TO:
NC Public School Principals
FROM: State Superintendent June Atkinson
DATE: Oct. 3, 2014
The State Board of Education yesterday approved the move to a consistent 10-point
grading scale for high school students beginning with the entering ninth graders in
2015-16 and for subsequent high school classes. (The grading policy change does not
affect elementary and middle grades.) This move standardizes grading scales statewide
and levels the playing field for students as they compete for college admissions,
scholarships and other items and addresses concerns about handling students who
may move from one district to another during high school. Local school districts and
parents in North Carolina had indicated strong support for this move. Please
communicate this change to the students currently in eighth grade and younger since
they will be the first affected.
On the other end of the educational spectrum, the results of the first year of Read to
Achieve were reported for the first time this week. Fewer than 13 percent (12.7 percent)
of third graders were retained or placed in a transitional class or accelerated class with
plans for additional help because they could not demonstrate reading proficiency.
Seventy-nine percent of North Carolina public school third grade students met the
reading proficiency standards under North Carolina’s Read to Achieve program
according to the Improve K-3 Literacy Accountability Measures Comprehensive Plan for
Reading Achievement report. Another 8.1 percent of students were exempt from third
grade retention for good cause (impacts English Language Learners and some students
with learning disabilities).
Regards,
June Atkinson
In this Biweekly Principals’ Message:
1. State Board Meeting Highlights
2. October to be Declared Anti-Bullying Month
3. NC FALCON Formative Assessment Webinar Online
4. NC Teacher Working Conditions Survey Data, Resources and Training Available
5. Five NC Public Schools Receive National Blue Ribbons
6. The A+ Schools Program to Host Regional Information Meetings
7. NCPAPA Conference Scheduled for November
8. Search Underway for Nation’s Top Youth Volunteers
1. State Board Meeting Highlights - At yesterday’s State Board of Education meeting,
members approved revisions to the grading scale, the report to the General Assembly
on the First-Year Implementation of Read to Achieve Legislation, the use of Race to the
Top funds to help define classroom wireless needs, Global Educator Digital Badge
criteria for teachers, and Teacher Leadership Specialist standards and rubric draft. A
complete list of Board actions will be posted online later today at
http://stateboard.ncpublicschools.gov/minutes-actions/sbe-actions/2014-actions.
2. October to be Declared Anti-Bullying Month - Governor McCrory is expected to
declare October as Anti-Bullying month. Attached is some information to assist
educators in helping students understand the issue and address ways to reduce or
eliminate bullying in schools. Questions regarding the materials may be directed to Ben
Matthews at ben.matthews@dpi.nc.gov or 919/807-3500.
3. NC FALCON Formative Assessment Webinar Online - If you were unable to
participate in the NC FALCON Formative Assessment webinar held Sept. 11, you may
now view it online. The presentation, Formative Assessment in the Classroom,
highlighted learning targets and strategies to collect data about student learning. Visit
https://center.ncsu.edu/nc/course/view.php?id=511 and look under Additional
Resources to access the webinar and PowerPoint slides.
4. NC Teacher Working Conditions Survey Data, Resources and Training
Available - In addition to survey data, there are a variety of tools and resources
available on the NC Teacher Working Conditions website at
www.ncteachingconditions.org. The resources include activity guides, presentations and
facilitator notes to support discussions among school district leaders and staff on
whether certain teaching conditions are present in their district (or school) and to ensure
data is used in district (or school) improvement planning. The materials suggest specific
strategies to help address and improve identified teaching conditions.
The New Teacher Center (NTC) is available to provide regional trainings on using
survey results to support school improvement planning at the regional, district, and/or
school level. These trainings (one hour to full day sessions) can be arranged through
DPI staff. Training feedback has been positive and the data shared has proven to be
beneficial. For more information, please contact Yvette Stewart at
yvette.stewart@dpi.nc.gov or your corresponding Regional Education Facilitator at
www.ncpublicschools.org/educatoreffectiveness/regional/.
5. Five NC Public Schools Receive National Blue Ribbons –
Congratulations to the following f ive North Carolina public schools for recently
being named 2014 National Blue Ribbon Schools by U.S. Secretary of Education Arne
Duncan: Briarcliff Elementary (Wake County Schools); Caldwell Early College (Caldwell
County Schools), Raleigh Charter (Wake County), Shoals Elementary (Surry County
Schools) and West Elementary (Cleveland County Schools). These schools are among
287 public and 50 private schools where students either achieve very high learning
standards or are making notable improvements in closing the achievement gap. In
announcing the 2014 National Blue Ribbon Schools, Secretary Duncan said,
“National Blue Ribbon Schools are models of consistent excellence and a resource for
other schools and districts. We celebrate them for their tireless effort and boundless
creativity in reaching and teaching every student.”
6. The A+ Schools Program to Host Regional Information Meetings - The A+
Schools Program, the nation’s longest-running, most successful arts-based whole
school reform model, is hosting three informational meetings for schools interested in
joining the A+ Network. The meetings will be held
- Tuesday, Oct. 14, from 5 to 7 p.m., at the Kinston Community Council for the Arts,
Kinston;
- Wednesday, Oct. 15, from 5 to 7 p.m., at the North Carolina Arts Council, Raleigh;
and
- Thursday, Oct. 16, from 5 to 7 p.m., at the Burke Arts Council, Morganton.
These meetings will offer information to school and district representatives about the A+
Schools Program and the process for becoming a part of this highly successful,
nationally recognized network of creative schools. To RSVP to attend one of the
meetings or for more information, please contact A+ Schools Program Director Michelle
Burrows at michelle.burrows@ncdcr.gov or 919.807.6503.
7. NCPAPA Conference Scheduled for November - The North Carolina Principals &
Assistant Principals’ Association (NCPAPA) will host its Fall Instructional Symposium,
“Growing, Evaluating and Retaining Teacher Talent,” in Pinehurst on Nov. 20-21. The
sessions in this two-day experience, led by nationally renowned speaker and author of
The Artisan Teacher Mike Rutherford, will provide participants with detailed strategies
and tactics for optimizing the feedback and coaching process. Proven feedback and
coaching techniques will be modeled and analyzed by all attendees. Register for this
event at http://goo.gl/8YDODC. Please direct questions to NCPAPA at
edoyle@ncpapa.net or 919/833-3205.
8. Search Underway for Nation's Top Youth Volunteers - Prudential Financial, in
partnership with the National Association of Secondary School Principals, is sponsoring
its 20th annual Prudential Spirit of Community Awards. Students in grades 5-12 are
invited to apply for the awards if they have made meaningful contributions to their
communities through volunteer service within the past 12 months. Students must
complete the application, which is available online at http://spirit.prudential.com, by Nov.
4 and then submit it for certification to a middle or high school principal. Schools will
then select the top recipients in early November and submit those names for state-level
judging. The middle and high school recipients for each state will be named on Feb. 10.
The top middle and high school candidates in each state receive $1,000, an engraved
silver medallion, and a trip to Washington, D.C., with a parent for four days of
recognition events scheduled for May 2-5. Ten national honorees will be named and
among other things, will receive an additional $5,000 in awards.
North Carolina’s top youth volunteers for 2014 were Molly Paul (Saint Mary’s School,
Raleigh) and Leanne Joyce (Grey Culbreth Middle, Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools).