PRINCIPALS' MESSAGES 2004

JANUARY 16, 2004

There has been recent news coverage throughout the state regarding the state's high school graduation rate reported for the purposes of No Child Left Behind, the state's dropout rate and the ratio of high school graduates to ninth grade students four years earlier. Each of these numbers yields a different figure. The state's annual dropout rate is 5.25 percent for grades 9-12, which would equate to roughly 20-25 percent across four years of high school. The ratio of graduates to the ninth grade class four years' earlier is approximately 60 percent. NCLB requires a graduation rate as well. Because mechanisms are not presently in place to trace back four years and account for each student who was in the ninth grade in 1999-00, North Carolina used a percentage in the NCLB reporting that reflected the percentage of graduates who finished in four years. That percent is 92.5. I want you to know that we recognize this figure as a placeholder to meet the requirements of federal law. It does not accurately reflect the problem of dropouts and of students who struggle to complete high school. It does reflect the difficulty of complying with a law retroactively. We will continue, as we have for several years, to publish the annual dropout rate and numbers and to work toward keeping more young people in school for graduation.

Regards,
Mike Ward

In this Biweekly Principals' Message:

1. State Board Meeting Highlights
2. North Carolina Receives High Marks for Improving Teacher Quality
3. Students Invited to Participate in Challenge
4. Governor Proclaims January National Mentoring Month
5. Legislative Meetings
6. NC Wise Web Site Undergoes Redesign
7. Safe Schools Conference to be held in February
8. Latino/Hispanic Education Conference Set for February
9. AP Forum Scheduled
10. Register Now for Eighth Annual Closing the Gap Conference
11. NAESP Annual Convention &Exposition Scheduled for April
12. 2004 National Distinguished Principals Program Announced
13. Grants Provide Technology Equipment to Low-Income Students
14. Register Now for Eighth Annual Closing the Gap Conference

State Board Meeting Highlights

At last week's State Board meeting, members approved changes to the No Child Left Behind accountability model, including allowing the use of a 95 percent confidence interval when calculating Adequate Yearly Progress. Approximately 30 other states use confidence intervals now. The use of a confidence interval will likely result in more schools meeting the federal standards. The SBE also approved increasing the weight of the ABCs dropout component for 2004-05. In other business, the Board continued discussion of the state's weighted quality point policy, reviewed the revised N.C. K-12 Computer/Technology Skills Standard Course of Study and approved the report and recommendations from the Special Committee on Teacher Reciprocity. Complete Highlights of the State Board meeting are posted online at http://www.ncpublicschools.org/sbehighlights.

North Carolina Receives High Marks for Improving Teacher Quality

North Carolina was once again among the top 10 states in the nation in efforts to improve teacher quality, according to "Education Week's" eighth annual 50-state report card, "2004 Quality Counts: Count Me In." North Carolina received a B on Improving Teacher Quality, the same letter grade as in 2003. The full letter grade report card also showed North Carolina receiving a B on Standards and Accountability, up slightly from a B- in 2003, and a C+ in School Climate, which is the same grade as in 2003. In the category of Resources, "Education Week" awards grades for Adequacy and Equity. North Carolina received a C in each category, down slightly from the C+ grades of 2003. To read more, please go to DPI's Web site at http://www.ncpublicschools.org and look under "In the News.

Students Invited to Participate in Challenge

To honor the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., public school students are invited to participate in the 2004 Do Something Kindness&Justice Challenge. For the two weeks following the King national holiday, students are asked to perform acts of kindness and acts of justice. Schools are encouraged to register to participate in the challenge at http://www.dosomething.org by clicking on the appropriate link. Upon registration, schools will receive a grade-appropriate curriculum to assist in teaching the values highlighted by the challenge.

Governor Proclaims January National Mentoring Month

Gov. Mike Easley has proclaimed January as National Mentoring Month. The goal of this public-private effort is to recruit volunteer mentors for students who are at-risk of failure in school. Easley said, "Research has shown that mentoring has a definitive impact on young people by increasing attendance at school, improving rates of high school graduation and college attendance, and decreasing involvement with drugs, alcohol and violent behaviors." To learn more about mentoring programs in North Carolina, access the North Carolina Commission on Volunteerism and Community Service's Web site at http://www.volunteernc.org

Legislative Meetings

A number of legislative committees have scheduled meetings in January and February of interest to principals. Often these committees study issues, make recommendations, and draft legislation to implement the recommendations of the committee. Legislation sponsored by a study committee or oversight committee carries substantial weight and usually passes, so it is very important to keep up with the work of these interim committees. - The Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee has scheduled three, two-day meetings on Jan. 14-15, Feb. 4-5, and Feb. 25-26. Agendas for the meetings have not been published, although we do know that the committee will discuss weighted credit on Jan. 14. The House Interim Committee on Providing an Appropriate Education for Students on Long-Term Suspension also has scheduled a number of meetings. State Board Legislative Director Linda Suggs sent superintendents a brief email report after this committee's first meeting on Dec. 16. Additional meetings are scheduled for Jan. 20-21, Feb. 17-18, March 9-10, March 23-24, and April 13. This committee plans to hear reports from Juvenile Justice, DHHS, and others concerned about what happens to students when they receive long-term suspensions. The issues they are addressing are largely those outlined in HB 1135, introduced last session. It is our understanding that the committee does plan to recommend legislation to the 2004 General Assembly at the conclusion of its study. Watch this email for information about these committee meetings. Contact Linda Suggs at 919.807.3402, or by email, lsuggs@dpi.state.nc.us, if you have further questions or need additional information.

