Weekly Blast: November 7, 2024

North Dakota Department of Public Instruction sent this bulletin at 11/07/2024 02:27 PM CST

Weekly Blast

November 7, 2024

I am deeply grateful to North Dakotans for entrusting me with another term as State Superintendent. Election Day is a powerful reminder of our democracy, and I want to thank everyone who participated. To my supporters, thank you for your confidence, and to everyone, I promise to keep working for all our students. Over the past 12 years, we've made significant strides in K-12 education, and I'm committed to continuing that progress. I look forward to collaborating with our governor, legislators, educators, and communities to keep putting students first, supporting teachers, and strengthening our schools. Thank you again for this opportunity.

Data Modernization Update

If you’re curious about the K-12 data system solutions Infinite Campus offers, we encourage you to explore the dashboard and register for one of several upcoming webinars (which will also be recorded and sent to registrants). The webinars are structured to provide attendees with a North Dakota-specific live demonstration services, the products purchased by the North Dakota Department of Public Instruction (NDDPI) for districts, and an overview of their company.

Visit the Dashboard Here

Invitation to the Federal Title Programs Monitoring Webinar

On October 28, 2024, email notifications were sent to the superintendent, assistant superintendent, building principals, business manager, school board president, homeless and foster liaisons, and English Learner directors of the districts scheduled for monitoring during the 2024-2025 school year.

The NDDPI will host a Federal Title Programs monitoring webinar for these districts or any district interested in learning more about the process.

When: November 12, 2024
Time: 2:00-3:00 PM CT
Join Here: Federal Title Programs Monitoring Webinar

If you have any questions, please contact Lauri Nord.

Closing Out the NDSA

With the final administration of the North Dakota State Assessment (NDSA) complete and the transition to the ND A+ assessment system underway, schools and districts have until the end of November 2024 to download and save any data, documents, and files from the NDSA Portal, TIDE, and the Centralized Reporting System (CRS). An example of a report that a school or district might find useful to export out of the CRS is a Cross-Sectional Report. Once in the CRS, select a subject, grade level, then click on “Features and Tools” and go to “Cross-Sectional Report”. Select all three years and hit generate report. This export shows performance over the last three years for all the students in that grade level and subject, the reporting category performance for the last three years, and the standard-level breakdown (proficient and weak/strong) for the last three years.

Application Release and Webinar Date Announced

The NDDPI anticipates releasing the application for the ND Comprehensive Literacy Improvement through Measure Building Systems (ND CLIMBS) grant on November 18, 2024. The application will be published on the ND CLIMBS webpage which currently provides information on the federal award to North Dakota for birth through grade 12 literacy improvement. An application webinar will be held virtually on Tuesday, November 19 from 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM CT. Click here to join. The webinar will be recorded and published on the website. Please contact Brenda Ehrmantraut with questions

K-12 General Education Paraprofessional Certificate Offered to High School Students

High school students now have the opportunity to embark on a career path in education by pursuing a K-12 General Paraprofessional Certificate. This certificate provides a solid foundation in educational pedagogy and enables students to actively contribute to their communities. It signifies students' early dedication to the field of education and prepares them for a fulfilling career focused on teaching and nurturing students' development.

Please note the HS Student General Ed. Para Certificate has a new location on our website, click here to learn more.

If you have any questions, please contact Joe Kolosky, Director of School Approval & Opportunity, at (701) 328-2755.

Driving Math Success Workshop Series in November

November 12 - Designing Effective Tier 2 Interventions
November 13 - Homework and Grading Practices
November 14 - Data-Driven Instruction – Analyzing Student Work

These FREE virtual sessions are from 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM CT. Workshops are presented by Dr. Nathan Lang-Raad. To register, click on the dates within this flyer. Graduate credit is available.

Title I Schoolwide Reporting Training Dates Forthcoming

Please review the dates below and mark your calendars!!! We would love to see you there!

Reminder: Schools that are in a schoolwide planning year are required to attend the following trainings.

Links for these upcoming meetings will be sent closer to the event. All webinars will be held from 3:00 - 4:00 PM CT.

Thursday, November 21, 2024 – SW Comprehensive Needs Assessment and What Comes Next.

Tuesday, November 26, 2024 – TA/SW Record-Keeping/Monitoring webinar

Thursday, January 23, 2025 – Midyear Schoolwide Title I Reporting Review

Tuesday, March 25, 2025 – Requirements for Annual Schoolwide Title I Reporting

If you have any questions, please contact Michelle Siegfried at (701) 328-3544.

To help make it easy to share with your community, we’ve provided a range of promotional resources including:

Student Flyer
Student Announcement
Social Media Posts
Parent Email Template
Parent Text Message Template

Free Virtual Mental Health Support Webinar

The Cook Center for Human Connection, in partnership with the North Dakota Department of Health and Human Services, is hosting a FREE virtual event to support youth mental health and resilience. The event is part of the "My Life is Worth Living" series. In November, in honor of International Suicide Survivor’s Month they are featuring Amie’s Story. A powerful narrative about a teen who learns to find strength and hope through the support of loved ones after struggling with feelings of inadequacy and a suicide attempt. The story emphasizes the importance of hope, purpose, and connection in overcoming challenges. See event details below:

Date: Wednesday, November 13, 2024
Time: 6:00 PM CT
Click here to register

Schoolhouse Program Updates

Registration is officially open for Schoolhouse’s next round of SAT Bootcamp and College Admissions Workshops. There is also an opportunity to join Algebra 2 and Pre-Calculus Math Learning Labs this month. These programs are all virtual and completely free. All programs start on November 8, so please make sure your students sign up right away.

Here are two resources that will make it easy for you to share with your students:

Share Schoolhouse Toolkit: includes program links, PDF flyers, graphics, and blurbs
Program Calendar: includes all Fall program dates

If you have any questions, please contact the program manager, Cassy McKee.

35^th Anniversary of the Fall of the Berlin Wall

On November 8th, 2024, The Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation will be commemorating the 35th Anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. You are invited to join our live stream, where we will hear from special guest Nick Seraphim, a resident of East Berlin during the Cold War and one of the artists who helped restore the artwork on the section of the wall at the Reagan Library. Scan the QR code to watch or view the flyer here.

Request a Free Autism Resource Box

PBS's new show, Carl the Collector, features Carl as the main character with autism in a PBS series. To celebrate, Prairie Public, with support from the NDDPI, offers Classroom Crates designed for students with autism and diverse learning needs. Developed with the North Dakota Autism Center and Sanford Health, the crates come in four themes: Sensory, Calming, Communication, and Social Skills. They’re free for ND teachers, who just need to fill out a brief survey after using them. Supplies are limited, so check it out here.

NDCA Arts in Education Opportunities

NDCA is excited to announce the 2024-25 ND Poetry Out Loud (POL) program is now open and accepting applications! Celebrating its 20th Anniversary, POL is a national recitation program where educational institutions incorporate memorization and performance in the classroom. POL sets the stage for students to deepen their understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and the nuances within word meanings. NDCA also offers funding up to $2,000 to support poet visits to schools registered in the POL Program. These funds will be allocated on a first-come, first-serve basis.

The North Dakota Council on the Arts (NDCA) Artist in Residenc e program provides noncompetitive reimbursement grants up to $2,500. This initiative connects North Dakota Pre-K-12 students and teachers with professional artists, both in traditional and after-school programs, enriching learning experiences through the power of creativity.