TEACHERS' MESSAGES 2004
TEACHERS' MESSAGES 2004FEBRUARY 26, 2004
biweekly teachers content
Regards,
Mike Ward
The State Board of Education will meet next Wednesday and Thursday, March 3-4, in the 7th Floor Board Room, Education Building, Raleigh. Board action items include naming the top recognition category for the ABCs program, recommendations from the State Board's Ad Hoc Writing Committee and recognition for alternative schools and programs. Board discussion items include the 2002-03 Annual Study of Suspensions and Expulsions report. To view the full agenda and accompanying executive summaries, please go to http://www.ncpublicschools.org/sbe_meetings/ and click on the appropriate link. The monthly State Board of Education meetings are now being audio streamed for those unable to attend. To listen to the sessions, please go online to http://www.ncpublicschools.org/sbe_meetings/and scroll to the Live Audio Stream links. To play the stream, your computer will need:
- an Internet connection;
- a free media player (Windows Media Player, Real One, or Real Player); and
- speakers or headphones.
Weighted Quality Point Policy Update
Students who will be ninth and tenth graders in 2004-05 may gain honors credit by taking university and 600+ community college courses. Students who will be juniors and seniors in 2004-05 still will be affected by the current Weighted Quality Point (see HSP-L-004 for the current policy available online at /state_board/ ). For the 2004-05 school year, the current policy will remain the same in terms of which courses are eligible to receive weighted credit at the high school level. The recently signed Memorandum of Understanding between the Institutions of Higher Education (Community College System and Universities) delegates authority for determining weighted quality points for high school courses to the Department of Public Instruction/State Board of Education. During the 2004-05 school year, the Department of Public Instruction will begin to develop standards for honors credit. Principals recently received an email about revisions in the Weighted Quality Point policy. Please be sure to share this information, in addition to the information you previously received by email, with appropriate staff. For additional information, please contact June Atkinson 919.807.3815; jatkinso@dpi.state.nc.us) or Wandra Polk 919.807.3816; wpolk@dpi.state.nc.us), Instructional Services, DPI.
Registration Closed for Gap Conference
If you have not already registered for the Eighth Annual Raising Achievement, Closing the Gap Conference to be held later in March it is too late to do so as registration has reached capacity. Registrations received after Feb. 10 will not be honored. A memo will be sent to the person submitting the registration fee informing them that their registration has been denied. Educators also are asked not to show up to register the day of the conference as they will be turned away. If you have questions regarding whether a registration has been accepted, you can go online to the Conference Web site at where registrants are listed. Other questions regarding the conference may be directed to Angela Hopson, Closing the Achievement Gap Section, DPI, 919.807.3609 or by email, ahopson@dpi.state.nc.us.
Six Middle Schools Recognized as National Schools to Watch
Congratulations to staff and students at Dixon Middle (Onslow County Schools), East Burke Middle (Burke County Schools), East Lincoln Middle (Lincoln County Schools), John Griffin Middle (Cumberland County Schools), Reid Ross Classical School (Cumberland County Schools), and South Charlotte Middle (Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools) for being recognized as National Schools to Watch. They received this recognition because of their academic excellence, responsiveness to the needs and interests of young adolescents, and their commitment to helping all students achieve at high levels. North Carolina is one of seven states participating in the National Forum to Accelerate Middle Grades Reform as a way to introduce the Forum's criteria for high performance in middle schools and recognize middle schools that meet or exceed the criteria. To read more, please go to DPI's Web site at http://www.ncpublicschools.org and look under "In the News."
Thirty North Carolina schools were recently recognized as 2003-04 Super Safe Schools during the 7th Annual Safe Schools Conference. These schools, representing a variety of schools districts in terms of size, demographics and other characteristics, have documented the safety processes they have in place and are to be congratulated for going the extra mile to provide an environment conducive to teaching and learning. For a complete list of the schools receiving this award, please go to DPI's Web site at http://www.ncpublicschools.org and look under "In the News."
Web Site Links Teachers to Donors
Gov. Mike Easley and the First Lady helped launch DonorsChoose N.C. in 15 pilot school districts across the state. DonorsChoose is a nonprofit marketplace on the Internet where teachers and citizens connect to give students resources they need to learn. DonorsChoose selected North Carolina as its first expansion outside New York. Originally launched in 2000, www.donorschoose.org allows teachers to submit proposals for any resource that would enhance their students' learning. Proposals may include requests for books, art supplies, science equipment, computers or a variety of other materials. Individuals around the state and the country can review the proposals and choose to fund the ones they find most compelling. When a proposal is funded, DonorsChoose purchases the materials for the teacher and compiles photographs, student thank-you notes, a teacher impact letter, and receipts for the donor. The following 15 school districts have been selected as pilot districts: Asheville City Schools; Burke County Schools; Caldwell County Schools; Charlotte/Mecklenburg County Schools; Cumberland County Schools; Durham Public Schools; Elizabeth City/Pasquotank County Schools; Granville County Schools; Halifax County Schools; Nash/Rocky Mount Schools; Onslow County Schools; Pender County Schools; Wake County Schools; Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools; and Wilson County Schools. The program will be available to teachers statewide in August. For more information on DonorsChoose or to find out how you can participate in the program, visit http://www.donorschoose.org or contact the North Carolina office at 919.806.4249.