November
7,
2012
NEW
THIS
WEEK
• Online
Writing
Instruction
Update
• Common
Core
ELA
Resource:
America
in
Class
• Resource
for
Students
with
Disabilities
and
the
Common
Core
• Online
Assessment
Tutorial
Videos
and
Script
• Next
Generation
Assessments
Released
Forms
• Performance
Appraisal
Instrument
for
Speech‐Language
Pathologists
• READY
Outreach
Meetings
Slated
for
November
and
December
IN
CASE
YOU
MISSED
IT
• The
Online
Assessment
Tutorial
• Delayed
Reporting
and
Retest
1
for
2012‐13
• Register
for
Webinar
on
Educator
Effectiveness
for
School
Administrators
• Register
for
Educator
Effectiveness
Update
for
Charter
Schools
• Online
Evaluation
Tool:
Professional
Development
Plan
Mid‐Year
Review
NEW
THIS
WEEK
Online
Writing
Instruction
Update
Online
Writing
Instruction
(OWI)
provides
writing
instructional
resources
and
tasks
by
grade
level
and
discipline
aligned
to
the
Common
Core
State
Standards
for
ELA
&
Literacy
in
History
/
Social
Studies,
Science
and
Technical
Subjects.
OWI
was
developed
to
replace
the
former
Writing
Instruction
System
to
align
writing
tasks
and
resources
to
the
Common
Core
State
Standards.
OWI
resources
support
the
shifts
in
writing
expectations
as
outlined
in
the
Common
Core
Writing
Standards.
“Reading
and
Writing
Grounded
in
Evidence
from
Text”
encourages
teachers
to
engage
students
in
authentic
writing
opportunities
dependent
upon
a
text(s).
The
standards
ask
students
to
make
a
claim
about
what
they
have
read
based
specifically
on
evidence
from
the
text
to
support
their
thinking.
The
writing
tasks
serve
as
models
for
teachers
to
write
their
own
tasks
that
integrate
reading
and
writing
grounded
in
evidence
from
a
text.
At
this
time,
OWI
does
not
have
the
capability
to
house
student
writing
because
of
the
transition
from
NC
Wise
to
Power
School.
OWI
is
populated
with
the
following
resources:
• Recommendations
for
Online
Writing
Resources
and
Interactive
Online
Tools
• Writing
Standards
for
Literacy
in
History/Social
Studies,
Science,
and
Technical
Subjects
• Samples
of
Student
Writing
by
Grade
Level
• Scoring
Rubric
Applicable
Across
Disciplines
and
Grade
Levels
• Sample
Writing
tasks
by
Discipline
and
Grade
Level,
grades
3‐12.
OWI
is
not…
• A
summative
assessment
tool
or
collection
of
on‐demand
prompts
to
be
given
as
a
writing
benchmark(s)
• A
writing
assessment
requirement
for
LEAs
• An
online
course
for
renewal
credit.
Visit
https://center.ncsu.edu/nc
to
access
OWI.
MORE
INFO:
Anna
Frost,
K‐12
English
Language
Arts,
anna.frost@dpi.nc.gov
Common
Core
ELA
Resource:
America
in
Class
The
Reading
Standards
for
Informational
Text
encourage
the
use
of
primary
source
documents
as
students
“integrate
and
evaluate
content
presented
in
diverse
formats
and
media”
(RCCR7,
CCSS)
and,
“analyze
how
two
or
more
texts
address
similar
themes
or
topics
in
order
to
build
knowledge
or
to
compare
the
approaches
the
authors
take”
(RCCR9,
CCSS).
In
high
school
specifically,
teachers
are
asked
to
pair
historical
and
literary
texts
to
“address
related
themes
and
concepts”
(RI.9‐10.9).
The
National
Humanities
Center
presents
America
in
Class®:
primary
and
secondary
resources,
online
seminars
and
lessons
for
history
and
literature
teachers.
America
in
Class®
is
designed
to
promote
the
analytical
skills
called
for
in
the
Common
Core
State
Standards
for
English
language
arts
and
literacy
in
history
and
social
studies:
∙
Identifying
and
evaluating
textual
evidence;
∙
Determining
central
ideas;
∙
Understanding
the
meanings
of
words;
∙
Comprehending
the
structure
of
a
text;
∙
Recognizing
an
author’s
point
of
view;
and
∙
Interpreting
content
presented
in
diverse
media,
including
visual
images.
