URGENT: SISP Annual Report Delay
Due to functionality issues with PowerSchool, and the transition to Infinite Campus, we will delay the requirement to submit SISP data. While we will still ask for the data report, PSUs will not be found non-compliant if they do not provide this portion of their SMH report.
What you need to know:
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PowerSchool will NOT generate a report for the SISP instances. Originally this was going to be an option, however now it is not. Please do not use the PowerSchool Student Support module if you want to track this information. It will not be possible to generate a report to see this data.
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This data will be requested in the 2025 HAC/SMH Report due by September 15, 2025. PSUs collecting this data will submit it. PSUs who were relying on PowerSchool to collect this data, and do not have another plan for collecting this data, will not be asked to make technical corrections for omitting this portion of the SMH report in 2025.
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We are working with Infinite Campus to have the Mental Health & Wellness portion ready for the expected statewide implementation beginning in the 2025/2026 school year.
We apologize for the inconvenience this has caused and hope that during this delay PSUs can practice data collection and be prepared for mandatory reporting in 2026.
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Adopt a WNC Charter School
School Business October 4, 2024
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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.
Hurricane Helene Response and Recovery
Our thoughts are with you, your families, and communities devastated by Hurricane Helene, and SBS is committed to assisting you during this time. SBS has posted a guidance document, as well as other resources, to our What's New page. Non-impacted LEAs should be sure to look at the section on enrolling displaced students. The document has been updated today with guidance on the PMR.
We will continue to update our documents and website as necessary during the coming weeks. New items posted this week include information from the Office of the State Treasurer, the Office of State Budget and Management, the Department of Insurance, and the Department of Employment Security.
In the meantime, if your PSU is located in a federally-declared disaster area:
- Absence Code: Please use absence code 55 to track staff absences. The guidance document provides information on how to get that set-up in your software.
- Cash: We have processed state Cash based on Total MTD September requests and that will be deposited to the state account on Friday. You will be able to adjust, or we can help with that later in the month.
- Datafiles: SBS, DPI IT, MCNC, and the software vendors are working to get financial systems operational. Finance Officers in 71 percent of impacted LEAs and Charter School Directors and Finance Directors in 96 percent of impacted IPS have successfully transmitted their September datafiles. SBS is working with the other PSUs without connectivity to stand up their fiscal operations and will continue to work with them on their data.
- Any impacted PSUs can contact SBS and Jennifer Bennett (jennifer.bennett@dpi.nc.gov) for any assistance needed.
We've provided some additional updates in the newsletter below.
Thank you for everything you're doing for your students and communities in western North Carolina. If there is anything at all we can do to help you during your recovery, please do not hesitate to reach out to us.
PMR Submission Due Today
The first PMR is due today, October 4, 2024 for all PSUs.
If you haven't submitted your PMR yet because of outages related to Helene and your PSU is in a declared Helene disaster area, please don't panic. We are working with IT to develop a plan for next steps. Please note that both PowerSchool and Infinite Campus are cloud-based. Each system will work on any computer or phone with internet access. If you don't know the URL for your SIS, we are happy to send it to you.
If you need assistance finalizing your PMR, please contact StudentAccounting@dpi.nc.gov.
Procurement Under a FEMA Grant
FEMA is hosting a series of webinars to cover procurement requirements. SBS will be coordinating webinars with the Governor's Office and FEMA next week. We will send out that information as soon as it becomes available.
The links to the webinars and resources provided by FEMA are available on our website. DPI has created a summary document. Please consult the FEMA website and their materials for the complete picture of what you need to do. We hope this summary and these materials from FEMA are helpful to get you started.
We will add resources as training sessions are held and resources are identified.
October State Board Meeting Update
State Superintendent's Report
Superintendent Truitt presented her legislative requests for Hurricane Helene, based on what was provided for Hurricane Florence in 2018. She requested a hold harmless for staff missed days including school nutrition, as well as calendar and remote instruction flexibility, principal bonuses, and funding for building, equipment and technology loss. The General Assembly will reconvene on October 9th. SBS has been tasked with taking class size waivers to the Superintendent for approval.
NC Public School Employees Benefit and Employment Policies Manual
Updates were made to the manual to comply with Office of State Human Resources rules. The changes made clarified language about the charter school opt-in guidelines and length of paid leave offered to parents. The manual includes a new policy in the case of miscarriages, still births, or other medical exigencies.
From the School Insurance Office
To North Carolina Schools affected by Hurricane Helene
The following information has been sent to DPI from the Department of Employment Security (DES) related to Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA) for counties affected by Hurricane Helene.
Please share this important information with your staff and individuals seeking to apply for unemployment benefits during this difficult time. Most of the information is available in the 4 resources outlined below. Staff at DES is monitoring their webpage. As things change, I am told the website will be updated. A Spanish version is available on the DES website as well.
Following are the resources you need:
For questions or assistance, please contact Eileen Townsend (Eileen.townsend@dpi.nc.gov, 919-810-8099).
