April 30, 2014
NEW THIS WEEK
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
Parent Overview of New Standards Now Online
Summer Institutes 2014: Sustaining Success!
Local Guidance for Standard 6
Birdhouses and Higher Standards: Students Learning How to Learn
BB&T Principal Leadership Institute
Teacher Working Conditions Survey Update
Professional Development System Launches in Home Base
#NCed Chat End-of-Year Topics
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
●
●
●
●
●
Governor’s Teacher Network Application Deadline TODAY
Local RttT No-Cost Extension/Close Out Webinars Now Online
Spring 2014 READY Outreach Materials
NCSSM Provides STEM Resource in Animal Life Cycles and Nutrition
K-3 Formative Assessment - 5 Domains of Development Matter, Part 2
NEW THIS WEEK
Parent Overview of New Standards Now Online
The NCDPI has published "English Language Arts and Mathematics in North Carolina
Public Schools: An Overview for Parents." This publication outlines the new standards in
the state’s public schools. It delineates for parents what their children should know and
be able to do at various grade levels. The overview provides examples of standards at
every grade level, K-12. Visit ncpublicschools.org and click on the appropriate link under
Highlights to view this helpful guide.
Summer Institutes 2014: Sustaining Success!
Summer is only two months away! And after four years, we all know what that means:
Summer Institutes 2014 once again will be held in all eight regions across the state of
North Carolina. Regions 1, 2, 5 and 7 will experience this myriad of professional
development experiences simultaneously on July 7-8, while Regions 3, 4, 6 and 8 will
participate simultaneously during July 9-10.
This year’s theme is “Sustaining Success: Building on Achievement,” and we aim to do
just that for educators from across the state. The overarching goal of the 2014 Summer
Institutes is to provide participants with meaningful professional development that will
take them to the next level in READY implementation (Common Core, New Assessments,
Educator Effectiveness, Home Base and more). We will accomplish this by:
● Strengthening relationships among local school districts as they continue to plan
and execute specific activities and initiatives around Race to the Top work;
● Assisting local school districts in assessing progress with their PD plans;
pinpointing challenges that remain; and refining goals that will keep them moving
forward in this effort;
● Identifying how the NCDPI can provide resources to address the needs of local
school districts in taking the lead and crafting their plans for sustainability as Year
5 of RttT approaches; and,
● Effectively capturing and sharing new knowledge derived from best practices
among colleagues statewide.
April 15-May 15: Participant Registration (registration is occurring through your
district/charter's Home Base PD tool.) Visit http://si2014.ncdpi.wikispaces.net/ and click
on the Registration link at the bottom of the page.
May 1-May 15: Presenter and Volunteer Registration (this link will soon be posted on
the Summer Institutes web page,
http://www.ncpublicschools.org/profdev/summerinstitutes/2014/
MORE INFO: Cynthia Martin, Educator Effectiveness, cynthia.martin@dpi.nc.gov
Local Guidance for Standard 6
The Department of Public Instruction has worked to ensure every educator has the
opportunity to receive an individual Standard 6 rating based on the growth of that
educator’s students. In 2014-2015, the Department will have covered approximately 90
percent of educators through one of the following statewide Standard 6 measures:
●
●
●
●
●
Analysis of Student Work
CTE Pre- and Post-Assessments
End of Grade/End of Course Assessments
K-3 Checkpoints
NC Final Exams
The Department will work closely with districts to identify the number of educators who
do not utilize any of the above measures of student growth and to continue development
of local guidance and best practices on measuring student growth for the following
educators:
● Teachers who only provide instruction on local elective courses,
● English as a Second Language (ESL) teachers who do not participate in roster
verification,
● Academically and/or Intellectually Gifted (AIG) teachers who do not participate in
roster verification,
● Exceptional Children (EC) teachers who do not participate in Analysis of Student
Work or participate in roster verification,
● Teachers at the residential schools for deaf and blind students,
● Teachers at alternative schools who do not participate in roster verification, and
● Teachers who do not participate in Analysis of Student Work due to limited
instructional time.
The three-year rolling average needed to calculate Standard 6 for these educators will
not begin until the 2015-2016 school year.
MORE INFO: If you have questions regarding local guidance for Standard 6, please email
educatoreffectiveness@dpi.nc.gov or contact Jennifer DeNeal,Educator Effectiveness,
jennifer.deneal@dpi.nc.gov
Birdhouses and Higher Standards: Students Learning How to Learn
Kindergarten teacher Stephanie Boehmer’s eyes brighten with excitement as she talks
about her students’ learning.
