Race to the Top Weekly Update
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
If you know someone who would like to be on this list, please send their email address to
michael.yarbrough@dpi.nc.gov
In this issue:
- Online Evaluation Webinars This Week
- NCDPI/RESA Partnership Professional Development Calendar
- Summer Institute Evaluation Survey
- New Location for NC FALCON and WIS
- North Carolina Professional Teaching Standards Module Launched
- Common Core State Standard and NC Essential Standards Facilitators’ Guide Online
- IIS Focus Groups Successful
- Teacher/Principal Survey Extended through Labor Day
Online Evaluation Webinars This Week
Please mark your calendar for upcoming webinars with information about the online
evaluation system, or North Carolina Educator Evaluation System (NCEES). We will
discuss new enhancements to the system and updates on the State’s Race to the Top
Teacher Effectiveness initiatives, including the new 6th- and 8th-grade standards, along
with the new abbreviated evaluation process. We also will provide guidance on resetting
passwords. The document related to that is attached to this Update email. The content will be the same at both sessions, so please choose the one that best suits
your schedule. The links are below.
Thursday, Aug 11, 2011 2 to 3:30 pm https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/948848473
Friday, Aug 12, 2011 10 to 11:30 am
https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/686318177
MORE INFO: Liz Colbert, Elizabeth.Colbert@dpi.nc.gov
NCDPI/RESA Partnership Professional Development Calendar
LEA teams will now begin local training on the Common Core and Essential standards
for teachers, developing their implementation plans, and designing local curricula
resources. NCDPI teams have created online modules and tools to show teachers what is
“different,” how to connect the new standards directly to our evaluation processes, and
tools to identify district strengths and areas of improvement. Additionally, face-to-face
facilitated professional development will be offered to the local PD leadership teams to
extend their training beyond the Common Core and Essential Standards Summer
Institutes. Regional Professional Development dates for the local leadership teams who attended the
summer trainings will be included in the teachers’ calendar in September, and will be
listed in future Weekly Updates. The Regional PD Leaders and the RESA Directors will
coordinate this work and communicate the details to you directly. MORE INFO: Yvette Stewart, Yvette.Stewart@dpi.nc.gov
Summer Institute Evaluation Survey
Have you completed the Summer Institute evaluation survey? If not, please visit
https://center.ncsu.edu/nc and login to NC Education to complete the survey today. You
will then be able to access your certificate of completion to document your
attendance. Thank you for your feedback. By providing it, you are helping us improve
our processes to better serve you. Please see attached documents if you need further
assistance.
MORE INFO: Beth Ann Williams, Beth.Williams@dpi.nc.gov; NC Education
Helpdesk, ncdesk@ncsu.edu or 919-515-1320
NCDPI/RESA Partnership Professional Development Calendar
LEA teams will now begin local training on the Common Core and Essential standards
for teachers, developing their implementation plans, and designing local curricula
resources. NCDPI teams have created online modules and tools to show teachers what is
“different,” how to connect the new standards directly to our evaluation processes, and
tools to identify district strengths and areas of improvement. Additionally, face-to-face
facilitated professional development will be offered to the local PD leadership teams to
extend their training beyond the Common Core and Essential Standards Summer
Institutes.
Regional Professional Development dates for the local leadership teams who attended the
summer trainings will be included in the teachers’ calendar in September, and will be
listed in future Weekly Updates. The Regional PD Leaders and the RESA Directors will
coordinate this work and communicate the details to you directly.
MORE INFO: Yvette Stewart, Yvette.Stewart@dpi.nc.gov
New Location for NC FALCON and WIS
The NC Formative Assessment Learning Community Online Network (NC FALCON)
will be accessible at https://center.ncsu.edu/nc after tomorrow (August 11). District and
charter teams who have never implemented this formative assessment online module are
encouraged to include this as a component of your professional development. The new
addition to NC FALCON, Student Ownership, will be complete and ready for use in
October. The North Carolina Writing Instructional System employs a philosophy of writing by
which children incorporate writing throughout the school day, school year, and
curriculum. The primary goals of the Writing Instruction System are:  To emphasize the importance of incorporating writing and writing instruction in
all classrooms, and
 To provide numerous opportunities for teachers to monitor students’ growth
throughout the school year.
