October
17,
2012
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/
NEW
THIS
WEEK
• Smarter
Balanced
Sample
Items
and
Performance
Tasks
• Arts
Education,
Healthful
Living
and
World
Language
Assessment
Examples
• Common
Exams
Webinar
for
School
Administrators
Available
for
Viewing
• Resources
for
Extended
Content
Standards
• Online
Evaluation
Tool
Webinar:
Observations
• 2012‐13
READY
NCEXTEND2
Online
Assessments
• NC
Receives
Grant
for
Aligning
K‐12
and
Postsecondary
Standards
IN
CASE
YOU
MISSED
IT
•
•
•
Inter‐Rater
Reliability
(IRR)
Training
Opportunities
for
Principals
October
Webinars
for
New
Local
RttT
Coordinators
ASCD
Launches
Free
Digital
Common
Core
Implementation
Tool
NEW
THIS
WEEK
Smarter
Balanced
Sample
Items
and
Performance
Tasks
The
Smarter
Balanced
sample
items
and
performance
tasks
were
released
Oct.
9.
In
less
than
a
week,
more
than
45,000
people
have
visited
the
website.
Public
interest
has
been
high,
as
indicated
by
numerous
articles,
blog
posts,
and
a
high
volume
of
social
media
activity.
The
sample
assessment
items
and
performance
tasks
can
be
viewed
on
the
Smarter
Balanced
website
at
http://www.smarterbalanced.org/sample‐items‐and‐performance‐tasks/.
Help‐desk
support
will
be
provided
through
Friday,
Nov.
2,
between
the
hours
of
7
a.m.
8
p.m.
EDT,
Monday
through
Friday.
MORE
INFO:
Dr.
Maria
Pitre‐Martin,
Director
of
K‐12
Curriculum
and
Instruction,
maria.pitremartin@dpi.nc.gov
Arts
Education,
Healthful
Living
and
World
Language
Assessment
Examples
Arts
Education,
Healthful
Living
and
World
Language
Assessment
Examples
were
developed
as
part
of
North
Carolina's
Race
to
the
Top
plan
to
support
standards
implementation.
These
examples
are
not
intended
to
be
used
as
standardized
statewide
tests,
but
to
serve
as
examples
of
some
ways
that
standards
(or
parts
of
the
standards)
might
be
assessed
in
the
classroom,
by
individual
teachers.
The
examples
are
intended
to
help
illustrate
ways
that
the
standards
could
be
assessed,
but
are
not
required
or
mandated
for
statewide
student
or
teacher
accountability,
and
they
are
not
Common
Exams
(formerly
known
as
Measures
of
Student
Learning).
Teachers
are
encouraged
to
implement
assessments
in
ways
that
make
sense
to
their
teaching
situations
and
that
best
fit
the
needs
of
their
students.
The
examples
that
have
been
reviewed
and
approved,
along
with
a
description
of
the
development
process,
are
accessible
from
the
following
web
pages:
http://ances.ncdpi.wikispaces.net/AEs+for+Arts+Education
http://hlnces.ncdpi.wikispaces.net/AEs+for+Healthful+Living
http://wlnces.ncdpi.wikispaces.net/AEs+for+World+Languages
Additional
examples
are
being
refined
and
are
expected
to
be
available
by
mid‐December
2012.
MORE
INFO:
Helga
Fasciano,
K‐12
Program
Areas,
helga.fasciano@dpi.nc.gov
Common
Exams
Webinar
for
School
Administrators
Available
for
Viewing
On
October
10,
the
Department
of
Public
Instruction
and
NC
Principals
and
Assistant
Principals
Association
held
a
webinar
on
educator
effectiveness,
with
a
focus
on
the
Common
Exams.
While
more
than
700
school
administrators
tuned
in
to
the
webinar,
we
know
that
many
of
you
were
not
able
to
join
us.
To
ensure
that
you
receive
pertinent
info
on
this
topic,
we
have
archived
the
recorded
webinar
online.
To
view
it,
please
visit
https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/142460961.
You
will
be
prompted
to
complete
a
form
as
if
you
were
registering
for
the
live
webinar.
This
action
will
provide
you
with
access
to
the
recorded
version.
MORE
INFO:
educatoreffectiveness@dpi.nc.gov
Resources
for
Extended
Content
Standards
The
NCDPI
has
received
requests
regarding
resources
around
the
Extended
Content
Standards
for
Exceptional
Children's
programs.
The
Standards
can
be
found
at:
http://www.ncpublicschools.org/acre/standards/extended/
Support
Tools
can
be
found
here:
http://www.ncpublicschools.org/acre/standards/extended‐tools/.
This
site
is
updated
often
as
support
tools
are
developed
and
should
be
referred
to
frequently.