“I have seen my kindergarten students take ownership of their learning… my kids are
able to tell me what they are learning,” said the Southport Elementary School (Brunswick
County) teacher. “They can explain things to each other, to me and to other people in
their community. ”
All this from building birdhouses? You bet. Boehmer incorporates the new learning
standards into the fun class activity. Evidence in text, procedural steps, it’s all there
when students are asked to read directions, view photos and apply what they are
reading and seeing to the construction of a birdhouse.
Boehmer and her students will be featured beginning this summer in a series of videos
being produced by the NCDPI. These informative vignettes will outline the progress of
the Race to the Top initiative, including the features of Home Base. We’ll let you know
when they are available!
BB&T Principal Leadership Institute
We encourage principals to consider attending the Mastering Leadership Dynamics for
Educational Leaders seminar sponsored by BB&T. Principals will participate in a
three-day, transformational leadership development experience with a peer group of
educational leaders. This free opportunity (a $6,950.00 value) is an exceptional
experience located at the BB&T Leadership Institute in High Point.
Superintendent endorsement is recommended, as principals will need to “power down”
for the three face-to-face sessions. There are two separate pilot sessions held July
16-18 or August 6-8 this summer. Once the pilot is complete, there are ongoing
follow-up opportunities throughout the 2014-15 school year. The year-long schedule is
in development and will be communicated within the next few weeks.
MORE INFO: If you are interested in this opportunity, please contact Dr. Lynne Johnson,
Educator Effectiveness, lynne.johnson@dpi.nc.gov, or Dr. Pat Ashley,District and School
Transformation, pat.ashley@dpi.nc.gov.
Teacher Working Conditions Survey Update
Nearly nine in 10 (89 percent) of North Carolina’s public school teachers participated in
the 2014 Teacher Working Conditions survey. Thanks to all for great participation! The
2014 NC Teacher Working Conditions (NC TWCS) Survey website features school
improvement tools, historical data and research briefs that are helpful for leaders and
educators. Check out the resources for ongoing school and district planning for
collaborative school improvement planning at www.ncteachingconditions.org. Data
from the 2014 survey will be available on the website mid-May and a full report will be
shared with the State Board in June.
MORE INFO: Dr. Yvette Stewart, Educator Effectiveness, yvette.stewart@dpi.nc.gov.
Professional Development System Launches in Home Base
The professional development tab inside the Educator Effectiveness online tool is now
active. The professional development catalog is now live, enabling educators to sign up
for available professional development modules. The catalog will continue to grow as
new learning opportunities are added. New modules will be loaded by July 1.
Additional information about navigating the professional development system will be
available on the regional wikis managed by the professional development leads. These
wikis may be accessed at http://wikicentral.ncdpi.wikispaces.net. Regional wikis are
located on the bottom right portion of the menu page. You also may listen to a recording
from the Professional Development System Overview webinar at
https://vimeo.com/87813848. Questions about the professional development system
may be directed to your regional Professional Development Leads.
#NCed Chat End-of-Year Topics
May is the last month of the NCed Chat series before summer break. Engage with state,
national and international educators on the following #NCED Chat May topics: Best
Practices for Grading, Mentoring, Instructional Design and Professional Learning. Check
out the blog and archived conversations online at http://ncedchat.blogspot.com. You
also can download the app by visiting myapp.is/NCed on your mobile device. Join this
Professional Learning Network (PLN) today and share resources with colleagues across
the state and nation.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
Governor’s Teacher Network Application Deadline TODAY
Due to a high level of interest, plus spring breaks and holidays occurring during this
month, the deadline for application to the Governor’s Teacher Network has been
extended to TODAY, Wednesday, April 30.
IMPORTANT NOTE: The training dates for those selected to participate will be June
30-July 2 and will take place in Raleigh. Interested applicants should leave those dates
open.
The GTN, funded by the state’s Race to the Top grant, will provide a statewide platform
for teachers to share their best work around instruction and professional development
and to help advance Race to the Top (RttT) funded educational remodeling efforts
across the state.
Through the GTN, approximately 450 outstanding teachers from across North Carolina
will be selected to serve for one year as instructional and professional development
experts and facilitators. Visit www.ncpublicschools.org/rttt/gtn for details.
