TEACHERS' MESSAGES 2008

OCTOBER 9, 2008 - Teachers' Biweekly Messages

For years, many of us have wished for a Standard Course of Study that was more streamlined and more focused on essential standards – the "must haves" for every student. Last week, that dream came one step closer to reality when the State Board of Education received the implementation plan for its "Framework for Change," a vision for a new Standard Course of Study and a new generation of accountability and assessment. (You can read the entire white paper and see the PowerPoint presented to the Board at www.ncpublicschools.org, first link under Highlights). Three initiatives are at the heart of this work: new standards for learning, new aligned assessments and a new school accountability model. The new standards will be more similar to international standards: fewer per grade level to allow more meaningful study of what is essential for students to know and be able to do. The proposed changes to our assessment system will focus more attention on formative assessment and benchmark assessments. The required summative assessments at year's end will move toward performance items and toward the use of technology for assessing student learning. We are just starting this important work, but so far, approximately 300 NCDPI staff have been involved in this effort. Educators from all across North Carolina will be important participants as we move forward.

Regards,
June Atkinson

In this Biweekly Teachers' Message:

1. The Message: Graduate!
2. State Board Meeting Highlights
3. Assessing Writing Skills in the 21st Century
4. House Bill 15: Personal Leave Without a Deduction
5. Regional Textbook Meetings
6. NC English Teaches Association Conference
7. Register Now for 58th Conference on Exceptional Children
8. LEARN NC Offers Online Courses

The Message: Graduate!

Regardless of whether you are an elementary, middle or high school teacher, your work has a direct impact on whether our students graduate from high school prepared for the 21st century. Our current 2007-08 graduation rate was 70.2. Please go to the "Message: Graduate!" Web site at www.ncpublicschools.org/graduate to find out more about our initiative to send this important message to every public school student.

State Board Meeting Highlights

At last week's Board meeting, members approved cut scores for the new end- of- grade tests in reading and science that were first used in 2007-08 and end- of- course tests in physical science, biology, chemistry and physics, the 2008 Textbook Adoption and Textbook Commission Report, licensing physical education and health teachers, and teacher evaluation policies. Board members also discussed during their Issues Session the plan for implementing the "Framework for Change: The Next Generation of Assessments and Accountability." Complete Board highlights will be posted online Friday afternoon, Oct. 10, at www.ncpublicschools.org/sbehighlights.

Assessing Writing Skills in the 21st Century

The second "Moodle" professional development course, "Assessing Writing Skills in the 21st Century," is now available online. If educators have already obtained a username/password to access the "Writing Across the Curriculum" course that opened on Sept. 17, it is not necessary to do so again. For those educators who have not yet obtained a username/password, please note that there is not a deadline to begin this course, nor is there a deadline for educators to complete this course. Please refer regularly to www.ncpublicschools.org/accountability/testing/writing/writingpilot for further updates and new information as it becomes available. If you have additional questions, please contact Jim Kroening at jkroening@dpi.state.nc.us or Phyllis Blue at pblue@dpi.state.nc.us.

House Bill 15: Personal Leave Without a Deduction

House Bill 15, Personal Leave Without a Deduction, was passed in the short session of the General Assembly and signed by the Governor. Thanks to this bill, teachers and media specialists who require substitutes can now use personal leave on certain days and receive full pay without a deduction for a substitute. District Human Resources personnel and Finance Officers have received information on this bill and can discuss the details of this provision. In addition, a question and answer document is available on the NCDPI Financial and Business Services' Web site at www.ncpublicschools.org/docs/fbs/finance/legislation/salarypersonnel/personalleavenodeduction.pdf.

Regional Textbook Meetings

NCDPI is sponsoring six regional textbook meetings where publishers will present materials that will be adopted by the State Board of Education at its October meeting and then placed on contract. The subject areas to be presented at these meetings are: K-5 Mathematics, 6-12 Career and Development, 9-12 Health Occupations, K-12 Healthful Living and 9-12 Trade and Industrial. Presentations will be held Nov. 3, Koury Convention Center, Greensboro; Nov. 4, Broyhill Inn & Conference Center, Boone; Nov. 5, Western Carolina University, Cullowhee; Nov. 11, Holiday Inn Sunspree Resort, Wrightsville Beach; Nov. 12, Greenville Convention Center, Greenville; and Nov. 13, Crown Center-Expo, Fayetteville. All presentations begin at 8:30 a.m. The registration form to attend is available online at www.ncpublischools.org/textbook/meetings and should be completed online by Oct. 24. Schools are encouraged to put together a team to attend the presentations and ask any questions of publishers. For more information, please contact Sylvia Moore at 919.807.4009 or by email, smoore@dpi.state.nc.us.

NC English Teachers Association Conference

Registration is still open for the NC English Teachers Association Conference, "Classroom 2.0: The changing needs of the 21st century student," scheduled for Oct. 24- 25 at the Benton Convention Center, Winston- Salem. To maximize professional development experience (and funds), teachers can attend one of the pre- conference workshops that will be held Thursday, Oct. 23, from 2- 5 p.m. These three-hour workshops cost only $25 (in addition to conference registration) and address several current issues and concerns facing English teachers today. These workshops will allow participants to explore topics more deeply and have more hands- on experiences than most regular sessions. Conference agenda, registration and other details are available online at www.ncenglishteacher.org.

Register Now for 58th Conference on Exceptional Children

Registration information, as well as conference and hotel information, for the 58th Conference on Exceptional Children, "Creating Success One Child at a Time," are now available online at http://www.ncpublicschools.org/ec/conference/2008/. The conference is scheduled for Nov. 17-18 at the Koury Convention Center, Greensboro. The early bird registration deadline is Oct. 19.

LEARN NC Offers Online Courses

Teaching English Language Learners in Your Online Course. This course is designed as an introduction to working with English language learners in the online classroom. Specifically, the course will consider the experience of U.S. schooling through the eyes of English language learners and offer teachers an opportunity to utilize strategies and ideas in their own classes. This course is part of the Carolina Online Teacher Program, a series of courses designed to prepare online instructors. The course runs Oct. 29-Nov. 18, is worth two CEUs and costs $150 to register. For more information or to register, please visit www.learnnc.org/courses/current/teachingellsonline_10_29_Hill.

Spotlight on Algebra. Investigate students' understanding of algebra and how this drives your teaching of the subject. You will focus on specific teaching strategies and stumbling bloc ks for students, as well as explore algebra content and pedagogy. This online course runs Nov. 3 - Jan. 12, is worth four CEUs and costs $300 to register. For more information or to register, please visit www.learnnc.org/courses/current/spotalgebra_11_08_Hunter.

 

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