PRINCIPALS' MESSAGES 2007
PRINCIPALS' MESSAGES 2007MARCH 1, 2007 - Principals' Biweekly Message
This week, North Carolinians got their first look at graduation rates for their state, their school districts and their schools. While our overall rate of 68 percent is not surprising to many of us who have been paying unusually close attention to such matters, it still is sobering to consider that one out three ninth graders do not earn a diploma along with their graduating class. We have known for some time that too many students leave school early, and a number of responses are underway to help. These include high school redesign, improving adolescent literacy efforts, boosting local support for students and other efforts. I encourage you to use the cohort information (available online at www.ncpublicschools.org under News) to increase dialog at your school concerning ways to help students be on track for graduation. High schools are in the limelight on this issue, but the foundation for graduation is laid in middle and elementary schools.
Regards,
June Atkinson
In this Biweekly Principals' Message:
State Board Meeting Highlights
At their March Board meeting, members met under their new committee structure to address various action and discussion items. At their full meeting held this morning, members approved individual class size exceptions waivers, recommendations for final approval of 2006 charter school applications, and a Praxis II option for birth-kindergarten teachers to be designated Highly Qualified. Board members also received the state's first four-year cohort graduation rate and a report addressing critical issues to watch as Congress begins reauthorization of No Child Left Behind. Complete Board highlights will be available online later next week at www.ncpublicschoools.org/sbehighlights.
Regional Meetings' Reminder
Regional meetings are continuing to be held by the State Board of Education to receive public input on implementing a new high school core course framework. Remaining meetings are being held from 6:30-8:30 p.m. in the following locations: March 5, Region 4, E.E. Smith High School (Fayetteville, Cumberland County); March 19, Region 1, Roanoke High School (Robersonville, Martin County); March 22, Region 8, Buncombe County Schools' Central Office (Asheville); and March 29, Region 3, Fike High School, Wilson (Wilson County).
2007 Regional Wachovia Principals of the Year Named
Congratulations to the following principals who were recently selected regional Wachovia Principals of the Year: North Central Region: Jamee Lynch, Hodge Road Elementary (Wake County Schools); Northeast Region: Whitney Bisbing, Moyock Elementary (Currituck County Schools); Northwest Region: Vickie Cameron, Central Middle (Surry County Schools); Southeast Region: Craig Hill, Kinston High (Lenoir County Schools); Southwest Region: Laura Kerr, North Albemarle Elementary (Stanly County Schools); Sandhills/South Central Region: Robin Lea, Union Pines High (Moore County Schools); Piedmont-Triad/Central Region: Deshera Mack, Mel and Zora Rashkis Elementary, Chapel-Hill/Carrboro Schools; and West Region: Pamela Cocke, Asheville Middle (Asheville City Schools). The 2007 North Carolina Wachovia Principal of the Year will be announced on April 5 at a luncheon sponsored by the Wachovia Corporation.
Middle Schools Recognized as "Schools to Watch"
Congratulations to the following nine middle schools - the most ever in one year - for recently being recognized as "Schools to Watch:" Broad Creek Middle (Carteret County Schools), Carrington Middle and Shepard Middle (Durham Public Schools), Flat Rock Middle (Henderson County Schools), Jefferson Middle and Southeast Middle (Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools), Kernodle Middle (Guilford County Schools), Pine Forest Middle (Cumberland County Schools), and Spring Hill Middle (Scotland County Schools). Launched in 1999, Schools to Watch began as a program to identify middle grades schools across the country that were meeting or exceeding a set of strict criteria for excellence. The National Forum to Accelerate Middle Grades Reform developed a Web site (http://www.schoolstowatch.org) featuring online tours of schools, as well as detailed information about the selection criteria used in the recognition program. For more information, please contact Dr. John Harrison, Executive Director, NC Middle School Association, 910.235.3761, or the NCDPI's Communications division at 919.807.3450.
Two Schools Recognized as Title I Distinguished Schools
Congratulations to Eastover-Central Elementary (Cumberland County Schools) and A.B. Combs Elementary (Wake County Schools) for recently being recognized as Title I Distinguished Schools for 2007. Eastover-Central Elementary was nominated for Category 1 - Exceptional Student Performance for two or more consecutive years, and A.B. Combs Elementary was nominated for Category 2 - Closing the Achievement Gap between groups of students. To read more about their selection, please go to the NCDPI Web site at http://www.ncpublicschools.org and click on the appropriate link under "News."
Summer Leadership Conference 2007
The Summer Leadership Conference 2007 will be held June 24-27 at the Grove Park Inn, Asheville. In addition, the NCASA Superintendents' Retreat will be held June 24-25, the Superintendents' Quarterly on June 25, and the conference will kick off June 25 at 1 p.m. The conference announcement and call for presentations are currently being distributed statewide. Registration information will be distributed in early April. All conference information can be found online at www.wresa.org. If you have questions, please contact Roger Metcalf at 828.418.0011, ext. 112, or Vicki Wilson at ext. 122.
NC Ready Schools Initiative
In 2000, the State Board of Education endorsed a multi-part definition of school readiness: all children ready for school and all schools ready for all children. While the state has focused on getting children ready for schools, schools ready for all children has had less emphasis. The Ready Schools Task Force, convened by State Superintendent June Atkinson and funded by the Kellogg Foundation, has made several recommendations to focus attention in this area: - a definition for a "ready elementary school;" - components of or pathways to becoming a "ready" school; and - use of school self-assessments by school improvement teams to determine where a school falls on these pathways and what areas need to be addressed. The Task Force is comprised of educators, members of the early childhood community, and higher education. This initiative is supported by other national organizations including the Council of Chief State School Officers and the National Association of Elementary School Principals.
If you'd like to review past Principals' Biweekly Messages sent to the listserv group, just go online to http://www.ncpublicschools.org/principalsarchive/