Feb. 25, 2016 Teachers' Biweekly Message - Lynda Fuller
2/25/16 11:24 AM
Feb. 25, 2016 Teachers' Biweekly Message
North Carolina Public Schools <NCPublicSchools@public.govdelivery.com>
Thu 2/25/2016 11:18 AM
To: Lynda
Fuller <Lynda.Fuller@dpi.nc.gov>;
Feb. 25, 2016 Edition of the Teachers' Biweekly Message from State Superintendent June Atkinson
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Feb. 25, 2016
The State Board of Education will be considering policy changes to
teacher licensure and evaluation processes at its March meeting.
ES&P 2 - Policy Recommendations for Teacher Licensure and
Evaluation Process was on the Board’s discussion agenda in
February and will be back on the Board's agenda for discussion in
March. The policy recommends that Standard 6 for teachers and
Standard 8 for principals be eliminated. However, as a part of the
formal evaluation, student growth would be used as another artifact
in informing needed improvements and successes.
Currently, state law citations for student growth requirements
include:
a. The General Assembly’s stated intent to use, in part, student
growth as part of a future performance pay plan. SL 2013-360,
Section 9.5 "Pay for Excellence;"
b. Student growth measure as requirement for "clinical educator" (i.e., supervising teacher of student
teacher). SL 2015-241, Section 8.41(a) [new G.S. 115C-296.11]; and
c. Student growth as 20% of A-F School Performance Grade formula. G.S. 115C-83.15.
According to state law, the State Board of Education can no longer give waivers to its policies. That is
the reason why school growth can no longer be used to give an individual teacher a student growth
measure.
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Feb. 25, 2016 Teachers' Biweekly Message - Lynda Fuller
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If you would like to provide us with feedback on these changes, please note that you can do so by
going to the Department’s website and clicking on Let’s Talk. In Let’s Talk, there is a dialog topic called
Education Policy Feedback. Please use this tool to send me your feedback. It routes your feedback
directly to my office.
State Board of Education Meets
Next Week
The State Board of Education will meet next Wednesday and
Thursday, March 2-3, in the 7th Floor Board Room, Education
Building, Raleigh.
The Board’s action agenda includes reform for continuously lowperforming schools, the 2016 Invitation to Submit Textbooks for
Adoption in K-12 Social Studies and Healthful Living, and the Board’s 2016-17 Supplemental Budget
recommendations. Discussion items include proposed conceptual policy recommendations related to
licensure and policies on general licensure requirements, the Healthy Active Children Annual Report,
high school accreditation, and academic standards review and revision. On Thursday, the Board will
receive the 2014-15 Consolidated Data Report, which contains information on student crime and
violence, suspensions and expulsions, use of corporal punishment, and dropout data.
The complete agenda as well as supporting executive summaries are available online by clicking on the
SBE Meetings tab. The meeting is audio streamed for those who cannot attend. To listen, please visit
the above link and click on the live audio streams link to the right.
Severe Weather Preparedness Week:
March 6-12
With winter on its way out and peak severe weather season
looming, Gov. Pat McCrory has proclaimed March 6-12 as Severe
Weather Preparedness Week to encourage schools, families and
residents to prepare now for unpredictable, severe weather including thunderstorms.
These storms can produce damaging winds, hail, tornadoes and even flash floods. Faculty, staff and
students need to know what to do in the event that a tornado touches down during school hours.
North Carolina will hold its annual tornado drill on Wednesday, March 9, at 9:30 a.m. Most NOAA
weather radios will NOT sound an audible alert to mark the beginning of the drill. As such, schools are
encouraged to self-initiate their tornado drills at 9:30 a.m. as if an alert had been broadcast. The drill will
conclude when participants complete their drill activities. No all-clear message will be issued. If this
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Feb. 25, 2016 Teachers' Biweekly Message - Lynda Fuller
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time is not convenient for your school’s instructional program, schools may reschedule the tornado drill
on another day close to March 9.
North Carolina Emergency Management encourages everyone to follow four simple steps to prepare for
severe weather: make a plan, practice the plan, have an emergency supply kit and stay informed.
Teaching students how to be ready for disasters can get the entire family ready. For details,
visit www.ReadyNC.org.
Implementation Science:
The Five Active Implementation
Frameworks
Students cannot benefit from services they do not receive. Active
Implementation Frameworks promote the full and effective use of
evidence-based programs and evidence-informed innovations so
that student outcomes are improved.
Active Implementation is guided by five frameworks:
* Usable Interventions;
* Implementation Stages;
* Implementation Drivers;
* Implementation Teams; and
* Improvement Cycles.
