Wednesday, March 21, 2012
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Archived Race to the Top Weekly Updates are available here:
http://www.ncpublicschools.org/rttt/updates/
NEW THIS WEEK
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New ASCD Institutes and Webinars
New Common Core State and North Carolina Essential Standards Instructional Tool
NCEES Webinars in April
IIS Team Presents at CCSA; RFP posted
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
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NC Educator Evaluation Process Webinar Series
New Location for Modules and Instructional Tools
Registration for the NCDPI 2012 Summer Institutes
Next Generation Assessments: Resources for the Online Transition
Teachers Showcased in NC FALCON Session
Standards: Common Core & North Carolina Essential Standards
Item Specifications Third Draft Released and Survey Posted
Professional Development Survey
Professional Development Dates for March (UDPATE)
Race to the Top Teacher and Principal Survey through March 30
NEW THIS WEEK
New ASCD Institutes and Webinars
The Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD) is pleased to introduce two new
institute series and a series of free webinars to help educators nationwide implement the new Common
Core State Standards.
Beginning on Tuesday, May 8, in Salt Lake City, Utah, ASCD will launch a series of six institutes focusing
on supporting implementation of the new English language arts (ELA) standards. A parallel series of six
institutes will commence on May 15 in Jacksonville, Fla., and will focus on the implementation of the
new math standards. Both institute series will end in early June.
In addition to the institutes, ASCD is also offering a series of free webinars focusing on the Common
Core State Standards. The first webinar, scheduled for Tuesday, March 13, at 3:00 p.m. eastern time, is
called Creating Communities of Support for Implementing the Common Core State Standards. This
engaging webinar series continues Wednesday, April 3, at 3:00 p.m. eastern time with Common Core:
Assessment Shifts.
To read the full press release, visit: http://www.ascd.org/news-media/Press-Room/NewsReleases/ASCD-Offers-New-Common-Core-Institute-Series-and-Free-Webinars.aspx.
To speak with members of ASCD’s professional development teams about the association’s efforts to
support the implementation of the new Common Core State Standards, please contact
stephen.wakefield@ascd.org
MORE INFO: Tracey Greggs, tracey.greggs@dpi.nc.gov
New Common Core State and North Carolina Essential Standards Instructional Tool
The Curriculum and Instruction division has developed glossary of terms to be used along with the new
standards. This tool provides educators with terminologies that represent big, powerful concepts and
ideas teacher need to know and understand in order to effectively teach the new standards. The
Glossary of Terms is not meant to be exhaustive, but seeks to address critical terms and definitions
essential in building content knowledge and understanding. To locate the Graphic Organizers, go to
http://www.ncpublicschools.org/acre/standards/support-tools/#glossary
MORE INFO: Tracey Greggs, tracey.greggs@dpi.nc.gov
NCEES Webinars in April
The North Carolina Educator Evaluation System will conduct webinars in April to provide more
information on the new evaluation system for teachers and administrators. You may register at
NCEES.ncdpi.wikispaces.net. All webinars are approximately 60-90 minutes in length. The schedule is as
follows:
April 10, 3 pm - Teacher Summary Rating Form
April 12, 9 am - Principal Summary Rating Form
April 20, 9 am - Professional Development Plans
April 24, 4 pm - Standards 6 and 8
April 26, 9 am - Standards 6 and 8
MORE INFO: Eliz Colbert, eliz.colbert@dpi.nc.gov, or Robert Sox, robert.sox@dpi.nc.gov
IIS Team Presents at CCSA; RFP posted
The Instructional Improvement System (IIS) Team is presenting this week at the Collaborative
Conference for Student Achievement in Greensboro. Dr. Sarah McManus participated as a presenter in
three sessions, including being a panel member in the "Giving Teachers the Tools They Need: The Impact
of Race to the Top Technology Projects on Classroom Instruction" session and a session explaining the
IIS in detail. The team also is scheduled to discuss the Shared Learning Infrastructure (SLI) Learning
Maps and Content Tools that will be available through the Shared Learning Collaborative (SLC).
iscussions and planning will take place from both a technical and business/instructional/academic
perspective.
The RFP for the IIS was posted last month. The team continues to work on the Evaluation Planning for
the RFP. Vendor responses are due back by April 18, with the contract scheduled to be awarded by
September.
MORE INFO: Sarah McManus, sarah.mcmanus@dpi.nc.gov
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
NC Educator Evaluation Process Webinar Series
The Professional Development Team announces a webinar series on the evaluation processes and the
online tool. The topics include:
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Rating Observations and Evaluations
Summary Ratings for Teachers and Other End of the Year Information
Summary Ratings for Principals and other End of the Year Information
Understanding Standard 6 for Teachers and Standard 8 for Administrators
Creating an Effective Professional Development Plan
Creating an Effective Summary Goal Form
Please click here to learn more and to register. Sessions are offered multiple times so please choose the
time slot that best fits your schedule. Open to all NC educators.