MORE INFO: Theresa Perry, Educator Effectiveness, theresa.perry@dpi.nc.gov
Local RttT No-Cost Extension/Close Out Webinars Now Online
The NCDPI hosted two webinars, “RttT LEA/Charter School No-Cost Extension and Close
Out Procedures,” on April 4. The webinars reviewed two topics that affect all LEAs and
charter schools participating in RttT: 1) the process for LEAs/Charter Schools to submit
and receive approval for using any remaining RttT funds from the LEA/Charter School’s
original RttT allocation for the 2014-15 school year, and 2) the closeout process for LEAs
and charter schools which choose not to apply for a no-cost extension.
The webinar discussed three possible end dates for the RttT activities in the DSW for
LEAs and charter schools: June 30, 2014 (Option 1), September 23, 2014 (Option 2), or
June 30, 2015 (Option 3). LEAs or charter schools must notify NCDPI of the choice for
their end date by May 5, and those choosing Options 2 or 3 must submit their amended
DSW or no-cost extension request to NCDPI, also by May 5.
LEAs/Charter Schools that missed the webinar should listen to the webinar session
recording and review the presentation slides for detailed instructions for submitting
no-cost extension requests and amended DSWs at the following web link:
http://www.ncpublicschools.org/rttt/webinars/.
MORE INFO: Eric Thanos, Race to the Top Project Coordinator, eric.thanos@dpi.nc.gov
Spring 2014 READY Outreach Materials
The NCDPI would like to thank the Superintendents and senior central office staff who
attended “Round 4” of the READY Regional Outreach Meetings in March or April.
Hundreds of these officials received updates on Home Base, Educator Effectiveness and
the latest on the General Assembly’s new Accountability Model, which will go into effect
this fall.
The PowerPoint presentation presented at these meetings is now available online. For
those of you who were not able to attend, and for those of you who were and would like
to use it as a reference resource, it can be found at
http://www.ncpublicschools.org/ready/resources/outreach/spring2014/.
MORE INFO: Michael Yarbrough, Communication and Information Services,
michael.yarbrough@dpi.nc.gov
NCSSM Provides STEM Resource in Animal Life Cycles and Nutrition
Teachers at the NC School of Science and Mathematics have leveraged the state’s
investment in STEM education and digital content to create unique content for high
schools in the fields of Agriscience and Biotechnology, Aerospace and Automation,
Biomedical Health Science and Energy & Sustainability. The curriculum is designed so a
teacher can download
content for a four-year long course, or select and adapt individual units to use in
existing STEM courses.
This week’s featured content comes from the Year 1 course in Agriscience and
Biotechnology and can be used in face-to-face teaching or in 1:1 or blended classroom
settings. In this unit, students learn to design and build a chick incubator, compare and
contrast life cycles and reproductive systems of birds and mammals, dissect a cow ovary
and develop a simple animal management plan. The unit contains labs, projects, videos
and interactive images of animal skulls that can be examined by students online.
The unit can be found at: http://bit.ly/ab_unit5.
All other NCSSM Race to the Top material can be found at: http://bit.ly/rtttstem
or http://box.com/rttt.
MORE INFO: Rob Caldwell, NCSSM, caldwell@ncssm.edu
K-3 Formative Assessment - 5 Domains of Development Matter, Part 2
The North Carolina K-3 Formative Assessment process currently in development will
support teachers in assessing the five domains of learning and development identified
by North Carolina’s definition of school readiness and aligned with North Carolina’s
Foundations for Early Learning and Development. We identified and defined each of
these in last month’s article. This month we will borrow some examples from the North
Carolina Foundations for Early Learning and Development to demonstrate how each
domain may look in a typical K-3 classroom.
Approaches to Learning
·
·
·
·
During a class meeting, the teacher may listen and respond to students as they
share thoughts.
Encouraging students to think about new ideas and/or approaches.
Helping students to think and talk through different approaches to problems.
Ask probing questions to help students stay focused on task.
Emotional and Social Development
·
Allow students to participate in discussions related to classroom decisions and
helping to establish rules and routines.
·
Read a familiar book and discuss each character’s feelings or reactions.
Cognitive Development
·
Making planning a regular part of the day.
·
Introduce a problem and encourage students to come up with as many solutions
as possible.
·
Field trips to museums, galleries, plays, concerts and other cultural events.
·
Provide opportunities for students to respond through music, movement, dance,
dramatic expression, and art.