Additional
information,
including
training
information
around
the
extended
content
standards
is
here:
http://ec.ncpublicschools.gov/disability‐resources/significant‐cognitive‐disabilities/nc‐extended‐
content‐standards
A
group
email
list
for
teachers
of
students
with
significant
cognitive
disabilities
features
notifications
about
professional
development
and
other
pertinent
information
regarding
the
standards.
To
be
added
to
this
list,
please
contact
Claire
Greer
at
claire.greer@dpi.nc.gov.
The
website
for
the
National
Consortium
on
Deaf‐Blindness
features
a
Literacy
component.
While
this
site
is
largely
intended
for
students
with
duel
sensory
loss
(vision
and
hearing),
it
also
pertains
to
those
students
with
significant
cognitive
disabilities:
http://www.hknc.org/Literacy.htm
An
online
Livebinder
for
information
on
the
Extended
Content
Standards
will
soon
be
released.
We
will
provide
you
with
more
information
on
this
as
it
becomes
available.
MORE
INFO:
Claire
Greer,
Exceptional
Children's
Division,
claire.greer@dpi.nc.gov
Online
Evaluation
Tool
Webinar:
Observations
The
Online
Evaluation
Tool:
Observations
webinar
will
be
offered
two
more
times
this
month.
This
webinar
will
provide
you
with
an
opportunity
to
review
the
process
of
completing
the
annual
evaluation
cycle
for
teacher
with
a
focus
on
using
the
online
evaluation
tools
to
complete
the
observation
rubric.
The
following
topics
will
be
addressed
during
the
webinar:
∙
Review
the
North
Carolina
State
Board
of
Education
policy
on
the
Evaluation
Process
∙
Review
Step
3
in
the
annual
evaluation
cycle
∙
Present
strategies
for
managing
observations
∙
Demonstrate
copying
an
existing
observation
to
inform
the
Rubric
for
Evaluating
NC
Teachers
to
complete
a
new
observation
∙
Demonstrate
accessing,
notating
and
authenticating
the
observation
rubric
in
the
online
evaluation
tool
∙
Share
resources,
strategies,
and
best
practices
for
coaching
teachers
for
peak
performance
Please
select
a
date
and
time
that
works
best
in
your
schedule
to
join
us
for
this
informative
webinar.
Online
Evaluation
Tool:
Observations
Wednesday,
Oct.
24,
9
to
11
am
https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/946291544
Online
Evaluation
Tool:
Observations
Wednesday,
Oct.
24:
2
to
4
pm
https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/670621216
MORE
INFO:
Eliz
Colbert,
Educator
Recruitment
and
Development,
eliz.colbert@dpi.nc.gov
2012‐13
READY
NCEXTEND2
Online
Assessments
For
the
2012‐13
school
year,
all
NCEXTEND2
assessments
will
be
delivered
in
an
online
format.
This
includes
the
NCEXTEND2
assessments
for
Biology,
English
II,
Algebra
I/Integrated
I,
Grades
3‐8
English
Language
Arts
and
Mathematics,
and
Grades
5
and
8
Science.
Five
years
ago,
the
NCDPI
conducted
a
feasibility
study
for
both
the
end‐of‐grade
and
end‐of‐course
assessments
for
online
delivery
of
the
NCEXTEND2
assessments.
Teachers
also
suggested
features
that
would
ensure
an
optimal
testing
environment
for
the
students.
During
the
spring
2011
item
tryouts,
the
NCEXTEND2
assessments
were
administered
completely
online.
The
successes
observed
and
lessons
learned
with
the
administration
of
the
NCEXTEND2
assessments
helped
move
NC
forward
in
the
transition
to
online
assessments.
Note:
Local
Educational
Agencies
(LEAs)
have
the
option
of
administering
NCEXTEND2
assessments
in
the
online
or
paper‐and
pencil
format.
Online
testing,
however,
is
strongly
encouraged.
MORE
INFO:
Kayla
Siler,
Policy
Analyst,
kayla.siler@dpi.nc.gov
or
http://www.ncpublicschools.org/accountability/testing/
NC
Receives
Grant
for
Aligning
K‐12
and
Postsecondary
Standards
The
NCDPI,
NC
Community
Colleges
and
the
University
of
North
Carolina
System
have
received
a
three‐
year,
“Core
to
College”
grant.
The
$673,000
award
aims
to
promote
collaboration
between
higher
education
and
NC’s
public
schools
in
the
implementation
of
the
Common
Core
State
Standards.
Educators
from
the
three
recipient
agencies
are
working
together
to
ensure
a
more
seamless
transition
from
high
school
to
postsecondary
education.
One
objective
of
the
grant
is
to
better
align
policies
and
processes
to
provide
stronger
support
for
career
and
college
readiness.
Core
to
College
funding
is
provided
by
the
Lumina
Foundation,
the
William
and
Flora
Hewlett
Foundation
and
the
Bill
&
Melinda
Gates
Foundation.
MORE
INFO:
Dr.
