OCS Weekly Newsletter for May 21st, 2024

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Office of Charter Schools

May 21, 2024

Some upcoming dates of note:

See below for details.

ESSER Survey Webinar

For your convenience, Federal Programs, School Business Services, and the Office of Learning Recovery will cohost an Office Hours session to answer questions about the annual ESSER survey. It will be held on Tuesday, May 21st at 2:00 pm via Zoom (link below). Please plan on attending if you can. We will also update the FAQs with the additional questions we receive during the session.

Office of Learning Recovery and Acceleration Special Announcement


Reminder: Students Must be Enrolled in PowerSchool

As a reminder, PSUs are responsible for enrolling students in PRC 188 and 189 programs in Powerschool during the 23-24 school year. Please utilize the HomeBase Quick Reference Guide if you have not yet enrolled students. 

Due dates for data entry are as follows: 

  • PRC 189- Afterschool Academic Enrichment Programs: June 30, 2024
  • PRC 188- Summer Career Accelerator: August 31, 2024

Please refer to the guidance documentfor additional information about PRC 189 reporting. 

Phase I Schools & Districts for Infinite Campus Transition

If you are a Phase I PSU in transition to Infinite Campus this summer, please ensure that you have entered all PRC 189 (Afterschool Academic Enrichment Programs) enrollment prior to June 30, 2024. 

If you are running PRC 188 prior to June 30, 2024, please enroll all students prior to the EOY deadline (6/30/2024)

If you are not running summer programming prior to June 30, 2024, we will be providing more information about enrolling students in PRC 188 once your PSU transitions to Infinite Campus. If you have questions about this, please reach out to OLR Program Manager, Jay Johnson at jay.johnson@dpi.nc.gov 

 


Charter School Health Services Report and Section Two Survey-Open

The Annual Charter School Health Report link is now open. Reporting must be completed no later than June 20, 2024. The report is designed to assist in identifying resource needs for healthcare of students in charter schools. Responses will be used to inform future training topics and to report on compliance with required legislation and policies such as Care of Students with Diabetes (§ 115C-375.3.) and School Supply of Epinephrine Auto-Injectors (§ 115C-375.2A).

A preparation worksheet is provided with the report questions. All schools are encouraged to download the worksheet and mark the appropriate responses before beginning the online report survey. You may click here or below to access the worksheet.  Once you have prepared your responses, save the document to your local computer. This worksheet cannot be accepted as your report. You will use it as a reference tool to enter your information into the online survey system.

Direct link for the worksheet:
Click here for Charter School Health Services Report and Section Two Worksheet with Integrated D & D

Here is the link to the Charter School Health Services Report and Section Two Survey:

Click here to complete the Charter-School Health Services Report and Section Two Survey


Action Required: ESSER Year 4 Survey and Resources Now Available


Charter Schools Program (CSP) recently published Notices Inviting Applications (NIAs) for Fiscal Year (FY) 2024

The U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Elementary and Secondary Education’s Charter Schools Program (CSP) recently published Notices Inviting Applications (NIAs) for four Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 Expanding Opportunity Through Quality Charter Schools Program competitions in the Federal Register.

 

Please read below to learn about each grant opportunity. The competition webpage linked for each CSP program includes information on the pre-application technical assistance webinars, eligibility requirements, and a point of contact for each CSP competition, should you have any questions.

 

1. The NIA for the Grants to State Entities (State Entity) (ALN 84.282A) competition can be accessed here. Through this competition, the Department plans to award an estimated $46 million for new State Entity grants. The deadline to submit a grant application under this competition is 11:59:59 p.m. Eastern Time on June 13, 2024. For more information about this competition, please visit the FY 2024 CSP State Entity Grants Competition webpage.

 

2. The NIA for the Grants to Charter School Developers for the Opening of New Charter Schools and for the Replication and Expansion of High-Quality Charter Schools (Developer Grants) (ALNs 84.282B and 84.282E) competition can be accessed hereThrough this competition, the Department plans to award an estimated $5 million for new Developer grants. The deadline to submit a grant application under this competition is 11:59:59 p.m. Eastern Time on June 24, 2024. For more information about this competition, please visit the FY 2024 CSP Developer Grants Competition webpage.