·
Involve students in school and community service projects.
·
Prompt thinking and analysis by asking open-ended questions.
·
Have students use the scientific method of inquiry.
Language Development and Communication
·
Model good conversational skills and encourage students to use them.
·
Provide and share fiction and non-fiction books that stimulate children’s
curiosity.
·
Give students frequent opportunities to write for a variety of purposes.
Health and Physical Development
·
Several periods of active physical play each day that includes child-directed play
and adult-directed play, with the adult participating in the activities.
·
Students regularly use a variety of hand-held tools and objects (pencil, crayons,
scissors, manipulatives, etc)
·
Provide opportunities for students to practice self-care skills independently as
they are able (open milk carton, zipping jacket, packing up bookbag, etc)
·
Practicing a fire drill and talking about the students’ responses.
For more information on the K-3 Formative Assessment please visit our wiki:
rtt-elc-k3assessment.ncdpi.wikispaces.net
You will find our April 9 webinar on the five domains of learning posted along with
numerous other presentations, webinars, FAQs and updates.
MORE INFO: Erika Beatty, Office of Early Learning, erika.beatty@dpi.nc.gov
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
US Department of Education Cites NC as National Leader via RttT Work
If you are reading this, chances are you’ve played an important role in the work of Race
to the Top, so congrats are in order! North Carolina is considered a national leader in
education reform based on the work it has done in public education via the Race to the
Top grant, according to the US Department of Education.
The Department of Education released its third-year report on Race to the Top last
month. In it, U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan named North Carolina as, once again,
one of the top states making progress in serving students, supporting teachers and
bolstering technology in its remodeling efforts.
"Over the last few years, we have seen Race to the Top states build on the systems and
framework that they have been developing to lay the foundation for long-term,
sustainable progress," said Duncan. "North Carolina has made key steps in
implementing its plans, developing great teachers and leaders, and in improving
students' outcomes. As North Carolina completes the third year of implementing its
Race to the Top grant, it has continued to demonstrate leadership in education reform."
MORE INFO: Read more about this great news and link to the report here:
http://www.ncpublicschools.org/newsroom/news/2013-14/20140319-01
Professional Development System Update
We are in the final stages of preparation for the official launch of the new Home Base
Professional Development tool. You already may have noticed the addition of the
professional development tab inside the Educator Effectiveness online tool. Many of
you have taken advantage of the face-to-face overview training dates included on the
RESA partnership calendars.
The professional development catalog will go live on Tuesday, April 15. Educators will
be able to register for available professional development modules. The catalog will
continue to grow as new learning opportunities are added over time. Additional
information about navigating the PD system will be available on the regional wikis
managed by the PD leads. These wikis can be accessed at
http://wikicentral.ncdpi.wikispaces.net. Regional wikis are located on the bottom right
portion of the menu page. You also can listen to a recording from the PD System
Overview webinar, at https://vimeo.com/87813848.
MORE INFO: Questions about the PD system may be directed to your Regional PD
Leads.
One-Stop NCDPI Resource for All Educators
Wikicentral provides a direct point of access for NCDPI wikis that contain resources and
materials for educators of North Carolina. The wikis are managed by various divisions.
They include resources related to professional development, curriculum, policy, tools
and more. Please spread the word to your colleagues about this valuable site, which
can be found at http://wikicentral.ncdpi.wikispaces.net
MORE INFO: Dr. Lynne Johnson, Educator Effectiveness, lynne.johnson@dpi.nc.gov
Principal READY Spring Initiative: Coaching Conversations Successful
Regional professional development sessions for principals were held in all eight regions
of the state, concluding March 26. And from all accounts, principals were very pleased
with their takeaways!
The national Cross-State Learning Collaborative provided support for these sessions,
enabling the NCDPI to host all principals at these sessions. Interactive sessions included
video discussions, ratings activities, data studies and experiences providing specific and
constructive feedback to teachers. Resources and tools for interactive staff meetings
were shared to maximize the time leaders spend with teachers for continuous
improvement.
Feedback from these sessions indicates that principals learned a great deal through
these activities with their peers and that they would like to see this type of professional
development to continue next year. Department staff will explore options in the coming
months that would support continuation of this type of professional development.
MORE INFO: Dr. Lynne Johnson, Educator Effectiveness, lynne.johnson@dpi.nc.gov.
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.
***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/reports/weekly