Rebecca
Garland,
Chief
Academic
Officer,
rebecca.garland@dpi.nc.gov
IN
CASE
YOU
MISSED
IT
Inter‐Rater
Reliability
(IRR)
Training
Opportunities
for
Principals
The
Inter‐Rater
Reliability
professional
development
will
ensure
that
all
observers
are
more
uniform
in
their
ability
to
identify
and
mark
observations
with
consistency.
Each
session
will
examine
a
case
study
of
a
teacher.
The
deliveries
will
include
profiles,
scenarios
and/
or
video
to
provide
a
common
lens
of
observation.
These
sessions
are
for
anyone
who
evaluates
teachers
and
seeks
to
build
their
expertise
marking
the
rubric.
Collaboration
among
participants
will
guide
the
facilitated
process
of
examining
teacher
behaviors
and
data
to
ensure
inter‐rater
reliability.
IRR
Session
1:
Evaluating
and
Coaching
Teachers
This
3‐hour
refresher
session
is
designed
for
experienced
administrators
to
review
the
ratings,
elements
of
a
21st
century
classroom,
teacher
coaching
and
using
the
online
tool
with
Inter‐rater
reliability.
IRR
Session
2:
Teacher
Evaluation
Process
This
full‐day
session
will
review
the
North
Carolina
Professional
Teaching
Standards
and
Teacher
Evaluation
Process.
Participants
will
develop
inter‐rater
reliability
of
Standards
1‐5
through
the
use
of
classroom
observation
with
video
and
a
full
scenario.
Professional
coaching
techniques
will
be
covered.
Through
the
analysis
of
observation
notes,
observers
can
plan
for
crucial
conversations
with
teachers
to
help
them
grow
professionally.
Please
visit
the
RESA
Calendar
with
all
professional
development
opportunities.
Users
can
search
by
region
or
by
topic,
at
http://www.ncpublicschools.org/profdev/calendar/.
MORE
INFO:
Dr.
Lynne
Johnson,
Director
of
Educator
Recruitment
and
Development,
lynne.johnson@dpi.nc.gov
October
Webinars
for
New
Local
RttT
Coordinators
The
NCDPI’s
RttT
Program
Management
team
will
provide
two
webinar
opportunities
later
this
month
for
new
local
RttT
Coordinators
with
an
overview
of
the
RttT
Program,
particularly
requirements
and
procedures
for
managing
local
plans.
New
Superintendents,
Finance
Officers,
and
other
local
district
staff
also
are
welcome
to
attend.
To
accommodate
busy
schedules,
the
webinar
will
be
offered
at
two
different
times:
Wednesday,
Oct.
24
from
3
to
4:30
pm,
and
Thursday,
Oct.
25
from
9
to
10:30
am.
Content,
which
will
be
identical
for
both
sessions,
will
include
goals
of
RttT,
the
role
and
responsibilities
of
the
local
RttT
Coordinator,
the
DSW
and
BUD
processes,
and
procurement
guidelines.
Each
session
will
provide
time
for
discussion
of
participants’
questions.
Space
is
limited,
so
please
register
now:
Wednesday,
Oct.
24,
3
to
4:30
pm
https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/502383729
Thursday,
Oct.
25,
9
to
10:30
am
https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/121177032
MORE
INFO:
Adam
Levinson,
RttT
Director,
adam.levinson@dpi.nc.gov
ASCD
Launches
Free
Digital
Common
Core
Implementation
Tool
ASCD
introduces
the
new
EduCore™
digital
tool
for
educators
implementing
the
Common
Core
State
Standards
(CCSS)
in
both
mathematics
and
literacy.
Funded
by
a
grant
from
the
Bill
&
Melinda
Gates
Foundation,
the
EduCore
tool
is
a
repository
of
evidence‐based
strategies,
videos,
and
supporting
documents
that
help
educators
transition
to
the
CCSS.
The
EduCore
tool
supports
CCSS
implementation
for
mathematics
and
features
a
variety
of
formative
assessment
lessons
and
videos
ready
for
classroom
use,
including
more
than
20
formative
assessment
mathematics
lessons.
Developed
by
the
Shell
Centre,
these
middle
and
high
school
Classroom
Challenges
include
problem‐solving
and
content‐development
formative
assessments
on
subjects
such
as
solving
linear
equations
in
two
variables
and
applying
angle
theorems.
Useful
plans,
student
materials,
PowerPoint
slides,
and
other
materials
round
out
the
many
mathematics
resources
available.
Visit
the
EduCore
tool
at
http://educore.ascd.org.
Additional
ASCD
resources
that
aid
educators
who
are
implementing
the
Common
Core
State
Standards
can
be
found
at
www.ascd.org/commoncore.
MORE
INFO:
Dr.
Maria
Pitre‐Martin,
Director
of
K‐12
Curriculum,
maria.pitremartin@dpi.nc.gov