Feb. 11, 2016 Teachers' Biweekly Message - Lynda Fuller
2/15/16 3:22 PM
Feb. 11, 2016 Teachers' Biweekly Message
North Carolina Public Schools <NCPublicSchools@public.govdelivery.com>
Mon 2/15/2016 3:20 PM
To: Lynda
Fuller <Lynda.Fuller@dpi.nc.gov>;
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Feb. 11, 2016
Last week, the State Board of Education received a report from Dr.
Alisa Chapman, vice president for academic and university
programs in the UNC system, that highlighted the state of teacher
preparation in the system.
Enrollment in both bachelor’s degree and master’s degree
education programs has dropped by 30 percent since 2010. While
this rate of decline has slowed over the past year, it still is a major
concern as we consider future staffing needs for schools.
North Carolina depends on traditional UNC system teacher
preparation programs to help us fill the approximately 10,000
teaching vacancies that are expected annually. Out-of-state teacher
education programs provide approximately one-third of our new
recruits, but enrollments in those programs also are down.
These trends underscore the need to improve the teaching profession so that it is more rewarding to
current teachers and more attractive to young people considering their future careers. As I told General
Assembly members earlier this year, North Carolina can be bold in this area if we have the will to do it. If
we are not, I think that we will all regret this lost opportunity.
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Feb. 11, 2016 Teachers' Biweekly Message - Lynda Fuller
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State Board of Education
Meeting Highlights
At last week’s State Board of Education meeting in Raleigh, members
approved policies governing services for children with disabilities,
recommendations for charter schools expiring in 2016, and a report to the
Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee on a multi-year survey of
driver education.
Members also discussed program approval modifications for Institutions of Higher Education, policy
recommendations for the teacher licensure and evaluation process, proposed student perception
surveys, reform for continually low-performing schools, and the Board’s 2016-17 Supplemental Budget
recommendations.
A list of Board action items is available online.
Implementation Science:
A New Way of Work
Using the principles of implementation science helps staff effectively
select, begin, evaluate and sustain new initiatives. NCDPI has partnered
with the State Implementation and Scaling-up of Evidence-based
Practices Center to increase capacity for implementation and scale-up
of department initiatives to maximize students' academic and social
outcomes. View this brief video to learn more.
The Office of Early Learning is partnering with school districts across the state using implementation
science principles to scale-up the NC K-3 Formative Assessment process. Eight school districts are
early innovators, leading the way in this effort, as they apply this new way of work to scale up the NC K3 Formative Assessment process: Chatham, Clinton City, Dare, Elizabeth City-Pasquotank, Harnett,
Iredell-Statesville, Swain and Winston-Salem/Forsyth.
Wake County School Counselor Honored
as Finalist for National Award
Congratulations to Centennial Campus Magnet School (Wake County Schools) Counselor Durenda
Ward who was recently recognized by First Lady Michelle Obama as a finalist for 2016 School
Counselor of the Year.
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Ward was one of six finalists honored at the White House on Jan 28 along with School Counselors of
the Year from across the country. Other finalists were from Arizona (winner), Washington, Ohio, Indiana
and Missouri. First Lady Michelle Obama noted “the important role school counselors have in students’
lives and how difficult that role is given that the average student-to-counselor ratio is 471-1.”
Visit NCDPI’s School Counselor Facebook page to read more.
NC Teacher Working Conditions
Survey Launches March 1
North Carolina educators are just a month away from
making history with the NC Teacher Working Conditions Survey (NC TWCS): 100 percent response rate
from every school in the state! The window for this anonymous, online survey will run from March 1-25.
For the past 12 years, the survey has been a platform used to amplify educator’s voices concerning
working conditions in their schools and districts. It also is used to inform state level policy decisions.
Please visit the NC TWCS website or talk to your school’s NC TWCS representative if you have
questions about the survey process. If your school does not have a representative, please contact your
Regional Educator Facilitator for assistance.
Governor’s Teacher Network Action
Research Portal Available
Are you looking for the most innovative practices in today’s
classrooms? Look no further. The Governor’s Teacher Network is a
database of approximately 220 action research projects done by North Carolina teachers in North
Carolina classrooms.
Dana Wells, 5th grade teacher in Henderson County, wanted to see if the direct teaching of discussion
techniques in mathematics deepened students’ understanding of problem solving strategies and math
concepts and increased instances of students giving correct feedback. Dana, with the help of her
vertical math PLC, proved that directly teaching discussion techniques improved the quality of
discussions and participation. It also fostered the use of high-yield instructional strategies.
For more details on Dana’s action research project or to explore projects covering a wide-range of
topics, check out the NC Teacher Action Research Portal today!
Statewide System of Support Establishes Action Research Team
The East Service Support Team is organizing the first Action Research Team in the North Central
Region to continue the work of the Governor’s Teacher Network. This team’s purpose is to conduct and
support action research in teachers’ classrooms that will lead to instructional improvement and
increased student learning.
