PRINCIPALS' MESSAGES 2006
PRINCIPALS' MESSAGES 2006JULY 6, 2006
The 2006 ABCs report being released in October will represent several milestones and changes for North Carolina. New formulas are being used to calculate growth, and the ABCs model will re-focus attention on classroom instruction. Under the new ABCs growth formulas, school districts will have the ability to provide teachers with individual student growth information. School districts are no longer limited to only a school-wide view of growth. Teachers and their principals can use individual student growth information to drive classroom instruction for the current year. This should offer teachers an additional tool for improving their instructional strategies and emphases. A short movie about the ABCs for 2006 is available online at http://www.dpi.state.nc.us/newsroom/topics/ and other materials also are being prepared. Your questions about the ABCs are welcome. Please send them to the toll-free hotline at 1.800.431.7373 or by email to abcs@dpi.state.nc.us.
Regards,
June Atkinson
State Board Meeting Highlights
At this morning¹s State Board teleconference meeting, members approved a District Assistance Model designed to provide varying degrees of support, guidance and services; exemption requests made by New Hanover, Rutherford and Swain County Schools under the Innovative Education Initiatives Act; Praxis testing requirements for Exceptional Children's License Areas; and the initiation of the charter revocation process for Imani Institute Charter Middle School. Board members also discussed licensing requirements for international teaches and their sixth strategic priority addressing 21st century learning skills that will be presented to the Board at its August meeting. Complete highlights of the Board's meeting will be posted online by Tuesday afternoon at http://www.ncpublicschools.org/sbehighlights.
Trainers Needed for Healthy Active Children Policy
Trainers in each local school district are needed to help provide trainings this fall to inform educators on the Healthy Active Children policy and to provide them with resources (Energziers and Fit Kids) to create physically active classrooms. This training is in partnership with the Health and Wellness Trust Fund Commission, NC Department of Public Instruction, and Be Active North Carolina, Inc. If you are interested in being a leader in helping implement the Healthy Active Children Policy please contact Carrie Krans at 919.765.3107 or carrie@beactivenc.org for more information.
2006 Presidential Scholars Named
Congratulations to Shelby High School (Cleveland County Schools) student Jennifer Claytor, one of three North Carolina students to be named a 2006 Presidential Scholar. The other students were Robert Smithson, Jr., Cary Academy (Cary) and Meredith York, Providence Day School (Matthews). Presidential Scholars demonstrate leadership and scholarship, contribute to the school and community, and exhibit outstanding accomplishments in the arts, sciences and other fields of interest. Each year up to 141 students are named as Presidential Scholars. A special ceremony was held in Washington, D.C., in June to honor all recipients. For more information on the Presidential Scholars program, please go online to www.ed.gov/programs/psp/index.html.
Chapel Hill-Carrboro Schools' Students to Participate
in Biology Olympiad
Congratulations to East Chapel Hill High School student (Chapel Hill-Carrboro Schools) Meng Xiao He, for his recent selection to a four-person team that will represent the United States at the International Biology Olympiad. The Olympiad will be held July 9-16 in Rio Cuarto, Argentina. He also participated on his schools' Science Olympiad team that competed in at Indiana State University and the Science Bowl Team that competed in Washington.
All National Board Certified teachers are encouraged to sign up for the department's NC NBCT listserv. Information, including educational opportunities for teachers, updates on National Board Certification and other items of interest, will be sent once or twice a month. NBCTs can subscribe by sending an email message to join-nbct@lists.dpi.state.nc.us.
North Carolina Council on Economic Education Sponsors Workshops
The North Carolina Council on Economic Education (NCCEE) is sponsoring free workshops covering economic education and financial literacy. Subjects include Financial Fitness for Life, Civics and Economics, Virtual Economics 3.0, Mathematics and Economics, Thinking Globally and more. For information on all available workshops and programs, please visit the NCEE Web site at www.ncee.net. To schedule a workshop at your school, please contact Sandy Wheat, North Carolina Council on Economic Education, toll free 866.606.2233 or by email, swheat@nccee.org.