PRINCIPALS' MESSAGES 2006

MAY 18, 2006

A new study conducted by the ACT and released last week affirmed the findings of High Schools that Work (Southern Regional Education Board) and found that the academic skills needed by high school students who plan to enter workforce training programs after graduation are comparable as the academic skills needed by high school graduates who are planning to enter college. This finding is a powerful reminder that old assumptions about high school preparation no longer hold up. The reading and mathematics expertise needed for success in work, in college and in workforce training are similar even though the contexts in which these skills are used may be different. For many of us, this requires different and new expectations for all students. The State Board of Education and I are committed to implementing a variety of initiatives to help all high schools set different expectations for students and for our schools so that all students are prepared for the future. By working through the American Diploma Project, the work of the New Schools Project and the work of the State Board's Rigor, Relevance and Relationships Committee, I believe we can bring all students to higher levels of preparedness.

Regards,
June Atkinson

In this Biweekly Principals' Message:

1. North Carolina Approved to Pilot AYP Growth Model
2. Farewell Message from 2005 Wachovia Principal of the Year
3. State Board of Education's Ad Hoc Committee on School Leadership Meeting Summary
4. North Carolina Receives Grant from USDA for School Meals
5. Physical Education Curriculum Analysis Tool Available
6. Wellness, Academics and You (WAY) - Wellness Activities for Classroom Teachers
7. Arts Education Curriculum Development Institute
8. Elementary Education Division Offers Summer Trainings
9. "Into the Light: The World of Impressionism" Teacher Seminar
10. Article of Interest

North Carolina Approved to Pilot AYP Growth Model

North Carolina Approved to Pilot AYP Growth Model - North Carolina is one of two states approved yesterday by the U.S. Department of Education to use a growth component in its measurement of public schools' adequate yearly progress, which is required under federal education law. For the state's schools, approval of the growth model pilot provides an opportunity to focus on student growth over time, a hallmark of North Carolina's own ABCs of Public Education accountability model. To read more about this, please go to www.ncpublicschools.org and look under "News."

Farewell Message from 2005 Wachovia Principal of the Year

Farewell Message from 2005 Wachovia Principal of the Year - During the past year I have traveled more than 13,000 miles, from the mountains to the coast, and each mile represents a special memory of the people I met along the way. As I walked the halls of 48 schools, I witnessed first-hand the miracle of learning and met dozens of visionary leaders who empower their teachers to connect their students with innovative, 21st century thinking. In North Carolina, we are fortunate to have administrators who take care of both learning and business as they move through their days. We are fortunate to have leaders in our state that are challenging students to believe in themselves and reach for the stars as they dream of the future in a globalized society. Throughout my journey, I distributed pebbles as reminders of the impact leaders make in school communities. The pebbles came in all shapes and sizes, just like the leaders in our schools. Regardless of its size, a pebble can stir a calm pool of water and create waves. The leaders I met were not content to settle quietly to the bottom of their respective pools. They made waves with rigorous educational programs. In the powerful words of State Board of Education Chairman Howard Lee, "To touch a rock is to touch the past; to touch a flower is to touch the present; to touch a child is to touch eternity." Administrators across the state are embracing the mission of teaching and learning - of creating caring schools that maintain high standards for learning.
Best wishes to each of you as we close another school year. May the smiles on the faces of your students be reminders of the dreams you make possible each day. It has been an honor to be a voice for the administrators across the state this year and share the positive things occurring within our schools. The leaning experience has been the highlight of my career and broadened my professional knowledge. Continue to make miracles happen as you touch the lives of the students in your school community. - Margaret Hyatt, 2005 Wachovia North Carolina Principal of the Year.

State Board of Education's Ad Hoc Committee on School Leadership Meeting Summary

State Board of Education's Ad Hoc Committee on School Leadership Meeting Summary - The State Board's Ad Hoc Committee on School Leadership, chaired by Board member John Tate, met last Tuesday, May 2. The committee members offered input to the first draft of new standards for 21st century building administrators. Subcommittees continued their work on recruitment and retention, preparation, and induction/support. The committee is expected to complete its work in August. For more information, please contact Rebecca Garland, State Board of Education, rgarland@dpi.state.nc.us.

