PRINCIPALS' MESSAGES 2004
PRINCIPALS' MESSAGES 2004DECEMBER 16, 2004
One of the best parts of the holiday season is the opportunity to take a break - however brief! - from regular day-to-day affairs. I hope this year that you can use this time to reflect on items that are most important, rather than on what is most urgent. During my time as State Superintendent, I have grown to appreciate how easily the urgent can push aside the important. I hope that, during the holiday break, you are able to step back and focus on the important topics in your professional and personal lives. Best wishes for a peaceful and joyful holiday.
Regards,
Tricia Willoughby
In this Biweekly Principals' Message:
- State Board Meeting Highlights
- Principals' Message Takes a Break
- Holiday Greetings from 2004 Wachovia Principal of the Year
- Alternate Assessments
- SBE Teacher Retention Task Force Meeting Summary
- SBE's Ad Hoc Committee on Academic Rigor, Relevance, and Relationships Meeting Summary
- School Communicators Email Listserv
- Celebrate the 101st Anniversary of Powered Flight
- High School Social Studies Workshop Scheduled for January
- DPI Offers Distance Learning Programs
- 2005 Kenan Fellowships
State Board Meeting Highlights
The State Board of Education approved an anti-harassment, anti-bullying and anti-discrimination policy this month that notes that "it is the policy of the State Board of Education to maintain a safe, orderly and caring learning environment in the public schools and public charter schools of North Carolina that is free from harassment, bullying, and discrimination and is inclusive of all students." This policy states that local boards shall develop and maintain policies and procedures to prevent, intervene, investigate, document and report all acts of harassment or bullying no later than January 2005. In other business, Board members approved amendments to the N.C. Accountability Workbook under No Child Left Behind and granted preliminary approval to two new charter schools. Complete SBE meeting highlights will be posted online by Tuesday, July 6, at http://www.ncpublicschools.org/sbehighlights/
Principals' Message Takes A Break
Due to the Christmas Holiday, there will be no Biweekly Message for Principals sent Dec. 23. Special messages will be sent if appropriate. The staff at DPI wishes you and your family a safe and happy holiday!
Holiday Greetings from 2004 Wachovia Principal of the Year
It's hard to believe that this school year is almost half over! We'll soon be celebrating the winter holidays where students, as well as principals and teachers, will receive a much-needed break. A lot of good things are happening at DPI and the State Board. Feel free to email me (blackjo@hickory.k12.nc.us) with your questions and opinions so I can share your thoughts in Raleigh. It has been encouraging and exciting to meet many North Carolina administrators. Wonderful things are happening in our schools. Educators are making a huge difference in the lives of children. Keep up the great work, as your efforts are vital to the future of our state and country. Remember the Chinese proverb: "If you are planning for a year, sow rice; if you are planning for a decade, plant trees; if you are planning for a lifetime, educate people." - John Black, principal, Longview Elementary Schools (Hickory City Schools), 2004 Wachovia Principal of the Year
Principals are reminded that all students must be included in the statewide assessment program, whether it is the standard test administration (with or without accommodations), the North Carolina Alternate Assessment Academic Inventory (NCAAAI), or the North Carolina Alternate Assessment Portfolio (NCAAP). For students with disabilities and those identified as limited English proficient, the decision of how a student will participate must be made on an individual basis according to what is most appropriate for that particular student. The decision also must be documented in the student's IEP, Section 504 plan (standard test administration with or without accommodations), or appropriate LEP documentation.
Monitoring the testing decisions and the use of alternate assessments within your school is critical. For the NCAAAIs for reading, mathematics, writing, and/or year-long EOC courses, the baseline scoring and student profile must be complete by now, with the interim scoring quickly approaching. The assessor also must maintain a folder of student work throughout the year or course. Monitoring the assessments at the local level throughout the year is necessary to help ensure that these assessments are valid and reliable measurements of student achievement.
For the NCAAP, the student profile and the first task description must be complete by now, with the second task description completed before the winter break. Data must be taken regularly; it is suggested that data be collected twice per week. If you have any questions related to decisions on student participation in the North Carolina Testing Program or on the requirements of the alternate assessments, please contact your LEA test coordinator.
