Wednesday, March 14, 2012
Happy Pi Day!
If you know someone who would like to be on this listserv, please send their email
address 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: Depending on your device, 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 here:
http://www.ncpublicschools.org/rttt/updates/
NEW THIS WEEK
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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
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
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Next Generation Assessments: Benefits of Online Assessments
Online Writing Instruction Update
Graphic Organizers Posted for LEA and Charter School Use
CCSSO Common Core State Standards: Implementation Tools and Resources (PDF
attached)
RFP for IIS posted
North Carolina Professional Teaching Standards Module
Professional Development Dates for March (UDPATE)
Race to the Top Teacher and Principal Survey through March 30
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 30th.
***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-ofcourse 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 stateled 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=EjuU0moS
Bn&categoryedit=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.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
Next Generation Assessments: Benefits of Online Assessments
There are several benefits to administering assessments online versus a paper and
pencil option. By moving to online assessment, we can offer assessments that are
increasingly multi-part, media-enhanced and performance based, and which better
represent the depth intended in the new standards. Another benefit is the availability of
Computer Reads Test Aloud – Student Controlled accommodation for eligible students.
The online assessments also offer several universal design features such as larger font
sizes and adjustable background colors. The following is a list of benefits of the new
online assessments.
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Universal Design
Designed for increased accessibility
One item per test page
Large font
Foreground/background color schemes
Virtual highlighter and calculator
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Computer Reads Test Aloud – Student Controlled Accommodation
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Student Engagement
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Technology Enhanced/Interactive Items
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Flexible scheduling/staffing (decreased test time and changes to testing windows)
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Storage Space
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Test Security
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Reporting
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Environmentally Friendly
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Cost-effective
To learn more about the benefits and timeline for transitioning to online assessments,
please visit the online assessment website at
http://www.ncpublicschools.org/acre/assessment/online/.
MORE INFO: Kayla Siler, kayla.siler@dpi.nc.gov
Online Writing Instruction Update
North Carolina is implementing a new system for writing instruction designed to provide
students with opportunities to have a variety of experiences with writing across
disciplines and throughout the school year. Online Writing Instruction is not an
assessment, but instead a formative tool to monitor students’ progress in writing and to
adjust instruction accordingly. The new system for Online Writing Instruction replaces
the previous Writing Instruction System that was used in 2009-10 and 2010-11. Unlike
the former Writing Instruction System, there is no required number of writing tasks to
be completed and it is no longer a requirement for LEAs. It is, however, strongly
encouraged for instructional use because writing is integrated into the Common Core
State Standards for Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science and Technical Subjects.
Visit NC Education at http://center.ncsu.edu/NC/ to access writing tasks by discipline,
Common Core Appendix C Samples of Student Writing, and Writing Standards for
Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical Subjects.
The following tasks have been completed:
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Inventoried the number of writing tasks by discipline.
Created cover page which includes Online Writing Instruction description and updates.
Created folders by discipline and grade level in NC Education.
Inserted writing tasks by grade level into folders for the Arts, Social Studies, Science,
World Languages, English Language Arts, and Healthful Living.
- Created a folder with the Writing Standards for Literacy in History/Social Studies,
Science and Technical Subjects.
- Created folder with samples of student writing from Appendix C of Common Core.
MORE INFO: Anna Frost, anna.frost@dpi.nc.gov
Graphic Organizers Posted for LEA and Charter School Use
NCDPI has released sample graphic organizers for schools to use as part of their
instructional toolkit. Research supports the utilization of graphic organizers as a
contributing factor in improving student performance. The examples provided are to
model varied organizers and their use in provoking student engagement, organization
and understanding, thus equipping the teacher with the knowledge to develop and use
such tools effectively with the new standards. The graphic organizers are located at
http://www.ncpublicschools.org/acre/standards/support-tools/#organizers.
MORE INFO: Maria Pitre-Martin, maria.pitremartin@dpi.nc.gov or Tracey Greggs,
tracey.greggs@dpi.nc.gov
CCSSO Common Core State Standards: Implementation Tools and Resources (PDF
attached)
CCSSO has developed a list of tools and resources pointing states to promising practices
and tools to support the implementation of Common Core State Standards for Math and
ELA. The resources are identified by the following categories:
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Information about the Standards for Parents, Teachers, Principals and Higher Education
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Resources for State and District Leaders
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Common Core State Standards for Mathematics Resources
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Common Core State Standards for ELA Resources
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Implementation Resources Created by States
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Assessment Consortia Information
Common Core Directory -- Do you have questions about the Common Core State and
North Carolina Essential Standards or the online resources and don't know to whom you
should direct your question? For quick access to DPI staff, visit the directory at http://
www.ncpublicschools.org/acre/directory/ for names and contact information.
MORE INFO: Tracey Greggs, tracey.greggs@dpi.nc.gov
RFP for IIS posted
The Request for Proposals (RFPs) for the development of the Instructional Improvement
System (IIP) has now been posted online. Those who are interested in reviewing the
RFP, please visit https://www.ips.state.nc.us/ips/AGENCY/PDF/08833600.pdf. We are
now on our way to making this system a reality!
MORE INFO: Eric Moore, eric.moore@dpi.nc.gov
North Carolina Professional Teaching Standards Module
Have you utilized this resource lately? This is a friendly reminder that you have full
access to the North Carolina Teaching Standards Module available through NC
Education. This is a great resource for your beginning teachers or teachers not familiar
with the teaching standards. Anyone with an NC Education account can access the
module. The module is an in-depth look at the North Carolina Professional Teaching
Standards. Within the module, standards One, Two, Three and Five will take
approximately one hour to 90 minutes to complete. Standard Four will take two hours
to complete because there are eight elements within that standard. It is estimated to
take up to seven hours to complete this entire module. However, it is at the discretion
of each local district and school to determine how the module is to be completed. Great
when used as a PLC or with a small collaborative learning group.
NC EDUCATION :: https://center.ncsu.edu/nc/login/index.php
MORE INFO :: Yvette Stewart, yvette.stewart@dpi.nc.gov or Tracey Greggs,
tracey.greggs@dpi.nc.gov
ASSISTANCE WITH NC EDUCATION :: Beth Ann Williams, beth.williams@dpi.nc.gov or
Help Desk, ncdesk@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 UNCGreensboro, RttTSurvey@serve.org.