PRINCIPALS' MESSAGES 2006

OCTOBER 19, 2006

When the State Board of Education set cut scores for the new elementary and middle school mathematics assessments last week, I know that many educators and others had questions about their decision. The goal of the higher standards is to move North Carolina students to a higher level of learning and achievement - more in line with the expectations measured by the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). The standards set last week place North Carolina's expectations between the NAEP's Basic level and Proficient level of achievement. This sets us on a course to move forward, just as we moved forward after the very first year of end-of-grade tests back in 1993. At that time, performance on the EOGs looked similar to performance under the new standards.

Regards,
June Atkinson

In this Biweekly Principals' Message:

1. Gov. Easley Appoints Sent. Bland and Rep. Kiser to School Safety Review
2. Oct. 15-21 Safe Schools Week
3. National Board Application Process/Renewal Reminders
4. Mathematics Curriculum Revision
5. Raising Achievement and Closing Gaps' Conference Registration Begins Nov. 1
6. Stone Named 2006 Milken Family Foundation National Educator
7. National Student/Parent Mock Election
8. Funding for Hands-On Math, Science & Technology Programs
9. Submit Now for Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching
10. 2007 Excellence in Education Award
11. Alliance for Young Artists & Writers, Inc.

Gov. Easley Appoints Sen. Bland and Rep. Kiser to School Safety Review

Last Thursday, Gov. Mike Easley appointed two veteran law enforcement officers who now serve in the General Assembly to help with the review of North Carolina's school safety programs - Sen. Pete Bland of Craven County and Rep. Joe Kiser of Lincoln County who are both retired sheriffs. Earlier last week, Easley appointed Secretary Bryan Beatty of the Department of Crime Control & Public Safety and Attorney General Roy Cooper to coordinate a comprehensive review of North Carolina's school safety programs. Beatty and Cooper are working with the State Board of Education and the Departments of Public Instruction, Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, and Health and Human Services to assess current school safety efforts and determine if additional measures should be taken to better protect the state's school students.

Oct. 15-21 Safe Schools Week

Gov. Easley has declared Oct. 15-21 as Safe Schools Week in North Carolina and challenges citizens across the state to become active participants in guaranteeing school safety. In recognition of Safe Schools Week, the North Carolina Center for the Prevention of School Violence will be distributing posters to schools across the state to raise awareness about school safety and promote student involvement. In addition, students can take responsibility for their own school safety by contacting the North Carolina Safe Schools Tip Line at 1-888-960-9600. The tip line is an anonymous reporting system available to any student or citizen who wants to report a school safety concern. Also this week, the State Highway Patrol will conduct "Operation Stop Arm," an aggressive crackdown on motorists who pass stopped school buses. Troopers will patrol in school zones across the state and will follow school buses to catch violators.

National Board Application Process/Renewal Reminders

North Carolina teachers planning to seek National Board Certification should complete the online application at www.nbpts.org and then complete the online application for North Carolina funding. Guidelines for applying for National Board Certification in North Carolina can be accessed at http://www.ncpublicschools.org/nbpts/apply.html. Initial NBC candidates will pay a $65 processing charge to NBPTS before they submit their application. North Carolina pays the assessment fee of $2,500 for all candidates who meet the eligibility criteria. THE FUNDING APPLICATION WINDOW FOR 2006-07 CANDIDATES PURSING NATIONAL BOARD CERTIFICATION ENDS OCT. 31. NBC Renewal Information - National Board Certified teachers who achieved certification in 1997 or 1998 may pursue renewal of their National Board certificate this year. For NBCTs who achieved in 1997, this is the second and final opportunity to pursue renewal. For NBCTs who achieved in 1998, this is the first opportunity to pursue renewal. The application window for renewal is open Nov. 13-Dec. 31. Deadline for payment of the application fee is Jan. 31, 2007. The Profile of Professional Growth must be submitted by April 30, 2007. Scores for renewal candidates will be released in October 2007. For more information about renewal, visit the NBPTS Web site at www.nbpts.org and view the NBC Renewal Presentation on the NCDPI Web site at www.ncpublicschools.org/nbpts/resource.html.