MORE INFO: Robert Sox, robert.sox@dpi.nc.gov or Eliz Colbert, eliz.colbert@dpi.nc.gov.
New Location for Modules and Instructional Tools
You can now find the entire menu of NCDPI’s online instructional modules and recorded webinars
posted at http://www.ncpublicschools.org/acre/profdev/webinars/ (PC users hit CTRL and click). Please
return to this page often to access future information on resources available for your use. All
professional development online instructional modules, webinars and instructional tools will provide
support for districts and schools with the transition to the new North Carolina Standard Course of Study
implemented statewide during the 2012-2013 school year.
MORE INFO: Tracey Greggs, tracey.greggs@dpi.nc.gov, or Yvette Stewart, yvette.stewart@dpi.nc.gov
Registration for the NCDPI 2012 Summer Institutes
Registration is now open for the members of the local district and charter school PD Leadership
Teams. Each RttT Coordinator has received information about the expectations of the leadership team
attending the 2012 Summer Institutes as well as registration information. Only those listed as part of
the PD Leadership Team will represent your district or school this summer. Please contact your RttT
Coordinator if you are unsure if you are serving on this team and need to register prior to the
deadline. Registration ends on Friday, March 30.
***PLEASE NOTE: Due to space limitations, if someone from your district or school who is not on the
master list registers, their registration will be canceled. Only registered members may attend Summer
Institutes. Unfortunately we cannot accept on-site registration. As the number of team members has
increased this year, capacity at each location will be closely monitored and additional staff will not be
permitted. If you are a non-public school, college/university, NCDPI employee, or other non-public
institution, please contact Yvette Stewart for special registration information. Thank you in advance for
your cooperation.
MORE INFO: Yvette Stewart, yvette.stewart@dpi.nc.gov
ASSISTANCE WITH NC EDUCATION: Beth Ann Williams, beth.williams@dpi.nc.gov or Help Desk,
ncdesk@ncsu.edu.
Next Generation Assessments: Resources for the Online Transition
To help districts and schools prepare for the next generation assessments and the transition to online,
there are a number of resources available.
Best Practices Guide - http://www.ncpublicschools.org/acre/assessment/guide/
The purpose of this document is to serve as a guide to help districts and schools prepare for the transition
to online assessments. This guide provides tips and recommendations based on conversations with LEAs
and charter schools around the state that have already started this transition and are administering
some or all of the current end-of-course tests in the online format.
Quick Reference Guide - http://www.ncpublicschools.org/docs/acre/assessment/assess1pageroct11.pdf
A quick reference guide to the next generation of summative assessments that includes the expected
timeline for full implementation of online testing.
SMARTER Balanced Assessment Consortium - http://www.smarterbalanced.org/
The main website for The SMARTER Balanced Assessment Consortium, which is a state-led consortium
working to develop next-generation assessments that are aligned to the Common Core State
Standards and that accurately measure student progress toward college and career readiness.
Online Assessment Tutorial - https://center.ncsu.edu/nctest/NCTestSim.html#StudentSignIn
The assessment tutorial shows you how the online testing system works. You can select a test and then
practice moving between and answering questions.
NCTest Information - https://center.ncsu.edu/nc/course/view.php?id=361
Information related to the latest version of the online testing system, NCTest v 2.5. Here you can find the
technical requirements for the system, information on registration and administration, the assessment
tutorial, and other resources related to administering online assessments.
Additional resources can be found on the online assessment resources page at
http://www.ncpublicschools.org/acre/assessment/resources/.
MORE INFO: Kayla Siler, kayla.siler@dpi.nc.gov
Standards: Common Core & North Carolina Essential Standards
LEARN NC is pleased to announce that its work aligning each of its 1,600 lesson plans to the Common
Core and NC Essential Standards is complete and ready to use. Stay tuned as they continue to align the
thousands of external lesson plans linked on their website, as well. Additionally, LEARN NC is taking a
leadership role in collaboration with its eLearning for Educators partners to design, develop, and deliver
innovative online professional development opportunities and resources to help guide teachers through
the transition to the new standards. Check out the changes at www.learnnc.org/scos for Common
Core/Essential Standards and https://ncelearning.org for eLearning for Educators. For more offerings
from LEARN NC, please visit http://blogs.learnnc.org/
MORE INFO: Tracey Greggs, tracey.greggs@dpi.nc.gov
Item Specifications Third Draft Released and Survey Posted
The third draft of the Item Specifications and Guidelines have been released for review and comment.
These item specifications provide item writers with specific guidance on how to translate the Common
Core State Standards into actual assessment items. In addition, guidelines for bias and sensitivity,
accessibility and accommodations, and style help item developers and reviewers ensure consistency and
fairness. The item specifications and presentation materials are available on the Consortium’s public
website at http://www.smarterbalanced.org/smarter-balanced-assessments/#item. The survey to share
feedback on the item specifications is posted in the same location. Feedback is due by 2:59 a.m. EDT on
Saturday, March 17.
