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

SBE HIGHLIGHTS

June 3-4, 2009

Special Note:To review background materials on each item, please go to http://www.ncpublicschools.org/stateboard/meetings/2009/06. 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

  • High School Courses Taken in the Middle School Considerations for Social Studies (GCS 2) - Board members approved middle school students receiving credit for taking high school social studies courses if they score at or above proficiency on the end-of-course assessment if applicable. If the course does not have an EOC, the course must be aligned to the North Carolina Standard Course of Study for grades 9-12 in order for the student to receive credit. The student would receive high school credit for the course, but the grade would not be included in the student's high school GPA. This policy takes effect in the 2009-10 school year.

  • Legislative Update on Evaluation of Educational Services to Students with Hearing and/or Visual Impairments (GCS 5) - A report on the Evaluation of Educational Services to Students with Hearing and/or Visual Impairments and its recommendations was approved to be submitted to various Senate and House Health and Human Services and Education Appropriations Committees. The recommendations included leaving the overall administration of the residential schools and early childhood programs with DHHS. The report also concluded that school-age outreach programs should routinely collaborate with the NCDPI. Also recommended was establishing pilot regional programs that would provide a wide array of special education related services and placement options required by federal and state special education laws and regulations to this population.

  • Construction Education Programs Certification and Credentials (GCS 6) - While meeting as the State Board of Career and Technical Education, Board members approved a new policy that would ensure that construction education programs (carpentry, electrical trades and masonry) offered in the state's public schools are National Center for Construction Education Research (NCCER) certified. The NCCER program leads to various trade certifications and credentials. Students also could earn community college credits while in high school. Instructors must be ICTP (Instructor Certification Training Program) certified by Aug. 2010. All school construction programs are to be certified by Aug. 1, 2011.

  • Approval of Grants (TCS 1) - Even Start Family Literacy Program Grants totaling $1.5 million were approved for 11 local districts for 2009-10: Ashe, Bertie, Caldwell, Craven and Lenoir were approved for continuation grants. Burke, Greene, Lee, Randolph/Asheboro City, Rutherford and Washington were approved for new grants. Child Nutrition Equipment Assistance Grants totaling $3.3 million were approved for 95 districts (255 schools), eight charter schools and six Residential Child Care Institutions. The grants, which were funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, are for schools where 50 percent or more of students are eligible for free or reduced price meals and will be used to purchase equipment used in the preparation and service of school meals. Also approved was an almost $6,000 adjustment to Northampton County's Reading First funding grant.

  • Revision of Policy TCS-U-002 Regarding Criminal Fingerprint History Checks for Employment Applicants and Individuals Handling Fiscal Matters in Charter Schools (LFI 2) - Revision of State Board Policy TCS-U-002, which deals with criminal fingerprint checks of applicants for employment and individuals handling fiscal matters in charter schools, was approved. The revision ensures that the investigation and inquiry are consistent with state and federal law and, if appropriate, that the NCDPI Charter Schools' staff can determine whether to invite a charter school employee applicant into the Superintendent's Ethics Advisory Committee (SEAC) for an interview. The SEAC would then determine whether to recommend an applicant for employment and would forward the recommendation to the State Superintendent for a final decision.

Board members also approved:

  • Recommended changes to achievement level descriptors for the NCEXTEND2 for 2009-10 school year to define more clearly the performance of NCEXTEND2 students in each of the four achievement levels for reading, mathematics and science assessments. (GCS 1)

  • Revising the state's public schools' grading policy to allow schools to reflect student grades by either a letter entry or numeric entry via one of two scales: augmented or standard. The conversion of grades to quality points is standardized and made equivalent under each option. (GCS 4)

  • A language update to the Occupational Course of Study that reinserts the NCDPI's recommendation of "360 hours of paid employment" into State Board Policy HSP-N-004. (GCS 9)

  • Pre-approval of the NCDPI Financial and Business Services' Policy Manuals. (TCS 2)

  • Recommended membership of the State Advisory Council on Indian Education. (TCS 3)

  • Technology plans for Healthy Start Academy and Kinston Charter. Approval qualifies these districts and charter schools for the School Technology Trust Fund, No Child Left Behind and federal e-Rate monies. (LFI 1)

Discussion Agenda

  • Academic Scholars Program (GCS 3) - Board members discussed revising the Academic Scholars Program to align with the Future-Ready Core graduation requirements and national and international honor society criteria. In order for a student to receive an Academic Scholars seal on his/her diploma, it is recommended that he/she have a 3.5 un-weighted GPA and either three additional credits of higher level courses (courses carry five or six quality points) taken during the junior and/or senior years or two additional credits of higher level courses (courses carry five or six quality points) taken during the junior and/or senior years and completion of The North Carolina Graduation Project.

