PRINCIPALS' MESSAGES 2009

SEPTEMBER 3, 2009 - Principals' Biweekly Message

I want to see North Carolina "go GPS" for students in our schools. What does that mean? If you have a Global Positioning System (GPS) in your car, you know how it works. When you use the GPS, you can set your destination, identify particular characteristics of the roads you want to travel and use the GPS system to navigate throughout your trip. If you take a wrong turn, you hear immediately that you need to correct. That quick feedback enables you to correct and move toward your destination right away. The GPS also allows you to customize your journey. For our students, we need quick feedback and flexible customization - all with the destination of high school graduation in mind. Work is underway through the ACRE project (Accountability and Curriculum Reform Effort; www.ncpublicschools.org/acre ) to make sure the proper essential standards, tests and accountability measures are in place. Please encourage your teachers and others to pay attention to ACRE and to participate in the process whenever possible.

Regards,
June Atkinson

In this Biweekly Principals' Message:

1. State Board Meeting Highlights
2. Standard Course of Study Receives First Major Revision
3. Fewer Teachers Leave the Classroom in 2008-09
4. NC End-of-Grade and End-of-Course Tests Available Online
5. Technical Assistance Meetings Scheduled to Assist Dropout Prevention Grant Applicants
6. NC NCLB News August Edition Online
7. School Bus Safety Poster Contest Winners Announced
8. Scholarships Available for Teachers to Attend K-12 Computer Teacher Workshop
9. NC Dropout Prevention Conference to be Held This Month
10. USDLC Extends Free Online PD for NC Educators Through December
11. 2009-10 Great Salt Water Educational Outreach Program Targets Fourth Graders
12. LEARN NC Fall 2009 Interactive Fall Conference
13. 21st Century Skills for the Global Economy
14. Writing Contest Targets High School Students

State Board Meeting Highlights

At today's Board meeting, members approved changes to policy delineating the components of the ABCs program for the 2009-10 school year to remove the Competency Tests in Reading and Mathematics, Computer Skills tests, and end-of-course tests in Chemistry and Physics as required by legislation, modifying the Educational Value Added Assessment System (EVAAS) Teacher Module policy to allow for the data to be used as part of summative teacher evaluations, and providers for Supplemental Educational Services for 2009-10. Members discussed Honors Course Policy revisions, implementation of the Healthy Youth Act in grades 7-9, and the plan for statewide assistance for schools. Complete Board highlights will be available online late next week at www.ncpublicschools.org/stateboard/highlights.

Standard Course of Study Receives First Major Revision

After numerous face-to-face and virtual meetings, thousands of comments and three rewrites, the State Board of Education today approved the essential standards for K-12 Mathematics, English 10, the Occupational Course of Study and K-12 Information and Technology. This first group of essential standards, which become effective in the 2011-12 school year, are an integral part of the statewide Accountability and Curriculum Reform Effort (ACRE) approved by the State Board of Education as part of its "Framework for Change." To read more, please visit the NCDPI Web site at www.ncpublicschools.org and click on the appropriate link under "News."

Fewer Teachers Leave the Classroom in 2008-09

Fewer North Carolina teachers left their jobs last year according to the annual "Teacher Turnover Report" presented to the State Board of Education at its meeting. According to the statewide report, local school systems had an average teacher turnover rate of 12.72 percent for 2008-09, slightly less than the 2007-08 rate of 13turnover rate also remained lower than the 16.8 percent rate of turnover among all teachers in the United States. The State Board will officially approve the report, which is available online at www.ncpublicschools.org/docs/stateboard/meetings/2009/09/tcp/09tcp07.pdfat its October meeting.

NC End-of-Grade and End-of-Course Tests Available Online

Now all North Carolina residents can see if they are - in fact - smarter than a fifth grader. One form of most of North Carolina's statewide assessments and the corresponding answer keys and scoring tables are available online at www.ncpublicschools.org/accountability/testing/releasedforms. This is the first time that the tests have been publicly available for review by students, parents and others. Releasing forms of the test was a commitment that the State Board of Education made as a part of its "Framework for Change" efforts. The Board's decision to release one form of each test is intended to increase public awareness and transparency for the state's assessment program.

Technical Assistance Meetings Scheduled to Assist Dropout Prevention Grant Applicants

The North Carolina Committee on Dropout Prevention is hosting three technical assistance meetings/Webinars on Sept. 9-11 to help individuals and/or organizations apply for a dropout prevention grant for the 2009-10 school year. The North Carolina General Assembly has appropriated $13 million to support new and existing programs/initiatives that target students at risk of dropping out of school. For full details, please go to the NCDPI Web site at www.ncpublicschools.org and click on the appropriate link under "News."

NC NCLB News August Edition Online

The NC NCLB August edition features information on North Carolina's budget, ARRA funding and waivers, AYP results, an ACRE update, and more. The edition is available online at http://www.ncpublicschools.org/nclb/communications/news/

School Bus Safety Poster Contest Winners Announced

Congratulations to Jennifer Sieredzki, Riverwood Elementary School (Johnston County Schools); Arianna Edwards, Forrest Hunt Elementary (Rutherford County Schools); Kavajae Chatman, Darden Middle School (Wilson County Schools); and Cindy Sanchez-Perez, Spring Creek Elementary (Wayne County Schools) for receiving top honors in North Carolina's 2009 National School Bus Safety Week Poster Contest, "Cross in View, It's the Right Thing to Do!" Each of the first place winners will receive a plaque featuring his or her artwork and school bus safety items. In addition, winning posters are featured on the state's School Bus Safety Web site, www.ncbussafety.org, under "New to Web site." The students will now compete for national honors.

