North Carolina, December 2012
Page 1of 5
Race to the Top Progress Update
Sub-criterion
Part B: In preparation for monthly calls, States must submit written responses to the following
questions for two application sub-criteria (e.g. (A) (2) and (D) (4)). 1 All responses in this
section should be tailored to the goals and projects associated with this sub-criterion.
Application sub-criterion:
(D)(4) Improving the effectiveness of teacher and principal preparation programs
(i)
Link student achievement and student growth data to the students’ teachers and
principals, to link this information to the in-State programs where those teachers
and principals were prepared for credentialing, and to publicly report the data for
each credentialing program in the State; and
(ii)
Expand preparation and credentialing options and programs that are successful at
producing effective teachers and principals
North Carolina’s self-described goals for this sub-criterion

Increase the percentage of public and private teacher preparation programs for which
the public can access information on the achievement and growth of the graduates’
students.

Increase the percentage of public and private principal preparation programs for
which the public can access information on the achievement and growth of the
graduates’ students.
Relevant projects

Publish Institution of Higher Education (IHE) Report Cards that link public and
private teacher and principal preparation programs to the growth of the graduates’
students, as well as provide other important information, such as the percentage of
graduates licensed and employed.

Review and approve educator preparation program revisions to ensure that
participants become effective teachers, administrators, and superintendents.

Launch UNC Teacher Recruitment Initiative to develop a strategic plan for
coordinating teacher recruitment efforts. Included within this initiative is an
1
On each monthly call, program officers and states should work together to select two sub-criteria for the following month.
OMB Control Number: 1894-0011
Expiration Date: October 31, 2011 North Carolina, December 2012
Page 2of 5
alternative teacher certification track for math and science majors at participating
UNC campuses.
Questions: (Pilot revision)
1.
Is the State on-track to implement the activities and meet the goals and
performance measures that are included in its approved scope of work for this subcriterion? If so, explain why. If not, explain why not. The State is on track to meet the goals, performance measures, and timelines listed above
and in its Race to the Top application with high quality implementation. Given the
diversity of projects within the D (4) sub-criterion, an update on each project appears
below.

Publish Institution of Higher Education (IHE) Report Cards that link public and
private teacher and principal preparation programs to the growth of the
graduates’ students, as well as provide other important information, such as the
percentage of graduates licensed and employed. NCDPI currently collects and
reports a wide range of data on teacher and administrator preparation programs,
including percentage of teachers licensed and employed, and average PRAXIS scores
of candidates. The annual IHE Performance Report also describes the multitude of
ways IHEs partner with school systems beyond the placement of student teachers;
these efforts include grant work, professional development, research, and service.
During the 2011 – 2012 year, the NCDPI developed a high level IHE Report Card
which will pull data from the annual IHE Performance Report and the NC Teacher
Evaluation System. The IHE Report Card will highlight critical pieces of information
about the individual teacher preparation programs and their graduates. During the
development process, the NCDPI sought electronic feedback from all deans of
schools of education (both public and private), in-person feedback from leadership
councils constituted of select deans from the public and private institutions, and inperson feedback from the Educator Effectiveness Work Group and Governor’s
Education Transformation Commission.
The NCDPI presented the IHE Report Card to the State Board of Education in April
2012. In May 2012, The State Board of Education approved the conceptual
framework and content of the IHE Report Card. Data collection for the various
elements displayed on the IHE Report Card took place during the spring and early
summer of 2012. During the fall of 2012 program staff worked closely with
technology staff to upload the IHE Report Card and its relevant data components. The public release of the IHE Report Card is scheduled to take place in January 2013
following a presentation to the North Carolina State Board of Education.

Review and approve educator preparation program revisions to ensure that
participants become effective teachers, administrators, and superintendents. OMB Control Number: 1894-0011
Expiration Date: October 31, 2011 North Carolina, December 2012
Page 3of 5
Program Approval
Each IHE that wants to begin a new licensure area must submit a Blueprint narrative
to NCDPI for review and approval. The Blueprint must contain specified components
around how the program reflects the NC Professional Teaching or School Executive
Standards, how public school partners were involved in the delivery and evaluation of
the program, and how candidates will demonstrate their competencies through the
development and execution of evidences (e.g., artifacts). Each Blueprint is reviewed
internally at the individual IHE, then by a statewide committee comprised of IHE
representatives, and subsequently brought to the State Board of Education for final
approval. The cycle takes approximately 4-6 months.
In April 2012, the NCDPI conducted Electronic Evidence Reviewer Training for 85
faculty members representing 35 IHEs. The professional development focused on:

the overall IHE program review process;

accessing evidences (artifacts) on an e-platform;

providing feedback to teacher candidates about the adequacy of specific
evidences relative to the NC Professional Teaching and School Excellence
Standards; and

capacity building through a shared ownership model.
Currently, NCDPI is working closely with a workgroup composed of IHE faculty and
local school superintendents to develop recommendations for the North Carolina
State Board of Education related to the revision of the standards for the
superintendent licensure program. The workgroup is expected to finalize their
recommendations at their next meeting on January 16, 2012. The school
administration and teacher licensure programs were revised prior to focusing on the
superintendent licensure program. Program Review
Once a teacher licensure program has been implemented, NCDPI reviews the quality
of the program at least once every seven years. The program review process includes
use of student achievement data to document outcomes affected by program
completers. The new IHE Report Card will be instrumental in determining the
effectiveness of the teacher preparation program review process. In addition, NCDPI
is strengthening the requirements for K-6 licensure in reading and mathematics.
During 2012, NCDPI sought additional feedback from IHE partners and K-12 reading
teachers, regarding needed changes in licensure requirements. Based on staff
recommendations and external feedback obtained the North Carolina State Board of
Education in October 2012 approved the following changes in teacher licensure
requirements: a. Effective July 1, 2014, all elementary education (K-6) and special education
general curriculum program completers shall be required to pass the
OMB Control Number: 1894-0011
Expiration Date: October 31, 2011 North Carolina, December 2012
Page 4of 5
Massachusetts Test for Education Licensure: Foundations of Reading (MTEL).
NC will conduct a pilot to determine appropriate cut scores. Cut scores used in
Massachusetts will be strongly considered.
b. All elementary education (K-6) and special education general curriculum program
completers shall be required to pass the Massachusetts Test of General
Curriculum (or an equivalent one developed for North Carolina), including the
subtest in Mathematics. NC will conduct a pilot to determine appropriate cut
scores.
c. All out-of-state elementary education (K-6) and special education general
curriculum teachers shall be required to pass both aforementioned assessments.
Licensed teachers with more than three years of successful experience may teach
in North Carolina for one year, allowing the teachers an opportunity to pass the
required assessments.

Launch UNC Teacher Recruitment Initiative to develop a strategic plan for
coordinating teacher recruitment efforts. Included within this initiative is an
alternative teacher certification track for math and science majors at
participating UNC campuses.
According to the Department of Education-approved RttT Detailed Scope of Work,
this project will not begin until RttT project year four (2013-14).
2. Does the State have evidence indicating the quality of implementation for this subcriterion? What is/has the State doing/done as a result of this information?
The State is using the publication and ongoing revision of IHE Report Card as the
indicator of progress for the goals in its Race to the Top application. The evaluation of
the new program approval process will be based on the results of the pilot, revisions
based on the pilot, and the full implementation of the electronic evidences process.
The State is currently satisfied with the progress of implementation for sub-criterion D
(4). The State has met with the Education Deans of Public and Private IHEs. To date,
IHEs are supportive of suggested changes to include student achievement data but are
reticent about changing the nature of their programs until more data is shared and reviews
are conducted.
3. What obstacles and/or risks could impact the State’s ability to meet its goals and
performance measures related to this sub-criterion?
Data integrity, integration, and management have proven and will prove challenging, as
the various components of the IHE Report Card must be pulled from IHE self-reports,
OMB Control Number: 1894-0011
Expiration Date: October 31, 2011 North Carolina, December 2012
Page 5of 5
LiSal (the NCDPI licensure database), Educational Testing Service, HRMS (an optional
human resource management system utilized by many districts), and the SAS Institute.
The NCDPI is addressing this problem by creating a cross-divisional team with
representatives from each of the component systems. This team will identify obstacles
and barriers to effective implementation and recommend needed process revisions. The
next scheduled meeting of the workgroup is January 23, 2012.
Evaluation: Based on the responses to the previous question, evaluate the State’s performance
and progress to date for this sub-criterion (choose one):
Red (1) Orange (2) Yellow (3) Green (4)2 2
(updated January 2012) Red – substantially off-track and/or has significant quality concerns; urgent and decisive action is
required; Orange –off-track and/or there are quality concerns; many aspects require significant attention; Yellow –generally ontrack and of high or good quality; only a few aspects require additional attention; Green – on-track with high quality.
OMB Control Number: 1894-0011
Expiration Date: October 31, 2011