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A Note from the Director
Welcome to the first edition of the NCED Connection Newsletter! As we launch into a new school year, I want to thank you for the work you do every day to serve North Carolina’s students.
Our Digital Teaching & Learning team is here to support you through NCED Connect’s products and services—from statewide systems and School Connectivity to professional learning and digital resources. This newsletter will keep you up to date on new features, events, and tools designed to make your work easier and more impactful.
Here’s to a great start to the year, and thank you for your continued partnership in advancing digital learning across our state.
— Matthew Mayo
Director, Digital Teaching & Learning & School Connectivity
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UPCOMING EVENTS
 𝗦𝗲𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝗗𝗶𝗴𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗘𝘅𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲 – 𝗥𝗲𝗴𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗡𝗼𝘄!
Join us for a full day of learning focused on 𝗗𝗮𝘁𝗮 𝗣𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗮𝗰𝘆 & 𝗖𝘆𝗯𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗲𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆
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 9 AM - 4 PM | Catered Lunch
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 Two tracks: SIS Coordinators + Leadership roles (HR, Tech, Media, Directors & more)
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 Find a location near you & register today!
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 Register Here: go.ncdpi.gov/September2025DLE
- For more information, visit our DTL Hub: go.ncdpi.gov/DTLHub
 NCSIS Conference October 20th - 22nd - Raleigh
We are excited to invite you back to the NCSIS 2025 Conference, taking place October 20-22, 2025, at the Raleigh Downtown Marriott. This year’s event will bring together leaders, educators, and technology professionals from across North Carolina to collaborate, learn, and shape the future of student information systems in our state.
Registration Options:
- Early Bird Registration – $150 On Sale Now through September 17, 2025 at 11:59 PM
- General Registration – $200 Available September 18 – September 30, 2025
- Late Registration – $250 Available October 1, 2025, until capacity is reached
Space is limited! We anticipate strong participation, so we encourage you to register early to secure your spot.
- Location: Raleigh Downtown Marriott **New Location this Year!
- Dates: October 20 - 22, 2025
- Intended Audience: SIS Coordinators & Lead Data Managers
This conference will feature Infinite Campus trainers on site, SIS Experts from the field, breakout sessions & workshops, and networking opportunities designed to support you in making the most of NCSIS during this critical phase of statewide implementation.
Register Now by visiting the DTL Hub - www.dpi.nc.gov/dtl Full hotel information is available in the hub as well.
We look forward to seeing you in Raleigh this October for an engaging and impactful conference.
NCED Connect 2026 Symposium
Save the Date & Call for Proposals!
We are excited to announce that the Call for Proposals is now open for the NCED Connect Symposium, taking place February 9–11, 2026, at the Koury Convention Center in Greensboro, NC.
This year, we are planning an even larger symposium this year and expanding our offerings around:
- AI in Education
- NCSIS for ALL roles
- EdTech Innovation
- Instructional Strategies
- NCED Connect Services (NCEES, Schoolnet, Canvas, & OER)
- Leadership tracks for CTOs, principals, coaches, and more
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NEW this year: Student Showcase (AI Solve-A-Thon)
We invite you to share your expertise by submitting a session proposal. Please complete the Call for Proposals by September 30, 2025, using the link below:
Submit Your Proposal Here - You are needed!
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DTL Signature Events
Be sure to check the DTL Signature Events Calendar* or Eventbrite for upcoming in-person and virtual regional meetings and training sessions. Don’t miss out on valuable opportunities to connect, learn, and stay informed!
DTL Signature Events Calendar
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SCHOOLNET
General Information:
Thank you for your patience during Phase II integration with SchoolNet. If you are still experiencing issues, please submit a Service Now Case for Schoolnet. Please remember that this year, to prevent students from accessing their schedules in Schoolnet, schedules will not appear in Schoolnet for the student or teacher until the first student day.
Upcoming Webinar:
September 8th New/Beginning Teacher Support in Schoolnet
Register here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1514214559509?aff=oddtdtcreator
 NCSIS for EDUCATORS
Campus Learning Updates
Check this space for ongoing updates about Campus Learning feature updates and improvements.
Feedback Opportunities
The Teaching & Learning team at Infinite Campus is working to improve the Seating Chart tool. Please share more about how your district handles seating charts. Responses will be used for research purposes.
