TO:
NC Public School Principals
FROM: State Superintendent June Atkinson
DATE: Aug. 21, 2014
For the majority of North Carolina’s 1.5 million public school students, Monday is the
first day of a new school year. And among these students, 800,000 of them will ride a
school bus to and from school. Numerous studies have shown that the school bus is the
safest mode of transportation for school children, but there is an increased danger for
students when are getting on or off the school bus because too many motorists fail to
stop for the school bus stop arm.
In past annual one-day stop arm violation counts conducted by bus drivers, more than
3,000 vehicles on average illegally pass a stopped school bus and that is just in one
day! Since 1998, 13 students have died as a result of motorists failing to stop. Four
students died in the 2012-13 school year alone. It is heartbreaking to think about the
suffering such a loss brings to families and friends and the talents and potential that are
never realized when a life ends too soon. What makes these tragedies even more
senseless is these losses are totally preventable.
Thanks to a pilot program from the North Carolina Governor’s Highway Safety Program
and funding from the North Carolina General Assembly, there are now at least two
school buses equipped with a stop arm camera system operating in nearly every school
district in the state. While these cameras are helpful in detecting and prosecuting those
who pass a stopped school bus, cameras alone will not solve this problem.
As many of you prepare to begin the school year, please consider speaking to your
school community about the importance of avoiding distracted driving and paying
careful attention around school buses. Heeding the stop arm may cost motorists a few
extra seconds, but the alternative can cost children their lives. And since we know that
not all vehicles will stop for a bus’s stop arm, please remind your students to look to
make sure traffic is stopped before they step into the roadway.
Thank you for partnering with us to raise awareness about this important issue and for
helping to ensure that this school year is a safe and healthy one for all public school
students.
Regards,
June Atkinson
In this Biweekly Principals’ Message:
1. Upcoming Accountability Releases
2. NCVPS Registration Open
3. Early Warning Reporting Systems
4. Fall 2014: Facilitated Online Professional Development Courses in Home Base
5. New Professional Development MOOClet: Effective Digital Strategies for Teaching
and Learning in the K-12 Classroom
6. NC Educator Evaluation System Process: Instructional Coaching for Principals
7. Governor’s Teacher Network Update
8. SMT Offers Resources for Educators and Parents
1. Upcoming Accountability Releases - The Department’s Accountability Services’
staff will release end-of-grade proficiency, end-of-course proficiency/high school
indicators, academic growth and the graduation rate at the State Board’s Sept. 4
meeting. Read to Achieve results will be presented to Board members at their Oct. 2
meeting; and School Performance Grades will be released at the Board’s Feb. 5, 2015
meeting in compliance with current state law.
2. NCVPS Registration Open - NCVPS registration is in full swing. Districts and
schools are currently registering about 3,000 students a week. NCVPS Early Calendar
classes have already started, and its traditional calendar classes begin on Aug. 26.
Registration will remain open through Sept. 9. Credit recovery registration will continue
into October. NCVPS staff thanks every district and charter school for their tremendous
participation! For information on available courses, please visit www.ncvps.org.
3. Early Warning Reporting Systems - Determining when students enter the "at risk
zone" can often be challenging. The At Risk Report available in Home Base provides
North Carolina schools and districts the capacity to design early warning reports with
research-based, locally-selected risk indicators. The report delivers a listing of courses,
sections and grades associated with students currently at risk of failing for the current
term. This information allows administrators, student support staff and teachers to take
a proactive approach prior to the end of term and ensures student accountability.
Access to report programming and execution is determined by local district
administration. Visit www.ncpublicschools.org/dropout/warning for step-bystep instructions on how to access and execute the At Risk report.
4. Fall 2014: Facilitated Online Professional Development Courses in Home Base
- In our continuing effort to provide online professional development that is flexible and
meets the varied need of educators across the state, the NCDPI Educator Effectiveness
Division is now offering several facilitated courses along with our self-paced modules.
These courses are FREE in the PD system (in Home Base) and are facilitated by DPI’s
Educator Effectiveness staff. The courses are completed entirely online and participants
are expected to meet all weekly deadlines in order to receive CEUs. Partial credit will
not be given so we recommend educators plan accordingly. Registration is limited to
35 participants per section and is now open. The following courses begin Monday,
Sept. 8:
- Introduction to Data Literacy
- Responsibilities of the 21st Century Educator
- Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science and Technical Subjects: Part I
- NC Professional Teaching Standards
- Connecting with our 21st Century Learners
- Digital Literacies in the K-12 Classroom (Self Paced)
- Building and Sustaining Professional Development
To learn more about each course, follow the instructions for logging into TNL to selfregister for an online course.