SBE Teacher Retention Task Force Meeting Summary
The SBE Teacher Recruitment and Retention Task Force met on Friday, Dec. 10, to review its recommendations and to discuss the first draft of the report that will be submitted to the General Assembly in February. The Task Force members also heard a report from its salary subcommittee chaired by Burke County Human Resource Manager, Steve Demiter, and a summary of recruitment and retention initiatives that had been generated by local superintendents at their Dec. 7 quarterly meeting. In addition, members suggested material that should be included in the report and asked that the recommendations to date be organized around the topics of Teacher Working Conditions, Teacher Leadership, Administrator Support and Accountability, Enhancing the Profession, Teacher Induction, Teacher Preparation, and Financial Incentives. The Task Force will meet again on Jan. 14 to finalize its recommendations.
SBE's Ad Hoc Committee on Academic Rigor, Relevance, and Relationships Meeting Summary
The SBE's Ad Hoc Committee on Academic Rigor, Relevance, and Relationships met on Tuesday, Nov. 30, with its expanded membership that includes a superintendent, a parent, a high school principal, a guidance counselor, and teachers. The committee reviewed the schedule of the statewide meetings planned for public input on proposals for implementing the Board's new high school exit standards on end-of-course tests and successful completion of a senior project. With input from the committee, members decided to delay the public meetings until mid-January to allow adequate time for planning. In addition, the Zoomerang survey that also will be used for public input on these new standards' proposals was reviewed for final approval before being posted online. Listservs will be used for distributing the Zoomerang survey to a wide audience that will include educators, the general public, businesses, parents, and professional groups.
School Communicators' Listserv
A couple of months ago, an item was included in the Principals' Biweekly Message asking for principals to appoint a staff person to serve as their school's contact for DPI's School Communicators' email listserv. Briefly, this person's role is to ensure that teachers have access to the Biweekly Teachers' email message either by forwarding the message electronically to each staff person or by posting it in a central area and notifying teachers of its availability. DPI's Communications' Division is trying every avenue possible to ensure that teachers are kept in the loop regarding decisions and policies that affect their profession. Unfortunately, we only heard back from about 300 principals. If you would still like to designate a contact person, please email Lynda Fuller, DPI Communications, at lfuller@dpi.state.nc.us with that person's name, school and email address. Otherwise, we will assume that the principals will ensure that the information in these messages is given to instructional staff. Thanks for helping us reach educators across the state in the most timely and cost efficient way possible.
Celebrate the 101st Anniversary of Powered Flight
The Wright Brothers invention is just too awesome to celebrate in a big way only once every 100 years, so a celebration is being planned again this year. On Dec. 17, a live, interactive Web cast will be held from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. The program will include a videoconference with NASA's Great Shoebox Glider's Challenge Master in which the most outstanding teams from across the state will present their shoebox glider research and fly their gliders in an air show. For more information, please go online to http://www.video.dpi.state.nc.us/eforums or contact Cris Crissman, Distance Learning Systems, DPI, 919.807.3582, or by email, ccrissma@dpi.state.nc.us.
High School Social Studies Workshop Scheduled for January
NC DPI is offering a free workshop, "Membership in American Society," for high school social studies teachers to explore both the promise and the reality of America's pursuit of civic equality. The workshop will be held Jan. 24 in Fayetteville and will address what it means to be and become an American, including the legacy of the American Eugenics Movement and its effect on immigration, education, and health policies, as well as the very concept of race. Workshop participants will gain access to valuable classroom and professional development resources, including Facing History's Online Campus containing curriculum outlines, lesson units, and teaching strategies, as well as an extensive lending library of videotapes and books for classroom use. To register, please contact Steven Weber, English Language Arts and Social Studies Section, DPI, 919.807.3828, or by email, sweber@dpi.state.nc.us.
DPI Offers Distance Learning Programs
Through its distance learning programs, NC DPI provides free or low cost courses and resources for students and teachers. Currently over 70 Internet delivered courses are available to all high school students. Visit the Distance Learning Web site at http://www.ncpublicschools.org/distancelearning to find out what it takes to set up or enhance your distance learning program, as well as learn more about other resources available to public schools or contact Sue Scott, Instructional Technology, NC DPI, 919.807.3429, or by email, sscott@dpi.state.nc.us.
The 2005 Kenan Fellowships' applications are now available online at http://www.ncsu.edu/kenan/fellows/ for downloading. The Kenan Fellows Program promotes teacher leadership, addresses teacher retention and advances K-12 science, technology and mathematics education.