PRINCIPALS' MESSAGES 2008

OCTOBER 2, 2008 - Principals' Biweekly Message

This week's State Board of Education meeting laid the groundwork for some of the most significant changes to come in K-12 education since the ABCs was initiated in 1995. The Board heard the Department of Public Instruction's plan for accomplishing recommendations for a new accountability and assessment system for North Carolina public schools (www.ncpublicschools.org first link under Highlights). Three initiatives are at the heart of this work: new standards for learning, new assessments and a new accountability model. For years we have heard that our course of study is a mile wide and an inch deep. The new standards will be more similar to international standards: fewer per grade level to allow more meaningful study of what is essential for students to know and be able to do. The proposed changes to our assessment system will focus more attention on formative assessment and benchmark assessments and the required summative assessments at year's end will move toward performance items and toward the use of technology for assessing student learning. In terms of school accountability, we are proposing a refocused system that will measure what is most important: student academic growth and performance over time at all grade levels; and graduation rates, college and work readiness, completion of college and work-ready courses at the high school. We are just starting this important work, and you will be involved and informed as appropriate along the way. So far, approximately 300 NCDPI staff have been involved in this work, and educators from all across North Carolina will be important participants as we move forward.

Regards,
June Atkinson

In this Biweekly Principals' Message:

1. State Board Meeting Highlights
2. Writing Assessment Update
3. Federal Abstinence Until Marriage Funding 5th Year Carry Over Funding and 4th Quarter Installment
4. House Bill 15: Personal Leave Without a Deduction
5. Geography Survey Online
6. NCAE Survey Seeks Principals’ Opinions on Administrative Degree Assistance
7. Regional Textbook Meetings
8. NC English Teachers Association Conference
9. Register Now for 58th Conference on Exceptional Children

State Board Meeting Highlights

At today's Board meeting, members approved cut scores for the new end- of- grade tests in reading and science that were first used in 2007-08 and end- of- course tests in physical science, biology, chemistry and physics, an update to the Policy on Interscholastic Athletics and the rubric for the preservice school executive: principal programs. Board members also discussed during their Issues Session the plan for implementing the "Framework for Change: The Next Generation of Assessments and Accountability." Complete Board highlights will be posted online late next week at www.ncpublicschools.org/sbehighlights.

Writing Assessment Update

The second "Moodle" professional development course, "Assessing Writing Skills in the 21st Century," is now available online. If educators have already obtained a username/password to access the "Writing Across the Curriculum" course that opened on Sept. 17, it is not necessary to do so again. For those educators who have not yet obtained a username/password, please note that there is not a deadline to begin this course, nor is there a deadline for educators to complete this course. Please refer regularly to www.ncpublicschools.org/accountability/testing/writing/writingpilot for further updates and new information as it becomes available. We appreciate your support of this innovative approach to the teaching and assessing of writing. If you have additional questions, please contact Jim Kroening at jkroening@dpi.state.nc.us or Phyllis Blue at pblue@dpi.state.nc.us

Federal Abstinence Until Marriage Funding 5th Year Carry Over Funding and 4th Quarter Installment

The NCDPI has received notice from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that legislative authority for funding the abstinence education activities has been extended. You now have until Dec. 31 to spend any carry over money and the new 4th quarter installment. Money allocated from fifth year funding that was not spent by June 30, 2008 is now designated as carry over money. The carry over funding and 4th quarter installment must be spent by December 31, 2008 or it will be reverted. Before these funds can be spent, a new budget must be submitted for the state fiscal year (July 1, 2008-June 30, 2009). LEAs must transmit their budget through the Budget Utilization System (BUD) and Charter Schools must submit their budgets on the FPD 208 form. These budgets should include unspent funds from Jan. 1, 2008 and the new 4th quarter installment available, which was available beginning September 24, 2008. Charter Schools may fax their form to 919.807.4046 or mail it to: NC Healthy Schools, Attn: Abstinence Consultant, 6349 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699-6349. Carry over budgets must be submitted by Oct. 8. If you have questions, please contact the NCDPI Help Desk at help@dpi.state.nc.us or 919.807.4357. You also may contact Kymm Ballard at 919.807.3858 or by email, kballard@dpi.state.nc.us.