Scholarships Available for Teachers to Attend K-12 Computer Workshop

The Anita Borg Institute for Women and Technology, in collaboration with the Computer Science Teachers Association and the University of Arizona, is hosting a workshop for K-12 computing teachers focused on solutions for teaching computer science and information technology. Workshop topics include the state and future of the AP Computer Science curriculum, teaching computational thinking with simulations and modeling, teaching computer science concepts with toys and building student interest in computing courses. The workshop will be held Oct. 2-3 in conjunction with the 2009 Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Computing in Tucson, AZ. Full scholarship for attendance is included in the invitation (travel, hotel, and meals) however participation is limited to 100 teachers. Please complete the application form at http://www.gracehopper.org/2009/forms/csta/ by Sept. 15 if you are interested in attending. Successful applicants will be notified by email by Sept. 21. Participants will receive six professional development contract hours (a certificate will be delivered upon attendance).

NC Dropout Prevention Con ference to be Held This Month

NC Dropout Prevention Conference, "Stay Connected - Stay in School," will be held Sept. 21-23 at the Sea Trail Resort, Sunset Beach. Conference details, including registration information, is available online at www.ncdpa.com by clicking on the 2009 Conference link. There will be a special session Tuesday morning, Sept. 22, for all school districts that will outline the new application process for the grants and the steps existing grant recipients need to follow. This will also include plenty of time for questions and answers.

USDLC Extends Free Online PD for NC Educators Through December

USDLC received such a big response from state educators to its summer offer of free, online professional development that they've decided to continue the offer through December so that educators can complete all the courses they've started. New registrants also are being accepted for courses through December. There are a wide variety of courses being offered, but before you start a course you will need:

• Prior Approval (USDLC offers a form if you do not already have one. This is for your local CEU process and not returned to USDLC.)
• Locally assigned evaluator (supervisor level-i.e., principal, PD coordinator, county-level PD coordinator to review and approve reflective papers in order for you to receive an e-Certificate of Completion.)

To register, go online to www.usdlc.org and select "Add Me to Our Site License." Complete the form using your county SiteID. (All NC counties now have a USDLC SiteID. If you do not know yours, email info@usdlc.orgor call 888.828.7352.) If you have any questions or need additional assistance, please contact Cris Crissman, NCDPI Distance Learning Consultant, at ccrissma@dpi.state.nc.us or 919.807-3582.

2009-10 Great Salt Water Educational Outreach Program Targets Fourth

Graders - The Coastal Carolina Indian Center & Association is sponsoring the 2009-10 Great Salt Water Educational Outreach Program. This is a unique enrichment opportunity for fourth grade teachers and their students. Upon request, staff from the Center will visit schools and individual classrooms so that students can examine a variety of artifacts, ask questions and learn more about some of the fun and thrilling facts of North Carolina Indian history. For more information regarding how to participate in this program, please go online to http://www.coastalcarolinaindians.com/news/071808_EducationalOutreach.htmor call 252.354.5905.

LEARN NC Fall 2009 Interactive Fall Conference

Sign up now to attend LEARN NC's free 2009 interactive conference scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 1, from 1-5 p.m. Though the face-to-face seats are now filled, virtual attendees get the same great afternoon sessions as face-to-face participants, including sharing free resources, technology integration, professional development strategies, and more. Interact with fellow educators from around North Carolina via Web conference software, Twitter, and the online back channel. Virtual participants may join for the entire afternoon or for whatever portion of the conference is convenient. For full details and registration information, please visit http://www.learnnc.org/lp/editions/fall-conference-2009/5767

21st Century Skills for the Global Economy

World View will sponsor its 2009 Global Education Symposium, "21st Century Skills for the Global Economy," on Oct. 14-15 at the Friday Center in Chapel Hill. The symposium will offer techniques and resources for integrating 21st Century skills across the curriculum. The cost is $150 per person and $500 for a team of four. Completers will receive 1.5 CEUs. For more information, including registration, please visit www.unc.edu/world/2009Symposium.htm

Writing Contest Targets High School Students

The First Freedom Center is sponsoring its 17th annual First Freedom Student Competition. This national essay contest offers 9th-12th grade students an opportunity to compete fo r a $3,000, $1,500 and $750examine the history and implementation of religious freedom-the freedom of conscience-in American democracy and the world today. This year the competition is going global, as the topic asks students to write about international religious freedom. Students will be introduced to Article 18 of the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Eleanor Roosevelt, and the place of religious liberty in U.S. history and foreign policy. Their task will challenge their analytic writing skills and require them to assess current-day events in terms of international human rights and history. For the topic, guidelines, registration, classroom poster, student flyer and other details, visit www.firstfreedom.org, and then click on the red First Freedom Student Competition button (center column). Student online registration is required on or before Monday, Nov. 23, and the postmark entry deadline for mailing the essay with its accompanying entry materials is Saturday, Nov. 28. Questions may be directed to Isabelle Richman, First Freedom Center, at competition@firstfreedom.org or 804.643.1786.

 

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