May  15,  2013
NEW  THIS  WEEK
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NCVPS  Transitions  to  Common  Core  Math
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Facilitated  Team  Time  Twitter  Training  for  SI  2013  Participants
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Podcasts  on  Common  Core,  Assessments  and  More
IN  CASE  YOU  MISSED  IT
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Educator  Effectiveness  Policy  Update
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READY  Outreach  Virtual  Meetings  Online
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Home  Base  Planning  Workshops  &  Training
NEW  THIS  WEEK
NCVPS  Transitions  to  Common  Core  Math
As  a  result  of  the  NCDPI  and  the  High  School  Math  Task  Force  recommendations,  the  NC  Virtual  Public
School  will  be  transitioning  to  the  Common  Core  Math  1,  2,  and  3  pathways.  We  will  begin  by  changing   our  Algebra  1  course  to  Math  1  this  summer  as  the  2012-­‐13  Math  1  standards  are  the  same  for  all  first   level  courses.  We  will  then  offer  Math  1  and  Math  2  this  fall  and  Math  1,  2,  and  3  this  spring.  We  have   made  these  changes  on  our  website  and  in  our  registration  system.
NCVPS  understands  you  may  have  students  who  began  the  traditional  math  pathway  and  may  need  to   complete  this  pathway  in  order  to  graduate.  Therefore,  we  will  phase  out  our  Algebra  1,  Geometry,  and
Algebra  2  pathways,  but  will  do  so  over  time  so  that  students  who  still  need  these  pathways  will  still   have  access  to  them.  Algebra  1  will  no  longer  be  offered  as  of  summer  2013.  Geometry  will  remain   available  through  summer  2014,  but  will  no  longer  be  offered  as  of  fall  2014  and  Algebra  2  will  remain   available  through  summer  2015,  but  no  longer  be  offered  as  of  fall  2015.  The  Credit  Recovery  Algebra  1,
Geometry,  and  Algebra  2  courses  will  be  phased  out  at  a  slower  pace  for  those  students  that  need  to   recover  credit.  CR  Algebra  1  (old  standards)  will  remain  available  through  fall  2013  and  CR  Geometry
and  CR  Algebra  2  will  remain  available  through  spring  2015.
MORE  INFO:  Jennifer  Nobles,  NCVPS  Curriculum  Director,   jennifer.nobles@ncpublicschools.gov
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Facilitated  Team  Time  Twitter  Training  for  SI  2013  Participants
During  the  last  30  minutes  of  Facilitated  Team  Time  at  Summer  Institutes  2013,  each  LEA/Charter  team
will  be  asked  to  participate  in  a  collaborative  “Tweetup.”  This  Tweetup  event  is  an  opportunity  to  share
PD  plans,  resources  and  next  steps  via  Twitter.

Each  Summer  Institutes  Team  will  have  a  North  Carolina  Department  of  Public  Instruction  facilitator   available  to  assist  with  the  Tweetup.  Since  teams  will  be  expected  to  tweet  their  responses,  some   participants  may  find  it  helpful  to  attend  one  of  the  two  Twitter  training  webinars  provided.
Topics  covered  during  the  training  will  include:
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Access  to  a  self-­‐guided  Twitter  training  website
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Deciphering  tweets
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Understanding  hashtags
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Participating  in  a  Twitter  chat
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Chat  etiquette
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Setting  up  a  chat  platform
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Closing  questions  that  will  be  asked  during  Facilitated  Team  Time
Registration  information  is  as  follows:
Wednesday,  June  12,  9  am  to  10:30  am
Registration  Web  Link:   https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/412238488
Thursday,  June  13,  1  pm  to  2:30  pm
Registration  Web  Link:   https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/454649824
MORE  INFO:  Elizabeth  Edwards,  Educator  Effectiveness,    Elizabeth.edwards@dpi.nc.gov
Podcasts  on  Common  Core,  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,  the  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   www.ncpublicschools.org/ready/resources  to  access  these  podcasts.
