February
13,
2013
NEW
THIS
WEEK
• Common
Core
Implementation
Tools
and
Resources
Guide
• Support
Videos
for
the
Common
Core
in
Mathematics
• Learning
Forward
Professional
Learning
Policy
Workbook
for
States
and
Districts
• Article
on
Educator
Evaluation
Implementation
• Latest
Home
Base
Biweekly
Update
IN
CASE
YOU
MISSED
IT
• USED
Report:
NC
is
Ahead
in
the
Race
to
the
Top
• Field
Meetings
Offer
Updates
for
Local
Superintendents
• Regional
Convenings
Address
K‐12/College
Connections
around
New
Standards
NEW
THIS
WEEK
Common
Core
Implementation
Tools
and
Resources
Guide
The
Council
of
Chief
State
School
Officers
(CCSSO)
has
announced
the
release
of
an
updated
edition
of
the
Common
Core
Implementation
Tools
and
Resources
Guide.
CCSSO
developed
this
list
of
free
tools
and
resources
to
point
states,
districts
and
educators
toward
promising
ideas
and
tools
to
support
the
implementation
of
the
Common
Core
State
Standards.
This
guide
is
free,
and
educators
are
welcome
to
distribute
this
document
widely
and
post
it
directly
to
their
own
websites.
MORE
INFO:
http://www.ccsso.org/Documents/2012/Common_Core_Resources.pdf.
Support
Videos
for
the
Common
Core
in
Mathematics
The
Southeast
Comprehensive
Center
developed
Common
Core
State
Standards
(CCSS)
videos
to
support
states,
schools
and
teachers
in
the
implementation
of
the
new
standards.
The
videos
were
created
in
collaboration
with
the
states
in
the
Southeast
Comprehensive
Center
region
based
on
their
need
for
professional
development
support
for
the
implementation
of
the
Common
Core.
Each
video
is
an
audiovisual
resource
that
focuses
on
one
or
more
specific
standards
and
usually
includes
examples/illustrations
geared
toward
enhancing
understanding.
The
intent
of
each
content‐focused
video
is
to
clarify
the
meaning
of
the
individual
standard
rather
than
to
be
a
guide
on
how
to
teach
each
standard,
although
the
examples
can
be
adapted
for
instructional
use.
MORE
INFO:
Visit
http://secc.sedl.org/common_core_videos/.
Learning
Forward
Professional
Learning
Policy
Workbook
for
States
and
Districts
Learning
Forward
recently
released
the
Professional
Learning
Policy
Review:
A
Workbook
for
States
and
Districts,
authored
by
Joellen
Killion.
This
workbook
provides
states
and
local
school
districts
with
guidance
to
conduct
a
review
of
existing
policies
related
to
professional
learning.
The
review
process
includes
discovery,
analysis,
recommendations
for
possible
policy
revision,
and
follow‐up.
MORE
INFO:
http://www.learningforward.org/docs/commoncore/professionallearningpol
icyreview.pdf.
Article
on
Educator
Evaluation
Implementation
Henderson
County
Schools
has
had
a
positive
experience
with
the
implementation
of
the
new
Educator
Evaluation
system.
Take
a
moment
to
read
this
article
from
the
Blue
Ridge
Times‐News.
The
district’s
human
resources
director
offers
a
thorough
explanation
of
how
and
why
the
new
system
will
benefit
teachers,
principals
and
administrators.
MORE
INFO:
Michael
Yarbrough,
Communications
and
Information,
michael.yarbrough@dpi.nc.gov
Latest
Home
Base
Biweekly
Update
Many
of
you
have
heard
about
Home
Base
an
exciting
statewide
project
that
supports
our
overall
READY
initiative.
To
ensure
all
NC
educators
and
the
community
at
large
know
about
Home
Base
and
are
kept
up‐to‐date
on
ongoing
developments,
the
NCDPI
has
begun
a
new
electronic
publication
called
Home
Base
Biweekly
Update.
You
can
view
the
latest
issue
online:
www.ncpublicschools.org/homebase/updates
IN
CASE
YOU
MISSED
IT
USED
Report:
NC
is
Ahead
in
the
Race
to
the
Top
Two
weeks
ago,
the
U.S.
Department
of
Education
issued
the
news
that
North
Carolina
is
at
the
head
of
the
pack
at
the
halfway
point
of
our
Race
to
the
Top
initiative.
“North
Carolina
has
set
a
clear
path
forward
on
comprehensive
education
reform
that
will
better
support
teachers
and
principals
and
enable
student
growth
for
years
to
come,”
said
U.S.