MORE INFO: Tracey Greggs, tracey.greggs@dpi.nc.gov
Teachers Showcased in NC FALCON Session
Classroom teachers who are implementing the formative assessment process will showcase their work
during an NC FALCON showcase session at the Collaborative Conference on Student Achievement in
Greensboro, NC on March 20. During the session, presenters will share implementation ideas, artifacts
collected during their implementation. They also will share formative assessment plans that they have
developed and used in classes.
Join the following teachers during the session to learn more about their implementation of formative
assessment: Amanda Horne - Gray’s Creek Elementary School, Cumberland County Schools; Miranda
Bring - Tyro Elementary School, Davidson County Schools; Kenzie Cheek - Silver Valley Elementary
School, Davidson County Schools; Loryn Morrison - District Lead Teacher, Davidson County
Schools; Leslie Carriker - Dudley High School, Guilford County Schools; Kerry Stewart - Instructional
Coach, Henderson County Public Schools; Lynne Fender - School Improvement Specialist, Henderson
County Public Schools; Donna Hall -Hickory High School, Hickory Public Schools; Pat Widdowson Assistant Superintendent, Surry County Schools; Jennifer Scott - Director of Professional Development
and Communication, Surry County Schools; Brenda Whitaker - Director of Federal Programs, Surry
County Schools; Jan Varney - Principal, Dobson Elementary School, Surry County Schools; Nicole
Hazlewood - Dobson Elementary, Surry County Schools; Lori Beasley - Dobson Elementary, Surry County
Schools; Ashley Eggleston - East Millbrook Magnet Middle School, Wake County Public School
System; Jessica Palmer-Gwaltney - East Millbrook Magnet Middle School, Wake County Public School
System; Daniel Sluder - North Wilkes High School, Wilkes County Schools; Michael Greene - North
Wilkes High School, Wilkes County Schools
Click on this link to read more about NC FALCON Showcase
presenters: https://center.ncsu.edu/nc/course/category.php?id=10&sesskey=EjuU0moSBn&categoryedi
t=0
Approved DSWs posted
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.
MORE INFO: Eric Thanos, eric.thanos@dpi.nc.gov
Professional Development Survey
The Race to the Top evaluation team has finished Round 1 of gathering feedback on the online
professional development learning modules and resources provided by NCDPI. Round 2 is now under
way. The short questionnaire (8-12 items) can be accessed by clicking on the following link:
http://ncsu.qualtrics.com//SE/?SID=SV_0ks8HnXwvDqTHes. Thank you in advance for your
participation!
MORE INFO: Jeni Corn, Director of Evaluation Program, Friday Institute for Educational Innovation at NC
State University, (919) 513-8527 or jocorn@ncsu.edu.
Professional Development Dates for the Remainder of March (UPDATE)
March
14 – Fidelity Support Session for LEA/Charter Leadership Teams, NWRESA
14 - K-12 Programs* PD for LEA/Charter Leadership Teams (Day 1), CCRESA, Location: Friday Center,
UNC-Chapel Hill. Registration: http://www.ccresa.net/events/
15 – Process Support Session for K-12 Programs* (Day 2), CCRESA (NCSBA Building, Assembly Room)
19 – K-12 Programs* PD for LEA/Charter Leadership Teams, SERESA, [WL and ESL: Celtic Court/Mad
Boar Restaurant, HL and Arts: River Landing Clubhouse]
20 – K-12 Programs* PD for LEA/Charter Leadership Teams, NERESA (Vernon James Research Center)
21 – Teacher Effectiveness Vetting/New Accountability Model Meetings, NWRESA DATE CHANGED
to May 15
22 – Fidelity Support Session, Sandhills RESA (Richmond Community College, Hamlet)
22 – Common Core ELA and Math PD for LEA/Charter Leadership Teams, PTEC (Room 1, Special Events
Center, Greensboro Coliseum)
26 – K-12 Programs* PD for LEA/Charter Leadership Teams, WRESA
*K-12 Programs = Arts Education [Dance, Music Theatre Arts], ESL, Healthful Living [Physical
Education, Health Education] and World Languages
Race to the Top Teacher and Principal Survey through March 30
Last month, principals and teachers at selected schools around the state were emailed a link to
the annual Race to the Top Teacher and Principal Survey. The survey takes 15 to 30 minutes to
complete, and respondents only need their district-provided email address to log in. The survey will be
open through March 30th.
This survey is extremely important as it will provide information to the larger RttT Evaluation regarding
the impacts of RttT on educational outcomes as well as teachers’ and principals’ attitudes and behaviors
related to the central reforms of the RttT initiatives – it will not be used to evaluate individual schools or
educators.
MORE INFO: Race to the Top Evaluation, Omnibus Survey Team, SERVE Center at UNC-Greensboro,
RttTSurvey@serve.org.