North Carolina Receives Grant from USDA for School Meals

North Carolina Receives Grant from USDA for School Meals - The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction was recently awarded a grant from the US Department of Agriculture for $553,369 to ensure access to school meals for all low-income children. This grant will be used to develop a data matching system between NCDPI's student information and NCDHHS's food stamp rosters. The data will be quickly and easily accessible to school districts that will then automatically provide free breakfast and lunch to eligible students - no questions asked; no forms to complete. The 2004 Congressional Reauthorization of Child Nutrition Programs required school districts to directly certify students eligible for free meals if their families participate in the Food Stamp Program. Under direct certification, families who receive food stamps will not have to submit an application in order for their children to receive free school meals. This is especially important for high school students who are often reluctant to submit applications for free meals and, as a result, often go without food during the school day.

Physical Education Curriculum Analysis Tool Available

Physical Education Curriculum Analysis Tool Available - The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is pleased to announce that the Physical Education Curriculum Analysis Tool (PECAT) is now available to help school districts conduct clear, complete and consistent analyses of written physical education curricula, based upon national physical education standards. The tool features instructions for completing the PECAT; preliminary curriculum considerations, such as accuracy and feasibility analyses; content and student assessment analyses; customizable templates for state or local use; and scorecards and curriculum improvement plans. Results from the analyses can help schools enhance existing curriculum, develop their own curriculum or select a published curriculum for the delivery of quality physical education in schools. The tool is available online at www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/pecat. For questions about using PECAT in your school system, please contact Sarah Lee at skeuplee@cdc.gov or 770/488-6126.

Wellness, Academics and You (WAY) - Wellness Activities for Classroom Teachers

Wellness, Academics and You (WAY) - Wellness Activities for Classroom Teachers - An abstract of a recent study published on the WAY Program (www.wayplanet.com) concluded, Data from this study indicate that this school-based program may contribute to the reduction of overweight and obesity. The intervention was well received by the classroom teachers and shows promise for a school-based obesity prevention initiative. This program has shown the capacity to effect positive changes in BMI through consumption of fruits and vegetables and physical activity. Local educators may want to investigate this program for use in their schools.

Arts Education Curriculum Development Institute

Arts Education Curriculum Development Institute - K-8 Music and Visual Arts teachers may be interested in attending an Arts Education Curriculum Development Institute scheduled for June 20-21 in Raleigh. Since the arts are core, academic subject areas under No Child Left Behind, it is increasingly important that arts educators be proficient in developing and implementing standards-based curricula. K-8 Music and Visual Arts teachers will work with the Southeast Center for Education in the Arts and use nationally recognized curriculum design models to evaluate and plan curriculum. For more information, including registration, please go online to http://community.learnnc.org/dpi/music or contact Christie Lynch Howell at cmhowell@dpi.state.nc.us.

Elementary Education Division Offers Summer Trainings

Elementary Education Division Offers Summer Trainings - NCDPI's Elementary Education Division's social studies consultants will be offering several trainings this summer on Integration, Financial Literacy and Geography. Please visit www.ncpublicschools.org/curriculum/socialstudies/elementary/ for more information on dates, agendas and registration for these workshops.

Into the Light: The World of Impressionism" Teacher Seminar

"Into the Light: The World of Impressionism" Teacher Seminar - The N.C. Museum of Art is offering a teacher seminar, "Into the Light: The World of Impressionism," on Aug. 9-10, from 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m., for grades 3-12 foreign language, science and visual arts teachers. Teachers will learn how science and French culture connect with art of the modern world and be able to use these ideas in their classroom using online lesson plans (meet Standard Course of Study objectives in fine arts, science and foreign language) developed for Monet in Normandy. One CEU will be awarded for completion of the seminar. Registration is limited to 25 participants. The registration deadline is July 19. There is a $60 registration fee, which covers breaks, lunches, workshop materials and resource materials for the classroom. Seminar information and a registration form is available online at http://ncartmuseum.org/education/teachers/seminars_workshops.shtml. For additional information, please email Ailsa Tessier, NC Museum of Art, at atessier@ncmamail.dcr.state.nc.us or call 919/664-6776.

Article of Interest

Article of Interest - The following article from the PEN Weekly NewsBlast may be of interest to principals and teachers. In the spring issue of "Rethinking Schools," a special section of articles on "Teaching About Immigration in the Classroom" provide information on how teachers across the country are addressing one of the hottest topics in the news today - immigration. To read more, please go online to http://www.rethinkingschools.org/archive/curriss.shtml and scroll down to Hot Off the Presses: Excerpts from The Line Between Us. Teaching About the Border and Mexican Immigration.