IN  CASE  YOU  MISSED  IT
Educator  Effectiveness  Policy  Update
At  last  week's  State  Board  of  Education  meeting,  the  Board  approved  the  following  changes  to  Standard
Six  of  the  teacher  evaluation  process  and  Standard  Eight  of  the  administrator  evaluation  process.
Standard  Six
For  the  2012-­‐13  school  year,  Standard  Six  will  only  be  based  on  a  teacher's  individual  value-­‐added  score.    There   will  no  longer  be  a  70  percent  teacher-­‐level  and  30  percent  school-­‐level  value-­‐added  mix;  instead,  the  individual   value-­‐added  score  will  count  for  100  percent  of  the  Standard  Six  rating.    Through  the  administration  of  End-­‐of-­‐
Grade,  End-­‐of-­‐Course,  Career  and  Technical  Education  Post-­‐Assessments,  and  Common  Exams,  approximately  65   to  70  percent  of  NC's  teachers  will  have  an  individual  value-­‐added  score.    For  the  remaining  teachers  (for  example,
K-­‐3,  the  Arts),  the  school-­‐wide  growth  value-­‐added  score  will  determine  their  Standard  Six  ratings;  however,  the
data  will  not  count  as  "Year  One"  of  the  three-­‐year  average  for  them.    Their  first  year  of  data  will  be  when  they   have  data  on  the  growth  of  their  own  students  in  their  content  area.

Standard  Eight
In  the  2011-­‐12  school  year,  principals  and  assistant  principals  received  Standard  Eight  ratings  based  on   school-­‐wide  growth  scores  that  included  the  results  from  End-­‐of-­‐Grade  and  End-­‐of-­‐Course  exams.    For  the
2012-­‐13  school  year,  Standard  Eight  ratings  will  be  based  on  school-­‐wide  growth  scores  that  include  the
End-­‐of-­‐Grade,  End-­‐of-­‐Course,  Career  and  Technical  Education  Post-­‐Assessments,  and  Common  Exams.    This
change  makes  the  Standard  Eight  rating  more  reflective  of  the  growth  across  the  entire  school.
More  Info:   educatoreffectiveness@dpi.nc.gov
READY  Outreach  Virtual  Meetings  Online
An  estimated  23,000  educators  across  the  state  participated  in  the  Spring  2013  READY  Outreach  Virtual
Meetings,  held  between  April  8  and  May  6.    This  third  round  of  READY  Outreach  Meetings  used  virtual   meeting  tools  to  continue  the  conversation  and  information  sharing.
If  you  missed  the  meetings,  you  now  have  the  opportunity  to  view  them  online.    The  Home  Base
Demonstrations  and  What’s  Coming  This  Fall  meeting  is  already  posted.    This  is  an  overview  of  our  new   technology  tool,  Home  Base  (including  PowerSchool,  which  replaces  NC  WISE  on  July  1,  educator   evaluation  and  professional  development  tools  and  instructional  improvement  tools).
Visit   www.ncpublicschools.org/homebase/resources  and  scroll  to  Home  Base  Webinars.
The   Accountability/Assessments  –  Setting  New  Expectations   session  will  be  posted  online  by  Friday,
May  10.  This  session  focuses  on  what  to  expect  in  the  fall  when  results  of  new  student  assessments  and   the  General  Assembly’s  New  Accountability  Model  are  reported  for  the  first  time.  There  also  will  be   ample  time  for  Q&A.    Visit   www.ncpublicschools.org/ready/resources  and  scroll  to  2013  Regional
Outreach  Virtual  Meeting  Presentation.
MORE  INFO:  Michael  Yarbrough,  Communication  and  Information  Services,
Michael.yarbrough@dpi.nc.gov
Home  Base  Planning  Workshops  &  Training
We  appreciate  the  extra  work  required  as  we  near  the  end  of  the  school  year  across  North  Carolina.  We   know  that  one  of  your  challenges  is  that  you  are  simultaneously  finishing  this  year  and  already  planning   for  the  next.    To  help  with  your  planning,  please  be  aware  of  two  important  opportunities  designed  to
help  you  prepare  for  the  exciting  kick-­‐off  of  Home  Base  in  2013-­‐14.
