Wednesday, October 12, 2011 If you know someone who would like to be on this list, please send their email address to Michael.Yarbrough@dpi.nc.gov ***PLEASE NOTE: Each entry in this Weekly Update features the email address of at least one contact person. For questions, concerns or technical assistance, please email the appropriate contact(s) directly. Thanks! In this issue 
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Summer Institutes Video Now Online English/Language Arts Text Exemplars Extended Social Studies Draft Review Understanding Student Behavior in the Classroom NCDPI/RESA Partnership Professional Development Calendars Fidelity Support Sessions for PD Leadership Teams 2012 Collaborative Conference for Student Achievement (CCSA) DSW Approvals Update Online Assessments Best Practices Guide Common Core/Essential Standards Training for Colleges/Universities Summer Institutes Video Now Online Meaningful and effective professional development for state educators is the linchpin for success in the Race to the Top initiative, and North Carolina is leading the way. As you know, NCDPI officials spent the past several months hosting dozens of Summer Institutes across the state, reaching more than 2,200 teachers, principals, superintendents and other educators for training on the new Common Core and Essential Standards, made possible by Race to the Top funds. To read more, and to view the video, please visit http://www.ncpublicschools.org, and click on the appropriate link under “News.” English/Language Arts Text Exemplars Text exemplars are sample texts intended to guide educators as they thoughtfully select texts to use as vehicles for teaching the ELA Common Core State Standards (CCSS). NCDPI has provided a document that gives specific ordering information for the text exemplars found in the CCSS to supplement and organize existing classroom libraries. NCDPI strongly encourages local districts to use these exemplars as guideposts when selecting texts for students. These exemplars will help gauge an understanding of what is appropriate for a given grade span. The documents are divided into the following sections: ∙ Sample texts available in the public domain free of charge ∙ Sample texts available from online sources ∙ Bundles of sample texts with additional resources for use with the Common Core Curriculum Maps The Text Exemplars document can be found at http://newdev.www.ncpublicschools.org/acre/standards/common‐core‐tools/ MORE INFO: Julie Joslin, at Julie.joslin@dpi.nc.gov. Extended Social Studies Standards Draft Review The Extended Social Studies Standards are now available for public review. The window to review and submit feedback began October 6‐21, 2011. This DRAFT document is located at http://newdev.www.ncpublicschools.org/acre/standards/extended/. All feedback should be submitted to acre‐feedback@dpi.nc.gov. Understanding Student Behavior in the Classroom A new online course, “Understanding Student Behavior in the Classroom,” will help teachers develop an enhanced awareness of behavioral health issues in the classroom that can foster academic achievement for all students and decrease dropout rates. Many factors influence an educator's ability to appropriately meet the needs of their students. One includes understanding and managing the behavioral health issues of students. Behavioral health needs are common, but dealing with them can be a very complicated issue. This course includes strategies for improving academic achievement, empowering students to manage their own behavior, working with families and dealing with anxiety, depression or self‐esteem issues. This course will help you: 
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Increase awareness of strategies to positively engage students. Provide teachers with techniques and resources to better understand student behavior deal constructively with classroom situations and create a nurturing, engaging environment that ultimately retains students through graduation. Identify existing student support services that facilitate positive behavioral interventions, which promote meaningful relationships between the students and adults. Teach communication skills as tools for respect and understanding among students and across student groups. 
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Help teachers, students and parents access important behavioral health information and resources. Identify situations that require the assistance of the school staff, School Resource Officer, or other community professionals. Course link: https://center.ncsu.edu/nc MORE INFO: DeLea Payne, Online Module Developer [Educator Recruitment and Development], DeLea.Payne@dpi.nc.gov, or Chris Minard, Allied Health Consultant [Academic Services], Chris.Minard@dpi.nc.gov. NCDPI/RESA Partnership Professional Development Calendars Professional Development Leads, PD Contacts and Race to the Top district coordinators can assist you with appropriate teacher‐leader selections for the PD sections for the remainder of October (schedule is attached). The target audience for the content sessions includes one to two people who attended a Summer Institute. If your RESA has room for more, you may send additional teachers but we ask that you please make Summer Institute content attendees priority as they have a solid understanding of our process. Teachers comprise the target audience for the Teacher Effectiveness focus group sessions. It is important for teacher‐leaders to understand the teacher effectiveness initiative. If administrative leaders attend, please have them bring several teacher‐
