TEACHERS' MESSAGES 2006

JANUARY 12, 2006

The principalship can be a lonely role at times, but decision making doesn't have to be done on your own. School Improvement Teams can make a significant positive difference in the decision-making process at every school, improve staff morale and create a more positive environment for faculty and students. Cathy Tomon, principal at Broad Creek Middle School in Carteret County, has written an issues paper on this topic to remind us all of the importance of School Improvement Teams in school leadership. A special thanks to Ms. Tomon for developing this resource. To read it in its entirety, please go to www.ncpublicschools.org/principalsadvise and click on the link "Information of Interest."

Regards,
June Atkinson

In this Biweekly Teachers' Message:

1. New Year Greetings from 2005 Wachovia Principal of the Year
2. U.S. Dept. of Education Cuts Affect State Education Funds
3. School Leadership Ad Hoc Committee Meeting Summary
4. SBE Ad Hoc Rigor, Relevance and Relationships Committee Meeting Summary
5. Transition Plans Wanted
6. Louisiana Diplomas for Displaced Students
7. National Youth Science Camp
8. NC Network's Annual Conference Set for February
9. Raising Achievement and Closing Gaps Conference to be Held in March
10. Free Online Course for High School Algebra Teachers
11. Animated Demos Available on LEARN NC Web Site
12. 2006 American Stars of Teaching

New Year Greetings from 2005 Wachovia Principal of the Year

Happy New Year! As we fast forward into 2006, I pause to reflect on the many exciting experiences I have encountered as North Carolina's 2005 Wachovia Principal of the Year. Since May I have traveled from the mountains to the coast networking with talented educational leaders and witnessed firsthand the miracles occurring within our schools. With each step of my journey I continue to be humbled by the passion driving the educational engines of our schools. It is that passion that feeds our energy, causes us to work diligently, and holds our focus on exemplary work standards and the mission of our schools. As educational leaders we all recognize the need for a strong passion to lead in order to fulfill our responsibilities and live up to our professional potential. It is that heartfelt passion that keeps us grounded when obstacles get in our way and we refuse to accept mediocre standards for our students. Fortunately, an educator can put passion for work and achievement in the hearts of students and colleagues alike. It is an honor to witness first hand the passion of our educational leaders and serve as a voice for administrators across the state. I hope 2006 is everything you envision as you turn dreams into reality within your schools.

* Margaret Hyatt, 2005 N.C. Wachovia Principal of the Year

U.S. Dept. of Education Cuts Affect State Education Funds

The State Board of Education will be sending a letter to North Carolina's Congressional delegation and to the U.S. Department of Education expressing its deep concerns regarding cuts in the FY 2006 Federal Education Budget and the impact on North Carolina public schools. Staff's understanding is that these are the first cuts, overall, to the federal education budget in 10 years, and they are coming at a time when challenges and demands on our education system have never been greater. The 2006 budget has passed both chambers of Congress and was signed into law by the President. We educate 1.4 million students every day in North Carolina's public schools. While total dollars spent on education may look large, the truth is it's never enough to pay teachers adequately, buy textbooks and supplies, and provide all the services that our increasingly diverse student population needs. Erosion of federal support simply means greater pressure on already stretched state and local dollars. Some of the largest federal cuts are in areas like Educational Technology State Grants, Comprehensive School Reform, Even Start, and Safe and Drug Free Schools. While bracing for the impact, DPI staff members are working hard to find ways to minimize the negative effects on these and other important initiatives.

School Leadership Ad-Hoc Writing Committee Meeting Summary

The State Board of Education's Ad Hoc Writing Committee met on Friday, Nov. 21, to discuss the 10th grade writing assessment with teachers who teach 10th grade language arts and have had experience with the 10th grade writing assessment. The agenda included a brief history of the 10th grade writing test, current status of the 10th grade writing assessment program, input from the visiting teachers and possible recommendations. The Ad Hoc Committee will meet again in January to develop recommendations regarding the state's 10th grade writing assessment program for presentation to the Board at its February meeting.

SBE Ad Hoc Rigor, Relevance and Relationships Committee Meeting Summary

At its Jan. 12 meeting, the R3 committee received and approved recommendations from DPI high school and middle school math consultants. Department staff members were instructed to prepare the recommendations for inclusion in the February State Board meeting materials. Consultant presentations included recommendations to clarify and provide guidance regarding the awarding of units of credit for specified math courses in high school and guidance for middle school students selected to take Algebra I. DPI staff also presented a recommended timeline for implementing the default Standard Course of Study. This item will be added to the SBE February agenda as an information item. A concerned parent attended the meeting and shared thoughts with the committee on the current math requirements for the university/college preparatory course of study students. Committee Chair Kathy Taft reassured the parent that the R3 committee will be making a series of policy recommendations to the State Board as its work proceeds and that concerns expressed at the R3 meeting will likely become part of future discussions of the R3 committee.

Transition Plans Wanted

NCDPI's Curriculum and School Reform Services is in the process of developing a new document that focuses on the importance of effective transitions for students in grades preschool to kindergarten, 2nd to 3rd grades, 5th to 6th grades, 8th to 9th grades, and graduation and beyond. If your school is successfully implementing effective transition plans, we would like to learn more about them. Please forward a copy of your plan(s) to Eva Phillips in the Early Childhood Section via email to ephillip@dpi.state.nc.us or by fax to 919/807-3823. All information needs to be received by Jan. 30.

