PRINCIPALS' MESSAGES 2008

NOVEMBER 20, 2008 - Principals' Biweekly Message

Retesting and the options for handling retesting continue to be of interest to you and to superintendents in North Carolina. We are gathering information from many of you, from associations and professional groups and others to provide to the State Board of Education at its December meeting to help in their deliberations. I know that most of us share the same goal - finding a reasonable balance between testing, opportunities to demonstrate proficiency and fairness to schools' and students' instructional time. We will keep you posted about the Board's discussion and deliberations on this key topic.

Regards,
June Atkinson

In this Biweekly Principals' Message:

1. English Language Development Standards
2. NCLB Web Site Features Communication Tools
3. November Edition of the NC NCLB Newsletter Is Available
4. NCLB Directory Updated
5. 2008 Teacher Working Conditions Conference
6. Professional Development Opportunities from the Principals' Executive Program
7. Holocaust Teacher Workshops for 2008-09
8. NCACC Sponsors Essay Contest for 10th Graders
9. Middle School Science Competition

English Language Development Standards

North Carolina's new English Language Development Standards for limited English proficient (LEP) students were approved by the State Board of Education in June 2008. These new standards are the WIDA English Language Proficiency Standards. They are explained in the WIDA Consortium English Language Proficiency Standards and Resource Guide, which will be mailed to all principals this month. This resource guide will assist all teachers of LEP students, content and ESL teachers, in providing the framework for their students' language development. If you have additional questions regarding these standards, please contact Helga Fasciano, K-12 Program Areas, hfascian@dpi.state.nc.us, 919.807.3864.

NCLB Web Site Features Communication Tools

Users of the NCLB Web site now have one-stop searching for all their communications needs at http://www.ncpublicschools.org/nclb/communications/news/. Tools for district administrators to use in communicating with educators, parents and community members about NCLB and the implications of this federal law in their school district are all in one place. Communications tools include newsletters, PowerPoint presentations, guides for explaining various different impacts of NCLB on school communities, templates for parent notifications, brochures for parents at Title I and non-Title I schools, downloadable graphics and more.

November Edition of the NC NCLB Newsletter Is Available

This edition, available on the Web at http://www.ncpublicschools.org/nclb/communications/news/, features an update on the Framework for Change: The Next Generation of Assessments and Accountability, an interview with Associate Superintendent Rebecca Garland, a new name and approach for Compensatory Education work, 2007-08 AYP results, changes to look for when the 2007-08 NC Report Cards are released in January 2009, and more. For hard copy editions, call NCDPI Communications at 919.807.3450.

NCLB Directory Updated

The list of people to contact regarding NCLB-related issues is updated and available on the Web at http://www.ncpublicschools.org/nclb/directory/. In addition, a listing of Title I directors and their contact information is available on the Web at http://www.ncpublicschools.org/nclb/titleI/overview/.

Title I Schools Listed - Often the first place to start when answering parent questions about NCLB's implications for schools and various sanction levels is to determine if the parent's child attends a Title I school. The list for 2008-09 Title I schools is available on the Web at http://www.ncpublicschools.org/nclb/titleI/schools/.

2008-09 SES Providers List Updated - The list of 2008-09 Supplemental Educational Service providers (SES) has been revised since its initial posting in July and an updated listing is available on the Web at http://www.ncpublicschools.org/nclb/ses/providers/.

2008 Teacher Working Conditions Conference

The 2008 Teacher Working Conditions Conference will be held Dec. 4 at the Embassy Suites, Cary. In addition to professional development opportunities in the morning, agenda items include the release of the preliminary findings from the 2008 TWC Survey and recognition of the Real D.E.A.L. Award-winning schools. For more information, including registration, please go online to www.ncteachingconditions.org.