From the Center for Safer Schools
School Safety Grants Deadline Extension - All PSUs
As we are currently in unprecedented times and the School Safety Grants deadline was decided before Helene, we, as everyone else, were caught off guard and not able to think about the process and submission deadline. With that being said, we will extend the application process, with a new deadline of Thursday, 31 October 2024 at 11:59 p.m. We believe this gives PSUs additional time, especially those affected in Western North Carolina.
The Center for Safer Schools is here to support all PSUs. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact us at cfss@dpi.nc.gov or schoolsafetygrants@dpi.nc.gov.
YTD State and Federal Zero Out Postings – All PSUs
As mentioned in the September 27th School Business Newsletter, the Federal & State zero outs have posted to the PSU Cash Application (PCA). The entries can be viewed on the PCA by navigating to Data Inquiry, All Requests and Filtering to “Zero Out” on the Request Person.
The Federal entries will be identified by PRC and grant year.
The State entry will be identified under the PRC column as State.
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Please refer to your PSU’s data files and cash requests for reference. It is important that federal expenditures have valid account codes, including grant years associated with federal cash requests. If you have questions about the invalid code information or for the new Chart of Account (COA) codes, please contact Roxane Bernard at roxane.bernard@dpi.nc.gov or Evelyn Gallegos at evelyn.gallegos@dpi.nc.gov.
Contact CashMgt@dpi.nc.gov for cash questions.
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FY2024-25 Allotments - All PSUs
The following items of interest are scheduled for allotment in the next 2 weeks:
- State PRC 0085 - Literacy Intervention allocations as determined by the Office of Early Learning
- Federal PRC 0110 - 21st Century Community Learning Centers – Grant Year 2025 Allotment approvals-to-date
State PRC 0016 Summer Reading Camp FY2024 Carryforward expires October 31st; balance will be reverted the following month.
Please see the August 9th newsletter for additional information on Carry Forward expiration dates.
Additional Allotment Updates - LEAs Only
The second batch of ABC transfers will close midnight Friday, 10/18/24.
All other transfer and conversion email requests received by 10/16/24 will be allotted by October 21, 2024.
Additional Allotment Updates - IPS Only
The Paid Parental Leave (PPL) Reimbursement Request form will be posted online by end of Monday, October 7, 2024.
Additional information regarding the Independent Public Schools’ PPL form can be found on our website.
If you have general allotment questions, please email allotments@dpi.nc.gov.
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Deadline Reminders
ALL PSUs
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DUE DATE
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TOPIC
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NEWSLETTER
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10/31/2024
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School Safety Grants
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09/27/2024
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10/31/2024
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SS200 Full-Time Personnel Report
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09/19/2024
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11/01/2024
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Cleaner Classrooms for Carolina Kids Enrollment
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01/05/2024
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Nominate Your School’s Leader for the Wells Fargo Principal of the Year Program!
Do you have an extraordinary principal leading your charter school? Now’s your chance to recognize their dedication, innovation, and the impact they’ve made on your students and staff by nominating them for the prestigious Wells Fargo Principal of the Year (POY) Program!
This program, overseen by the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, celebrates exceptional leadership across the state. By participating, your school’s principal could join the ranks of those honored for their passionate commitment to education and positive contributions to school culture. You can learn more about the program and last year’s regional finalists and state winners by clicking here and here.
Eligibility Criteria:
- Must be a principal of a North Carolina public school.
- Have a minimum of four years of administrative experience (including assistant principal, principal, or central office roles).
- Lead a school with 100+ students in Average Daily Membership (ADM) or seven or more full-time, state-allotted teachers.
- Be employed as a practicing principal throughout the local, regional, and state selection process.
- Hold a valid principal’s license.
If you are interested in nominating a principal from your charter school, please ensure they meet these criteria and submit their information via the 2025 North Carolina Principal of the Year Nomination.
Once nominated, our POY Coordinator will contact your nominee with portfolio submission guidelines. The portfolio is due by October 25, 2024. We’ll ensure all documentation is submitted on time, and after submission, the regional and state teams will take over the selection process. You can access the complete selection timeline here.
Candidates will complete their portfolio as a Google Doc, which they can easily copy and edit. Once finalized, the document should be submitted as a single PDF file with all required signatures. 2025 North Carolina Principal of the Year Portfolio
If you have any questions or need further assistance, please don’t hesitate to reach out to Elizabeth Santamour at elizabeth.santamour@dpi.nc.gov. Let’s take this opportunity to celebrate and elevate the exceptional leadership in our charter schools!
Immunization and Health Assessment Compliance Reporting
Each year, all schools are required to report the immunization status of their kindergarten, 7th grade and 12th grade students, according to G.S. 130A-155(c) and G.S. 130A-440. The purpose of these reports is to ensure that all children enrolled in North Carolina schools are protected against vaccine-preventable diseases and to determine the number of children who meet state immunization requirements. Additionally, all North Carolina public and public charter schools are required annually to report on the status of Health Assessments for those students who are enrolling for the first time in a North Carolina public or public charter school (G.S. 130A-441(c)).
