PRINCIPALS' MESSAGES 2005

APRIL 21, 2005

As the General Assembly debates the 2005-06 budget, some tough choices are ahead. As this week began, the Education Appropriations subcommittee had been directed to cut a minimum of $172 million from the public schools budget. I hope that you will stay in continual touch with your legislators about how public school funding cuts affect your students and their learning. It is very meaningful to hear “real life” stories about schools, and I encourage you to share those as appropriate.

Regards,
June Atkinson

In this Biweekly Principals' Message:

1. Options for Meeting the Competency Requirement
2. Healthy Active Children Policy Update
3. "Words to the WISE" Newsletter Online
4. NC WISE Readiness Manager Named
5. New Identification System
6. 2004 NC Mathematics Presidential Awards Winners Named
7. Apply Now for Early College High Schools’ Planning Grants
8. 2005 Performance Assessments Summer Institutes
9. NC Success in Algebra Workshop
10. Smart and Good High Schools
11. North Carolina Council of Teachers of Mathematics State Conference
12. Shakespeare Festival Plans Raleigh Residency

Options for Meeting the Competency Requirement

In response to HB 801 from Session Law 2003-275, the State Board of Education (SBE) has approved multiple options for meeting the Competency Requirements as stipulated in SBE policy HSP-N-000. The available alternate means and standards may be found at http://www.ncpublicschools.org/accountability/parents/highschool under “Options for Meeting the Competency Requirements.” For more information, please contact Sarah McManus, Testing Policy and Operations, NCDPI/Accountability Division, 919.807.3776, or by email, SMcmanus@dpi.state.nc.us.

Healthy Active Children Policy Update

At its April meeting, State Board members approved a revision of its Healthy Active Children Policy to include a requirement for a minimum of 30 minutes of daily physical activity in grades K-8 beginning in the 2006-07 school year. While this activity time can be received through physical education, it is not a physical education mandate. The physical activity can be achieved through physical activity based curriculum such as Energizers, developed by NCDPI and available on the NC Healthy Schools Web site (http://www.nchealthyschools.org/), as well as recess, intramurals, or sessions led by the physical education teacher on closed-circuit TV. In addition, physical activity can be received in increments of 10 minutes at a time, three times per day. The time is cumulative, and while it is best to receive at one setting, it is not mandatory. Most schools already have been working on this through the Local School Health Advisory Councils. In addition, the State Board is setting up a study committee to implement 150 minutes of elementary PE and 225 minutes of Health/PE (which is one curriculum in NC) at middle school. The State Board is continuing its mandate that physical activity should not be taken away as a punishment and adding that inappropriate and severe physical activity cannot be used as punishment. For more information, please contact Kymm Ballard, Instructional Services, NCDPI, 919.807.3858, or by email, kballard@dpi.state.nc.us.

"Words to the WISE" Newsletter Online

The "Words to the WISE" newsletter is back and online with all the latest information about NC WISE. In this issue are articles on the completion of the Wave 1 Deployment, NC WISE Wave 1 converts, list of schools scheduled for conversion in Wave 2, and photos from the NC WISE Symposium. To read or download the newsletter, please go online to http://www.ncwise.org/library_NCWISE_Communications.html#NewsLetter

NC WISE Readiness Manager Named

Lisa Ballance is the NC WISE Deployment Team’s new Readiness Manager. Balance was the former SIMS/NC WISE Coordinator for Nash-Rocky Mount Schools and previously worked at NCDPI on the SIMS Help Desk. Please contact her with any questions or concerns regarding readiness for NC WISE by calling 919.807.3583, or by emailing, lballance@dpi.state.nc.us.

New Identification System

On April 11, a new visitor ID system was installed in the lobby of the Education building in Raleigh. All visitors are now expected to show a valid driver’s license or picture ID to enter the building. Visitors will then electronically sign in and receive a picture ID sticker to wear while in the building. Please be prepared for this new security measure when visiting the Education building.

2004 NC Mathematics Presidential Awards Winners Named

Congratulations to Marta Johnson, a fifth grade mathematics teacher at Haw Creek Elementary School (Buncombe County Schools), and Andrew Gatt, a science teacher at Ravenscroft School in Raleigh, for being selected as North Carolina’s recipients of the 2004 Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science. The recipients will receive a special citation signed by President Bush, a $10,000 cash award from the National Science Foundation to improve science and mathematics instruction, gifts from donors, and a trip to Washington, D.C., to attend the award ceremony and participate in various educational and celebratory functions. Applications for the 2005 nominees are due May 2 to Clara Stallings for science (cstallings@dpi.state.nc.us) or Bill Scott for mathematics (bscott@dpi.state.nc.us), NCDPI’s Instructional Services Division. For more information about the Presidential Awards’ Program, please go to www.learnnc.org/ (click on Announcements/Calendar then Presidential Awards).

