demonstrate military-friendly practices and a commitment to military students and families.

Thank you and congratulations to the 2024 Purple Star awardees! See photos from the award ceremony here. Learn more about the Purple Star Award here. 

Number 4

Cooperative Innovative High Schools Application Cycle Now Open

NCDPI is pleased to announce that the 2024 CIHS application cycle is now open. LEAs and higher education partners who are interested in applying to open a new Cooperative Innovative High School (CIHS) are invited to submit jointly a Letter of Intent to NCDPI by June 15, 2024. The Letters of Intent indicate that the LEA and higher education partner plan to apply to open a new CIHS in Fall 2025 or Fall 2026.

Submitting a Letter of Intent activates support from NCDPI and the Joint Advisory Committee for the development of your CIHS application. This assistance will be provided as a service to application partners. CIHS applications will be due to NCDPI by October 4, 2024. Please see the attached letter for details.

If you are interested in applying to develop a CIHS in your district and would like to discuss this opportunity or have questions, please contact isaac.lake@dpi.nc.gov or Sneha.ShahColtrane@dpi.nc.gov.

Number 3

Save the Date - 2024 RISE Safety Summit July 29-Aug. 2

The 2024 RISE Back to School Safety Summit – the Center for Safer Schools’ signature event – will be held July 29-August 2 in Wilmington, NC. Registration is free and will open soon. 

RISE training focuses on the resiliency, information, support and empowerment needed when supporting children and adolescents in schools and communities. This training offers a range of sessions covering the issues of bullying, suicide, opioid and substance use, critical incidents and other vital information about trauma and victimization among children and adolescents, and how these various dynamics impact school climate and school safety.

Learn more here and keep an eye out for registration opening! 

Number 2

Two North Carolina Students Selected as 2024 U.S. Presidential Scholars from 15 Statewide Semifinalists

"Dishita Agarwal, a senior at The Early College at Guilford (Guilford County Schools), was named a U.S. Presidential Scholar today, as well as Charlotte private school student Jacob Elijah Chen. The students are among 161 recipients recognized nationally for their accomplishments in academics, the arts and career and technical education fields.

The White House Commission on Presidential Scholars selects scholars annually based on their academic success, artistic and technical excellence, essays, school evaluations and transcripts, as well as a demonstrated commitment to community service and leadership.

Agarwal and Chen were two of 15 North Carolina U.S. Presidential Scholar semifinalists:

• Dishita Agarwal - The Early College at Guilford (Guilford County Schools)
• Jacob Elijah Chen - Providence Day School (Private)
• Talal Aslam - STEM Early College at NC A&T (Guilford County Schools)
• George Cheng - North Carolina School of Science & Mathematics
• Meadow E. Cheuvront - Avery County High School (Avery County Schools)
• Laylah Coy Cooper-Holman - North Carolina School of the Arts
• Tanvi Gaur - Chapel Hill High School (Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools)
• Chloe Elizabeth Hammonds - Lumberton High School (Public Schools of Robeson County)
• Kelsey Deanna Hussey - Chatham Central High School (Chatham County Schools)
• Harrison Nathan Jones V - Durham School of the Arts (Durham Public Schools)
• Josiah I. LaNave - Chase High School (Rutherford County Schools)
• Neha Panda - Apex Friendship High School (Wake County Public School System)
• Ashleigh Blair Russell - Perquimans County High School (Perquimans County Schools)
• Pavan V. Thakkar - Providence Day School (Private)
• Eun Yoo - Ravenscroft School (Private)"

Congratulations to the two awardees and semifinalists! Read the full press release here. 

Number 1

Dr. Melanie Honeycutt Named 2024 NC Technology Director of the Year

"Burke County Public Schools’ (BCPS) Dr. Melanie Honeycutt was named the 2024 North Carolina Technology Director of the Year in March at the North Carolina Technology in Education Society (NCTIES) conference in Raleigh.

Honeycutt has been an educator for 32 years and has served as BCPS’s chief information officer since 2013. Since joining BCPS, the district has seen significant advancements in education technology and cybersecurity.

'North Carolina’s technology directors are absolutely critical for the success of our students and teachers in schools across the state, and Dr. Honeycutt is a prime example of how hard work and an innovative approach to technology in education can have a positive impact on an entire community,' said Vanessa Wrenn, chief information officer of the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction.

In 2020, Honeycutt not only navigated the rapid shift to a one one-to-one device program caused by the onset of the pandemic, she also responded to a ransomware attack, securing and restoring the district’s systems and enhancing cybersecurity measures to prevent future incidents."

Read the full press release here.