Please
visit
http://americainclass.org/
to
learn
more
about
this
resource.
MORE
INFO:
Julie
Joslin,
K‐12
English
Language
Arts,
julie.joslin@dpi.nc.gov
Resource
for
Students
with
Disabilities
and
the
Common
Core
The
IDEA
Partnership
reflects
the
collaborative
work
of
more
than
50
national
organizations,
technical
assistance
providers
and
organizations
and
agencies
at
the
state
and
local
level.
Together
with
the
Office
of
Special
Education
Programs
(OSEP),
the
Partner
Organizations
form
a
community
with
the
potential
to
transform
the
way
we
work
and
improve
outcomes
for
students
and
youth
with
disabilities.
A
new
piece
of
the
Collection
on
Students
with
Disabilities
in
the
Common
Core
is
in
vetting
and
will
be
available
soon.
Other
topical
issues,
as
identified
by
the
Partners,
will
be
developed
over
the
next
year
and
added
to
the
available
materials
in
the
Collection.
You
can
find
out
more
about
this
project
by
going
to
http://ideapartnership.org/.
MORE
INFO:
Regional
Accountability
Coordinators
(RAC),
http://www.ncpublicschools.org/accountability/directory/racs
Online
Assessment
Tutorial
Videos
and
Script
Every
student
participating
in
online
assessments
for
the
North
Carolina
Testing
Program
must
complete
the
Online
Assessment
Tutorial
(http://go.ncsu.edu/nctdemo)
for
the
associated
assessment
at
least
one
time
at
the
school
before
test
day.
This
will
ensure
that
every
student
has
an
opportunity
to
practice
the
mechanics
of
navigating
through
the
testing
platform,
using
the
tools
and
responding
to
sample
items
before
test
day.
The
Online
Assessment
Tutorial
offers
separate
assessment
tutorials
for
each
assessment
with
sample
items
specific
to
the
assessment.
Each
assessment
tutorial
is
expected
to
have
one
sample
item
of
each
item
type.
For
best
results,
students
should
complete
the
Online
Assessment
Tutorial
using
computers
they
will
use
during
the
actual
online
assessment.
Local
education
agencies
(LEAs)
and
schools
must
document
how
they
will
ensure
that
all
students
complete
the
Online
Assessment
Tutorial
before
test
day
in
their
school
testing
plans.
Schools
may
use
one
of
two
Online
Assessment
Tutorial
options.
1)
The
new
Online
Assessment
Tutorial
will
offer
an
option
to
play
a
video.
The
video
will
give
guidance
for
using
available
tools
(e.g.,
FLAG,
STRIKE,
highlight),
navigating
the
system,
responding
to
each
item
type
and
using
the
end‐of‐test
review
page.
Immediately
following
the
video
students
must
complete
a
self‐paced
interactive
set
of
online
sample
items
for
the
appropriate
assessment
offered
in
the
same
environment
as
the
assessment.
2)
Schools
will
use
a
standard
script
developed
by
the
NCDPI
giving
guidance
for
using
the
available
tools
(e.g.,
FLAG,
STRIKE,
highlight),
navigating
the
system,
responding
to
each
item
type
and
using
the
end‐of‐test
review
page
while
students
are
completing
the
tutorial
items.
The
Online
Assessment
Tutorial
login
page
was
updated
earlier
this
week
with
two
videos
(one
for
desktop/laptops
and
one
for
tablets).
The
NCDPI
strongly
recommends
that
schools
show
the
appropriate
video
to
groups
of
students
instead
of
allowing
each
student
to
stream
the
video
on
a
computer
simultaneously.
For
schools
choosing
to
use
a
script
instead
of
a
video,
the
script
has
been
posted
to
the
Online
Assessment
Tutorial
login
page.
Next
Generation
Assessments
Released
Forms
PDF
versions
of
the
online
released
forms
of
Algebra
I/Integrated
I
Mathematics,
English
II,
and
Biology
are
now
available
at:
http://www.ncpublicschools.org/accountability/testing/releasedforms.
The
interactive,
online
forms
will
be
posted
soon
at
the
same
web
address.