leaders with them. You may use Race to the Top funds to provide substitute teachers for participants. RESA Directors and Professional Development Leads have each regional PD calendar. It is also posted on the RESA websites and the NCDPI Professional Development website. PD Leaders (http://www.ncpublicschools.org/profdev/directory), your local RttT District/Charter Coordinators (http://www.ncpublicschools.org/rttt/lea‐charter/) and the RESA directors coordinate this work and communicate the details to you. Please contact your PD Lead anytime you have a question about this process. MORE INFO: Eliz Colbert, Elizabeth.colbert@dpi.nc.gov or Yvette Stewart, Yvette.Stewart@dpi.nc.gov. Fidelity Support Sessions for PD Leadership Teams As NCDPI continues to support the development of your local professional development plans in preparation for the implementation of Common Core and Essential Standards, Fidelity Support Sessions have been scheduled. The Fidelity Support sessions hosted by the RESA are designed to facilitate follow‐up sessions with up to six decision‐makers and team leaders (“drivers”) of each district/charter PD Leadership team who attended a Summer Institute. The Regional PD Leaders will facilitate these sessions in collaboration with other NCDPI staff to gather information on the progress of your implementation plans as well as to provide continued support for your district leaders. Your RttT Coordinator is the main point of contact for these sessions. Below are the scheduled dates for your Region for the entire 2011‐12 school year: Fall 2011: 
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October 12 – Fidelity Checks for LEA/Charter Leadership Teams, NERESA October 14 – Fidelity Checks for LEA/Charter Leadership Teams, SERESA October 19 – Fidelity Checks for LEA/Charter Leadership Teams, CCRESA October 20 – Fidelity Checks for LEA/Charter Leadership Teams, Sandhills RESA October 24 – Fidelity Checks for LEA/Charter Leadership Teams, SWRESA November 3 – Fidelity Checks for LEA/Charter Leadership Teams, NWRESA November 17 – Fidelity Checks for LEA/Charter Leadership Teams, PTEC Spring 2012: 
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March 22 – Fidelity Checks for LEA/Charter Leadership Teams, Sandhills RESA March 14 – Fidelity Checks for LEA/Charter Leadership Teams, NWRESA April 18 – Fidelity Checks for LEA/Charter Leadership Teams, CCRESA April 23 – Fidelity Checks for LEA/Charter Leadership Teams, SWRESA April 25 – Fidelity Checks for LEA/Charter Leadership Teams, NERESA April 27 – Fidelity Checks for LEA/Charter Leadership Teams, WRESA May 17 – Fidelity Checks for LEA/Charter Leadership Teams, PTEC MORE INFO: Yvette Stewart, Yvette.Stewart@dpi.nc.gov. 2012 Collaborative Conference for Student Achievement (CCSA) Mark your calendars now for the 2012 Collaborative Conference for Student Achievement, March 19‐21, in Greensboro. The conference theme is Engaging NC in Transforming 21st Century Teaching and Learning. Conference Strands include Great Teachers and Principals; Quality Standards and Assessments; Turnaround of Lowest Achieving Schools; and Data System to Improve Instruction. MORE INFO: http://www.dpi.state.nc.us/accountability/conference/, or call 919‐807‐
3630, or email ccsa@dpi.nc.gov. DSW Approvals Update Only a few of our LEAs and participating charter schools have yet to submit their refined Race to the Top Detailed Scopes of Work (DSWs) based on feedback provided by NCDPI. Currently, 121 of 142 DSWs have been fully approved. Please be aware that the sooner you submit a DSW that appropriately addresses the comments provided by the Department, the sooner the DSW will be approved and posted, and the sooner we can then approve your corresponding detailed budget. ***NOTE: The approved DSWs posted on the NCDPI website (http://www.ncpublicschools.org/rttt/lea‐charter/) are in an Excel downloadable file. For any future amendments to your LEA or charter school file, please download the Excel file version from this website to make your revisions. Again, thank you for your cooperation and patience during this process. MORE INFO: Adam Levinson, Adam.Levinson@dpi.nc.gov. Online Assessments Best Practices Guide Through ACRE and RttT, NCDPI staff have developed and published the Online Assessments Best Practices Guide. The purpose of the guide is to provide support for LEAs and charter schools as they prepare for the transition to online assessments. The Best Practices guide includes case studies of schools and districts already using online assessments. The guide also addresses issues of scheduling, financial planning, and technical requirements in order to move to online assessment and includes first‐
person accounts from schools and LEAs regarding the specific steps taken to plan for and administer online EOC tests. A team of NCDPI staff from Accountability, Instructional Technology, and ACRE worked to interview LEAs and charter schools and wrote the details of the best practices based on these interviews and other research. The Online Assessments Best Practices Guide is available on the website at http://www.ncpublicschools.org/acre/assessment/guide/. MORE INFO: Please send any questions or comments to acre‐feedback@dpi.nc.gov. Common Core/Essential Standards Training for Colleges/Universities The Department of Public Instruction is providing professional development on the Common Core State and North Carolina Essential Standards for colleges and universities. The trainings will convene at the following locations: October 7: Meredith College in Raleigh (7:30 a.m.‐4:30 p.m.) October 10: UNC‐Wilmington (7:30 a.m.‐4:30 p.m.) October 11: Appalachian State University (7:30 a.m.‐4:30 p.m.) MORE INFO: Tracey Greggs at Tracey.Greggs@dpi.nc.gov, or Elissa Brown at Elissa.Brown@dpi.nc.gov.