- Log in to the NCEES system using your usual PowerSchool login or the alternate log
in at https://ncees.homebase.ncpublicschools.gov/alternateLogin.html.
- Click the Professional Development tab.
- Search for the course or list all opportunities to find the course you wish to register
for.
- Notice the course screen and click on the desired section.
- Click the register button.
Directions also are available at
https://ncees.homebase.ncpublicschools.gov/content/Searching%20and%20Registering
%20for%20Courses.mp4.
There will be additional courses starting in October. Contact Beth Williams at
beth.williams@dpi.nc.gov if you have any questions regarding registration.
5. New Professional Development MOOClet: Effective Digital Strategies for
Teaching and Learning in the K-12 Classroom - Registration is now open for the
MOOClet [Massive Open Online Course; Limited Educational Trajectory]. Sept. 8 is the
start date and the class will run for six weeks (20 hours). This course focuses on using
digital tools and strategies to support teaching and learning. It will enrich individuals’
knowledge through developing subject area/grade level communities of practice across
the state. Participants will examine the 4Cs – Creativity, Critical Thinking,
Communication and Collaboration – the keystones for the 21st century classroom
through collaboration. This course is intended for K-12 classroom teachers and other
interested instructional personnel.
How is this DPI MOOClet like a MOOC?
- Learner-centered, focusing on participants’ professional needs in different disciplines
and grade levels.
- Participants are creators of content as much as they are “consumers” of content.
- Extensive peer-to-peer communication.
- Larger number of students than a typical facilitator-led course.
- Starts and ends on fixed dates; participants are in a cohort and stay on schedule with
weekly assigned readings and assignments.
How is this DPI MOOClet different from most MOOCs?
- Enrollment is not open to all; only North Carolina educators (150–200 participants).
- Facilitator presence; MOOCs can be overwhelming, requiring a high degree of learner
independence.
- Participants will complete all assigned activities; with plenty of choices and alternate
options.
- CEUs awarded for completion of the professional development MOOClet
requirements.
Who should participate?
Active, collaborative learners who are self-driven, motivated, flexible and enjoy sharing
information and resources! Be courageous and try something new and different. To
register:
- Log in to the NCEES system using your usual PowerSchool login or the alternate log
in at https://ncees.homebase.ncpublicschools.gov/alternateLogin.html.
- Click the Professional Development tab.
- Search for the course or list all opportunities to find the course you wish to register
for.
- Notice the course screen and click on the desired section.
- Click the register button.
Directions also are available at
https://ncees.homebase.ncpublicschools.gov/content/Searching%20and%20Registering
%20for%20Courses.mp4.
Two CEUs will be awarded. Please note that there is a limit of 200 registrants. Contact
Beth Williams at beth.williams@dpi.nc.gov if you have any questions regarding
registration.
6. NC Educator Evaluation System Process: Instructional Coaching for Principals
- This webinar provides administrators with an opportunity to learn more about
resources to use to support their understanding of effective ELA instructional practices,
paying particular attention to the Instructional Practice Guides created by Student
Achievement Partners and connecting them to Standard 3. NCDPI K-12 English
Language Arts Section Chief Julie Joslin will be the presenter.
Elementary Principals: Tuesday, Sept. 16, 1 – 2:30 p.m. Register at
https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/467345360
Secondary Principals: Tuesday, Sept. 23, 1 – 2:30 p.m., register at
https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/812447600
7. Governor’s Teacher Network Update - Please remember to highlight the
Governor's Teacher Network (GTN) candidates selected in your schools as they begin
the school year doing this exciting work to improve teaching and learning across the
state! With limited funding, 450 teachers were selected to create instructional resources
and develop professional development, which will be located in Home Base. Please
allow your GTN teachers to share the focus of their work (at the school and district
level) so colleagues are aware and can be updated on project progress. For an
overview of the GTN Initiative, please visit http://youtu.be/cDEr4MXaAU8. Feel free to
share this at a staff meeting prior to introducing your teachers and their projects.
8. SMT Offers Resources for Educators and Parents - The North Carolina Science,
Mathematics and Technology (SMT) Education Center’s web site –
www.ncstemcenter.org – provides a comprehensive, searchable database of hundreds
of resources that advance science and mathematics education. Resources are
catalogued by topic, location, group and other criteria. In addition to the resource
database, the web site offers a number of other useful resources, including a calendar
of upcoming events, funding resources and job announcements, and links to other
national databases. For more information, please contact Mark Ezzell at
mark_ezzell@earthlink.net or 919/606-7585.