TEACHERS' MESSAGES 2007

JUNE 14, 2007 - Teachers' Biweekly Message

After many months of discussion, a number of public meetings, review of hundreds of email messages and conversations by phone with educators, parents and community leaders from across the state, the State Board of Education last week approved the Future-Ready Core Course of Study for high school students. The Future-Ready Core will help ensure that our high school students graduate with the academic foundation they need to be successful life-long learners, workers and citizens. The new core, with six electives (two of which are designated), allows students the opportunity to design a concentration reflective of their interests beyond high school. Students need to begin thinking about their long-term goals and dreams early on and we all need to be prepared to support them.

Regards,
June Atkinson

In this Biweekly Teachers' Message:

1. State Board Meeting Highlights
2. Future-Ready Core Approved; Preliminary Writing Results Released
3. Blue Ribbon Commission on Testing and Accountability Meets
4. Learn & Earn Online Expected to Provide College Credits this Fall
5. NCDPI Middle and High School Writing Institute: Writing on Demand
6. Write On! Best Practices Conference to be Held in August
7. Math and Science Presidential Awards' Recipients Named
8. Four North Carolina Schools Receive Technology Grants
9. School Districts Recognized for Providing "What Parents Want"
10. Education Mini-Grants Awarded

State Board Meeting Highlights

At last week's State Board meeting, members approved the Future-Ready Core Course of Study for high school students, proposed standards for the Standard Course of Study in American Sign Language Secondary Level, and revisions to Praxis II testing requirements for Exceptional Children's teachers. Complete highlights of the State Board meeting will be available online next week at http://www.ncpublicschools.org/sbehighlights by clicking on the appropriate link.

Future-Ready Core Approved; Preliminary Writing Results Released

The following press releases are available online at http://www.ncpublicschools.org under "News." New High School Graduation Requirements Approved - After many months of discussion, the North Carolina State Board of Education yesterday approved a Future-Ready Core Course of Study that will prepare all students for careers and college learning in the 21st century. Board members unanimously approved the new high school graduation requirements, effective with the ninth grade class of 2009-10.

Student Writing Scores Improve in 2006-07 - More fourth and seventh grade students scored proficient in writing in 2006-07 when compared to student scores from last year, according to the "Preliminary Report of Student Performance on the North Carolina General Assessment at grades 4, 7 and 10." Results showed that 52.7 percent for fourth grade students scored proficient on the assessment, an almost 3 percentage point increase from 2005-06. Seventh grade results also improved this year, with 50.8 percent of students scoring proficient. Tenth graders showed a small decrease in their scores in 2006-07. A total of 51.4 percent of students were proficient in writing at 10th grade, down from 53.2 percent in 2005-06.

Blue Ribbon Commission on Testing and Accountability Meets

The Blue Ribbon Commission on Testing and Accountability has met twice to discuss the state's testing and accountability programs. Discussion by commission members has been robust and frank, as they've identified a number of the concerns many educators have regarding tests and accountability models. Sam Houston, chief executive officer and president of the Science, Math and Technology Center, is chairing this group. In addition to some time for open discussion, the meeting's agenda provided time for an overview of North Carolina's current testing and accountability program, its purposes and history; a regional overview of testing and accountability by Joan Lord, interim Senior Director of Education Policies at the Southern Regional Education Board; and a presentation of high school accountability model research by Michael Cohen, president of Achieve. The group is on a fast track, with recommendations expected to go to the State Board of Education in September. Summaries of these meetings, particularly as recommendations begin to take shape, will be shared with you in future messages.

Learn & Earn Online Expected to Provide College Credits this Fall

A team of NCDPI staff has been working with colleagues from the University system (UNC-Gi) and the Community Colleges system to develop Learn and Earn Online, a new program to begin this fall that will provide college courses and credit to high school students at no cost to the students or their families. A new Web site - http://www.ncpublicschools.org/learnandearnonline/ - has been built to provide information on the program.