House Bill 15: Personal Leave Without a Deduction

House Bill 15, Personal Leave Without a Deduction, was passed in the short session of the General Assembly and signed by the Governor. Thanks to this bill, teachers and media specialists who require substitutes can now use personal leave on certain days and receive full pay without a deduction for a substitute. District Human Resources personnel and Finance Officers have received information on this bill and can discuss the details of this provision. In addition, a question and answer document is available on the NCDPI Financial and Business Services’ Web site at www.ncpublicschools.org/docs/fbs/finance/legislation/salarypersonnel/personalleavenodeduction.pdf.

Geography Survey Online

NCDPI's K-12 Social Studies Section has developed a survey to collect data about geography practices and instruction in North Carolina. Please take a few moments and complete the online survey at www.zoomerang.com/Survey/survey-intro.zgi?p=WEB2287ER39MC6. The information will be used to improve geography education in North Carolina public schools. For more information, please contact Jolene Ethridge, K-12 Curriculum & Instruction and Technology, NCDPI, 919.807.3862, or by email, jethridge@dpi.state.nc.us.

NCAE Survey Seeks Principals' Opinions on Administrative Degree Assistance

NCAE is exploring the development of a program of support for teachers who wish to seek an administrative degree. To assist in this effort, they have developed a short survey they would like principals to complete. Please take a moment and provide your input by going to http://www.ncae.org/News.asp?nid=48. If you have questions regarding this new tool and/or would like to assist NCAE in the creation of this tool, please contact Vera Loyd at Vera.Loyd@ncae.org or NCAE CTL at 800.662.7924, ext. 262.

Regional Textbook Meetings

NCDPI is sponsoring six regional textbook meetings where publishers will present materials that will be adopted by the State Board of Education at its October meeting and then placed on contract. The subject areas to be presented at these meetings are: K-5 Mathematics, 6-12 Career and Development, 9-12 Health Occupations, K-12 Healthful Living and 9-12 Trade and Industrial. Presentations will be held Nov. 3, Koury Convention Center, Greensboro; Nov. 4, Broyhill Inn & Conference Center, Boone; Nov. 5, Western Carolina University, Cullowhee; Nov. 11, Holiday Inn Sunspree Resort, Wrightsville Beach; Nov. 12, Greenville Convention Center, Greenville; and Nov. 13, Crown Center-Expo, Fayetteville. All presentat ions begin at 8:30 a.m. The registration form to attend is available online at www.ncpublischools.org/textbook/meetings and should be completed online by Oct. 24. Schools are encouraged to put together a team to attend the presentations and ask any questions of publishers. For more information, please contact Sylvia Moore at 919.807.4009 or by email, smoore@dpi.state.nc.us.

NC English Teachers Association Conference

Registration is still open for the NC English Teachers Association Conference, "Classroom 2.0: The changing needs of the 21st century student," scheduled for Oct. 24- 25 at the Benton Convention Center, Winston- Salem. To maximize professional development experience (and funds), teachers can attend one of the pre- conference workshops that will be held Thursday, Oct. 23, from 2- 5 p.m. These three-hour workshops cost only $25 (in addition to conference registration) and address several current issues and concerns facing English teachers today. These workshops will allow participants to explore topics more deeply and have more hands- on experiences than most regular sessions. Conference agenda, registration and other details are available online at www.ncenglishteacher.org.

Register Now for 58th Conference on Exceptional Children

Registration information, as well as conference and hotel information, for the 58th Conference on Exceptional Children, "Creating Success One Child at a Time," are now available online at http://www.ncpublicschools.org/ec/conference/2008/. The conference is scheduled for Nov. 17-18 at the Koury Convention Center, Greensboro.

 

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