 

3. The NIA for the State Charter School Facilities Incentive Grants Program (SFIG Grants) (ALN 84.282D) competition can be accessed hereThrough this competition, the Department plans to award an estimated $30 million for new SFIG grants. The deadline to submit a grant application under this competition is 11:59:59 p.m. Eastern Time on July 23, 2024. For more information about this competition, please visit the FY 2024 CSP SFIG Grants Competition webpage.

 

4. A link to the NIA for the second round of grants in FY 2024 to Charter Management Organizations for the Replication and Expansion of High-Quality Charter Schools (CMO Grants) (ALN 84.282M) competition can be found at the CSP CMO webpageThrough this competition, the Department plans to award an estimated $92 million for new CMO grants. The deadline to submit a grant application under this competition is 11:59:59 p.m. Eastern Time on June 27, 2024. The second round of FY 2024 CMO grants will be awarded by September 30, 2024.

 

The CSP is also seeking peer reviewers for its FY 2024 competitions. If you are interested in serving as a peer reviewer for any of these FY 2024 CSP competitions, please visit the Call for Peer Reviewers webpage. Serving as a peer reviewer is a great way to gain insight into the federal funding process and use your professional experience, content knowledge, expertise, and judgment to ensure the Department is funding the most qualified grant proposals.


OLR Updates May 13th, 2024

 

ARP SUMMER

SAVE THE DATE!!!

We are excited to announce that registration is now open for the final OLR ARP Convening. This year's convening serves as a dual-purpose platform: firstly, to celebrate the remarkable achievements of district and charter schools in leveraging ESSER funds and effectively fostering significant strides in education despite the challenges of the pandemic. Secondly, our aim is to equip PSUs with essential knowledge, and resources to sustain the momentum they've built post-pandemic with the aid of ESSER funding. Our ultimate goal is to ensure that every student, irrespective of background, continues to receive the support necessary to thrive academically, and transition successfully into their post-secondary pathway of choice.

There are two options for attendance: Thursday, June 20th or Thursday, June 27th. Please register for the option that works best for you.  Use the form below to register for our summer convening at the SAS Institute in Cary, NC.  Registration is limited this year!

Registration Link:  https://go.ncdpi.gov/ARPSummer

The following adjustments have been made for the 2024 Summer Convening:

  • Each PSU will be able to bring TWO representatives
    • We are limiting registration to two/PSU this year due to limited registration capacity. 
  • Remember to submit only one response per team

School Business MAY 17TH, 2024

The FBS website continues to be updated with information related to School Business and our ongoing operations. Please check the FBS homepage regularly for updates. Please review the upcoming deadlines for due dates.

FBS Homepage

SBS Summer Conference and Hotel Group Rate - all PSUs

Our annual summer conference will be Thursday, July 25, 2024, at the Sheraton Imperial Hotel Raleigh-Durham Airport at RTP. Please hold that date.

If you were not able to reserve a room with the NCASBO rate, the SBS discounted room block is open and will be available until June 24, 2024, so please jump on those rates and secure your room. Thank you for your continued participation in our conference. We will send out more information in the coming weeks.


Year 4 ESSER Survey Office Hours - all PSUs

For your convenience, Federal Programs, School Business Services, and the Office of Learning Recovery will cohost an Office Hours session to answer questions about the annual ESSER survey. It will be held on Tuesday, May 21st at 2:00 pm via Zoom. We will also update the FAQs with the additional questions we receive during the session.


Allotments Update

National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) Certification Fee Reimbursement Program (PRC 198) - all PSUs

Allotments related to additional funds for the NBPTS Certification Fee Reimbursement Program (PRC 198) will be posted to the original PRC 198. PRC 255 was used in some communications in error. The additional funds will be posted next week and can still be found in PRC 198.

Upcoming State Allotment Policy Manual and Funding in Arrears - all PSUs

The State Allotment Policy Manual will be updated to reflect the required changes to implement the Funding in Arrears allocation methodology under SL2023-134 Section 7.20. The revisions will be posted to the What's New section and the Allotments page, pending their approval at the June SBE meeting.

Please note that beginning with FY 24-25 the Best 1 of 2 Actual ADM will be used for State Allotments under the new model. In prior years this data was not used for state funding under this methodology.


From the Center for Safer Schools

School Safety Grant Scoring - all PSUs

Receiving a high score for funding from the School Safety Grant Program (contingent upon the passage of appropriations from the General Assembly) for public-school units is based in part on meeting legislative requirements, including having a complete and updated School Risk Management Plan, anonymous reporting system and panic alarm (hardwired or app). For more information, send an email to schoolsafetygrants@dpi.nc.gov.