Mathematics Curriculum Revision

It is once again time to review the 2003 Mathematics Standard Course of Study to determine if it should be revised. Staff would like your input in order to make a better determination of the status of the math curriculum and what should be done to make it more relevant and rigorous. Please let us know your thoughts, concerns and opinions by completing a very short survey available online at http://www.zoomerang.com/survey.zgi?p=WEB225PLUBJB2W. The survey link will remain active until Nov. 15.

Raising Achievement and Closing Gaps' Conference Registration Begins Nov. 1

Local educators are invited to attend the eleventh annual Raising Achievement and Closing Gaps Conference to be held March 26-28 at the Sheraton Four Seasons/Joseph F. Koury Convention Center, Greensboro. Registration will be available online beginning Nov. 1 at www.ncpublicschools.org/racg/conference by clicking on the appropriate link. The registration fee is $115 per person. Please mark your calendar and plan to have your schools and central office staff represented at this conference highlighting best practices. For additional information, please go online to www.ncpublicschools.org/racg/conference or call the RACG Conference Hotline at 919.807.3844.

Stone Named 2006 Milken Family Foundation National Educator

Congratulations to Tanglewood Elementary School (Public Schools of Robeson County) third grade teacher Kristen Stone who on Tuesday was named North Carolina's 2006 Milken Family Foundation National Educator. Stone received an unrestricted check in the amount of $25,000 and an all-expense paid trip to Los Angeles, Calif., in April where she will attend the annual Milken National Education Conference and network with past recipients. To read more about her selection, please go online to www.ncpublicschools.org and click on the appropriate link under "News."

National Student/Parent Mock Election

The National Student/Parent Mock Election, the nation's largest voter education project, will be held Thursday, Nov. 2. On this day, votes will be cast on state and national issues that concern Americans the most and on national candidates. Educators and parents can enroll at www.nationalmockelection.org, by mail to the National Student/Parent Mock Election, P.O. Box 36653, Tucson, AZ 85704; by fax to 520.742.3553; or by phone 520.877.VOTE (8683). Free K-12 curriculum materials are available online at the above address or by contacting Gloria Kirshner, President, National Student/Parent Mock Election, at nspme@aol.com.

Funding for Hands-On Math, Science & Technology Programs

The Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics Science and Math Programs' grants assist educators in presenting mathematics, science, and technology principles to K-12 students in an exciting, hands-on manner. The maximum grant award is $1,000. For eligibility criteria, please go online to http://www.aiaa.org/content.cfm?pageid=216. The deadline to apply is Dec. 30.

Submit Now for Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching

The Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics & Science Teaching, the nation's highest honors for mathematics and science teachers, is now open for nominations. The Presidential Awards program allows outstanding mathematics and science teachers to be recognized for their subject area content knowledge and the ability to motivate students. Nomination and application forms for 2007 are available online at www.paemst.org. Teachers in grades 7-12 who meet specified requirements are eligible to apply. For further information, please contact either Carmella Fair, (919.807.3840, cfair@dpi.state.nc.us) or Bonnie Curtis (919.807.3932, bcurtis@dpi.state.nc.us).

2007 Excellence in Education Award

Public schools serving urban communities are encouraged to submit an application for the 2007 Excellence in Education Award of The National Center for Urban School Transformation (NCUST) at San Diego State University. This Center has been established to help urban school districts by recognizing, studying and promoting the best practices of very high achieving urban schools. Urban schools receiving this award have achieved excellent academic results for all the populations they serve. NCUST Excellence in Education Award winners will receive a check for $1,000 and a banner bearing their name. For additional information, including eligibility and submission criteria, please go online to http://edweb.sdsu.edu/ncust/awards or call 619.594.7905. The application deadline is Dec. 18.

Alliance for Young Artists & Writers, Inc.

The Alliance for Young Artists & Writers, Inc., provides guidance and support to teens for whom creativity may be a life path. The Alliance brings together a community for creative youth with resources to encourage, connect and empower them through networking, workshops, scholarships and career exploration with alumni role models and industry mentors. The Alliance also presents special exhibitions and publications, which provide additional opportunities for creative expression in the visual and literary arts. For more information on the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers, please visit their Web site at http://www.artandwriting.org.