Report submission can take place after the 30th calendar day from the school’s official first day. A combined compliance report is available this year, by school name, and must be completed on-line at this link: 2024-2025 Annual K-12 Health Assessment and Immunization Report. . You may use the link to access instructions as well as worksheets to gather your responses prior to entering the online report. Compliance reports are due no later than November 1, 2024 but may be completed at any time prior to that date. Important Resources for Charter Schools: (Please Read)
Please click on each link.
Charter School Epinephrine Memo
Charter School Diabetes Memo
K-12 Math Standards Release
The K-12 Math team launched our All-stakeholder surveys for the Math standards review. I've linked both the message from the listserv I sent out and a link to a Google doc with the specific links to each all-stakeholder survey and the introduction for each.
Could you run this in any/all of the charter school newsletters you might have? Feel free to tweak the wording as you think best. The surveys will stay open until Oct. 21st.
NC Virtual Public School (NCVPS) is offering free Digital Transition professional development webinars for educators. CEUs are available.
Visit the NCVPS Digital Transitions website for registration links and archived recordings of sessions!
Edvantage Tutoring will be offered in the following curriculum areas:
• 6th, 7th & 8th Grade ELA
• Middle School ELA: Writing Lab (asynchronous assistance in ELA)
• 6th, 7th & 8th Grade Math
• 6th, 7th & 8th Grade Science
• 8th Grade Math I
• High School Math I
• High School Math II
• High School Math III
• High School Biology
• High School Chemistry
• High School English: Writing Lab (asynchronous assistance in English)
• Spanish I - IV
*General MS/HS Asynchronous Support (asynchronous assistance is also available in ALL curriculum areas listed)
Tutoring will be available Monday-Thursday, 4:00 PM-7:30 PM nightly September 23, 2024 through May 22, 2025. 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. And, all tutoring slots are available in 30-minute increments. Please keep in mind that any unused purchased minutes automatically roll over to the next school year! Enroll today or send an email to request more information.
Request Tech Support for NCSIS and Other Applications
Need technical support? View NCDPI Technology Services’ new one-page reference sheet for frequently used support links and contact information. Please note that there are now two options for submitting support tickets related to NCSIS powered by Infinite Campus.
- For Infinite Campus application issues and general technical support, visit support.infinitecampus.com.
- For other NCSIS issues (duplicate students, amplify/missing students, etc.), visit go.ncdpi.gov/help and choose “Something is Broken,” then “NCSIS – Powered by Infinite Campus.”
NCDPI Master Data Calendar for 2024-25
The Master Data Calendar for the 2024-25 school year is a valuable resource to have on hand. The calendar outlines all data due dates for the 2024-25 school year.
NCDPI Master Data Calendar for 2024-25
Academic Standards Statewide Supports for 2024-25
NCDPI's Office of Academic Standards Statewide Supports for 2024-25 is now online! The professional development calendar offers a year-long overview of upcoming webinars, resources and leaders’ meetings for each content area. Be sure to check the calendar regularly for updates.
Find professional learning opportunities, registration information and more.
NCSIS Implementation Check-In Calls
Regular check-in calls are instrumental in resolving issues and providing timely support to PSUs. Superintendents, leadership teams, technical leads and SIS coordinators are strongly encouraged to participate. Moving forward, these calls will transition to a bi-weekly schedule. To ensure your questions are addressed, please submit them in advance.
Use this link to register and submit questions.
New Pilot Program – NC College Connect – Launches to Increase College Access for North Carolina Students
Today, the University of North Carolina System introduced NC College Connect, a simplified college application process for North Carolina public high school students in their senior year. The new program will enable qualifying students to bypass the traditional application process into participating colleges.
NC College Connect creates a simple, easy way for students to apply to participating UNC System and North Carolina Community College System institutions across the state. North Carolina public high school students who close their junior year with a weighted GPA of 2.8 or above will qualify for the pilot program. Qualifying students must maintain a weighted GPA of 2.8 or above throughout their senior year, in addition to meeting the state’s graduation requirements as set by the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, and UNC System minimum requirements. ...
'It’s well known that one of the major barriers to students pursuing college is the application process,' said State Superintendent of Public Instruction Catherine Truitt. 'NC College Connect removes this hurdle, offering a streamlined and simplified way for our state’s future workforce to pursue their degree.'”
Read the full press release to learn more.
*NEW* 24-25 Office of Academic Standards Statewide Supports Document
The Office of Academic Standards is excited to share a yearlong look of upcoming webinars, resources, and leaders’ meetings. This link will stay live and will be periodically updated. The date in the footer will indicate the latest update. Please share!
Human Capital Monthly Webinars held by the Office of Licensure and Educator Preparation
Hosted by Dr. Tom Tomberlin, Senior Director, Educator Preparation, Licensure, and Performance, NCDPI
Dates:
November 8
December 6
Time: 10:30-11:30am
Virtual Link:
Kim Evans' Personal Room
Important MEMOs:
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