November 28, 2012 NEW THIS WEEK • Reminder: Assessment Specifications for Common Exams Posted to Web • Mid-­‐Year Mathematics Benchmark Assessments and Administration Manual • Leadership Academy Members Present at National Conference • Chief Technology Officer Certification Program IN CASE YOU MISSED IT • Next Generation Assessments Released Forms––Online Version • Podcasts on Common Core, New Assessments and More • Lessons for Learning for Mathematics • New NC Support Staff Evaluation Training: Validation Participants NEW THIS WEEK Reminder: Assessment Specifications for Common Exams Posted to Web Teachers can access the assessment specifications for the high school common exams on the educator effectiveness website. The specifications provide information on the standards within a course, how heavily each is weighted on the common exam, and which question types will be used to assess each standard. Specifications for the middle school and upper elementary school common exams will be posted in the coming months. To find the assessment specifications, please visit http://www.ncpublicschools.org/educatoreffect/measures/specifications/. MORE INFO: educatoreffectiveness@dpi.nc.gov Mid-­‐Year Mathematics Benchmark Assessments and Administration Manual In response to North Carolina Legislative and State Board requirements, the NCDPI provides Local Education Agencies with state-­‐developed assessments to be implemented for kindergarten, first and second grades. These state-­‐developed assessment materials are aligned with the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics and may be adopted or modified as appropriate, or local districts may adopt unique assessments for individual school districts. Elementary mathematics district leaders have received the Mid-­‐Year Mathematics Benchmark Assessments and an Administration Manual for kindergarten, first and second grades. NCDPI appreciates any suggestions and feedback, which will help improve this resource. MORE INFO: Feedback and questions may be sent to the NCDPI Mathematics Consultant, Kitty Rutherford kitty.rutherford@dpi.nc.gov Leadership Academy Members Present at National Conference A team representing the Piedmont Triad Leadership Academy attended the University Council for Educational Administration (UCEA) Conference in Denver, Colorado Nov. 15-­‐18. Joining the Northeast Leadership Academy and the Sandhills Leadership Academy, PTLA leaders presented their principal preparation story in the conference session: Just Getting Started: Lessons From Race to the Top Funded School Leaders. The session provided an opportunity for recent graduates from North Carolina's three Race to the Top funded Regional Leadership Academies to engage each other and the audience in a guided discussion about critical issues new principals in high-­‐poverty schools face and how leadership programs can best prepare leaders. Representing the Piedmont Triad Leadership Academy were PTLA graduates Jusmar Maness and Shadonna Gunn, along with UNC-­‐
Greensboro professor and PTLA Academy Coordinator Dr. Craig Peck and PTLA Executive Director Anna Brady. Jusmar Maness is the assistant principal of Southern Guilford Middle School in Guilford County Schools. Shadonna Gunn is the assistant principal of Eastlawn Elementary School in the Alamance-­‐Burlington School System. MORE INFO: Freda Lee, Teacher and Leader Preparation, freda.lee@dpi.nc.gov Chief Technology Officer Certification Program NC READY relies upon the strength of technology to build a platform to support the remodeling of our state's K-­‐12 public schools. Technology is an integral component of education and requires district and school leaders to possess the knowledge and skills to ensure they are using it in the most effective and productive ways possible. As our state makes this digital transition, superintendents, CTOs and technology directors face unique challenges. The NC Certified Educational Chief Technology Officer certification program (CeCTO) is an exciting and dynamic program that features two components – one for superintendents and one for technology directors. Instruction for the CeCTO course covers topics such as strategic technology planning, communications, project management, emerging trends, risk assessment and management, acquisition management, change management, leadership, security, legal issues, and financial trends. More than 82 LEAs and charter schools have already participated and have benefited from the program. For the 2012-­‐13 year, NCDPI will cover registration costs. Travel costs are the responsibility of the LEA or charter school. The application process can be found online at the link below. Please be sure to follow the application directions listed on the top right corner of the webpage. The application deadline is Dec.21. If you have additional questions please contact Maurice Ferrell at mferrell@sog.unc.edu or Shannon Tufts at tufts@sog.unc.edu. Application website: http://www.sog.unc.edu/node/1082 MORE INFO: Neill Kimrey, Digital Teaching and Learning, neill.kimrey@dpi.nc.gov IN CASE YOU MISSED IT Next Generation Assessments Released Forms––Online Version The online versions of the End-­‐of-­‐Course Assessments of Algebra I/Integrated I, English II and Biology and the NCEXTEND2 Assessments of Algebra I/Integrated I, English II,and Biology released forms are now available at http://www.ncpublicschools.org/accountability/testing/releasedforms. On the website you will find a chart that includes the online version and the paper-­‐and-­‐pencil versions of the 2012-­‐13 released forms. MORE INFO: Please contact your Regional Accountability Coordinator (RAC). Podcasts on Common Core, New Assessments and More With the many changes occurring in the NC Standard Course of Study, along with new assessments, a new educator evaluation system and more, NCDPI has produced a number of podcasts for teachers, principals, parents and others interested in a video resource to explain the work under way. Topics include READY Overview, Why the Common Core, Assessments, Educator Effectiveness Common Exams and more. Visit http://www.ncpublicschools.org/ready/resources to access these podcasts. MORE INFO: Michael Yarbrough, RttT Communications, michael.yarbrough@dpi.nc.gov Lessons for Learning for Mathematics These K-­‐8 documents were created by selecting high leverage tasks from the DPI Week-­‐by-­‐Week and Strategies for Instruction Documents and rewritten to align to the Common Core Math Standards. These lessons incorporate the Standards for Mathematical Practice to support teachers with the implementation of the Common Core Math Standards. The intent of this document is to support current teacher resources. Because of the high demand for support materials, a first draft has been posted on the wiki: http://maccss.ncdpi.wikispaces.net/home. More of these lessons will be forthcoming. MORE INFO: Kitty Rutherford, Elementary Mathematics, kitty.rutherford@dpi.nc.gov New NC Support Staff Evaluation Training: Validation Participants LEAs across N.C. have volunteered to take part in the validation process for proposed support staff evaluations. Many LEAs are participating in some or all of the validations. The Department of Public Instruction will provide Train the Trainer sessions on the proposed evaluations: ·∙ School Counselor ·∙ School Psychologist ·∙ School Social Worker ·∙ Instructional Technology Facilitator ·∙ Media Coordinator One-­‐day trainings will be provided at two locations: Friday, November 30, 2012 McKimmon Center, Raleigh Thursday, December 6, 2012 Crowne Plaza Asheville Each LEA may send up to 10 participants to be trained. Participants will be given information to provide training to participating professionals. DPI suggests that 2 lead educators per evaluation attend. Intended audience may include Central Office Administrators, School Administrators, and Support Staff (Counselors, Psychologist, Social Workers, Instructional Technology Facilitators and Media Coordinators). LEAs may decide who will attend and how their local training will deploy. Link to register for training: http://tinyurl.com/bznhl4f MORE INFO: Kim Simmons, Educator Recruitment and Development, kimberly.simmons@dpi.nc.gov