PRINCIPALS' MESSAGES 2004
PRINCIPALS' MESSAGES 2004APRIL 1, 2004
On Wednesday, I joined the State Board of Education and other leaders from the Department of Public Instruction on a bus-trip to Washington, D.C., to meet with North Carolina’s Congressional delegation on No Child Left Behind. Although it made for a long day, the effort was well worth it. We had an excellent dialog with all of our Representatives and Senators about the frustration of NCLB. These frustrations, unfortunately, can get in the way of meeting the positive goals of the law – eliminating achievement gaps and improving achievement for all.
Regards,
Mike Ward
In this Biweekly Principals' Message:
- State Board Meeting Highlights
- Board Members Meet with Congressional Delegation
- Editorial Response
- Mathematics Standard Course of Study Transition Document
- NC WISE Video
- Governor Proclaims "Litter Sweep" Weeks
- Two North Carolina Schools Recognized for Physical Education Accomplishments
- Fulbright Opportunity
- Project Bright Idea
- Elementary Social Studies Summer Institutes
- Shakespeare Teachers Workshop Planned
- Grant Fosters Inventiveness
- Preserve America History Teacher of the Year
- LEARN NC’s March Update Online
- DPI’s Online Calendar Links Educators to the Future
State Board Meeting Highlights
North Carolina's emphasis on student achievement growth was a strong theme of yesterday’s State Board of Education meeting. Citing an interest in continuing to emphasize the state's growth model, members voted to continue having "Most Improved" recognition categories for K-8 schools and for high schools. In addition, the Board approved allowing nine charter schools to become alternative charter schools because they meet specific criteria involving the school's performance composite and because they serve a largely at-risk student population. Also, federal grants in five categories were approved. Complete Board meeting highlights will be posted by Tuesday afternoon, April 6, at http://www.ncpublicschools.org/sbehighlights/
Board Members Meet with Congressional Delegation
This past Wednesday marked an historical event for North Carolina as members of the State Board of Education traveled to Washington D.C. to meet with our Congressional representatives to discuss the state's concerns about the implementation of No Child Left Behind. Members also had the opportunity to discuss their concerns with Congressman John Boehner, Chairman of the House Education and the Workforce Committee and one of the key authors of NCLB, and other top officials with the U.S. Department of Education. The discussions were productive and have set the stage to pursue further dialog, particularly about the growth component of North Carolina's accountability model. The Board was invited to follow-up with specific recommendations that could be considered. Key elements of North Carolina's position on various issues regarding No Child Left Behind are available for review at http://www.ncpublicschools.org/nclb/ under Items of Interest.
Some of you may have seen a recent editorial by Sen. Elizabeth Dole concerning North Carolina reversions of federal dollars. I wanted you to know that State Board Chairman Howard Lee and I responded to this editorial to set the record straight. Although the U.S. Department of Education has reported that North Carolina reverted $55 million in federal education funds, the facts are that we have only reverted $3.6 million from federal grants received since 1996-97. We cannot verify Sen. Dole’s and the U.S. Department of Education’s figure, and they have not supported the figure with details. By our accounting, North Carolina reverts less than two-tenths of 1 percent of our federal education dollars. As you know, some reversions are inevitable when dealing with a large grant such as the $923 million received annually in federal education funds, but our goal has been and continues to be to keep reversions low and to use all public funding to address the needs of citizens as intended.
Mathematics Standard Course of Study Transition Document
The NC DPI Mathematics staff has created a Mathematics Transition Document for Grades 3-8. The document outlines the concepts and skills that should be taught in a teacher's instructional program for 2004-05. By using the Transition Document, all of the concepts and skills tested on the 2005 end-of-grade assessments, the 2005 end-of-grade field tests of the 2003 Mathematics SCS, and the 2005 NAEP will be addressed. The document is available on the Web at http://www.learnnc.org/ (click on Mathematics Curriculum then click on 2003 Mathematics Standard Course of Study). Contact Bill Scott (919.807.3842 or bscott@dpi.state.nc.us), Linda Patch (919.807.3841 or lpatch@dpi.state.nc.us), or Toni Meyer (919.807.3839 or tmeyer@dpi.state.nc.us) for more information about the 2003 Mathematics Standard Course of Study.
Several principals have placed orders on the NC WISE help desk for copies of the NC WISE: Reflections for the Future video that was shown at the NC WISE Symposium in February. We are having ample copies of this made for local districts to use with their stakeholders as an introduction to NC WISE. These will soon be distributed along with other communication tools to local districts.
Governor Proclaims "Litter Sweep" Weeks
Gov. Mike Easley has proclaimed the weeks of April 17 - 30 "Litter Sweep" to coincide with the N.C. Department of Transportation's annual spring roadside cleanup. School systems may want to organize campus cleanup events during this time to draw attention to the state's litter problem, the need to recycle, and the impact of a clean environment has on our quality of life. For more information, please contact Helen Landi, Office of Beautification Programs, NC DOT, 919.715.3188.