Professional Development Opportunities from the Principals' Executive Program

2008 SCHOOL LAW ACADEMY - This two- day institute will focus on personnel law, including teacher tenure, administrator contracts, personnel records, legal issues regarding the new teacher evaluation instrument, discrimination law, academic freedom, new state law requirements and other topics that principals need to know in order to avoid needless and costly litigation for their school system. Sponsored by NCSBA, NCASA, and PEP. For more information, please contact Sean Holmes, North Carolina School Boards Association, sholmes@ncsba.org. Date: Dec. 10 - 11, Cost: $250.00 per person. Location: NCSBA Assembly Hall, Raleigh. To register please go online to http://www.eboardsolutions.com/ncsba/emembership/getRegistrant.asp?E=2326

HIGH SCHOOL PRINCIPAL OPENINGS FOR LPNP - The Leadership Program for New Principals focuses on helping principals who have fewer than three years on the job create and sustain a shared leadership vision and a positive school culture, improve teaching and learning, and manage buildings and staffs efficiently. This session is accepting registrations for high school principals. Over its eight days of instruction (four 2- day residential sessions) at the Center for School Leadership Development in Chapel Hill, LPNP balances theoretical and practical approaches to education issues. The first session begins January 2009. Cost: $250 per participant - lodging, most meals, and materials included. For more information, including registration, please go online to http://www.ncpep.org/content.php/programs/lpnp/index.htm.

OPEN TO ASSISTANT PRINCIPALS: EVAAS INSTITUTES - PEP will offer four- day institutes (2 days each) teaching principals how to use EVAAS (Evaluation Valued- Added Assessment System), a free diagnostic tool available to all schools in the state. EVAAS merges state end- of- grade and end- of course assessment data to project different levels of intervention needed by students and to help predict students' likelihood of success at the next level. Spring sessions begin January 2009. Accepting registrations for principals, assistant principals, and central office personnel. Cost: $250 per person - materials and most meals included. For more information, including registration, please go online to http://www.ncpep.org/content.php/programs/evaas/index.htm.

Holocaust Teacher Workshops for 2008-09

These one-day, multi-county workshops for social studies and English/Language Arts teachers are led by Dr. Karl Schleunes, historian and Holocaust scholar, and Gizella Abramson, a Holocaust survivor of the Majdanek death camp who recounts her experiences in a concentration camp or Zohara Boyd, a survivor who "hid in plain sight" during the Holocaust and Peter Petschauer, the son of an SS officer and diplomat. This workshop is particularly useful for teachers of World History or American History as well as teachers at the sixth-grade level teaching Eastern European history. It also is recommended for middle school language arts teachers teaching "Anne Frank's Diary" or high school English teachers studying Elie Wiesel's "Night" and other Holocaust literature at the upper grades. These workshops are free and substitute pa y is provided for teachers attending, but space is limited and teachers are encouraged to make early contact with Linda Scher, Holocaust Teacher Workshop Coordinator. Participants receive a copy of "The Holocaust: a North Carolina Teacher's Resource," a guide for teaching about the Holocaust at the middle and high school levels. Workshops will be held as follows: Nov. 19, Wilkesboro (Wilkes County), Dec. 10, Lenoir (Caldwell County), Feb. 4, Newton (Catawba County), Feb. 18, Durham (Durham County), Feb. 23, Fayetteville (Cumberland County), Feb. 27, Monroe (Union County), March 4, Greensboro, (Guilford County) and March 25, WRESA in Enka (Buncombe County). For additional information and registration, please email Linda Scher at Brisket234@aol.com.

NCACC Sponsors Essay Contest for 10th Graders

The N.C. Association of County Commissioners is sponsoring an essay contest on the role of county government and awarding the student with the best essay and his/her teacher $500 each. In addition, the student who writes the winning essay may be invited to the NCACC's 2009 Annual Conference in Catawba County next August to read his/her essay. For complete rules and an official application form, please go online to http://www.welcometoyourcounty.org/.

Middle School Science Competition

The Siemens Foundation along with Discovery Education and the National Science Teachers Association are sponsoring a middle grades (6-8) science competition for students and teachers. The Siemens' "We Can Change the World Challenge" asks teams of two-three students led by a teacher or mentor to create sustainable, reproducible environmental improvements in their local communities. Competition details are available online at www.wecanchange.com. The competition ends March 15, 2009.

 

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