After tomorrow, district and charter teams also will be able to access the Writing
Instruction System through the NC Education site located at center.ncsu.edu/nc. MORE INFO: To read more about NC FALCON, the Writing Instructional System, and
the overall Accountability Curriculum Reform Effort (ACRE) visit
www.ncpublicschools.org/acre. You also may contact Tracey Greggs,
Tracey.Greggs@dpi.nc.gov
North Carolina Professional Teaching Standards Module Launched
The North Carolina Professional Teaching Standards module provides an indepth understanding of the new standards and how they are to be demonstrated
in classrooms. This module has been launched and is ready for district and charter school
implementation. It can be accessed by logging into https://center.ncsu.edu/nc. Use your NC Registration Username and Password (just as you did to access
the Call for Change module). First-time users should complete the steps
located on the log-in page. If you experience difficulty logging in, contact 919-515-1320 or the Help Desk
at ncdesk@ncsu.edu MORE INFO: Tracey Greggs at Tracey.Greggs@dpi.nc.gov
Common Core State and NC Essential Standards Facilitators’ Guide
DPI has received numerous requests for the Facilitators’ Guide, which was recently
shared during the Common Core State and North Carolina Essential Standards 2011
Summer Institutes. This “blueprint,” used to assist districts and charter teams as they
transition to and implement the new standards, can be located at
www.ncpublicschools.org/acre/resources. Content specific presentations, presentations from the Transforming Professional
Development and Developing Local Curricula sessions, and sample agendas will also be
located on the ACRE site by the end of August. Information will be shared via this
newsletter to inform subscribers when the presentations are posted and ready for use.
MORE INFO: Tracey Greggs, Tracey.Greggs@dpi.nc.gov IIS Regional Focus Groups Successful
NCDPI received valuable input at the four Instructional Improvement System (IIS) focus
groups conducted with the Center for Educational Leadership and Technology (CELT)
during the first week of August. With stops in Raleigh, Hampstead, Asheville, and
Charlotte, the IIS team shared the vision and gathered feedback from approximately 300
local educators, comprising:
 Classroom teachers
 NCVPS teachers
 Testing coordinators
 Instructional technology coordinators
 Professional development leads
 Guidance counselors
 Human resources staff
 Principals/assistant principals
 Higher Ed representatives
The team received meaningful insight regarding how IIS can meet local needs. Numerous
educators volunteered to participate in future webinars, to provide feedback on the
guidance documents, and to participate in the RFP evaluation and/or piloting process. If you know of other educators who would like to contribute, but did not get a chance to
attend the focus groups, please direct them to the IIS website:
http://www.ncpublicschools.org/acre/improvement/resources/. There they will find key
documents to review, along with a survey. MORE INFO: Sarah McManus, Sarah.McManus@dpi.nc.gov, or Eric Moore,
Eric.Moore@dpi.nc.gov
Teacher/Principal Survey Extended through Labor Day
The RttT Teacher Principal Survey link will remain open through Labor Day (September
5). As a reminder, this survey is a joint effort among NCDPI, the Friday Institute at NC
State University, UNC Chapel Hill, and SERVE at UNC-Greensboro. We encourage all
teachers and principals who have not yet had a chance to take the survey to do so, as this
information is invaluable in our ability to better address needs in individual schools and
districts. The survey link is https://uncg.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_3a8L3orSk4BNem0. For
any questions regarding the survey or getting logged on please contact Jane Meli
jmeli@serve.org or Alexa Edwards aedwards@serve.org, and they will be happy to
assist you. All teachers and principals who participate are eligible to be entered into a
drawing to win one of 20 Amazon gift cards, each valued at $40. Your support in this
important statewide effort is greatly appreciated.
MORE INFO: Elizabeth Cunningham, Elizabeth.Cunningham@dpi.nc.gov