PRINCIPALS'
MESSAGES 2006
PRINCIPALS'
MESSAGES 2006AUGUST 17, 2006
As the new school year gets underway, I wish you a smooth beginning and an effective school year. Communication is a key to success in all organizations, and certainly in schools. To that end, I encourage you to remind your teachers to subscribe to the NCDPI’s teachers’ email list. All they need to do is go to www.ncpublicschools.org and click on the E-groups button and follow the subscription directions. By doing so, they will receive biweekly email messages from me with news items of interest to teachers. These include professional opportunities, trends and other news items
Regards,
June Atkinson
In this Biweekly Principals' Message:
American Diploma Project Update
The North Carolina American Diploma Project Alignment Team, composed of representatives from public schools, the state's colleges and universities, community colleges and business, recently participated in Achieve, Inc.'s Third Alignment Institute culminating the state team's training that has guided them through a comprehensive review and revision of the North Carolina high school standards in math and English Language Arts. The alignment of high school standards with the expectations of college and business is one of four commitments that the state made when joining the American Diploma Project in 2005. The team has worked since February 2006 to align current standards with national benchmarks in math and English Language Arts and will now be involved in gathering extensive input on the proposed college and work-ready standards from business, university and K-12 partners. The State Board of Education will be asked to consider the standards for adoption in spring 2007. This work on higher standards is an integral part of Gov. Mike Easley’s Education Cabinet and the State Board of Education’s Rigor Committee’s continued commitment and focus on high school reform and preparing all students to be college and work-ready upon graduation from high school. For additional information about the American Diploma Project and North Carolina's participation in the ADP network, please go online to www.achieve.org or contact Wandra Polk at wpolk@dpi.state.nc.us.
Email Address Corrections for Principals’ Advisory
Committee Members
Please note that the email addresses for Principals’ Advisory Committee member Ledford Middle School Principal Evan Myers should have read emyers1@davidson.k12.nc.us and Monticello-Brown Elementary School Principal Benita Lawrence should have read lawrenb@gcsnc.com. We apologize for the errors.
Exemption Request Dates
Principals may want to make note of the following important dates. These dates are for all program sites and exemptions requests being submitted to the State Board of Education for approval for opening in fall 2007-08. (Statute requires that all programs be approved by June 30 of a given school year.) Cooperative Innovative High School Programs.
FIRST SEMESTER
- Nov. 1 - Applications submitted to DPI by local partnerships
- Jan. 2007 - Packets submitted to State Board of Education for discussion
- Feb. 2007 - Packets submitted to State Board of Education for approval
- Feb. 28, 2007 - Partnerships Notified of State Board of Education’s Action
- February 1, 2007 - Applications submitted to DPI by local partnerships
- April 2007 - Packets submitted to State Board of Education for discussion
- May 2007 - Packets submitted to State Board of Education for approval
- May 31, 2007 - Partnerships Notified of State Board of Education’s Action Calendar Waivers for Educational Purposes
- Nov. 1 - Calendar waiver requests submitted to DPI
- Feb. 1, 2007 - Calendar waiver requests submitted to DPI For more information, please contact Elsie Leak, Curriculum and School Reform Services, NCDPI, 919.807.3761, or by email, eleak@dpi.state.nc.us.
Press Releases of Interest
To read the following press releases in their entirety, please go to the NCDPI Web site at http://www.ncpublicschools.org and click on the appropriate link under “News.”
Preliminary Writing Test Results Released - North Carolina students in fourth and 10th grades improved their performance on the state’s writing assessment in 2005-06, according to a preliminary report released yesterday by the NC Department of Public Instruction. Performance for seventh graders decreased slightly.
North Carolina’s ACT Scores Increase Slightly in 2006 - The average composite ACT assessment scores of North Carolina students increased slightly as did the scores for students in the nation in 2006, according to results from the ACT college admissions and placement exam released yesterday. North Carolina's average composite score of 20.5 increased by three tenths of a point while the national average composite score increased by two tenths of a point to 21.1. State and national results on the test are among the factors colleges use in their admissions process.
Educators/Students Encouraged to Recite Preamble on
Constitution Day
Principals are reminded that if they receive federal dollars they are required to teach about the Constitution on Sept. 17, the day the document was adopted in 1787. The purpose of this day is to “foster a deeper reverence for and a better understanding of the U.S. Constitution.” This year, educators are being encouraged to lead students in reciting the preamble to the US Constitution. General Colin Powell will lead the country in a coordinated, nationwide recitation of the preamble on Monday, Sept. 18, at 2 p.m. Educators and students can participate by viewing the live ceremony online or by downloading General Powell’s recitation on video for use in your school. Educators also may want to do public readings and/or hold class discussions. Since Sept. 17 falls on a Sunday, it is acceptable to hold this celebration on Friday, Sept. 15, or on Monday, Sept. 18. For more information, please go online to www.constitutionday.com.
Elementary Educators Conference Set for October
The North Carolina Association of Elementary Educators is sponsoring its Third Annual Elementary School Conference, “Leading the Way,” on Oct. 9-10, at the Sheraton Imperial Hotel and Conference Center, Research Triangle Park. Registration forms are available online at www.ncelementary.org. Registration is limited to 800 participants. For more information, please contact Michelle Palmer Weaver at mweaver@dpi.state.nc.us.
LEARN NC Update
For the start of the 2006-07 school year, LEARN NC will offer some new resources and opportunities, including a new multimedia library and collections of media-rich classroom resources, more than 30 articles for first-year teachers and a series of free online professional development courses funded by NCDPI. To read more, please go to the LEARN NC Web site at www.learnnc.org.
Hop on the Bus!
High school teachers (grades 9-12) may want to encourage their students to participate in “Hop on the Bus!” Hop on the Bus! provides students with an opportunity to gain experience and knowledge of entrepreneurship by generating an idea and building it into a business of their own. Hop on the Bus! will begin in September. Prize money will be awarded to the top five students (or student teams) and their teacher/mentor. Program information is available online at www.hoponthebus.com.