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. Public Schools of North Carolina . . State Board of Education . . Department Of Public Instruction .

SBE HIGHLIGHTS

FEBRUARY 4-5, 2009

Special Note:To review background materials on each item, please go to http://www.ncpublicschools.org/stateboard/meetings/2009/02. Click on the appropriate agenda category: Globally Competitive Students (GCS); Twenty-First Century Professionals (TCP); Leadership for Innovation (LFI); Twenty-First Century Systems (TCS); or Healthy Responsible Students (HRS).

Action Agenda

  • Participation in American Diploma Project Algebra I and II Exams (GCS 1) - Board members approved using a representative sample of 30 high schools (approximately 2,400 students) to participate in the American Diploma Project (ADP) Algebra II assessment this spring and to waive the state Algebra II end-of-course (EOC) requirement for those schools. Local districts would still have the option of allowing the sampled schools to administer the North Carolina Algebra II EOC to all or some students although the results would not be used for school accountability purposes unless all students in the sample take both the ADP and the NC EOC assessments. The Board also directed that the NCDPI continue to be involved in the ADP Algebra I test development activities but not administer the ADP Algebra I exam during spring 2009.

  • State Evaluation Committee Teacher Education Program and Alternative Lateral Entry Program Approval Recommendations (TCP 1) - State Evaluation Committee Teacher Education Program and Alternative Lateral Entry Program recommended actions were approved for Greensboro College, High Point University, Queens University of Charlotte, Salem College, Shaw University, Wake Forest University, Wingate University and Moore County Schools/ Sandhills Community College Alternative Lateral Entry Program. Renewal Recommendations for Charter Schools with Charters Expiring June 2009 (LFI 1) - Renewal recommendations for the following charter schools whose charters expire in June were approved: Crossnore (Avery County) - 5-year renewal; Evergreen (Buncombe County) - 10-year renewal; Research Triangle Charter Academy (Durham County) - 5-year renewal; Forsyth Academy (Forsyth County) - 10-year renewal; Greensboro Academy (Guilford County) - 10-year renewal; Guilford Preparatory Academy (Guilford County) - 5-year renewal; Mountain Community (Henderson County) - 10-year renewal; American Renaissance (Iredell County) - 10-year renewal; Provisions (Lee County) - no action, charter expires June 30, 2009; Sandhills Theatre Arts Renaissance School - STAR (Moore County) - 3-year renewal; Thomas Jefferson Classical Academy (Rutherford County) - 10-year renewal; Vance Charter (Vance County) - 10-year renewal; Quest (Wake County) - 10-year renewal; and Raleigh Charter High (Wake County) - 10-year renewal. Board members approved a 3-year renewal for PreEminent (Wake County) with the stipulation that the school must meet at least expected growth in the 2008-09 and 2009-10 school years or jeopardize their charter renewal. The Board took no action on Torchlight (Wake County) as members are waiting to receive additional information.

  • North Carolina Virtual Public School Funding Formula (TCS 1) - Board members approved submitting to the Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee a report outlining the following funding formula options for the North Carolina Virtual Public School: full funding from the General Assembly, charge a fee per course, develop a formula where NCVPS is treated like an LEA with its own average daily membership, and a combination of the above. The State Board is to adopt a funding formula to fund e-learning beginning in the 2009-2010 school year. NCVPS is to be available at no cost to students enrolled in a public school, a Department of Defense school or a school operated by the Bureau of Indian Affairs.

  • Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children (TCS 3) - Board members approved the creation of a State Council as it relates to the Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children, and proposed membership as outlined in session law. The purpose of the Compact is to “remove barriers to educational success imposed on children of military families because of frequent moves and deployment of their parents.”

Board members also approved:

  • A technical correction to State Board policies (delete HSP-N-000 as it is being replaced by a revised HSP-N-003 and new Board policy HSP-N-009). (GCS 2)

  • Proposed members for the Council on Educational Services for Exceptional Children. (TCS 2)

  • Mathematics and Science Partnership Grants funding increases for four grant projects with increases totaling $213,264. (TCS 4)


Discussion Agenda

  • 1:1 Laptop Evaluation: Report to the State Legislature (LFI 2) - Board members discussed the first year evaluation report of the NC 1:1 Laptop pilot initiative including conclusions, lessons learned and next steps for submittal to the North Carolina General Assembly. The NC 1:1 Laptop pilot initiative is a public-private partnership between the Golden LEAF Foundation, SAS Institute, the North Carolina New Schools Project, the Friday Institute and the NCDPI that provides 21st century resources to teachers and students at eight high schools.


Information Agenda

  • 2007-08 Dropout Data Report (GCS 3) - North Carolina high schools reported that 4.97 percent of students dropped out of school during the 2007-08 academic year, according to the 2007-08 Dropout Report. This means that 1,116 fewer students across North Carolina decided to drop out in 2007-08 than in the previous year. Overall, 22,434 students out of approximately 450,000 North Carolina high school students dropped out of school in 2007-08. This marks the first decrease in the state's rate since 2004-05. The rate in 2006-07 was 5.24 percent with 23,550 students leaving before graduation. Dropout rates also fell in 66 of the state's 115 school districts.


Board Recognitions

Board members recognized:
  • Dr. Cynthia Chamblee, director of Wake County Public Schools' Project Enlightenment, who provided a presentation on the program.

  • New State Board of Education member Ray Durham who was sworn in to Board service by North Carolina Superior Court Judge Howard Manning.

  • 2008-09 Milken Award Winner and Corinth Holders Elementary School (Johnston County Schools) teacher Bryan Holley.

  • AT&T North Carolina Executive Director of Legislative Affairs Herb Crenshaw who presented a check in the amount of $50,000 to support the AT&T North Carolina Teacher of the Year program.

  • Former State Superintendent Special Assistant Priscilla Weber who retired in December.
 

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