Seating Chart Survey
Thank you for taking the time to participate in this survey on your Quizzes experience with Infinite Campus. This survey should take approximately 5-10 minutes and is used only for research purposes. Your honest feedback is appreciated.
Quiz Functionality Survey
EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES
🚀 𝗡𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗵 𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗮’𝘀 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗔𝗜 𝗦𝗼𝗹𝘃𝗲-𝗔-𝗧𝗵𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝘀 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲!
Students in grades 6–12 will team up with mentors to design AI-powered solutions to real community challenges.
📅 🔗 𝗜𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝘄𝗲𝗯𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗿𝘀 Mon. Sept. 8
🕐 3:00-4:00 pm
📍 Virtual (statewide + national opportunities)
❓ Why: Build skills, solve problems, and showcase innovation
⚡ How: Teams of up to 4 + mentor, guided by design thinking + NC AI Guidelines
👉 Learn more & register: go.ncdpi.gov/NC-AI-Solve-A-Thon
🔗 Registration for webinars:
Monday, September 8 | 3:00–4:00 p.m. | go.ncdpi.gov/AISolve-A-ThonKickOff2
Upcoming AI Webinars
Remember that all of our webinars are added to the AI Webinars website for on-demand viewing.
Check out our EventBrite Collection & Registrations for upcoming registrations.
Remember that our webinars are made available for on-demand viewing on our NC AI Resources website as well as our YouTube Channel.
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Sept 17: Part 1: Traditional to Transformative: Realizing the Promise of Education in an AI-Enabled World - with Vera Cubero
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Sept. 24- AI Literacy and Digital Responsibility in K-5: What Educators and Leaders Need to Know with Clarie from Robo Wunderkind
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Oct 8: Part 2: Traditional to Transformative: Realizing the Promise of Education in an AI-Enabled World with Vera Cubero
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Oct. 15- AI for Principals with Jordan Caldwell
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Oct. 20- Free K-12 AI Literacy Courses with Sarah Lucas (Skillstruck)
Brand new FREE AI Literacy Courses for K-12 Students
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SLMC
UPCOMING WEBINARS
Mark your calendars for live, ongoing virtual SLMC professional learning with our webinar series Tech + Text on the 1st and 3rd Thursdays each month at 3:00pm – all sessions will be recorded for on-demand viewing later on YouTube.
September 4 - ConnectED to Research for SLMCs
With the new icons and easier access to digital resources like Britannica and EBSCO, let’s dig into creative and effective ways to connect learners (kids and educators!) to all that these platforms have to offer. We’ll use our librarian lens to consider all age groups, cross-curricular needs, meeting UDL and other accessibility considerations, and some bite-sized PD hacks.
Register on Eventbrite
September 18 - T³ NC-Specific Digital Resources on ConnectED to Research
Guest collaborator Alyssa Putt from the State Library of North Carolina will highlight NC-focused tools like NCpedia and other digital treasures available through the State Library—ideal for teaching local history, civics, and place-based research. Learn what’s new and how to integrate these tools into your library program.
Register on Eventbrite
October 2 - T³ Celebrating Reading with the NC Children's Book Awards
Join Harnett Co SLMC and NCCBA Committee Co-chair Lisa Denning for this session about the program, the titles readers can vote on for 2026, and the treasure trove of resources available for teaching with past-year nominees. Don’t miss this session, whether you’re able to catch it at the NCSLMA conference or not!
{Eventbrite Link coming later in Sept.}
October 16 - T³ Go-Getters & Grant Gurus
Strategies, stories, and shortcuts for NC school librarians and leaders who go after what their programs deserve.
{Eventbrite Link coming later in Sept.}
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School Library Communications
In some of the SLMC Pulse feedback we sought from May - August 2025, some responses indicated confusion about how to stay informed on SLMC news. Along with our DTL social media channels, bi-weekly Thursday meetings with district leaders, we have two school library newsletters. The NC NEW(S) Librarian 101 is a monthly publication sent from ncpublicschools@dpi.nc.gov, curated by school library consultant Mollee Holloman for any/all library stakeholders. Past volumes can be accessed anytime at go.ncdpi.gov/newslibrarian101 and you can subscribe to get these delivered to your inbox under the ‘internal’ option as NC NEW(s) Librarian. (If you previously subscribed and still are not receiving them, make sure you haven’t inadvertently blocked this email address or have it sorted into an ‘other’ folder).
