TEACHERS' MESSAGES 2005

APRIL 14, 2005

Last week, the State Board of Education approved a policy that requires each K-8 school to provide students with at least 30 minutes of physical activity each day. This activity can be physical education, recess or other opportunities for students to be physically active such as energizers and intramurals. This can even be done in 10-minute increments at appropriate times during the school day. While I know that your school days are quite full, I think the benefits of providing opportunities for young students to move around during the day make it worth the cost. Research shows that students are better learners when they are physically active, and public health research shows that Americans need to be more physically active to preserve and improve our health. I hope you will take a careful look at this policy, available online at http://www.ncpublicschools.org/sbe_meetings/0504_sbagenda.html

Regards,
Tricia Willoughby

In this Biweekly Teachers' Message:

1. State Board Meeting Highlights
2. Senior Project Training
3. Hyatt Named 2005 Wachovia NC Principal of the Year
4. Accountability Services Launches Redesigned Web Site
5. National Board Certification Information Sessions
6. National Board Certification Information Sessions
7. Justice Teaching Institute for High School Social Studies Teachers
8. Smart and Good High Schools
9. Learn More-Teach More Residential American History Summer Workshop
10. Math Matters Workshops Scheduled
11. Summer Seminar Targets Middle and High School ELA, History and Social Studies Teachers
12. Second Annual Elementary School Conference
13. Registration Open for NCCAT Seminars

State Board Meeting Highlights

The State Board of Education approved a revision of Initial Licensure and Continuing Licensure Requirements to facilitate the employment of teachers while maintaining important quality measures. The revisions would replace the current Initial License with a Standard Professional License 1 and the current Continuing License would be replaced with the Standard Professional License 2. To be issued a Standard Professional License an individual must have three years of satisfactory teaching experience, at least one of which must be in North Carolina; and have the recommendation of the employing LEA; and complete any professional development activities prescribed by the LEA; and satisfy North Carolina testing requirements or hold National Board Certification or submit documentation of the ability to positively impact student achievement or satisfactorily complete the NC High, Objective, Uniform, State Standard of Evaluation for the license areas. The complete Board highlights are posted online at http://www.ncpublicschools.org/sbehighlights/

Senior Project Training

The State Board of Education is sponsoring scholarships for teams from 20 North Carolina public schools or local education agencies to attend the upcoming Annual Senior Project Training (June 22-24) sponsored by the Partnership for Dynamic Learning. This year's training will be held at the Renaissance Asheville Hotel in Asheville. The hotel's room rate is $119 per night for single or double occupancy. Hotel reservations must be made by May 21.

The Board's scholarships will be for $1,000 each to support the cost of participating in the workshops. Information regarding training and registration can be found online at www.seniorproject.net. Registration forms for the scholarship can be obtained by calling or emailing Jane Worsham, Executive Director of the State Board of Education, at 919.807.3400, or jworsham@dpi.state.nc.us. Use the registration form on the senior project Web site to register for the training. The deadline for applying to SERVE and the SBE is June 1. Scholarships will be awarded on a first-come first-serve basis.

Hyatt Named 2005 Wachovia NC Principal of the Year

Margaret Hyatt, principal of Avery's Creek Elementary School, Buncombe County chools, was named the 2005 North Carolina Wachovia Principal of the Year. She succeeds John Black, principal of Longview Elementary School, Hickory City Schools. To read more, please go to DPI's Web site at http://www.ncpublicschools.org and look under "In the News."

Accountability Services Launches Redesigned Web Site

A new "Accountability Services" Web site was launched earlier this month. The new site is easier to use and includes new sections for parents and educators. "For Parents" is geared specifically to help parents understand the North Carolina Testing Program. It addresses testing for elementary students; middle school students; high school students; students with disabilities; and students identified as limited English proficient. It also includes information on No Child Left Behind and other resources for parents. "For Educators" is for teachers and public school administrators. It includes information on No Child Left Behind; the proposed high school exit standards; data and reports; and other documents that educators will find useful in implementing the North Carolina Testing Program. Other new features include "Data and Reports," which will allow you to search all testing and accountability reports for public schools from one location, and a staff directory. Visit and bookmark http://www.ncpublicschools.org/accountability/ today!