Opportunities to deepen your understanding about the Implementation Stages and the Active
Implementation Frameworks may be found in this video module and a handout with definitions and
visuals.
Happening Now …
The Chatham County District Implementation Team (DIT), a K-3 Formative Assessment Usability
Partner, has moved from the exploration stage to the installation stage of implementation.
During the installation stage, staff revisited their DIT membership according to selection criteria and
added new members to strengthen the infrastructure in support of improved student outcomes. The
Chatham DIT recognizes the value of having voices from a variety of perspectives and has
representatives from PreK, Elementary, Title I, MTSS, K-3 teachers and principals.
If you have questions, please contact Laura Winter.
NCDPI Global Educator Digital Badge Guidance Webinar
Join NCDPI staff for an overview of the Global Educator Digital Badge process and available resources
inclusive of the expanded educator categories (other teachers, principals and central office
administrators) eligible for the Digital Badge.
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Feb. 25, 2016 Teachers' Biweekly Message - Lynda Fuller
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The same webinar will be offered at two times on Tuesday,
March 15:
10-11 a.m. or 4-5 p.m. (click on the time to register for the
session).
ACT Test Preparation Links
The March 1 ACT testing date is right around the corner for high
school students. Below are links to practice questions that are
interactive, two full sample tests that include all content areas, and
a practice website that includes a breakdown of math topics with
review videos. Feel free to use these resources in your classroom
or provide to students for at-home preparation. With your help,
students can achieve the college and career readiness
benchmarks!
Sample mathematics questions from ACT:
Set 1
Set 2
Set 3
Set 4
Set 5
Free practice tests for all content areas (includes answer keys):
2015-16
2014-15
There also is a website with free tutorials, questions and videos to help students review in class or on
their own, and one for general ACT information.
Hope Street Group NC News
NC Teacher Voice Network Has Openings
The Hope Street Group North Carolina Teacher Voice
Network is looking for seven new leaders for the 2016-17 school year.
The Teacher Voice Network positively informs decisions made by education policymakers by providing
feedback from colleagues that represents the collective and diverse opinions of educators throughout
the state. You’ll be joining 23 existing leaders in this important work.
Applications must be submitted by March 11. Included with the Fellowship is a $3,500 stipend. Learn
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more and apply only by visiting the Hope Street Group website.
NC Teacher Voice Network Survey
Teachers are asked to take ten minutes to complete the Hope Street Group North Carolina Teacher
Voice Network survey before Feb. 28. Topics include professional development, methods of
communication and educator compensation. Results will be shared later this spring, along with helpful
recommendations based on your input.
NCVPS Needs Certified
Math Teachers
NCVPS is seeking certified math teachers. Most NCVPS instructors teach during the day for schools
across the state, and then they teach for NCVPS in the evenings. You may know some NCVPS teachers
at your school or in your district. Join them in teaching with us!
NCVPS does have an application process that includes a professional learning course and teaching
practicum. The skills developed in the course and practicum will enhance your classroom instruction, as
well. You will learn new technologies and digital-learning strategies that can be applied anywhere.
NCVPS has need in several subject areas, and math is at the top of that list. To learn more, visit the
NCVPS website.
STEM Opportunities
STEM and Literacy-Based Engineering K-8 Teacher
Workshop
The Engineering Place@NC State is hosting a free workshop on NC
State’s campus on March 10-11 from 9 a.m. - 4 p.m., for
elementary and middle school teachers.
The workshop is a collaboration between TEP and Tufts University
Center for Engineering Education Outreach. Their project, Novel Engineering, uses popular and
commonly read novels in elementary and middle school as a basis for an engineering design challenge.
Teachers will engage in engineering through hands-on experience with Novel Engineering activities, use
video of students’ engaged in Novel Engineering activities to understand what Novel Engineering looks
like in a classroom and plan Novel Engineering activities for their own classroom.
Attendance is limited so register today!
Burroughs Wellcome Fund Student Science Enrichment Program
The Burroughs Wellcome Fund is accepting applications for its Student Science Enrichment Program
(SSEP) grant awards. SSEP supports diverse programs with a common goal: to enable primary and
secondary students to participate in creative, hands-on scientific activities for K-12 students and pursue
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Feb. 25, 2016 Teachers' Biweekly Message - Lynda Fuller
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inquiry-based exploration in BWF's home state of North Carolina. These awards provide up to $60,000
per year for three years. The application deadline is April 15.
For more information, including an application, visit the Burroughs Wellcome Fund website.
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