Weekly Message - State Superintendent June Atkinson 0 8/25/15 7:10 AM Receive Updates Enter Email Address Go Weekly Message - State Superintendent June Atkinson North Carolina Public Schools sent this bulletin at 08/24/2015 03:33 PM EDT Having trouble viewing this email? View it as a Web page. Aug. 24, 2015 Congratulations on a successful first day of school for North Carolina’s traditional calendar public schools. I know that first days are exciting mixtures of anticipation, expectations, traffic jams and new opportunities. I am especially appreciative of a successful school beginning when you are starting the year without a state budget in place. As always, educators step up and do their best for children in the best of circumstances as well as in times when circumstances are not ideal. The PDK/Gallup Poll was recently released showing that parents across the country – no matter their politics – support higher academic standards for students. This is a positive finding, and we need to continue to show parents how higher standards are helping their students in classrooms today. Parents polled also show strong support for assessing the academic performance for every student at least once a year. Some parents have concerns about the amount of testing and time spent on testing, but understand that tests are necessary. One important finding from the survey: a majority of Americans surveyed said that half or fewer of http://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/NCSBE/bulletins/11617ac Page 1 of 4 Weekly Message - State Superintendent June Atkinson 8/25/15 7:10 AM public school students are receiving a high-quality education, a response that is consistent among blacks, whites, and Hispanics. That last finding speaks to our need to communicate directly with parents and our communities about the work of our public schools, the successes we have, the needs that our students have when they arrive at school and the resources we need to meet those needs. I look forward to our continued work in this area to make sure that North Carolina parents and other taxpayers know the good work you do every day. School Growth Score Comparison Data NCDPI staff have received communications indicating that some districts have been approached about using a paid third-party vendor software to compare school growth ratings in one district to similar schools across the state. Superintendents are reminded that this comparison service is provided free of charge through SAS EVAAS. If your staff or you would like to access free training on the SAS EVAAS tool, please send an email to Educator Effectiveness staff. Put Hold on Aug. 31 for Possible Legislative Webinar Please place a hold on your calendar for 1 p.m., Monday, Aug. 31, for a possible Legislative Webinar. Whether a webinar will be held will depend largely on whether there is movement on the state budget. We will send you the link to register if a webinar is scheduled. Be Aware and Prepare: September is North Carolina Preparedness Month Emergencies can occur at any time and in any place – even at school. That’s why Gov. McCrory has proclaimed September as North Carolina Preparedness Month – to encourage residents to take simple steps to prepare for emergencies at home, work or school. Faculty, staff, students and parents need to know what to do should severe weather or another emergency interrupt a normal school day. Four simple steps – make a plan, practice your plan, have an emergency supplies kit, and stay informed – can make all the difference. For details, visit www.ReadyNC.org. Global-Ready District Designation Webinar Scheduled A Global-Ready District Designation Webinar is scheduled for Thursday, Sept. 17, at 11 a.m. The webinar is designed for districts interested in applying for this State Board of Education designation http://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/NCSBE/bulletins/11617ac Page 2 of 4 Weekly Message - State Superintendent June Atkinson 8/25/15 7:10 AM and will focus on understanding the levels of achievement requirements and the application process for 2015-16. You may register online. For additional information on Global-Ready District and Global-Ready Schools designations, please visit the Global Education website or contact Special Assistant for Global Education Helga Fasciano. Back to School in NC: By the Numbers An estimated 1,537,643 students will kick off a new school year this week while students at North Carolina’s nearly 130 year-round schools jumped back into the swing of things earlier this month. This number of students represents an increase of 17,000 from last year and an increase of more than 61,000 from 2008-09. Among these students, an estimated 1.459 million will attend one of North Carolina’s 2,442 traditional public schools while an estimated 78,000 plan to attend one of the 160 charter schools. And so far nearly 20,000 students have enrolled to take at least one online course this fall through the nation’s second largest state-supported virtual school, the North Carolina Virtual Public School. To read more, visit the NCDPI website and select the appropriate link under “News.” Latest Messages Online Aug. 20, 2015 Home Base/RttT Biweekly Update Aug. 21, 2015 Principals’ Biweekly Message Aug. 21, 2015 Finance Officers’ Newsletter Stay Connected with North Carolina Public Schools: SUBSCRIBER SERVICES: Manage Subscriptions | Help http://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/NCSBE/bulletins/11617ac Page 3 of 4 Weekly Message - State Superintendent June Atkinson http://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/NCSBE/bulletins/11617ac 8/25/15 7:10 AM Page 4 of 4