Deadline Reminders

ALL PSUs

DUE DATE

TOPIC

NEWSLETTER

05/17/2024

Last day for state and federal revision requests

04/12/2024

05/24/2024

Annual ESSER Survey - Year 4

05/03/2024

06/24/2024

SBS summer conference hotel rate expires

04/05/2024

 
 


 
 

End-of-Year Homeless Data Submission

Under the McKinney-Vento Act, all local education agencies (LEAs), including charters, are responsible for the collection and submission of accurate homeless education data. Charters must have their homeless data submitted in PowerSchool by the close of business on May 31, 2024, unless an extension was requested and granted by NCHEP. For more information about homeless data collection visit NCHEP’s Data Collection webpage.

If you have questions, contact Tamika Dawkins.


Charter School Math Standards Focus Group Registration

Math Standards Review/revision Timeline


RISE 2024 Registration

Registration is open for the 2024 RISE Back to School Safety Summit. The Center for Safer Schools’ signature event will be held from Monday, July 29 to Friday, Aug. 2 at Cape Fear Community College in Wilmington.
RISE training focuses on the Resiliency, Information, Support and Empowerment needed when supporting children and adolescents in schools and communities. This training offers a variety of information sessions to participants covering the areas 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.
New for RISE 2024 is a parent/student component, which will be held (by invitation only) during the last two days of the summit. Training sessions will not be recorded and are closed to the media. However, media representatives are invited to attend on the opening day.
Click here to register. Information on the training schedule is forthcoming. Follow the CFSS on social media for more details as they become available.
RISE

ESSER Webinar Recording and Resources Available Now!

Thank you for all who participated in the ESSER Year 4 Survey Webinar May 9th from 2-3 PM. If you were unable to attend or if you would like to review the webinar content, we have provided resources from the webinar below. If you have questions about completing the survey, any of your data, etc. please reach out to our dedicated email address olr-esser-support@dpi.nc.gov. We will make all efforts to respond to emails within 2 business days. 


Home Base Opt-In Tool Update

The Home Base Opt-in Tool was taken offline Friday, May 3rd for an upgrade in preparation of the 2024-2025 Home Base Opt-in Process.  The opt-in tool will not be returned to service until the start of the opt-in process, which is currently scheduled for Friday, May 31st.
Please visit the NCDPI Home Base Opt-in Website for detailed information concerning the Home Base Opt-in Process.  Questions may be directed to home_base@dpi.nc.gov or jennifer.causey@dpi.nc.gov.

Growing Success for MLs Summer Conference in Buncombe County!

 
The Growing Success for MLs Summer Conference has something for everyone! Spend one day or come for the entire conference! The sessions are sure to offer new insights and promising practices!
First Conference Site: Buncombe County is the place to be from June 25th through June 27th! Pick Your Pathway!
 
Grow With GLAD—Join the ELD Support Team to deepen your knowledge with Project GLAD Strategies! This session gives you time to create and build your instructional units by weaving in GLAD strategies. Although this course is geared towards those who already understand GLAD and want to dive deeper, we encourage anyone who wants to join us to grow along with us!
SIOP Essentials for Teaching Newcomers - Join the ELD Support Team to learn about the eight components of the SIOP Model with the lens of teaching newcomers or emergent bilinguals. Participants will learn each SIOP component and its features with application opportunities geared towards meeting the needs of our multilingual learners just being introduced to the English language.
Or register for the multi-session option and experience these learning opportunities.
Experts in the Field (offered only in the West)-- Join colleagues from other PSUs for any of these sessions:
  • Frontloading: Building Knowledge and Content Language for MLs and all Students with Tsianina Tovar and Karie Gregory from Buncombe County
  • Planning and Delivering ELD Standards-Based Instruction with ELD Support Team members, Lisa Sibaja and Lannie Simpson
  • Language Domains & Effective Strategies that Impact MLs Success with ELD Support Team members Karen Solis and Lannie Simpson
  • Success Advocates for Secondary MLs with America Moreno Jimenez, Henderson County
  • DIY WIDA Writing Prompts for K-12 with Stephanie Edwards and LuAnne Llewelyn from Surry County and Barbara Ritchie from Wilkes County.
  • Are We Lost in the Sauce? Supporting MLs with Expressive and Interpretive Communication in Mathematics with Sarah Whitfield from Cabarrus County

Opportunities to Network!