Identified Lead Librarians/District-level contacts also receive a personalized newsletter, “Monday Media Moment” that comes from Mollee Holloman’s email. If you are the main district contact for librarians and do not receive this email, please reach out to mollee.holloman@dpi.nc.gov
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NCEES
Fall 2025 NCEES Face-to-Face Training for New Administrators
The NCDPI NCEES Team is pleased to share an opportunity for new administrators to participate in face-to-face NCEES training sessions in their regions this October. These sessions are designed to support principals and assistant principals in strengthening their understanding and use of the evaluation system.
Session Title: NCEES: Teacher Evaluation Process and Practice for Principals & Assistant Principals
Presented by: NCDPI Regional Education Facilitators (REFs)
Session Description: In this interactive session, participants will explore key NCEES policies and best practices to enhance their leadership and evaluation processes. Topics include:
- Reviewing the teacher evaluation process
- Providing targeted feedback using rubric-based language
- Assigning evaluation plans and access rights
- Navigating the staff evaluation dashboard
- Running reports to track and complete evaluation steps
- Identifying and troubleshooting common pain points
Click on the link for your region to see more details and register for the event.
Check out the 2024-25 NCEES Training Opportunities
Enjoy a year of informative training opportunities designed to enhance your NCEES knowledge. Some webinars are available as recordings and presentations now, while others will be offered throughout the year.
Earn CEU credit by attending live sessions.
Click below to learn more!
https://go.ncdpi.gov/25-26NCEEStraining
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Upcoming NCEES Webinars
Click on the title below to register.
CEUs - My PD, My Transcript in the New NCEES
Description - Learn how to view CEUs on your transcript, find professional learning opportunities, and manage your courses in the NCEES system.
Target Audience - All NCEES Users
Date and Time: September 8, 2025, 4:00 pm -5:00 pm
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Beginning of Year for Teachers & Staff
Description - Participants will gain a clear understanding of the beginning-of-year evaluation process for teachers and support staff. This session will cover key topics, including an overview of the Teacher Evaluation Process, how to initiate the Evaluation Plan and Professional Development Plan (PDP), and how to access and use the PD system. Step-by-step guidance using the NCEES online tools will be provided throughout the session.
Target Audience - Teachers & Staff with NCEES Evaluation & PDP Plans and their Observers/Evaluators
Date and Time: September 11, 2025, 4:00 pm -5:00 pm
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ISTE+ASCD and CoSN ANNOUNCEMENTS
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New Issue Available Explore the September 2025 issue of Educational Leadership, which examines how schools can nurture a sense of belonging and strengthen durable skills that support deeper learning.
*Note: Educators must be logged into their ASCD account to access the Educational Leadership magazine.
Upcoming Webinar Join ISTE+ASCD for Uncheatable Assessments: Designing Learning Experiences in the Age of AI with Michael Hernandez on September 17 at 1:00 PM (ET). 👉 Register here — be sure to log in with your ISTE+ASCD account to secure your spot.
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Upcoming Webinar
Join CoSN on September 8 at 5:00 PM for The Empowered Superintendents edLeader Panel Series: Driving K-12 Innovation (Part 1), where superintendents and project leaders examine the 2025 Driving K-12 Innovation report and discuss the Hurdles and Accelerators shaping the future of K-12 learning.
👉 Register here — be sure to log in with your CoSN account to secure your spot.
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MICRO-CREDENTIALING
Micro-Credentialing in NC Public Schools
Looking to expand professional learning in your district? Check out the new Handbook of Micro-Credentialing Pathways—a resource you can share with your teams.
👉 Interested in bringing a pathway into your PSU? Fill out this form to get started.
💻 Micro-Credentialing Monday Webinars kick off this September—don’t miss the chance to learn, connect, and grow!
Questions? Reach out to Ashley McBride at ashley.mcbride@dpi.nc.gov.
DIGITAL ACCESSIBILITY
Got images? Then you need alt text!
Including alternative text (alt text) for images is essential to making digital content accessible to all users, including those using assistive technology or for times when a webpage doesn’t fully load. Alt text provides a description of an image, allowing users to understand its context and purpose.
Here are a few guidelines to keep in mind:
- Be concise: Keep your descriptions short and to the point, focusing on what’s important.