National Board Certification Information Sessions

North Carolina teachers seeking more information about National Board Certification are invited to attend regional information sessions being held across the state from April 14 - May 26. To determine the exact locations and times in your area, please visit www.ncpublicschools.org/nbpts and click on the appropriate link. For more information about National Board Certification, please contact Deanna Harris, Center for Recruitment and Retention, NC DPI, 919.807.3358, or by email, dharris@dpi.state.nc.us.

2005 Performance Assessments Summer Institutes

Online registration for the 2005 Performance Assessments Summer Institutes can now be accessed through https://cuacs8.mck.ncsu.edu/pasi by clicking on the appropriate link. Although teachers will benefit most from the Institutes, administrators, test coordinators and others also are invited to attend. Participants may choose from the following sessions: Writing Scoring: Grades 4, 7, and 10, North Carolina Alternate Assessment Academic Inventory, North Carolina Alternate Assessment Portfolio, Computer Skills, Item Development, and Rubric Writing. Session abstracts are available online. Sessions are repeated throughout the four-day institute. Participants are not required to attend every session to receive credit for attendance. Credit for participation will be awarded based on the total number of sessions attended over the four-day time period. Participants will receive .3 CEUs for each half-day session and .6 CEUs for each full-day session. Registration is on a first come, first serve basis and will remain open until all sessions and locations are filled. There is no fee to participate. Please contact Sheila Brown at 919.515.1431, or by email at shield_brown@ncsu.edu should you have further questions.

Justice Teaching Institute for High School Social Studies Teachers

The Lawyers in the Schools Committee of the North Carolina Bar Association invites high school social studies teachers to apply to participate in the inaugural Justice Teaching Institute (JTI). The Institute will be held Oct. 16-18 at the North Carolina Bar Center, Cary. This intensive 2-1/2 day will increase teachers' understanding of the court system and judicial process and give them the tools they need to pass that knowledge on to their students (consistent with the North Carolina Standard Course of Study). Teachers successfully completing the program will be installed as JTI Fellows. Registration is limited to 20 teachers. Applications must be postmarked on or before April 25. Applicants will be notified of their selection status no later than mid-May. For more information about JTI, and an application to become a JTI Fellow, please visit http://www.ncbar.org/public/lis/index.aspx and click on the first Justice Teaching Institute link under Current News.

Smart and Good High Schools

High school educators may be interested in attending "Smart and Good High Schools: Integrating Excellence and Ethics for Success in School, Work, and Beyond," to be held June 17 from 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m., at Grimsley High School, Greensboro. The full-day workshop provides promising practices to build eight strengths of character that help teens lead productive, ethical and fulfilling lives. The registration fee is $150 per person; however 10 percent off each registration is being offered for teams of four or more. The registration deadline is May 15. Space is limited. For more information or to register, please contact the Character Development Group at 919.967.2110.

Learn More-Teach More Residential American History Summer Workshop

Middle and high school social studies teachers are encouraged to join their peers for a week-long Learn More-Teach More Residential American History Summer Workshop being held at the NC School of Science and Mathematics, Durham. This immersion program will be held twice: June 12-17 or June 19-24. The goals of this free residential workshop are to enhance teachers' knowledge of American history and to provide teachers with time and assistance to prepare lesson plans for their classrooms. Teachers will participate in a variety of activities and enjoy a wide range of presentations from noted historians. They will have an opportunity to explore resources (especially the Learn More-Teach More Web site) as well as time to network with colleagues. Each session is limited to 20 participants. Upon completion of the workshop, teachers will receive a $500 stipend for the week and a CD of lesson plans developed by all session participants. Participants also will receive 3 CEUs. You can register online at http://ncssm.infonowonline.org or by contacting Carole Stern at 919.416.2635 (stern@ncssm.edu), or Jim Litle 919.416.2716, (litle@ncssm.edu).