  • Academically or Intellectually Gifted (AIG) Program Standards (GCS 7) - Recommendations addressing state performance standards for the AIG Program were discussed. The standards would serve as a statewide framework to guide districts as they develop, coordinate and implement thoughtful and comprehensive AIG programs. Other recommendations direct the NCDPI to develop a review process of local AIG programs to support continuous program improvement, and to ensure that the State Auditor's recommendations are integrated into state practices and policies.

  • Recommendations for Preliminary Approval of 2009 Charter School Applications (LFI 3) - Board members received the Leadership for Innovation Committee's preferences to fill the three current charter school openings. The schools were selected during a May 26 conference call meeting of the committee. Board members will review information for all seven charter school applicants for voting on at the July Board meeting. When approved, the three selected schools will undergo rigorous training while developing the bylaws, policies and procedures that are deemed necessary for the effective and efficient operation of a charter school.
Board members also discussed:
  • Membership for the Governor's School Board of Governors to fill six vacancies. (TCS 4)

  • The State Evaluation Committee's Teacher Education Program approval recommendations for Campbell University, Elizabeth City State University and UNC-Chapel Hill. Also, the Alternative Lateral Entry Program approval recommendations for Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools' Career and Technical Education Lateral Entry Program and the Mt. Olive College Lateral Entry Program. (TCP 2)

  • Routine waiver exemptions that will become a part of the Cooperative Innovative High School Program approval process and be granted automatically with program approvals. In most cases, the exemptions requested have been repeatedly approved for similar programs in past years. Members also discussed authorizing the State Board of Education Chair to approve these routine waivers for districts that are opening innovative programs not requiring Board approval. (LFI 4)

Information Agenda

  • State Advisory Council on Indian Education Annual Report (GCS 8) - The goal of the State Advisory Council on Indian Education's Annual Report is to provide state leaders with a better understanding of how innovative educational initiatives targeting high school students could serve American Indian students more effectively. The Council examined the nature of innovative opportunities available to students, the needs of American Indian students and how schools address those needs, the integration of American Indian culture into the school experience and the participation of American Indian students in online courses. Also explored were the barriers that prevent students from taking advantage of these opportunities.

  • Update on Teacher Evaluation Instrument Implementation and Next Steps of Phase-In (TCP 3) - Currently 13 districts are piloting the Teacher Evaluation Instrument during Phase 1 (Alleghany, Alexander, Camden, Cherokee, Elkin City, Hertford, Iredell/Statesville, Jones, Newton-Conover, Orange, Rutherford, Scotland and Wilson). Phase 2 of the teacher evaluation instrument implementation is underway. Train-the-Trainer sessions have been held in eight regions of the state, and over 2,680 people have participated. Trained district teams consisted of the superintendent or associate superintendent, office staff, principals and teachers. Results of an after-training survey showed the trainings were well received. Districts were given the choice of whether they will implement the instrument in 2009-10 or 2010-11. Thirty-nine districts will implement the teacher evaluation instrument in the 2009-10 school year. These districts will develop and submit individual plans on how they will train their staff and submit those plans to the NCDPI for approval. Those that will implement in 2010-11 also will submit an implementation plan detailing what they will be doing to ensure a smooth transition.

Special Recognition

Christine Greene was sworn in by the Honorable Paul M. Newby, associate justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court, to serve on the State Board of Education representing Education District 5.

Board members presented outgoing Superintendent Advisor Dr. Shirley Prince (superintendent of Scotland County Schools), Principal Advisor and 2008 Wachovia North Carolina Principal of the Year Dr. Debra Morris (A.L. Brown High, Kannapolis City Schools), and Teacher Advisor and 2007-08 North Carolina Teacher of the Year James Bell (formerly a teacher at Chowan Middle, Edenton/Chowan Public Schools) with plaques recognizing their dedication and service to the Board.

Outgoing State Board of Education member Ray Durham (District 2) was presented a resolution honoring his service to the Board.

 

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