PRINCIPALS' MESSAGES 2008

JUNE 6, 2008 - Principals' Biweekly Message

Congratulations to you and your students! North Carolina students' writing test scores improved in the 2007-08 school year, according to the preliminary report on the results of the North Carolina General Writing Assessment at Grades 4, 7 and 10. This report was posted online yesterday (www.ncpublicschools.org under News). Results showed that 59.8 percent of fourth graders scored proficient in writing in 2007-08, up from 52.7 percent the previous year. For seventh graders, the percent proficient was 58.3 percent in 2007-08, an improvement from the prior year's results of 50.8 percent. Tenth graders improved more than the other grades with a proficiency rate of 72.3 percent - up from 51.4 percent last year. This year's results show the continued improvement in writing performance over time. Being a good writer involves many of the most important academic skills - reading, synthesizing information, solving problems, and expressing and supporting new ideas. Thanks for what you and your staff do to support student writing.

Regards,
June Atkinson

In this Biweekly Principals' Message:

1. State Board Meeting Highlights
2. Survey to Enhance State Assessment Programs
3. Promoting Cultural Responsiveness in Public Education
4. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools' Principals Receives National Recognition
5. National Student Parent Mock Election
6. Spring/Summer Professional Development Opportunities for Teachers
7. CFNC Newsletter Online

State Board Meeting Highlights

At yesterday's State Board meeting, members approved the "Framework for Change: The Next Generation of Assessments and Accountability," the Course for Credit Policy, the K-12 Standard Course of Study for English Language Development, and the School Executive: Principal Evaluation Policies (with the exception of the reporting component). Members discussed revisions to the Graduation Project Policy, the Adult High School Diploma program, approval/adoption of the teacher evaluation instrument, and licensing physical education and health teachers. Highlights of the June Board meeting will be available online later next week at www.ncpublicschools.org/sbehighlights.

Survey to Enhance State Assessment Programs

On May 8, elementary and middle school principals were sent a memorandum on the availability of a short online questionnaire in support of a study being conducted by the NCDPI in collaboration with the Council of Chief State School Officers to enhance state assessment programs. We have received a great deal of responses concerning the survey but still have openings available for teachers of 3rd, 4th and 6th grade mathematics and 3rd grade reading. The questionnaire, which is available online at https://nceag.publishpath.com, should take no more than 20 minutes to complete. The survey will close on June 30 unless enough responses are collected prior to that date and then it will close at that time. Please encourage your teachers to participate in this important study. For more information, please contact Jane Dalton, Accountability Services Division, NCDPI, 919.807.3807, or by email, jdalton@dpi.state.nc.us.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools' Principal Receives National Recognition

Congratulations to Denise Watts, principal of Mint Hill Middle School (Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools), for recently being named the Middle Level State Principal of the Year by MetLife and the National Association of Secondary School Principals. The national award program honors middle and high school principals for leadership, problem-solving techniques, improving student achievement and creating a positive school climate. NASSP will select from the state winners three middle and three high school principals as finalists for the 2009 National Principal of the Year. The national winners will be announced in September.

Promoting Cultural Responsiveness in Public Education

The NCDPI is sponsoring "Promoting Cultural Responsiveness in Public Education," a professional development activity that explores cultural responsiveness as it applies to education and equitable learning opportunities. The training will be held July 30-31 from 8 a.m.-4 p.m. in Room 150 of the Education Building, Raleigh. There is a $75 per person registration fee that covers session materials and lunch both days. The non-refundable registration fee must be received by July 23. The session is limited to 100 participants. For more information, including registration, please go online to www.ncpublicschools.org/racg or contact Ken Babineaux at 919.807.3657, or by email, kbabineaux@dpi.state.nc.us.

National Student Parent Mock Election

North Carolina public schools are invited to be a part of the National Student Parent Mock Election (NSPME) taking place this fall. The Mock Election is an outreach and education project administered by the North Carolina Center for Voter Education, a non-profit, non-partisan organization. The NSPME is designed to engage students and parents in the power of the ballot by actively involving them in a full-fledged campaign during the national election. There is no cost to participate. Schools can sign up to participate by going online to www.ncmockelection.org. The deadline to register is Oct. 15, and the mock election is Oct. 30. For more information, please contact Lindsey Hosner at 877.258.6837 (toll-free) or via email at lshosner@ncmockelection.org.

Spring/Summer Professional Development Opportunities for Teachers

Principals, please pass along these professional development opportunities to your teachers:

• Help turn your students into savvy consumers of information. Explore reading and writing instruction and information literacy concepts, and learn to effectively integrate these literacy skills into your teaching, regardless of the subject or grade level. This course begins June 25. For more information or to register, please visit www.learnnc.org/courses.
• Tailor your instruction to meet the unique learning styles of specific students. You'll develop differentiated components of your own online courses through practical assignments, and modify content, learning experiences, and assessment to address individual students' needs. This 6-week online course is part of LEARN NC's Carolina Online Teacher Program and is worth 3 CEUs. This course begins July 7. For more information or to register, please visit www.learnnc.org/courses/current/Differentiating_07_07_08_Walbert
• All Kinds of Minds' Schools Attuned Program is a professional development and service delivery program that assists K-12 educators in using neurodevelopmental content in their classrooms to create success in learning. The Schools Attuned Program helps teachers understand their students' learning profiles and gives them the knowledge, tools, and skills needed to help frustrated students break through barriers to success - and reclaim the joy in learning. A number of courses in a number of different locations are being offered this summer in both the generalist and subject specialist path courses. There is a $100 non-refundable registration fee. For more information, including registration, please go online to www.allkindsofminds.org/sa.

CFNC Newsletter Online

The College Foundation of North Carolina (CFNC) has just posted online the first edition of its newsletter, CFNC Educator Update. Included in this newsletter are the following articles: Redirection Pool/Late Decision Flier; Fall Financial Aid Workshops, FAFSA Day Update, 2009 FAFSA Update, New Financial Aid Estimator, Regional CFNC Training Dates 2008-09, CFNC Regional Representatives, Free Financial Literacy Programs, CFNC Publications Update, and New Career and College Planning Curriculum. You can access the CFNC Educator Update online at http://www.ncseaa.edu/EducatorUpdate.htm.

 

If you'd like to review past Principals' Biweekly Messages sent to the listserv group, just go online to http://www.ncpublicschools.org/principalsarchive/.