Number 10

AIM 2024 Conference Accepting Proposals Through June 30

The 2024 AIM Conference will be held on Oct. 7-9 at the Raleigh Convention Center. This agency-wide event is an excellent opportunity to share expertise with the field. The proposal window for the conference has been extended and will close on June 30.

Submit proposals through the 2024 AIM Call for Proposals form. In an effort to assist you with the completion of the Call for Proposal, you may want to complete a 2024 AIM Conference Call for Proposals Worksheet.

The proposal window will be open through June 30. Individuals selected for presentation will be notified of acceptance status by July 12.

Number 9

Youth Risk Behavior Survey Shows Improvements in Mental Health, Physical Activity

"After years of mental health and physical activity metrics trending downward, the newest Youth Risk Behavior Survey showed positive gains in middle and high school students.

'We've got data that shows a relationship between the kinds of grades that kids normally make vs. the kind of risk factors that that they're exposed to. We see that the kids who are more physically active tend to make better grades. The kids who have better mental health tend to make better grades,' said Les Spell, the Data and Policy Consultant for NC Healthy Schools for the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction.

Spell, a former educator, is encouraged by these findings, which are compiled every two years from students across the state. Responses to the survey are anonymous."

Read the full story and watch the accompanying news clip here. 

Number 8

RESTART Network Interactive Map of Learning Recovery Efforts

The Research on Education Strategies to Advance Recovery and Turnaround (RESTART) Network focuses on identifying and disseminating evidence-based strategies aligned with the needs of policymakers, leaders and educators who are serving and supporting accelerated student recovery efforts.

This map provides an overview of learning recovery efforts and ESSER plans across the U.S, District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. This map enables users to search across learning recovery research based on study topic, population, and grade level.

Explore the map 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.

Number 6

NCBOLD 2024 July Regional Conferences

NCBOLD returns this summer as a two-day conference in each of the eight educational regions. Explore engaging instructional sessions, Data Manager training, Digital Literacy, AI for Teachers and E-Rate Boot Camp. Conference dates will vary by region, but will be between July 15 and July 25.

Learn more, including specific regional conference dates, here.

Number 5

Register for 2024 RISE Back to School Safety Summit - Limited Seats Left

The 2024 RISE Back to School Safety Summit – NC Center for Safer Schools' signature event - is just around the corner and a few seats are still available! The conference takes place July 29 to July 31 at Cape Fear Community College in Wilmington.

Learn more and register here. 

Number 4

NCCAT Career Technical Education Teacher of the Year Finalists Named

"Twenty-four teachers from across North Carolina have been selected as finalists for the first North Carolina Center for the Advancement of Teaching (NCCAT) 2022 Career Technical Education Teacher of the Year Award in honor of their dedication, innovation, and ability to inspire students to achieve.

One of these talented educators will be named the NCCAT 2022 NC CTE Teacher of the Year. The award is scheduled to be presented on October 6, 2022, at the Bardo Center on the Western Carolina University campus. The finalists will be at the NCCAT campus in Cullowhee for professional development the week of October 3-7, 2022."

Congratulations to all of the finalists! Read more and see the full list of finalists here. 

Number 3

Report Looks at the Future of ‘Portrait of a Graduate,’ in North Carolina and Beyond

"In fall 2022, state Superintendent Catherine Truitt unveiled the 'Portrait of a Graduate' — highlighting seven skills the Department of Public Instruction (DPI) hoped public schools across North Carolina would incorporate into day-to-day learning.

Those durable skills — adaptability, collaboration, communication, critical thinking, empathy, learner’s mindset, and personal responsibility — were whittled down from a list of more than 50 from a group of 1,200 stakeholders across the state.

Nearly two and a half years later, DPI is still working to ensure that North Carolina students are 'well equipped for the broadest range of postsecondary opportunities, be it college, career, or military.' Earlier this week, DPI released the first set of Portrait of a Graduate (POG) K-12 'performance tasks,' a list of activities that combines durable skills with academics."

Read the full story here. 

Number 2

New NCDPI Digital Accessibility Webpage 

Check out the new NCDPI Digital Accessibility web page. Currently, you’ll find information and resources related to creating and procuring accessible digital content, professional learning opportunities and the new ADA Title II rule with much more to come. 

Number 1

Innovative N.C. K-12 Culinary Institute Increases School Meal Appeal

"School nutrition managers from across North Carolina have the opportunity to participate in regional N.C. K-12 Culinary Institute workshops this summer. The institute was developed by the N.C. Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI) Office of School Nutrition in cooperation with a team of registered dietitians and chefs to increase the availability of fresh, appealing, nutritious meals at school.

'Appealing meals that are filling and nutritious help students focus,' said Dr. Lynn Harvey, senior director of the NCDPI Office of School Nutrition. “The North Carolina K-12 Culinary Institute provides school nutrition professionals with tools and information they can take back and implement in their school nutrition programs to ensure students receive the meals they need to succeed in and out of the classroom.'”

Read the full press release here.