Math Matters Workshops Scheduled

TEAM II, a five-year National Science Foundation project for teacher leaders, will be offering professional development on the Mathematics Standard Course of Study for elementary teachers at a limited number of sites in July and August. The Math Matters I workshops are a repeat of the Summer 2004 sessions. A new Math Matters II workshop is open to participants from the Summer 2004 Math Matters.

Math Matters I is a two-day workshop for teachers in grades K-5 focusing on important mathematics in North Carolina's Standard Course of Study. The registration fee is $145 and includes materials, lunches, and breaks. Locations are as follows: July 18-19, Waynesville Middle School (Haywood County) and Northwest Elementary School (Lenoir County); July 21-22, Liberty Middle School (Burke County) and North Johnston iddle School (Johnston County); Aug. 1-2, Forbush High School (Yadkin County) and Franklin Elementary School (Franklin County); and Aug. 4-5, Albemarle Middle School (Stanley County) and Roanoke Middle School (Martin County).

Math Matters II, a three-and-a-half-day workshop for K-5 teachers who participated in Math Matters I in the summer of 2004, will be held July 25-28. The Math Matters II is designed to delve more deeply into the content covered in Math Matters I. This will be a residential professional development at Meredith College, Raleigh. Participants may commute rather than staying on campus; however, participation in all sessions (morning, afternoon, and early evening) is expected. Math Matters II registration is $235 and includes materials, lunches, and breaks. Housing and additional meals at Meredith is $115.Registration forms may be downloaded by going to http://www.learnnc.org/dpi/instserv.nsf/Category7 and clicking on announcements then Math Matters.

Summer Seminar Targets Middle and High School ELA, History and Social Studies Teachers

Middle and high school English, Language Arts, history and social studies teachers are invited to attend the 5th Annual Summer Seminar on Good and Evil sponsored by UNC-Chapel Hill's Program in the Humanities and Human Values. The seminar will be held July 17-22. The seminar's primary purpose is to survey ideas and events of the last century by looking at historical case studies and sampling recent philosophical and religious literature to acquire perspective on how we make sense of good and evil. Seminar participants also will explore the relationship of education to morality: what does it mean to be an educated person, and how can the disciplines of the humanities-history, literature, philosophy, and religious studies-enrich the education of students as they grapple with questions of good and evil? Registration is limited to 12 English or Language Arts teachers and 12 history or social studies teachers. The $250 seminar fee covers single rooms at a nearby hotel, most meals, readings, and tuition. Upon completion, teachers will qualify for five CEUs. For more information about the seminar, including an agenda, and a registration form, please contact Brian Entzminger at entzming@email.unc.edu or by calling, 919.962.1544.

Second Annual Elementary School Conference

The NCDPI's PreK-Elementary Division is sponsoring its second annual Elementary School Conference, "Building on Success," on Oct. 10-11, at the Sheraton Imperial Hotel and Conference Center, Research Triangle Park. Call for Proposals and registration forms can be accessed online at www.ncpublicschools.org by clicking on the Events and Conferences link, then the Elementary School Conference link. Registration is limited to 800 participants. For more information, please contact Michelle Palmer Weaver, School Improvement Division, NCDPI, at 919.807.3937, or by email, mepalmer@dpi.state.nc.us.

Registration Open for NCCAT Seminars

The North Carolina Center for the Advancement of Teaching (NCCAT) provides a number of professional development opportunities for North Carolina public school teachers at no cost to participants. Seminar materials, lodging at NCCAT, meals, substitute teacher pay, and most travel expenses are covered. All seminars are aligned with the NC Standard Course of Study, are multi-disciplinary, and are based on experiential learning principles. Several five-day seminars have been added for this summer (May - August) for teachers employed full time for at least three years in North Carolina schools. For more information, including seminar topics and registration, please go online to www.nccat.org or call NCCAT at 800.922.0482.