Career & College: Ready, Set, Go!
NC’s Race to the Top Plan
Informational Webinars
for Districts
and Charter Schools
Sept. 20-21, 2010
1
A Coherent Plan for
Statewide Impact
2
Race to the Top: NC’s Process
• September Webinars - Basic Information
• October Regional Meetings - Technical Assistance
for LEA/charter school teams
• November 8 - Scope of Work Applications Due to
NCDPI from LEAs/charter schools
• Funds Distributed as soon as funding received
from US Department of Education (estimated
9/30) and LEA/charter Detailed Scope of Work
plan approved by NCDPI
3
Race to the Top: NC’s Process
Supporting LEA/charter completion of the Detailed
Scope of Work:
• Detailed Scope of Work template – as much pre-populated,
pre-formatted, and pre-formulated as possible!
• Instructions - a step-by-step guide for completing
• Guidance documents – providing LEA/charter teams with
user-friendly summaries of:
 What the State will do
 What LEAs/charters are required to do
 What LEAs/charters may opt to do
4
A Great Teacher for Every Student
A Great Leader for Every School
• Performance incentives for lowest-achieving schools
• Research-supported university preparation programs
• Research- and data-based recruitment and licensure programs:
o
Teach for America expansion
o
NC Teacher Corps
o
Regional Leadership Academies
• Strategic staffing initiatives
• Expansion of virtual and blended teaching
• Statewide professional development system
• Successful innovations in identifying, developing, and supporting
effective leaders
• Statewide teacher and principal evaluation systems
5
Guidance - Great Teachers and Leaders
• What the State will do
• What school districts/charters are required
to do
• What school districts/charters may opt to do
6
Statewide Standards and Assessments
• Common Core Standards adoption
• Governing member of the SMARTER Balanced
Assessment Consortium
• Alignment of standards across PK-20
• Experience in - and a plan for - successful
implementation of comprehensive, balanced
assessment system
7
Guidance - Standards and Assessments
• What the State will do
• What school districts/charters are required
to do
• What school districts/charters may opt to do
8
Turnaround of Lowest-Achieving Schools
• A great teacher for every student, a great leader
for every school, a great school for every
community
• A focus on local capacity-building
• Customized approaches to local setting and
needs
9
Turnaround of Lowest-Achieving Schools
• Evidence of prior success in rural and urban
settings
o 34 schools moved out of low-achieving
o 85% of schools in 5 low-achieving districts
raised student achievement
• Other innovative public and charter school
models
10
Turnaround Criteria
• Lowest 5% of schools in each grade span group:
elementary, middle and high school
• High schools with a graduation rate below 60%
• School districts with an aggregate performance
composite below 65%
11
Building Capacity in Rural Schools
By ensuring…
• Effective teachers and principals
• Statewide technology infrastructure and
resources
• Virtual learning opportunities for students
• Engaged communities
12
Innovative, Transformational Schools:
An Array of Choices
• Early College high schools
• Redesigned schools
• Charter schools
• NC School of Science and Mathematics
• District-level magnet schools
• STEM-themed high schools
13
Expanding STEM Opportunities
• Rigorous standards
• STEM teacher initiatives
• Virtual and blended STEM courses
• Networking of STEM-themed high schools
• Strong support from NC businesses and foundations
14
Guidance - Turnaround Initiatives
• What the State will do
• What school districts/charters are required
to do
• What school districts/charters may opt to do
15
Data-Driven Decisions at All Levels
Statewide Information Systems
Centrally-provided, Statewide Technology Infrastructure
State Longitudinal
Data System
Instructional
Improvement
System
Statewide Student
Information
System
16
Enhancing All Initiatives
Through Technology
• Technology to enhance all reform areas
• Building upon technology-enabled education
initiatives
• NC Education Cloud
o Next generation technology infrastructure
o Service delivery platform for content, services and
applications
17
Guidance - Data-Driven Decisions
• What the State will do
• What school districts/charters are required
to do
• What school districts/charters may opt to do
18
NC’s RttT Funding
• Funding details
• LEA and charter school eligibility
• Financial guidelines
19
Detailed Scope of Work
• Detailed Scope of Work template
• Due to DPI: Nov. 8, 2010
• Review Process: feedback/approval
• Due to US Dept of Ed: Nov. 22, 2010
20
Next Steps
• LEA/charter school RttT Team assembles
Detailed Scope of Work plan
• Submit plan with signature page to NCDPI
by Nov. 8, 2010
• Watch email and web for updated
information:
- www.ncpublicschools.org/superintendents
- www.ncpublicschools.org/acre
- New RttT page coming soon!
• Contact regional lead for questions
21
A Coherent Plan for Statewide Impact
Quality
Standards and
Assessment
• Adopt Common
Core Standards
• Transition to
New Standards
and
Assessments
Turnaround
of Lowest-Achieving
Schools
Great Teachers &
Principals
• Improve
Teacher and
Principal
Evaluation
Processes
• Build
District & School
Transformation
Capacity
• Initiate
Statewide
Professional
Development
• Institute
Regional
Leadership
Academies
• Deliver
Virtual &
Blended
Classes
• Expand Teacher
Recruitment and
Licensure
Programs
• Support
STEM
Thematic
Schools
Network
• Initiate
Strategic
Staffing
• Enhance Statewide
Longitudinal Data
System
Data Systems
to Improve Instruction
22