First,  NCDPI,  in  conjunction  with  the  Regional  Education  Service  Alliances  (RESAs),  will  host  optional  two-­‐ day  Home  Base  planning  workshops  focused  on  the  Classroom  Instruction/Assessment  components  of
Home  Base.      The  goal  of  these  workshops  is  for  each  participating  LEA  to  create  an  initial  draft   implementation  and  training  plan  to  guide  their  use  in  2013-­‐14  of  the  Classroom  Instruction/
Assessment  components  of  Home  Base.  The  workshops  will  offer  each  participating  LEA  Home  Base
Implementation  Team  the  opportunity  to  work  with  teams  from  other  LEAs,  Pearson  (the  vendor  for  this
portion  of  Home  Base),  and  NCDPI  staff  to  develop  these  plans.

RESA  directors  soon  will  be  sending  invitations  to  these  workshops.    We  recommend  that  you  consider   staffing  your  Home  Base  Implementation  Team  with  central  office  personnel  and  others  involved  in   curriculum  and  instruction,  classroom  assessment,  professional  development  and  instructional
technology  support.    And  please  coordinate  your  work  with  the  professional  development  plans  that   have  been  developed  in  your  district  since  2011.
Dates  and  locations  for  the  Home  Base  Implementation  Planning  Workshops  are:
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Region  1  —  Northeast,  May  23-­‐24,  Kermit  E.  White  Graduate  Center,  Room  107,  Elizabeth  City
State  University,  1862  Edgewood  Dr.,  Elizabeth  City,  NC  27909
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Region  2  —  Southeast,  May  29-­‐30,  James  Sprunt  Community  College,  Williams  Building-­‐Room
100,  133  James  Sprunt  Dr.,  Kenansville,  NC  28349
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Region  3  —  Central  Carolina,  May  14-­‐15,  NC  School  Boards  Assoc.  Assembly  Hall,  7208  Falls  of
Neuse  Rd.,  Raleigh,  NC  27615
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Region  4  —  Sandhills,  May  16-­‐17,  Moore  County  Board  of  Education,
5277  Hwy  15-­‐501  South,  Carthage,  NC  28327
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Region  5  —  Piedmont  Triad,  June  3-­‐4  at  Greensboro  Coliseum,  Special  Events  Center-­‐Room  4,
1921  W.  Lee  St.,  Greensboro,  NC  27403
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Region  6  —  Southwest,  June  13-­‐14,  UNC-­‐Charlotte  –  Cone  210  B ,   9201  University  City  Blvd.,
Charlotte,  NC  28223
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Region  7  —  Northwest,  June  5-­‐6,  Holiday  Inn  Express,1700  Winkler  St.,  Wilkesboro,  NC  28597
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Region  8  —  Western,  June  10-­‐11,  WRESA,  1459  Sand  Hill  Road,  Enka,  NC  28728
Another  Home  Base  activity  will  be  occurring  later  in  the  summer.  NCDPI  will  offer  training  in  June  and
July  on  the  use  of  the  Home  Base  Classroom  Instruction/Assessment  and  Educator  Evaluation  tools.
TODAY  (May  8)  is  the  deadline  to  register  for  this  training!    If  you  have  not  yet  registered,  please  take  a
moment  to  do  so  at   www.ncpublicschools.org/homebase/training/schedule .
MORE  INFO:  Sarah  McManus,  NCDPI  Learning  Systems,   sarah.mcmanus@dpi.nc.gov
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RACE  TO  THE  TOP  WEEKLY  UPDATE  INFO
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Archived  Race  to  the  Top  Weekly  Updates  are  available  online  at:   http://www.ncpublicschools.org/rttt/updates/