Apply Now for Early College High Schools’ Planning Grants

Gov. Easley’s Learn and Earn initiative makes North Carolina the national leader in the development of early college high schools. Grants of up to $45,000 support the planning of high schools that provide students with two years of college credit upon graduation. The RFP is available at http://www.newschoolsproject.org/apply.html by clicking on the appropriate link. In addition, the New Schools Project will offer a support session for interested sites on April 25 at Guilford Technical Community College from 10 a.m. - noon. To register, please call Kymm Watson, New Schools Project. 919.781.6833 x124.

2005 Performance Assessments Summer Institutes

Online registration for the 2005 Performance Assessments Summer Institutes (scheduled for June * August) can now be accessed online at https://cuacs8.mck.ncsu.edu/pasi by clicking on the appropriate link. Although teachers will benefit most from the Institutes, administrators, test coordinators and others also are invited to attend. Participants may choose from the following sessions: Writing Scoring: Grades 4, 7, and 10, North Carolina Alternate Assessment Academic Inventory, North Carolina Alternate Assessment Portfolio, Computer Skills, Item Development, and Rubric Writing. Session abstracts are available online. Sessions are repeated throughout the four-day institute. Participants are not required to attend every session to receive credit for attendance. Credit for participation will be awarded based on the total number of sessions attended over the four-day time period. Participants will receive .3 CEUs for each half-day session and .6 CEUs for each full-day session. Registration is on a first come, first serve basis and will remain open until all sessions and locations are filled. There is no fee to participate. Please contact Sheila Brown at 919.515.1431, or by email at shield_brown@ncsu.edu should you have further questions.

NC Success in Algebra Workshop

The NC Success in Algebra Workshop is designed to provide algebra teachers with methods and materials for fostering concept development, reasoning and problem solving with students with special learning needs in algebra. Teachers will explore strategies for students with learning disabilities, technology to create multiple representations, and integration of concepts through applications. The project will focus on developing model classrooms to create success in algebra for all students. The workshop will be held June 14-17, from 8:45 a.m. - 3:30 p.m., at Hawfields Middle School, Mebane. Participants apply in teams with 2-4 teachers, if possible. Each team may have two algebra teachers from the same high school, one middle grade 8th grade math teacher and/or a special education teacher. Complete information, including registration materials, is available online at www.learnnc.org/ (click on Announcements/Calendar then on NC Success in Algebra Workshop). Applications are DUE May 1. The workshop maximum is 40 participants. For further questions, please contact Ann Crawford, Project Director, 919.967.2683, or by email, jjcra@earthlink.net.

Smart and Good High Schools

High school educators may be interested in attending “Smart and Good High Schools: Integrating Excellence and Ethics for Success in School, Work, and Beyond,” to be held June 17 from 8:30 a.m. * 3:30 p.m., at Grimsley High School, Greensboro. The full-day workshop provides promising practices to build eight strengths of character that help teens lead productive, ethical and fulfilling lives. The registration fee is $150 per person; however 10 percent off each registration is being offered for teams of four or more. The registration deadline is May 15. Space is limited. For more information or to register, please contact the Character Development Group at 919.967.2110.

North Carolina Council of Teachers of Mathematics State Conference

The North Carolina Council of Teachers of Mathematics will hold its 2005 State Conference, “Building Student Success Through Rich Mathematics,” Oct. 13-14 at the Sheraton Four Seasons/Joseph S. Koury Convention Center, Greensboro. If you would like to present a session or workshop at the conference, speaker registration forms are available at www.ncctm.org by clicking on Conference Information. Registration for the conference is available on site. Fees are $45 for NCCTM members, $55 for non-members, and $5 for full-time students. The conference agenda will be available online in September at www.ncctm.org. For more information, please contact Cyndy Davis at 336.288.7081, or by email, davisc@guilford.k12.nc.us.

Shakespeare Festival Plans Raleigh Residency

The North Carolina Shakespeare Festival (NCSF) will spend a week in residence at The BTI Center for the Performing Arts Fletcher Theater in Raleigh this October to perform three school matinees and five public performances of Shakespeare's “Julius Caesar” and “As You Like It.” NCSF's SchoolFest program of 10 am weekday matinee performances in Raleigh will feature “Julius Caesar” on Oct. 5 and “As You Like It” on Oct. 6,7. Reservations by teachers for SchoolFest matinees and for all groups (of 10 or more) to public performances may be made now through the NCSF Sales Office by contacting Paul Siceloff, Sales and Marketing Director, 336/841-2273, ext. 226 or sales@ncshakes.org.