Number 10

Feedback Requested for DRAFT North Carolina Principal Working Conditions (NC PWC) Survey

During an extensive input process during the NC TWC Survey revision during the 2023-24 school year, North Carolina public school principals and assistant principals asked for a survey of their very own. NCDPI gathered a critical group of representatives from Principal and Superintendent -of-the-Year programs to gauge interest in a new school administrator-focused survey, define priority issues and survey purpose and gather input from their peers. During 2024, we conducted focus groups with more than 100 district and school leaders and developed a draft survey (see NC PWC v1.0).

Now, NCDPI is asking North Carolina school leaders and other education stakeholders for feedback on the DRAFT survey items and domains using this form. You can review all 58 questions across 8 domains and rate each survey item and provide comments, which takes about 15 minutes.

The feedback form will close on November 15. Results will be shared and discussed at NCPAPA’s 2024 Fall Symposium.

Number 9

Applications Open for Keep North Carolina Beautiful Window of Opportunity (WOO) Grants

Planning your next outdoor beautification effort? Check out the Keep North Carolina Beautiful annual Window of Opportunity (WOO) Grants. These grants are for outdoor projects that enhance the beautification of campuses throughout NC, along with projects that educate students of North Carolina on the impacts of preserving and enhancing our state’s environmental sustainability.

Learn more and apply here. The deadline to apply is December 20.

Number 8

November is National Veterans and Military Families Month

November is National Veterans and Military Families Month, and a perfect time for schools and districts to apply for the Purple Star Award to show their commitment to military-connected students and their families. 

Check out the webinar for 2023-24 Purple Star Award, which provides overview of the application process, and learn more about NC's efforts to celebrate schools that support military-connected students and families. Find more information here.

Number 7

Office of Digital Teaching and Learning AI in Education Webinar Series November Offerings

This webinar series is designed to help guide the responsible implementation of AI and AI literacy into North Carolina's public schools. All NC educators and education leaders are welcome to attend.

On November 13 the following webinars will be offered:

• Empowering Librarians and Teachers with AI: Part Two (10-11 a.m.)
• Create Your Own Interactive Teaching Tools: No Code Required! With Claude AI Artifacts (3:30-4:30 p.m.)

All webinars will be recorded and posted on NCDPI's website for on-demand viewing. Those who participate live will receive a certificate of attendance from NCDPI. While NCDPI won't be able to award certificates for on-demand viewing, you may request credit through your PSU.

Find more details on the webinar series and additional AI resources here.

Number 6

Registration Open for NCED Connect Symposium

The 2024 NCED Connect Conference, brought to you by the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction's Office of Digital Teaching and Learning, will take place January 21-23 in Greensboro.

This event is tailored for district and school leaders, SIS coordinators, data managers, librarians, instructional technology facilitators and instructional coaches. The conference will feature sessions on the North Carolina Student Information System, all Homebase applications, instructional technology pedagogy, AI in Education for school leadership and teachers, data privacy and school media programs.

Learn more and register here.

Number 5

2024-25 Writing Professional Development (PD) Series Webinars

To support integration of writing across disciplines, NCDPI's ELA Team will continue its 2024-25 Writing PD Series, covering the following topics:

• Writing in Response to Reading (March 20)
• Time-Constrained Writing (April 10)

Registration links can be found here.

Participants who attend at least three out of the four sessions within this series will earn a 24-25 Writing Series digital badge.

In addition to these sessions, check out the Writing Guidebook as a resource to support writing instruction across disciplines K-12!

Number 4

EdNC: "New Toolkit Provides Practical and Federal Implications for AI in the Classroom"

"The U.S. Department of Education has released a toolkit for using artificial intelligence (AI) in the classroom.

Along with explaining the integration of AI in teaching and learning, the toolkit also connects ideas to federal law as well as potential school and district policies.

The document defines AI as 'a machine-based system that can, for a given set of human-defined objectives, make predictions, recommendations, or decisions influencing real or virtual environments.' In the eyes of the department, generative AI is 'the class of AI models that emulate the structure and characteristics of input data in order to generate derived synthetic content. This can include images, videos, audio, text, and other digital content."

Read the full story here.

Number 3

Thank You, Dr. Lynn Harvey! 

There were cheers and some tears at today's State Board of Education
meeting as we honored Dr. Lynn Harvey, who is retiring after 35+ years of dedicated service.

Superintendent Truitt presented Dr. Harvey with the prestigious Order of the Long Leaf Pine. Thank you, Dr. Harvey, for your incredible legacy!

See photos from the recognition at the Board meeting here.

Number 2

Sign Up for NCDPI's Digital Accessibility Newsletter

The first issue of NCDPI's Digital Accessibility Newsletter went out at the beginning of this month!

Each issue will bring you news, resources, and insights on accessibility, along with topics like understanding WCAG standards, user experiences, and upcoming events. Whether you are just starting to learn about digital accessibility or you are looking to deepen your knowledge, this newsletter has something for everyone.

Anyone is welcome to subscribe to the newsletter here.

Number 1

"K-3 Students Continue to Make Strides in Foundational Literacy Skills"

"As the science of reading reaches full implementation in North Carolina, new data presented to the State Board of Education today shows that K-3 students are making significant progress in being on track and narrowing the racial achievement gap when it comes to literacy.

Beginning-of-year data from the DIBELS 8 (Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills) assessment shows that North Carolina students outperformed their peers on a national level in grades 1-3, while grades K-3 continue to show steady improvement.

This year marks the first time that the percentage of North Carolina’s Black and American Indian/Alaska Native students who are on track in reading has surpassed the national benchmark. Within North Carolina, the achievement gap has narrowed between those groups and their White and Asian peers.

While North Carolina kindergarteners start school in the fall behind others in the nation, as shown in beginning-of-year data from the last three years, they are rising above those peers after a year or two of instruction using the newly implemented methods based on the science of reading."

Read the full press release.