MORE
INFO:
Regional
Accountability
Coordinators
(RAC),
http://www.ncpublicschools.org/accountability/directory/racs
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
or
Asheville
Civic
Center
(this
is
yet
to
be
determined
but
will
be
indicated
on
the
registration
confirmation)
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
Performance
Appraisal
Instrument
for
Speech‐Language
Pathologists
The
NCDPI
is
pleased
to
offer
a
webinar
as
training
for
the
new
Speech‐Language
Pathologist
Performance
Appraisal
Instrument.
This
webinar
will
be
offered
two
separate
times
on
Monday,
Nov.
19
from
10
am
to
noon
and
again
from
2
to
4
pm.
The
target
audience
for
this
presentation
includes:
Directors
of
Exceptional
Children
Programs,
Lead
Speech‐Language
Pathologists
(SLPs),
and
Principals,
Speech‐Language
Pathologists,
Directors
of
Human
Resources
and
any
others
interested
in
learning
about
the
instrument.
The
Consultant
to
the
North
Carolina
Department
of
Public
Instruction
in
the
areas
of
Speech‐Language
Pathology,
Perry
Flynn,
will
facilitate
with
Kimberly
Simmons,
North
Carolina
Educator
Evaluation
System
Consultant.
Questions
of
particular
interest
covered
in
this
presentation
will
include:
• Who
should
use
the
appraisal
instrument
to
evaluate
SLPs?
• What
schedule
should
be
used
for
evaluations?
• When
should
the
instrument
begin
to
be
used?
• What
is
the
process?
• Will
the
instrument
be
available
for
electronic
completion?
To
register
for
one
of
the
webinars
please
click
on
the
following:
Nov.
19:
10
am
to
12
noon
https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/132124304
Nov.
19:
2
to
4
pm
https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/241474768
MORE
INFO:
Kim
Simmons,
Educator
Recruitment
and
Development,
kimberly.simmons@dpi.nc.gov
READY
Outreach
Meetings
Slated
for
November
and
December
Invitations
for
the
November‐December
READY
regional
meetings
have
been
sent
to
all
principals
and
superintendents.
This
time
our
focus
will
be
on
the
educator
effectiveness
model,
the
Instructional
Improvement
System,
and
the
General
Assembly’s
new
accountability
model
utilizing
A‐F
grades
for
all
schools.
At
our
last
round
of
meetings,
many
participants
requested
more
time
for
questions
and
answers
so
we
are
building
our
agenda
accordingly.
Invited
participants
are
principals
and
one
teacher
that
he
or
she
selects
to
attend;
superintendents;
and
a
director
or
key
staff
member
that
the
superintendent
selects
from
curriculum
and
instruction,
instructional
technology
and
human
resources.
Meeting
dates
and
locations
can
be
found
at
http://www.ncpublicschools.org/ready/events
MORE
INFO:
Michael
Yarbrough,
RttT
Communications,
michael.yarbrough@dpi.nc.gov
IN
CASE
YOU
MISSED
IT
The
Online
Assessment
Tutorial
Do
you
want
to
know
what
the
online
assessment
system
looks
like?
Would
you
like
your
students
to
be
able
to
practice
navigating
through
an
online
assessment,
using
the
tools
(e.g.,
flag,
strike,
highlight)
and
complete
sample
items?
Check
out
the
Online
Assessment
Tutorial
available
on
the
web
at
http://go.ncsu.edu/nctdemo.
The
purpose
of
the
Online
Assessment
Tutorial
is
to
provide
teachers,
students
and
parents
with
an
interactive
experience
closely
resembling
an
online
test
administration.
Using
the
Online
Assessment
Tutorial,
students
can:
• Practice
answering
questions
while
becoming
familiar
with
the
new
item
types
(e.g.,
technology
enhanced,
short
answer,
numerical
entry);
• Learn
how
to
navigate
the
pages;
and
• Use
the
tools
that
are
available
in
the
system
(e.g.,
flag,
strike,
highlight).
Effective
with
the
current
school
year,
schools
must
implement
a
process
to
ensure
that
every
student
who
will
participate
in
an
online
assessment
completes
the
Online
Assessment
Tutorial
for
the
assessment
at
least
once
at
school
before
test
day.
The
process
must
be
documented
in
the
school’s
testing
plan.
