PRINCIPALS' MESSAGES 2007
PRINCIPALS' MESSAGES 2007APRIL 19, 2007 - Principals' Biweekly Message
NCLB is hard to understand, even for those of us who work with the law on a daily basis. There are any details, rules and results of the law that can be confusing and hard to explain. That's why we have provided a variety of informational and communications resources on NCLB and how it is applied in North Carolina schools. I hope that you and your staff members will find these tools and resources useful as you work to help your parents and other school community members understand this law and how it affects your school. The first two items below detail new resources, and a variety of others that are available online at www.ncpublicschools.org/nclb.
Regards,
June Atkinson
In this Biweekly Principals' Message:
State Board to Recognize Teachers with 50 Years Experience
The State Board of Education will soon be recognizing teachers with 50 years of classroom experience and who are still teaching. If your school has a teacher who meets this description, please contact State Board of Education Director of State Board Operations Betsy West at 919.807.3405, or by email, bwest@dpi.state.nc.us by April 30.
New NCLB Fact Sheets and Chart Available
One-page NCLB fact sheets are now available and can be downloaded from the Web. The fact sheets address:
- Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) at http://www.ncpublicschools.org/nclb/abcayp/facts/
- transfer options, or public school choice, at http://www.ncpublicschools.org/nclb/schoolchoice/facts/
- free tutoring, or supplemental educational services, at http://www.ncpublicschools.org/nclb/ses/facts/
- corrective action for Title I schools at http://www.ncpublicschools.org/nclb/corrective/facts/
- Title I District Improvement at http://www.ncpublicschools.org/nclb/district/facts/
New NCLB Parent Notification Templates Coming Soon
The NCDPI will post revised NCLB parent notification templates for schools in Title I School Improvement on the Web at http://www.ncpublicschools.org/nclb/ no later than May 15. Local administrators can customize the templates as needed. Each letter template will begin with an outline of what must be included in the letter, according to federal requirements. As in the past, letters will be posted in English and Spanish. Below is a menu of NCLB parent notification and the Web site address.
- Parent notification templates that will be available at http://www.ncpublicschools.org/nclb/schoolchoice/materials/ are: a public school choice flyer; a sample letter for Title I schools not making AYP and offering public school choice, a sample letter for Title I schools making AYP and offering public school choice, a sample letter for Title I schools not making AYP and having no public school choice to offer, and a sample request for transfer form.
- Parent notification templates that will be available at http://www.ncpublicschools.org/nclb/ses/materials/ are: a sample letter for Title I schools offering supplemental educational services in the first year of sanctions as part of the seven-district SES pilot, a sample letter for Title I schools not making AYP and offering public school choice and supplemental educational services, a sample postcard for Title I schools offering supplemental educational services, supplemental educational services student enrollment forms, a supplemental educational services flyer, and questions for families to ask SES providers.
- Parent notification templates that will be available at http://www.ncpublicschools.org/nclb/corrective/ are: a sample letter for Title I schools not making AYP and offering public school choice and supplemental educational services while moving into corrective action and a sample letter for Title I schools making AYP and offering public school choice and supplemental educational services while remaining in corrective action.
- Parent notification templates that will be available at http://www.ncpublicschools.org/nclb/highly/ are a sample letter informing parents at Title I schools of their right to request information regarding teacher qualifications, and a sample letter informing parents at Title I schools that their child is being taught for or four or more weeks by a teacher who is not Highly Qualified. If you have needs for other NCLB parent notification templates, please contact Director of Communications and Information Vanessa Jeter at 919.807.3469.
Exceptional Children Division Sponsors Summer Institutes
This summer, the Exceptional Children Division is offering 25 institutes that address quality instruction and services for students with special needs. These sessions address a variety of topics including reading, behavior, technology, assessment, preschool services and new policies based on IDEA 2004. Complete information on the 2007 Summer Institutes, including the registration form, can be found online at www.ncpublicschools.org/ec/development/summerinstitutes.
Annual Elementary School Conference to be Held in October
The North Carolina Association of Elementary Educators is sponsoring its Fourth Annual Elementary School Conference, "Leading the Way: Preparing Lifelong Learners," on Oct. 8-9, at the Sheraton Imperial Hotel and Conference Center, Research Triangle Park. Call for Proposals and registration forms can be accessed online at www.ncelementary.org. Registration is limited to 800 participants. For more information, please contact Michelle Palmer Weaver at conferencechair@ncelementary.org.
If you'd like to review past Principals' Biweekly Messages sent to the listserv group, just go online to http://www.ncpublicschools.org/principalsarchive/.