NCDPI Middle and High School Writing Institute: Writing on Demand

NCDPI, in collaboration with the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE), will offer two writing professional development sessions this summer, with online follow-up throughout the year through the NCTE Pathways to Adolescent Literacy initiative. The workshops will be held from 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. on July 16-17 at the Crowne Plaza Charlotte, Charlotte, and July 19-20 at the Holiday Inn Crabtree Valley, Raleigh. During the workshop, teachers will learn strategies for following what they know to be best practices in teaching writing while still helping students prepare for writing tests. These strategies, designed to address specific features of writing on demand, can be incorporated into an existing curriculum. They adhere to the principle that test preparation and good writing instruction are not incompatible. After the workshop, teachers will further their learning with colleagues and workshop presenters through online professional development in Pathways. For more information, including registration, please visit http://community.learnnc.org/dpi/ela/archives/2007/06/ncdpi_middle_an.php or call Teresa Parker, NCDPI, 919.807.3837, or by email, tparker@dpi.state.nc.us.

Write On! Best Practices Conference to be Held in August

Registration is now open for "Write On! Inspiring Our Students to Write Through the Arts and Experiential Learning," a K-8 Best Practices Conference sponsored by the A+ Schools Program at The University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG). The Conference, which is open to teachers, administrators and teaching artists across the state, will be held Thursday and Friday, Aug. 2 -3, at UNCG. Conference strands include The Writing Process, Writing as "Art," and Writing Across the Curriculum. There is a registration fee. For more information, please call 336.217.5117 or email aplus@uncg.edu. To register, please go online to http://www.ssltransaction.net/a_plus/2007.

Math and Science Presidential Awards' Recipients Named

Congratulations to North Carolina's 2006 Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching recipients Elizabeth Thurlow, a mathematics teacher at Haw Creek Elementary (Buncombe County Schools) and Cheryl Collazo, a science teacher at Stoney Point Elementary (Cumberland County Schools). The President Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching is a national awards' program administered for the White House by the National Science Foundation. Each year the program recognizes outstanding mathematics and science teachers from across the United States and four U.S. jurisdictions for their contributions in the classroom and to their profession. In addition to honoring individual achievement, the goal of the awards is to expand and exemplify the definition of excellent science and mathematics teaching.

Four North Carolina Schools Receive Technology Grants

Congratulations to East Forsyth High (Winston-Salem/Forsyth Schools), Fairmont Middle (Public Schools of Robeson), River Road Middle (Elizabeth City/Pasquotank Schools) and Williston Middle (New Hanover County Schools) for their recent receipt of grants funds from the 2007 Hewlitt Packard Technology for Teaching Grant Program. The grants, part of the 2007 HP Technology for Teaching grant program, are designed to improve student achievement through the innovative uses of technology in the classroom while encouraging student interest in careers in technology, engineering, math and science. For more information on this grant program, please go online to http://www.hp.com/go/hpteach.

School Districts Recognized for Providing "What Parents Want"

SchoolMatch recently recognized the following 21 North Carolina school districts with its 2007 Sixteenth Annual award for consistently providing "What Parents Want" in public education: Ashville City, Buncombe, Carteret, Chapel Hill-Carrboro, Charlotte-Mecklenburg, Chatham, Durham, Elkin City, Forsyth, Guilford, Henderson, Hickory City, Jackson, Moore, New Hanover, Orange, Pitt, Polk, Transylvania, Wake and Watauga. SchoolMatch is an independent, nationwide service that helps corporate families find schools that match the needs of their children. Only 16 percent (2,516) of the nation's 15,571 public school districts were recognized for meeting the news of families choosing schools. Additional information regarding this award can be found online at http://schoolmatch.com/ppsi/wpwlist.cfm.

Education Mini Grants Awarded

Congratulations to the following schools/school system for their recent receipt of Education Mini Grants from The North Carolina Biotechnology Center: Atkins School of Biotechnology (Winston-Salem/Forsyth Schools), Carrboro High (Chapel Hill-Carrboro Schools), Dillard Middle (Wayne County Schools), Lincoln County Schools, North Stokes High (Stokes County Schools), School of Inquiry and Life Sciences (Asheville City Schools), South Granville School of Health and Life Sciences (Granville County Schools), and Terry Sanford High (Cumberland County Schools). The grants will be used to support biotechnology education and may be applied toward purchasing biotechnology-related equipment, supplies and teaching materials in addition to developing new courses or programs and to enhance existing ones. The Education Mini-Grant Program is one of several Biotechnology Center programs and activities intended to inform the public and prepare a trained work force to support the state's growing biotechnology industry.

 

If you'd like to review past Teachers' Biweekly Messages sent to the listserv group, just go online to http://www.ncpublicschools.org/teachersarchive/ .