MORE
INFO:
Please
contact
your
Regional
Accountability
Coordinator
(RAC)
http://www.ncpublicschools.org/accountability/directory/racs
Delayed
Reporting
and
Retest
1
for
2012‐13
The
NCDPI
is
required
to
establish
new
achievement
standards
based
on
the
scores
from
the
first
administration
of
the
new
assessments.
The
standard‐setting
process
for
all
of
North
Carolina’s
new
assessments
and
their
alternate
assessments
is
scheduled
to
take
place
during
summer
2013.
The
scores
will
be
delayed
until
October
2013
pending
the
results
of
the
scaling
and
standard‐setting
process,
along
with
the
approval
of
the
achievement
standards
by
the
State
Board
of
Education.
Due
to
the
delayed
reporting,
Retest
1
administrations
will
not
be
available
for
the
2012‐13
school
year.
MORE
INFO:
Please
contact
your
Regional
Accountability
Coordinator
(RAC)
http://www.ncpublicschools.org/accountability/directory/racs
or
http://www.ncpublicschools.org/accountability/testing/
Register
for
Webinar
on
Educator
Effectiveness
for
School
Administrators
Please
join
the
NC
Department
of
Public
Instruction
and
NC
Principals
and
Assistant
Principals
Association
for
a
webinar
on
educator
effectiveness.
The
webinar
will
provide
updates
on
the
new
student
growth
standards,
EVAAS,
and
the
Measures
of
Student
Learning:
NC's
Common
Exams.
The
webinar
will
be
held
on
December
6
from
1:00
p.m.
–
2:30
p.m.
To
register,
please
visit
https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/926283128.
MORE
INFO:
educatoreffectiveness@dpi.nc.gov
Register
for
Educator
Effectiveness
Update
for
Charter
Schools
Staff
members
at
NC
charter
schools
are
invited
to
attend
a
webinar
on
educator
effectiveness,
with
a
focus
on
the
Common
Exams
(formerly
known
as
Measures
of
Student
Learning).
The
webinar
will
focus
on
requirements
and
flexibility
for
charter
schools.
The
webinar
will
be
held
on
Friday,
November
2
from
10:00
a.m.
–
11:30
a.m.,
and
will
be
archived
for
later
viewing
by
individuals
who
cannot
join.
To
register,
please
visit
https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/736276057.
MORE
INFO:
educatoreffectiveness@dpi.nc.gov
Online
Evaluation
Tool:
Professional
Development
Plan
Mid‐Year
Review
This
webinar
will
provide
you
with
an
opportunity
to
review
the
process
for
completing
the
mid‐year
review
of
the
teacher's
Professional
Development
Plan.
The
following
topics
will
be
addressed
during
the
webinar:
• Review
the
North
Carolina
State
Board
of
Education
policy
on
the
Evaluation
Process;
• Demonstrate
the
teacher
process
for
accessing
the
existing
Professional
Development
Plan,
reviewing
the
plan
at
mid‐year,
and
authenticating
the
plan;
• Demonstrate
principal
process
for
accessing
the
existing
Professional
Development
Plan,
reviewing
the
plan
at
mid‐year,
and
authenticating
the
plan;
and
• Share
resources,
strategies,
and
best
practices
for
developing
SMART
goals
at
the
mid‐year
review
to
promote
continuous
professional
growth.
To
register
please
visit
http://ncees.ncdpi.wikispaces.net/Upcoming+Webinars
MORE
INFO:
Eliz
Colbert,
eliz.colbert@dpi.nc.gov
RACE
TO
THE
TOP
WEEKLY
UPDATE
INFO
If
you
know
someone
who
would
like
to
be
on
this
list,
please
send
their
email
address(es)
to
Michael.Yarbrough@dpi.nc.gov.
***PLEASE
NOTE:
Each
entry
in
this
Weekly
Update
features
the
email
address
of
at
least
one
contact
person,
department
or
website.
For
questions,
concerns
or
technical
assistance,
please
email
the
appropriate
contact(s)
directly.
Thanks!
***LINKS:
PC
users
might
need
to
press
the
CTRL
button
when
clicking
on
a
hyperlink
in
this
document.
Archived
Race
to
the
Top
Weekly
Updates
are
available
online
at:
http://www.ncpublicschools.org/rttt/updates/