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The first meeting will be on Tuesday, Feb. 16, at 4 p.m., in the auditorium at Apex Friendship High
School in Wake County. For more information, contact East Service Support Coordinator Angela
Jackson.
Educator Effectiveness’ Guide to Getting
the Most from Online Professional
Development
“Self-paced” professional development doesn’t have to be done alone! If you’re looking for ways to use
online professional development more collaboratively, look no further. The modules in the Home Base
Professional Development system are designed to allow districts to implement them in the way that
best suits their resources, calendars, and professional development implementation plans.
Educator Effectiveness’ newly updated online guide, Getting the Most from Online PD, describes six
different models for implementation at the district level, including best practices and facilitation
strategies. The guide is available online.
Literacy Credit Available in Home Base PD System
The module, Preparation for Foundation of Reading Licensure Exam, provides an excellent resource for
teachers wanting to refresh their knowledge on the foundations of reading development and
comprehension. This course is just one of over 88 self-paced and facilitated modules available in the
Home Base Professional Development system. For a full description of the course, please visit
www.rt3nc.org. This self-paced module is worth 1.0 Literacy Credit. Courses are added monthly so
bookmark this link!
Educator Effectiveness 2016 Webinar
Series
NCDPI staff invite you to take advantage of the weekly Educator
Effectiveness Webinar Series, which invites system users to discuss timely topics. These webinars are
always free and offer attendees the opportunity to learn about best practices, tips for success and new
aspects of the system. Participants also are given a chance to ask questions and connect with experts.
Upcoming topics include:
* Home Base PD System: Characteristics of an Effective Online Instructor - Feb. 16
* Home Base PD System: Organizational Tools for District Administrators - Feb. 23
* NCEES Process: End of Year for Teacher Evaluations - March 8
* Home Base PD System: Office Hours - March 15
* Home Base PD System: Course Dashboards and Course Approval System - March 22
For a full list of upcoming topics, webinar start times and registration links, please visit the NCEES
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NCVPS Professional
Development Opportunities
The North Carolina Virtual Public School will host two webinars in February at no cost to administrators
and teachers who are interested in learning more about leading, teaching and supporting teachers in an
online and blended environment.
All webinars will start at 7 p.m. Dates and topics are as follows:
- Feb. 15: Cyber Bullying; and
- Feb. 29: Assessment and Feedback for Teachers in Online and Blended Learning Environments.
World View PD Opportunities Reminder
As a reminder, World View is offering two spring professional development opportunities for teachers.
Both will be held at The Friday Center for Continuing Education, UNC-Chapel Hill.
• Building Bridges: Cultural Respect and Equity in the Classroom will be held March 22-23 (1.5 days).
This seminar explores issues of multicultural education and equity to build a culture and climate of
respect in the classroom.
• Europe at a Crossroads will be held March 23-24 (1.5 days). This seminar explores critical issues
facing Europe including Europe’s Islamic face, Putin and Russia’s ascendancy on the world stage, the
European Economy, the European Union and the refugee crisis.
Registration fees are $175 per person or $600 for a team of four. If you attend both seminars, it’s $325
per person and $1200 for a team of four. CEUs offered and may be applied toward the Global Educator
Digital Badge. For more information, visit World View’s website.
2016 NC Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and
Science Teaching Awards Nomination Deadline Approaching
April 1 is the deadline to nominate elementary teachers (grades K-6) for the 2016 North Carolina
Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching.
The Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST) is the highest
honor bestowed by the United States government specifically for K-12 mathematics and science
teaching.
Anyone – principals, teachers, parents, students, or members of the general public – may nominate a
teacher by completing the nomination form available on the PAEMST website. To submit a nomination,
you’ll need the teacher’s name, email address, and school contact information. If you know more than
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one teacher deserving of this award, you may submit more than one nomination. Teachers also may
apply.
One mathematics teacher and one science teacher will be selected. Each will receive a $10,000 award
and a trip to Washington, D.C. to attend the National Awards Recognition Program. Secondary school
teachers (grades 7-12) will be eligible to apply during a future cycle.
STEM Essay Contest for Select Districts
Attention all 10th – 12th grade students in Buncombe, Brunswick,
Guilford, New Hanover, Robeson and Wilson Counties who are
looking to change the world! If you had no obstacles and unlimited
resources to pursue a STEM career how would you ignite an idea or
show great innovation or inspire someone else? How would you
make a difference in your community?”
If these questions energize you and sound interesting, then here
is your chance to ignite, innovate and inspire others. Get your keyboard or video camera and enter
the Ignite, Innovate, Inspire: RTPi3 STEM Essay Contest. Submissions will be accepted March 4 - April
29. For more information contact Tatiana Jenkins.
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