TEACHERS' MESSAGES 2008

APRIL 11, 2008 - Teachers' Biweekly Messages

Few people would argue that one of the keys to a student's success is the teacher leading the classroom. To keep our great teachers in the classroom, we must have good working conditions. That's why it is so important for all teachers to complete the North Carolina Teacher Working Conditions survey available online at www.ncteachingconditions.org. As of 3:30 p.m. this afternoon, over 83,000 educators (68.90 percent) have completed the survey. Some LEAs have over a 90 percent completion rate and are moving quickly toward 100 percent. I encourage you to help your LEA reach 100 percent by completing the survey if you have not done so already and by encouraging your colleagues to do the same. We are working toward a 95 percent completion rate by April 21. If you have any questions regarding the survey or need an access code to complete it, please contact the TWC Helpdesk at 1.877.628.9208. Thank you for participating in this important initiative.

Regards,
June Atkinson

In this Biweekly Teachers' Message:

1. State Board Meeting Highlights
2. NC NAEP Eighth Grade Writing Scores Released
3. 2008 Wachovia North Carolina Principal of the Year Named
4. State School of Character Winner Announced
5. New Social Studies' Podcast
6. National Science Education Summer Leadership Institute
7. Test Preparation Opportunities
8. County Government Essay Contest for 10th Graders

State Board Meeting Highlights

The State Board of Education last week approved a change to the 2008 ABCs model in recognition of the challenges that occur in years when we have a new end-of-grade test. The Board approved including the new reading tests scores in the performance composite for schools in 2008, but not including them in the ABCs growth calculations this year. In 2009, reading would return to all aspects of the accountability model. The end-of-grade reading tests are new this year and the achievement level cut scores cannot be set until after the students take the tests, the results are analyzed, and scale scores that connect tests across grades 3-8 are established. This situation occurs in years with a new test, and happened last in 2006 with mathematics. Other work of the Board this month included approval of the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Improvement Act of 2006 Five Year Plan, and the addition of elementary level (grades K-6) licensure areas in Reading, English-as-a-Second Language, Special Education: General Curriculum and Special Education: Adapted Curriculum. Members also discussed the graduation project, alternative math courses for students who opt-out of the Future Ready Core curriculum, a pilot program of alternative teacher salary plans, and requirements online courses need to qualify for course credit. Complete Board Highlights are available online at www.ncpublicschools.org/sbehighlights by clicking on the appropriate link.

NC NAEP Eighth Grade Writing Scores Released

North Carolina 8th graders' writing scores were on par with the national average, and 87 percent of the students performed at the Basic level or better on the 2007 National Assessment of Educational Progress, according to results released last week by the U.S. Department of Education and presented at the April State Board of Education's morning meeting. At the same time, students' writing scores decreased when compared with results from 2002, the last time the national test was given. Because the test is given to a sample of students, district or school-level results are not available, with the exception of Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools. This district participates in the NAEP Trial Urban District Assessment, which in 2007 included 11 major urban school districts in the nation. Charlotte-Mecklenburg outperformed all of the TUDA districts and performed statistically the same as the nation and as North Carolina. To read more, please go to the NCDPI Web site at www.ncpublicschools.org and click on the appropriate link under "News."

2008 Wachovia North Carolina Principal of the Year Named

Congratulations to A.L. Brown High School Principal Debra Morris who last Thursday was named the 2008 Wachovia North Carolina Principal of the Year during a luncheon ceremony held in Raleigh. The Kannapolis City Schools' principal succeeds Craig Hill, who is currently an assistant superintendent with Wilson County Public Schools. Morris attributes her success as a principal to her experiences as an athlete and high school coach. "When you're a coach, you're a motivator. My staff, who are my team, must all be committed to reaching common goals through hard work and dedication," Morris said. She will receive $3,000 for her school and $3,000 for personal use. She also will serve a one-year term as advisor to the State Board of Education. To read more about her selection, please go to the NCDPI Web site at www.ncpublicschools.org and click on the appropriate link under "News."

State School of Character Winner Announced

Congratulations to Winter Park Elementary (New Hanover County Schools) for being named the 2008 State School of Character. The 2008 Honorable Mentions went to Baileywick Road Elementary (Wake County Public Schools) and D. F. Walker Elementary (Edenton-Chowan Public Schools). Modeled after the National Schools of Character, this program is designed to honor exemplars in the practice of character education, showcase their work, and help them inspire and lead others. To view other award recipients in addition to learning more about the program, please go online to www.ncpublicschools.org/charactereducation/awards.

New Social Studies' Podcast

Don't miss this quarter's 6-12 Social Studies Podcast, the PASS (Podcasts About Social Studies). To hear this informative podcast, simply go to www.ncpublicschools.org/curriculum/socialstudies/pass/. Also, stay on top of 6-12 social studies initiatives by visiting www.ncpublicschools.org/curriculum/socialstudies/. For more information on any of these programs, please contact Tracey Greggs at 919.807.3836, or by email, tgreggs@dpi.state.nc.us.

National Science Education Summer Leadership Institute

North Carolina will be hosting the annual National Science Education Leadership Association's Summer Leadership Institute on July 7-10 at the Grove Park Inn, Asheville. This is a great opportunity for NC educators to learn effective strategies for professional development at all levels, from the department level to the district level. The early bird registration deadline is April 15. For more details, including registration, please go online to www.nsela.org/calendar/calendar.html.

Test Preparation Opportunities for High School Students

The following test preparations opportunities are open to all North Carolina public school students:

- Online AP Exam Reviews - NCVPS has partnered with Florida Virtual School (FLVS) to offer North Carolina public school students Advanced Placement (AP) exam reviews online. FLVS AP exam reviews include released AP examinations and support materials licensed from the College Board. Some distinguishing characteristics of the reviews include a review of actual "student" essays taken from past AP exams accompanied with detailed advice and instruction to facilitate student comprehension of the material, and analyses of multiple choice questions from past AP exams with specific guidance to help students better understand why an answer is correct and why the other answers are incorrect. The following ten AP exam reviews are available to students: Art History, Biology, Calculus AB, European History, Literature and Composition, Language and Composition, Macroeconomics, Spanish Language, U.S. History, and U.S. Government and Politics. For more information, please go online to www.ncvps.org/courses/sat.

- SAT Prep - The College Foundation of North Carolina (CFNC) is offering comprehensive FREE test prep courses for the SAT, ACT, and GRE. CFNC Test Prep features easy-to-use tutorials, interactive practice sessions that dynamically adapt to each student's ability level, and a vocabulary builder that contains 2,000 words. Whether students have a week or a year until the test, this section of the site helps reinforce their academic skills and build their confidence as they approach test day. For information on SAT Prep, visit the College Foundation of North Carolina Web site at CFNC.org.

County Government Essay Contest for 10th Graders

As part of its centennial celebration, the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners (NCACC) is hosting an essay contest on county government for 10th grade students. The essay topic is, "How does my county government improve the lives of its citizens?" Essays will be limited to 500 words. The winning student and his/her teacher will each receive $500 and will be invited to the NCACC's Annual Conference in August to read the winning entry during a General Session. More details, including a complete set of contest rules, is available online at http://www.welcometoyourcounty.org/content/2008_essay_contest.shtm. The entry deadline is May 9.

 

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