  • Chat and Chew with MLs in DL/I Committee: Advocacy and Networking in DL/I
  • Chat and Chew with NCDPI Healthy Schools
  • Make plans to meet at the Food Truck: BBQ on Tuesday and Mexican on Wednesday!
  • Meet for Coffee in the morning at the coffee table!
  • Grab a photo with friends on the photo wall!

The Dates are Set for Multilingual Leadership Meetings for 24-25!

Your insights and contributions are invaluable to our collective efforts to support MLs. Your participation in our quarterly ML Leadership meetings helps steer our program toward greater success. Please hold these dates and times on your calendar for the 24-25 school year.
  • September 23-24, 2024: In-person meeting
  • January 15, 2025: Virtual meeting from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm (tentative time)
  • March 26-27, 2025: In-person meeting
  • June 5, 2025: Virtual meeting from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm (tentative time)
We will follow up closer to the dates with details regarding the agenda, registration, location(s), and links.

Important free resource: NCDPI K-12 Cybersecurity Program


Toolkit from NCDPI, NC Chamber Foundation Connects Employers with Students


State Board Approves ESSER III Funding for NCVPS Summer Program

 

The State Board of Education approved $2,000,000 in ESSER III funding for the NCVPS summer school program, making our online courses even more accessible to students across North Carolina. This funding will be shared with each district and charter school based on their 6-12 ADM. We encourage you to take advantage of this incredible opportunity!

 

To view the ESSER-funded allotments for your district or charter, please consult the Summer 2024 Enrollments Covered by ESSER III Funds spreadsheet. If you need additional seats above your designated allotments, please fill out this survey

 

Our summer school kicks off on June 25. This remarkable opportunity offers students who might not typically have access to summer classes a chance to excel. Each summer, we witness a diverse range of students participating in our courses for various reasons. We are confident that this initiative will have a profoundly positive impact on your community, and we hope you make the most of it.


NCSBE Rulemaking Information

Below is a link to the website where we post information about SBE Rulemaking. It typically gets updated on the Friday the week after the SBE proposes a rule.

Individuals who would like to stay informed of rulemaking can also join the Interested Parties listserv here: https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/NCSBE/subscriber/new. They’ll get an email any time the SBE proposes a rule.


2024 School-Based Mental Health Policy Report

Dear Charter School Contact, 

 

In accordance with North Carolina SL 2019-245 and SL 2020-7 and with State Board of Education Policy SHLT-003, each K-12 school unit is required to upload a copy of their School Mental Health Improvement Plan and answer questions in the School Mental Health Policy Report.

In the online reporting portal, you will indicate that you are a charter school, and you will be directed to the SMH policy questions. To make it easier for you to assemble your report information prior to going online, a Word version and PDF of the online survey is attached to this email. Please complete the online survey to submit your report.  

 

The survey platform is setup to allow respondents to leave the survey and resume their progress later, so long as they return on the same browser where they started the survey and do not wait longer than a month to return to the survey. This feature works by placing a cookie on the respondent’s browser that keeps track of the survey progress.

 

The information needed to complete the SMH progress report will come from your School Mental Health Improvement Plan, which is required to upload and must include the mental health training program and suicide risk referral protocol.  

Please note the deadline to complete the HAC Progress Report / School Mental Health Policy Report is September 15, 2024. 

You can access the reporting portal through the link below.   

 

2024 Healthy Active Children Policy Progress Report / School-Based Mental Health Policy Report

 

If you have questions or challenges in completing this online survey, please contact Les Spell at Les.Spell@dpi.nc.gov 

We appreciate the time and energy spent in completing this report and look forward to reading each submission.  


