North Carolina Department of Public Instruction
Highlights of Operational Plan Activities by Key Functions
2014-15 Fiscal Year
June 19, 2014
The following activities are organized by key functions of the North Carolina Department of
Public Instruction (NCDPI) with the appropriate State Board of Education (SBE) goal(s)
referenced in parentheses. Additional activities will be included in the different division and area
webpages of the NCDPI Operational Planning Tool system (formerly called the Performance
Navigator) by August 2014.
1. Professional Development
Provide professional development for the following topics:
1. Design of classroom formative assessments that are aligned to the standards, particularly
in the areas of reading and mathematics (SBE Goals 1 & 2)
2. Analysis of data (from the Education Value-Added Assessment System [EVAAS], and
End of Grade [EOG], End of Course [EOC], NC Final Exams, Formative/Benchmark
assessment results) to determine appropriate instructional practices for a diverse group of
learners (SBE Goals 1 & 2)
3. Effective Use of Home Base (SBE Goals 1, 2, 3 & 4)
4. Use of Early Warning Systems to identify and serve potential dropouts (SBE Goals 1 &
2)
5. Statewide implementation of a Multi-Tiered System of Support to address the needs of
diverse learners and the identification of students with disabilities (SBE Goals 1 & 2)
6. Strategies on human capital management in school districts, designed for principals and
HR directors (SBE Goals 1 & 3)
7. Development of authentic systems for documenting student learning, including mastery
learning portfolios and scoring rubrics (SBE Goals 1 & 2)
8. Maximizing Reading 3D to improve reading outcomes in grades K-3 (SBE Goals 1 & 2)
9. High School Endorsement Options (SBE Goals 1 & 2)
10. Fifteen sessions for leaders of low-performing schools and districts targeted to
implementing changes to improve student achievement (SBE Goals 1 & 2)
2. Technical Assistance (Capacity Building)
1. Provide extensive leadership and instructional coaching to 11 school systems and 118
schools that are deemed at risk (SBE Goals 1, 2 & 3)
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2. Provide special guidance and counsel to Halifax County (School Board and district) as
well as leadership, instructional coaching and districtwide summer professional
development (SBE Goals 1, 2 & 3)
3. Provide 67 comprehensive needs assessments to selected schools and districts (SBE
Goals 1 & 2)
4. Assist LEAs in exploring incentives/options to attract, recruit and retain high quality staff
(SBE Goals 1 & 3)
5. Assist LEAs in effective implementation of the Educator Evaluation System (SBE Goal
3)
6. Provide a Help Desk/Support Function to assist LEAs with the implementation of Home
Base (SBE Goals 1, 2 & 3)
7. Update and provide legislative guidance: collect, analyze and disseminate data (SBE
Goals 1-5)
8. School Supports: feed, house, transport, educate [textbooks, driver's education], and
secure students [physical, psychological] (SBE Goal 5)
3. Technology Support
1. Develop and implement a plan ensuring every school has sufficient wireless coverage to
support 1:1 initiatives. (SBE Goal 4)
2. Provide special assistance to low-performing schools and School Improvement Grant
(SIG) schools in implementing one-to-one initiatives (SBE Goal 2)
3. Introduce an LEA-centered governance structure into IT operations (SBE Goal 4)
4. Resource Development/Provision
1. Develop digital instructional resources to support the implementation of the NC Standard
Course of Study (SBE Goals 1 & 2)
2. Develop support documents/tools for the NC Educator Evaluation System, such as the
calibration tool for principals (SBE Goal 3)
3. Provide online testing opportunities (EOGs, EOCs, VoCATS, NC Final Exams) for LEAs
ready to move to a paperless administration (SBE Goal 4)
4. Develop K-3 Assessments in five domains to support early childhood development and
transitions (SBE Goals 1 & 2)
5. Determine Average Daily Membership (ADM) and Average Salary
Projections/continuation budget development (SBE Goal 4.3)
5. Monitoring of State and Federal Laws
1. Assist LEAs in meeting federal and state requirements through effective and efficient
program/grant management (SBE Goal 4)
2. Ensure support to new teachers through the Beginning Teacher Support Program (SBE
Goal 3)
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3. Review Schools of Education Program Approval documents to ensure a high quality
work force (SBE Goal 3)
4. Monitor for compliance the following areas: salaries, student, financial (SBE Goal 4.3)
5. Collect monthly student, financial and personnel data as required by UERS (SBE Goal
4.3)
6. Process cash management responsibilities: requisition cash, draw down federal funds,
cash reconciliation, reporting (SBE Goal 4.3)
7. Provide financial reporting: including ARRA for both NCDPI and the LEAs (Goal 4.3)
8. Process licensures (SBE Goal 3.1, 3.2)
6. Partnerships
1. Support student achievement through parental involvement by providing Parent Portal
support in Home Base (SBE Goals 1, 2, 4 & 5)
2. Work with the NC Community College System and the Institutions of Higher Education
(IHEs) to provide quality dual enrollment opportunities for students through Career and
College Promise (SBE Goals 1 & 2)
3. Work with the IHEs in continued “revisioning” of the programs for school administrators
and teachers (SBE Goal 3)
7. Internal Operations
1. Manage NCDPI budgets (SBE Goal 4.3)
2. Handle purchasing: requisitions for goods, services and contractual agreements (SBE
Goal 4.3)
3. Safeguard assets: update Fixed Asset system with additions, retirements, location changes
(SBE Goal 4.3)
4. Develop and implement a plan to modernize or replace legacy applications and/or
systems (SBE Goal 4)
5. Transition the NCDPI public website to Plone Content Management system (SBE Goals
1-5)
6. Ensure that North Carolina’s Race to the Top (RttT) implementation is managed
purposefully, in a coordinated manner, to ensure timely, effective completion of all
deliverables and attainment of targeted outcomes; and timely, complete reporting to the
State Board of Education, NC General Assembly, and the US Department of Education
[USED] (SBE Goals 1-5)
a. Monitor and modify as needed the USED-approved RttT Detailed Scope of Work
(see www.ncpublicschools.org/rttt/state/ ) and accompanying budget that defines
NC’s contract with USED for delivery of the initiatives delineated in our RttT
Application (SBE Goals 1-5)
b. Ensure transparency regarding NC RttT Implementation by producing and/or
delivering all required reports (SBE Goals 1-5)
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7. Conduct at least 10 high priority internal audits within the fiscal year (SBE Goals 1-5)
8. Facilitate networking and information sharing for LEA internal auditors across the state
(SBE Goals 1-5)
9. Implement online Performance Management tool for evaluating NCDPI staff members
(SBE Goals 1-5)
10. Complete supervisors’ training – Leading At All Levels – for all supervisors at NCDPI
(SBE Goals 1-5)
8. Communications
1. Communicate the SBE's goals and priorities and NCDPI's activities to North Carolina
educators, citizens, legislators and to NCDPI/SBE personnel using a variety of methods
(SBE Goals 1-5)
2. Provide graphics and duplicating services to support agency work and priorities (SBE
Goals 1-5)
3. Interact with local school district superintendents and other educators using combinations
of face-to-face meetings, webinars, conferences etc. (SBE Goals 1-5)
4. Develop an SBE legislative plan for the Long Session aligned with the SBE strategic plan
by January 2015 (SBE Goals 1-5)
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