Louisiana Diplomas for Displaced Students

The Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education has voted to allow students who relocated to other states due to the 2005 hurricanes to receive Louisiana diplomas during the 2005-06 and 2006-07 school years. If your school has students interested in receiving a Louisiana diploma, please have your counselor inform the Louisiana Department of Education of their decision by supplying each student's name, Social Security number, date of birth, and former school on the Department's Web site at www.louisianaschools.net (click on Distance Diploma) and sending the student's transcripts. Students needing to take the Louisiana Graduation Exit Exam (GEE) will be provided three opportunities to take the GEE online in Spring 2006. Questions may be directed to Nancy Beben toll free at 877/453-2721, or by email, nancy.beben@la.gov.

National Youth Science Camp

Current high school seniors interested in being considered for one of two full scholarships to attend the National Youth Science Camp this summer should submit an application by Feb. 17. The three-week experience, which takes place from June 25-July 16, includes lectures and hands-on research projects presented by scientists from across the nation; overnight expeditions into the National Forest; and a visit to Washington D.C. The selected delegates must not only demonstrate academic achievement in science, but also show potential for thoughtful scientific leadership. Educational and recreational programming, meals, lodging and round-trip air passage on scheduled airlines are included in the scholarship. The Science Camp is held at Bartow in the eastern mountains of West Virginia, near the Monongahela National Forest. Application forms are available on the Science Camp Web site at www.nysc.org and must be submitted directly to North Carolina's selection coordinator: Eleanor Enthoven Hasse, Ph.D., Science Consultant, Secondary Education Division, 6352 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699-6352. For more information please contact Eleanor Enthoven Hasse at eehasse@dpi.state.nc.us or 919/807-3845.

NC Network's Annual Conference Set for February

NC Network's Annual Conference, "Sustaining High Student Achievement in Constantly Changing Times," will be held Feb. 19-21 at the Marriott Winston-Salem. Conference sessions will provide school improvement teams with up-to-date information on the ABCs Plus Program, NCLB, school improvement planning and data based decision making. The registration fee is $125 for members and $200 for non-members. Conference registration includes a continental breakfast, two dinners, materials, luncheon and breaks. Contact the Marriott Winston-Salem at 877/888-9762 for the special room rate of $99. The deadline for conference and hotel registration is Jan. 29. For more information, please contact Myra Best at 919/833-7215 (bestmyra@bellsouth.net) or visit the NC Network Web site at www.ncnetwork.org.

Raising Achievement and Closing Gaps Conference to be Held in March

The 10th annual Raising Achievement and Closing Gaps Conference will be held March 27-29 at The Sheraton at Four Seasons/Joseph S. Koury Convention Center, Greensboro. The 2006 conference will emphasize rigor, relevance and relationships, implementing the recommendations of the NC Advisory Commission on Raising Achievement and Closing Gaps, discovering ways to assist all subgroups to make AYP and exploring strategies for improving academic growth for high performing students. In addition, registrants will be updated on the comprehensive plan of work of the Raising Achievement and Closing Gaps Section within the NCDPI's Middle Grades Education Division. The registration fee is $110 per person. Conference registration is limited to 3,500 participants so early registration is encouraged. There will be no onsite registration for this conference. For more information, including registration, please go online to http://www.ncpublicschools.org/schoolimprovement/closingthegap/conference/ and click on the appropriate link.

Free Online Course for High School Algebra Teachers

In partnership with the NCDPI, LEARN NC is pleased to be able to offer multiple sessions of the Southern Regional Education Board's professional development course for algebra teachers, Spotlight on Algebra, free of charge this winter and spring. Spotlight on Algebra is a four CEU, nine-week course for algebra teachers that explores the content-specific pedagogy of many familiar topics in Algebra I and Algebra II. Algebra content ranges from first-degree equations through quadratics, functions, inequalities, polynomials, and radicals. Guided online discussion gives participants the opportunity to learn from other NC algebra teachers as well as the course instructor. Five sections of this course will be offered beginning Jan. 25. For more details and online registration, visit http://www.learnnc.org/courses/ and click on the "Find courses open for enrollment" button and look for "Spotlight on Algebra." This course has been funded by the NCDPI and priority will be given to those high schools eligible for DSSF funding or that have full state assistance teams. Participants who register but do not complete the course will be required to reimburse LEARN NC the full amount of tuition ($200).

Animated Demos Available on LEARN NC Web Site

Staff at LEARN NC has developed animated demonstrations to introduce various techniques for locating information on its Web site. The series of demos address 21st century literacy skills and are accompanied by a Collection Guide to offer a framework for their use. These demonstrations can be used by individuals or in a professional development setting. Each demo can be viewed through a Web browser that has been configured with the FLASH plug-in. You may click on the link to launch each demo, or right-click to save the file to your computer and then open it through a Web browser. The following demos are available and can be accessed online at http://www.learnnc.org/support/animdemos: General Introduction to Guided Searching on LEARN NC, Reading, Writing, Reading and Writing in the Content Area, Visual Literacy: Reading Comic Books, Visual Literacy: Images, Information Literacy, LEARN NC for Students, Cultural Literacy: The Education Reference, Critical Literacy and Scientific Literacy.

2006 American Stars of Teaching

The U.S. Department of Education is honoring outstanding classroom teachers through its American Stars of Teaching program. The Department's Teacher-to-Teacher Initiative is seeking nominations and information about teachers who are improving student achievement, using innovative strategies in the classroom, and making a difference in the lives of their students. Teachers across all grade levels and disciplines will be honored this fall as 2006 American Stars of Teaching. Parents, students, colleagues, school administrators and others can nominate an exemplary teacher who they believe has the qualities to be an American Star of Teaching. One teacher will be recognized from each state. To learn more, or to nominate a teacher to become an American Star of Teaching, please visit the Teacher-to-Teacher Initiative Web site at http://www.ed.gov/teachers/how/tools/initiative/index.html. All nominations must be received by April 15.