Secretary
of
Education
Arne
Duncan.
“They
have
overcome
challenges
and
proved
what’s
possible
when
everyone
works
together.
We
look
forward
to
seeing
their
continued
progress
and
strong
execution
of
key
efforts
that
will
empower
educators
to
transform
their
classrooms
into
models
of
21st
century
learning.”
The
report
cites
a
number
of
areas
where
the
state
has
been
especially
successful:
∙
Transitioning
to
College
and
Career‐Ready
Standards
through
professional
development
and
diagnostic
assessments
for
teachers.
∙
Supporting
Great
Teachers
and
School
Leaders
by
adopting
a
statewide
growth
model
for
tested
subjects
and
online
evaluation
across
all
districts,
engaging
educators
in
developing
statewide
growth
measures,
training
teachers
through
the
new
Teacher
Corps
program,
and
completing
training
for
principals
in
Leadership
Academies.
∙
Turning
Around
Low‐Performing
Schools.
Since
the
beginning
of
the
grant,
84
percent
of
NC's
low‐performing
schools
have
increased
their
performance,
39
are
performing
above
the
target
of
60
percent
proficiency,
and
five
of
seven
that
had
graduation
rates
below
60
percent
are
now
above
that
mark.
This
has
been
accomplished
in
part
by
72
coaches
dispatched
to
these
schools.
∙
Building
Better
Data
Systems
through
the
design
and
shared
services
via
the
NC
Education
Cloud
and
through
the
development
of
Home
Base,
the
state's
new
technology‐based
tool
to
manage
all
professional
resources
and
student
data.
∙
Enhancing
Science,
Technology,
Engineering
and
Mathematics
(STEM)
Education
through
serving
students
in
three
anchor
and
12
affinity
STEM
schools
across
the
state,
along
with
the
development
of
new,
virtual
STEM
courses.
Visit
www.ncpublicschools.org
to
read
a
News
Release
on
the
report.
The
release
includes
a
link
to
the
report
itself.
Also,
check
out
this
article
on
the
USED’s
take
on
North
Carolina
as
a
leader
among
RttT
states.
MORE
INFO:
Michael
Yarbrough,
Communications
and
Information,
michael.yarbrough@dpi.nc.gov.
Field
Meetings
Offer
Updates
for
Local
Superintendents
State
Superintendent
June
Atkinson
and
members
of
her
senior
leadership
team
conducted
three
field
meetings
the
week
of
January
28.
They
met
with
local
superintendents
and
shared
the
latest
on
legislative
and
program
implementation
issues.
The
small
group
meetings,
held
in
Morganton,
Concord
and
Goldsboro,
gave
local
superintendents
the
opportunity
to
participate
in
discussions
and
ask
questions
about
the
latest
happenings
in
the
Legislature,
Educator
Evaluation,
the
General
Assembly’s
new
Accountability
Model,
an
update
on
Home
Base
and
PowerSchool
and
fall
administration
of
common
exams
and
their
implications
for
the
future.
MORE
INFO:
Mike
McLaughlin,
Senior
Policy
Advisor
to
the
Superintendent,
mike.mclaughlin@dpi.nc.gov.
Regional
Convenings
Address
K‐12/College
Connections
around
New
Standards
North
Carolina’s
Core
to
College
grant
is
kicking
off
a
series
of
regional
convenings
to
bring
together
educators
from
across
all
of
North
Carolina’s
local
districts,
community
colleges,
the
UNC
system,
and
private
colleges
and
universities.
Working
together
to
foster
greater
understanding
of
the
Common
Core
State
Standards,
the
aim
of
these
convenings
is
to
begin
a
statewide
dialogue
around
the
implications
of
these
new
standards
and
expectations
for
what
happens
in
the
bridge
between
high
school
and
postsecondary.
The
second
of
these
events
will
be
held
in
WLC
161
‐
Seminar
Room
from
3
to
5
pm
on
Tuesday,
Feb.
19
on
the
campus
of
Wayne
Community
College.
(The
first
was
held
on
Feb.
12
at
East
Carolina
University.)
Fliers
are
attached
with
more
details,
along
with
information
about
how
to
register
at
http://go.ncsu.edu/imagining.
Future
convenings
will
be
held
in
regions
across
the
state
throughout
2013.
Details
on
those
dates
and
locations
will
be
available
soon.
MORE
INFO:
John
D.
Denning,
State
Director,
K‐12
and
Postsecondary
Alignment
Initiatives,
jdenning@ncreadyforsuccess.com.
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/