NC Wise Web Site Undergoes Redesign

The NC Wise Web site is currently being redesigned to improve access to documents, search ability and targeted distribution of information by user interest. While the "behind the scenes" changes are still a work in process, the Web site has a new look. We invite you to visit the site at http://www.ncwise.org and email us any feedback about the site's appearance or functional requests to ncwise@dpi.state.nc.us.

Safe Schools Conference to be held in February

DPI's Seventh Annual Safe Schools Conference, "Connecting Home, School and Community," will be held Feb. 19-20, at the Sheraton Imperial Hotel&Convention Center, Research Triangle Park. The conference is designed for educators and citizens interested in developing and maintaining a safe, nurturing and learning environment in the schools and community. Super Safe Schools also will be recognized at the conference. The conference registration fee is $95 for registrations received before Jan. 17 and $115 for registrations received after this date. On-site registration will not be accepted. For full details, including registration, please go online to http://www.ncpublicschools.org/schoolimprovement/ and click on the conference link or contact DPI's Alternative and Safe Schools/Instructional Support Section at 919.807.3939.

Latino/Hispanic Education Conference Set for February

The Latino/Hispanic Education Conference 2004, "Improving Education for Latino/Hispanic Students: Practices That Are Working In North Carolina," will be held Thursday, Feb. 26, from 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., at the Greenville Hilton, Greenville. The conference, which is being sponsored by East Carolina University's College of Education and UNC's Center for International Understanding, will focus on instructional strategies that have been proven effective for Latino/Hispanic students in North Carolina. Most of the practices that will be shared are the result of international (U.S. and Mexico) action research. For additional information, including registration, please go online to http://www.options.ecu.edu/conferences/latino/lhec.htm or contact the Division of Continuing Studies at East Carolina University, 800.767.9111, or by email, cpe@mail.ecu.edu.

AP Forum Scheduled

DPI's Instructional Services' Division, in collaboration with the Southern Regional College Board, will sponsor an Advanced Placement Forum on Wednesday, March 10, at Duke University. The Forum will include interactive sessions on the following three strands: Administration - Strategies and resources for starting or expanding an AP or Pre-AP program; Mathematics - Content strategies and resources for the new or experienced AP Mathematics teachers; and English - Content strategies and resources for new or experienced English teachers. The $100 registration fee includes materials and lunch. Packets have been sent to middle and high school principals, local AP coordinators, and Directors of Instruction. The registration deadline is Feb. 13. For additional information, please contact Wandra Polk, Instructional Services, 919.807.3816, or by email, wpolk@dpi.state.nc.us.

Register Now for Eighth Annual Closing the Gap Conference

The Closing the Gap conference may be a little over two months away, but registrations have already surpassed the halfway point for conference capacity. School personnel interested in attending the Eighth Annual Closing the Gap Conference, scheduled for March 29-31, at the Sheraton Four Seasons/Koury Convention Center in Greensboro, may want to go ahead and submit their registration form. Pre-registration forms can be downloaded from the Closing the Achievement Gap Web site at http://www.ncpublicschools.org/schoolimprovement/closingthegap/ by clicking on the appropriate link. For more information, please contact Marvin Pittman, Director of School Improvement, DPI, 919.807.3911 or by email, mpittman@dpi.state.nc.us.

NAESP Annual Convention & Exposition Scheduled for April

The 83rd Annual National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP) Convention and Exposition has been scheduled for April 16-20, at the San Francisco Marriott, San Francisco, Calif. For more information, including registration, please visit the NAESP Web site at http://www.naes.org and click on Annual Convention under Events. Contact North Carolina's NAESP state representative Linda Morris at lm.morris@cms.k12.nc.us if you would like to reserve a room under North Carolina's block.

2004 National Distinguished Principals Program Announced

The National Distinguished Principals Program, which recognizes outstanding elementary and middle school principals across the nation, has opened its 2004 application process. Candidates must be active principals of elementary or middle schools in which a commitment to excellence is clearly evident. They also must have been principals for at least five years and must also plan to continue their principalship during their year of recognition. Nominee application packets are now available, both to principals who are interested in pursing this award, and to those who wish to nominate candidates, by contacting Linda Morris, North Carolina NAESP State Representative, 980/343-3905, or by email, lm.morris@cms.k12.nc.us.

Grants Provide Technology Equipment to Low-Income Students

The Beaumont Foundation of America, through its 2004 grant process, is providing Toshiba-branded technology equipment to K-12 schools serving low-income students. Education grants, which are open and competitive, will be available for schools that meet all eligibility criteria, including a student population with a minimum of 50 percent qualifying for the National School Lunch Program. Potential applicants are encouraged to visit http://www.bmtfoundation.com/grants/ to determine eligibility. Letters of interest from qualifying schools are currently being accepted online. For additional information, please contact Daryl Ann Borel, Executive Director of Grant Administration, 409.838.1812, or by email, dborel@bmtfoundation.com or visit the Foundation's Web site at http://www.bmtfoundation.com

Grant Announcement

Title: Teaching American History Grants Purpose: Support projects to raise student achievement by improving teachers' knowledge, understanding and appreciation of traditional American history. Eligible Applicants: Local education agencies and charter schools are eligible to apply provided that they work in partnership with one of the following: institutions of higher education, non-profit history or humanities organizations, libraries or museums. Estimated Number of Awards: Approximately 100-135 grant awards averaging $750,000 over a three-year period. Deadline: Applications are due by March 2, 2004. Applicants are strongly urged to email Christine Miller at teachingamericanhistory@ed.gov by Feb. 5, 2004 to indicate the applicant's intent to submit an application. Additional Information: Additional information, including a sample of previously funded projects, is available at http://www.ed.gov/programs/teachinghistory/index.html