Two North Carolina Schools Recognized for Physical Education Accomplishments
Congratulations to VERB physical education contest winners Union Chapel Elementary (Robeson County Schools) and Parker Middle (Nash-Rocky Mount Schools). Union Chapel was one of 50 schools nationwide to receive a $1,000 grant for its physical education program for winning the Extra Hour for Extra Action promotional program. Parker Middle was one of 30 schools nationwide to receive a VERB Action Pack with athletic equipment worth $1,500 and every student in the winning classes received a $10 sporting goods store gift certificate for winning the Make Every Move Count promotional program.
The Fulbright Teacher and Administrator Exchange Program is currently seeking applications from U.S. school administrators at the elementary, middle, and high school levels to participate in a two-way, non-simultaneous exchange program with counterparts from Argentina. The U.S. administrators would be expected to host the Argentine administrators for three weeks in the fall of 2004 and travel to Argentina for three weeks in 2005 (Due to differences in the academic year, this trip may be scheduled for the summer of 2005). Spanish fluency is preferred, but not required. The deadline to apply is May 31. For more information about this program please visit: http://www.fulbrightexchanges.org/View/ViewOtherOpps.asp or contact Roberta Croll, Outreach Specialist, Fulbright Teacher and Administrator Exchange, Roberta_Croll@grad.usda.gov
A Project Bright IDEA teacher fair and dissemination conference will be held April 27 at the Brownstone Hotel, Raleigh. This one-day conference will provide a comprehensive overview of Project Bright IDEA and student assessment results. Teachers and administrators from the five school systems participating in the project over the past three years will present their efforts to raise academic expectations and close the achievement gap among young under-represented students with potential academic gifts. The conference is a collaborative endeavor among the Exceptional Children Division, Closing the Achievement Gap Section of the School Improvement Division, and the American Association for Gifted Children at Duke University. For registration details, contact either Margaret Gayle (919.783.6152; megayle@aol.com) or Valorie Hargett (919.807.3987; vhargett@dpi.state.nc.us).
Elementary Social Studies Summer Institutes
NC DPI’s English Language Arts and Social Studies Section is offering the following elementary Social Studies Summer Institutes:
“Social Studies: The Key to Reading, Comprehending and Communicating” is designed to equip teachers with strategies needed to effectively integrate social studies and reading skills and standards. The seminar is scheduled for June 4, 9 a.m.-4 p.m., at NC DPI, Raleigh. The cost is $50 and capacity is limited to 100 participants.
“North Carolina History and Geography” is a one-day institute for educators of North Carolina History and Geography, and specifically for fourth grade teachers. Topics include the first English settlement and life in colonial North Carolina. The institute is scheduled for June 16, 9 a.m.-4 p.m., at NC DPI, Raleigh. The cost is $60 and capacity is limited to 100 participants.
Contact Tracey Greggs, English Language Arts and Social Studies Section, NC DPI, 919.807.3836, or by email, tgreggs@dpi.state.nc.us, for registration forms.
Shakespeare Teachers Workshop Planned
The North Carolina Shakespeare Festival is planning its 2004 edition of Hands-on-Shakespeare, a weekend workshop for English teachers. This year's workshop begins Friday afternoon, July 9, and ends Sunday noon, July 11, and will be held on the campus of High Point University. Hand-on-Shakespeare is for the novice as well as the veteran teacher at the middle or the high school level. Its goal is to help teachers rediscover Shakespeare and enhance their classroom skills and takes a performance-oriented approach to teaching Shakespeare in the classroom. Teachers will receive a certificate of completion should they seek continuing education credit for the workshop from their school system. Registration, including meals, is $225 for overnight participants and $175 for commuters. Space is limited and the deadline for registration is Friday, June 4. Teachers interested in Hands-on-Shakespeare should contact Casey Schmidt, NCSF's Director of Sales, at 336.841.2273, x226, via fax at 336.841.8627, or by email, groupsales@ncshakes.org.
Lemelson-MIT InvenTeams provides “a unique opportunity for high school students to gain hands-on experience in the exciting and rewarding world of invention.” This nationwide initiative has available 15 grants of up to $10,000 for an in-class or extracurricular/club invention project. Initial applications are due May 7 and must be submitted by a high school science, mathematics or technology teacher. Final applications are due Sept. 22. Full information and application instructions are available online at http://www.inventeams.org/
Preserve America History Teacher of the Year
Preserve America is accepting nominations for its “Preserve America History Teacher of the Year” to honor outstanding teachers of American History. The national winner will be selected from state and territorial recipients. History teachers from elementary through high school are eligible. The nomination deadline is April 30. For full details, including the nomination procedure, please go to DPI’s Web site at http://www.ncpublicschools.org and look under “What’s New?”
LEARN NC's March Update Online
EARN NC's March update takes a look at professional development for excellence in teaching, a newly published lesson plan collection, helping students choose the right books for independent reading and teaching the 2004 elections. Check these articles out and more by going online to http://www.learnnc.org and clicking on the appropriate link.
DPI’s Online Calendar Links Educators to the Future
Are you curious about upcoming conferences and professional development seminars? Looking for an educational job fair? DPI’s Events and Conferences page links school personnel to statewide training and other professional development opportunities. Visit our online Events and Conferences page at http://www.ncpublicschools.org/calendar/ and click on the appropriate link to learn more.