- Consider the context: Important visual elements may differ depending on the context. Be sure to describe those visual elements.
- For decorative images: If the image is purely decorative, use “Decorative” as the alt text. Some tools will have an option to mark an image as decorative. In HTML, you can leave the alt tag empty (alt=””).
- Avoid repeating information: If the image is explained in surrounding text, there’s no need to repeat that in the alt text. When possible, avoid images with text. If you have an image of text, be sure to include that text in the alt text (or surrounding text).
Related WCAG 2.1 standard: WCAG 1.1.1 Non-text Content (A)
For additional information and resources, visit the NCDPI Digital Accessibility website or contact Donna Murray, NCDPI Digital Accessibility Specialist.
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Register for upcoming accessibility events
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CoLab - September 17, 2025, 9:00 to 10:30 AM
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Next CoP meeting - October 8, 2025, 1:00 to 2:00 PM
Register via Eventbrite: Digital Accessibility Collection
CYBERSECURITY
K-12 Cybersecurity Fall Events
- PSU Cybersecurity Program Plan - September 2025
- The new PSU Cybersecurity Program Plan is a comprehensive documented strategy for implementing strong cyber hygiene tailored to your PSU. This customizable plan template integrates the why, what, and how of cybersecurity, encompassing people, processes, and technology specific to your PSU. This invaluable resource, which consolidates the significant cybersecurity efforts you have already undertaken, along with the NCDPI K-12 Cybersecurity Program Services and Resources, into a single strategic plan aimed at enhancing the cybersecurity posture of your PSU. In addition to the main Cybersecurity Program Plan, we will also present the new PSU Data Management Process, Audit Log Management Process, Vulnerability Management Process, and more.
- Plan to be released week of September 1
- Webinar September 10 - Introduction to PSU Cybersecurity Program Plan
- September DLE Sessions will focus on Data Privacy and Cybersecurity with a special 2 hour workshop focused on the PSU Cybersecurity Plan
- This plan is the focused theme of the K-12 Cybersecurity Program for 2025-2026
- PSU Cybersecurity Bootcamp - October 14-15, 2025 at Friday Institute, Raleigh, NC
- The PSU Cybersecurity Bootcamp is an intense 2-day in-person training opportunity that will help PSUs fully leverage the NCDPI K-12 Cybersecurity Program services and resources, from KnowBe4 training and phishing campaigns to incident response planning. Ideal for technology directors, IT managers, and cybersecurity specialists, the Bootcamp provides practical guidance to strengthen your PSU’s cybersecurity posture and take full advantage of the NCDPI K-12 Cybersecurity Program.
- Registration coming soon on DTL Eventbrite.
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Spring 2025 PSU Cybersecurity Bootcamp: go.ncdpi.gov/Cybersecurity-Bootcamp-Slidedeck
- PSU Incident Response Tabletop Exercises (TTX) - November 2025
- TTX, or Tabletop Exercises, are a crucial component of incident response planning. They are structured discussions that simulate a cybersecurity incident in a controlled environment, allowing PSU teams to practice their response strategies without the pressure of a real event. TTX validate your documented incident response plan (remember you have access to the PSU Incident Response Toolkit if you don’t have an IR plan already)
- Tentative plan to be part of November DLE sessions
NCTIES NEWS
NCTIES 2026 Conference:
March 4-6, 2026
NCTIES is thrilled to announce an outstanding lineup of featured speakers for our upcoming conference!
- Keynote Speaker (March 5th): Sean Astin, Actor, Director, Producer & Mental Health Advocate.
- Leadership Retreat (March 4th): Joe Sanfelippo will lead this dedicated session for PSU administrators and their teams.
- Additional Featured Speakers: Ken Shelton, Jen Hall, Dee Lanier, Matt Miller, Caitlin Tucker, and Tyler Tarver.
- North Carolina Representation: Marsha Sirkin (Director of Science House Coastal), Holly King (CTO Dare County), and Kimberley Thompson-Hairston (Director of Instructional Technology and Media / Public Information Officer).
Call for Proposals Now Open!
Our NCTIES March Conference Call for Proposals is currently open. Each selected proposal will receive complimentary registration (up to 2 presenters) to the conference, recognizing their valuable contributions and expertise.
Visit our NCTIES website (ncties.org) to sign up for information regarding NCTIES initiatives and to keep up with the latest news.
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