Over 90 Percent of North Carolina Educators Indicate their School is a Good Place to Work and Learn, According to Statewide Working Conditions Survey Results

Important MEMOs:


OCS

Office of Charter Schools (OCS) Updates

The Office of Standards will be holding a Math Standards Revision Office Hour scheduled for May 21st for public launch of the 2024 NCSCOS Math Revisions. It is open to all math leads at charter schools
10:00 - 11:00 May 21st
Registration: 
-------------------------------------------
Attention NC educators! Applications are now open for our English Language Arts Standards Writing team. This group will review feedback compiled by the Data Review Committee and create drafts of the new standards during the 24-25 school year. Apply at go.ncdpi.gov/2bdmr . Application deadline is May 31.
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Other Resources from DPI and beyond


NCAPCS Conference 2024: Registration and Keynote Speaker

Visit the conference section of our webpage HERE to get more information and register, sponsor or submit a proposal for a breakout session!  It is literally one-stop shopping.  We cannot wait to see you all in the Queen City as we celebrate the charter community's #CrowningAchievements!  

Registration is Still Open Now for NCVPS In-Real-Time Synchronous Program and Live Info Session

 

In-Real Time (IRT is the synchronous class delivery program for North Carolina Virtual Public School (NCVPS). The program model is a whole-class, middle school course, with required synchronous sessions with a NCVPS teacher. The IRT pilot for 8th-grade core instruction began in the Fall 2023 with selected schools. Course offerings were in 8th Grade ELA, Math, Social Studies, and Science. Currently, these course offerings have now been expanded to the 7th grade for the 2024-2025 academic year as a pilot for this grade level. 

 

Additionally, IRT will continue to be offered for 8th grade in all core content areas for the 2024-2025 academic year through our catalog. The high school Math 1 course has been added as a course offering for the program. This program is designed to support instruction by providing a certified NCVPS teacher to work alongside a substitute or beginning teacher to provide quality instruction for students. For more information about the program please complete this interest form.

 

We will be hosting an informational webinar on June 5th at 10 a.m. and June 6th at 2 p.m. To attend, please register for one of the events here: June 5th at 10 a.m. or

June 6th at 2 p.m.


Connect logo.jpg
 
NCSSM Connect provides NC public high school students the opportunity to take tuition-free, honors-level, and AP NCSSM courses via interactive video conferencing. This format makes it possible for students to take advanced courses in STEM and humanities subjects while remaining at their local home schools. There isn't an application process to take NCSSM Connect classes.
To learn more, visit the review NCSSM Connect Course Schedule and Connect flier. Then, register to attend a personalized overview meeting.

School Counselor Cohort resource

Any school counselors who wish to network may share their information in this form.

 

You may also view the current list through this link.


Charter School Job Postings 

If you have current teaching/leadership positions open and wish to share them in this newsletter, reach out to Joseph.Letterio@dpi.nc.gov and provide a link to the posting/s. 


Whom Should I Contact at the Office of Charter Schools?

Email: ocs@dpi.nc.gov

Ashley Baquero, Director of NC OCS 
984.236.2708

Office of Charter Schools Contacts

Jenna Cook

 

 

Jenna.Cook@dpi.nc.gov

 

 

984.236.2707

 

 

Accountability; Renewals

 

 

Melanie Rackley

 

 

Melanie.Rackley@dpi.nc.gov

 

 

984.236.2712

 

 

Authorizing; New School Applications

 

 

Natasha Norins

 

 

natasha.norins@dpi.nc.gov

 

 

(984) 236-2702

 

 

External Support; RTO/Planning Year

 

 

Brandi Gill

 

 

brandi.gill@dpi.nc.gov

 

 

984 236-2705

 

 

Stakeholder Support, School Improvement, and Risk Assessment

 

Joseph Letterio M.

 

 

Joseph.Letterio@dpi.nc.gov

 

 

984.236.2703

 

 

Performance Framework, Communications & Data

 

 

Julie Whetzel

 

julie.whetzel@dpi.nc.gov

984.236.2701

Authorizing and External Support

Megan Carter

 

 

megan.carter@dpi.nc.gov

 

 

984-236-2711

 

 

School Improvement, Performance Framework, and Renewals

 

 

Nicky Niewinski

 

 

nicole.niewinski@dpi.nc.gov

 

 

984-236-2709

 

 

School Improvement, SBE/CSRB, and Amendments

 

 

Barbara O’Neal

 

 

Barbara.ONeal@dpi.nc.gov

 

 

984.236.2706

 

 

NC ACCESS Program Administrator

 

 

Please forward

School leaders, we encourage you to forward this newsletter on to your staff so they can subscribe to DPI bulletins directly through this link. They will enter their email and then it will bring them to another page where they can select “Charter School Comms Contacts” and any other public listserv to sign up for.