TEACHERS' MESSAGES 2009

JULY 23, 2009 - Teachers' Biweekly Messages

The General Assembly is coming close to an agreement on the budget and I encourage you to continue to talk with your legislators about the needs of the students in your classroom. There will not be an easy and painless answer to the state's budget woes. Whatever budget decisions are finally made, all of us will face a new environment with new challenges that we may not have faced before. Our goal is to work together, to work creatively and to make the best of the situation we have. I pledge to keep you informed and to find ways for us to work together more creatively on behalf of students.

On a brief note, I'm sure you've read about Judge Hobgood's ruling regarding the responsibilities of the State Superintendent. I'm looking forward to leading this Department in ensuring that the policies of the State Board of Education are carried out. I also am looking forward to working with Dr. Bill Harrison in his role as Chairman of the State Board of Education. We are both firmly committed to ensuring the success of public school students and schools across the state.

Regards,
June Atkinson

In this Biweekly Teachers' Message:

1. State Board Meeting Highlights
2. AIG Program Standards Approved
3. 2009 ABCs/AYP Background Packet Online
4. Second Draft of Essential Standards Available Online
5. "NC Teacher Working Conditions Survey: Guide for School Improvement" Online
6. NC Writing Assessment Pilot Recognized as National Best Practice
7. North Carolina Joins State-Led Effort to Develop K-12 Education Standards
8. Learn and Earn Online Course Registration More than Triples in Two Years
9. SECME Recognizes North Carolina Educator
10. Teachers Recognized for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching
11. Project-Based Learning
12. Free Summer Professional Development Opportunities Continue
13. Biotechnology Education Enhancement Grants Available

State Board Meeting Highlights

State Board Meeting Highlights - At this month’s virtual Board meeting held July 9, members approved several items including revising the Academic Scholars Program, new state standards for Academically or Intellectually Gifted programs, an elementary mathematics add-on license, and QZAB/QSCB Bond administration.Complete Board highlights are available online at www.ncpublicschools.org/stateboard/highlights.

AIG Program Standards Approved

Earlier this month, State Board members approved the North Carolina Academically or Intellectually Gifted (AIG) Program Standards. The AIG Program Standards are critical in providing a statewide framework for quality programming, while still honoring local flexibility. The standards will:

• convey expectations for quality local AIG programs and services;
• guide the development, revision, and monitoring of local AIG programs;
• articulate best practices for local AIG programs, including those related to student identification, differentiated curriculum and instruction, and comprehensive programming;
• provide a guide for AIG personnel and professional development;
• promote strong partnerships and communication between and among home, school, and community; and
• serve as a vehicle for continuous program improvement and accountability.

Please contact NCDPI AIG Consultant Sneha Shah-Coltrane at sshahcoltrane@dpi.state.nc.us or 919.807.3849 for more information.

2009 ABCs/AYP Background Packet Online

A link to the ABCs/AYP 2009 Accountability Report Background Packet is available on the NCDPI Web site (www.ncpublicschools.org) under Highlights. This packet contains highlights of the 2009 ABCs program, information on the components of the K-8 and high school accountability models, a sample page of how the report will look online and answers to the most commonly asked questions.

Second Draft of Essential Standards Available Online

The Essential Standards writing teams would like to thank the more than 10,000 people in the public school community who provided feedback on the first draft (1.0) of the Essential Standards. Feedback is critical to ensuring that we reach our goals of focused and deeper curriculum that will prepare every student for life in the 21st century. Essential Standards writing teams have received feedback from key stakeholders including parents, the business community, educational organizations, institutes of higher education and LEA teachers and staff. Writing teams are currently analyzing, responding to and incorporating this feedback. Draft 2.0 of the NC Essential Standards is now posted online at www.ncpublicschools.org/acre/standards/. These updated drafts are based on continued refinement since the posting of 1.0 as well as an initial response to the 1.0 feedback. Draft 2.0 is not final as refinement is still in process. An analysis of the trends from the public comment as well as a 3.0 draft will be available later this summer and will be presented to North Carolina State Board of Education for discussion at its August Board Meeting. If you have additional input on these latest revisions you’d like to be considered, please send it via email to feedback@dpi.state.nc.us

"NC Teacher Working Conditions Survey: Guide for School Improvement" Online

To help facilitate school conversations about improving learning, the New Teacher Center and the NC Professional Teaching Standards Commission created the "NC Teacher Working Conditions Survey: Guide for School Improvement" to support understanding and improve working conditions in schools. The Guide can be downloaded as a single large document or in each of its three sections. The "Facilitator's Guide" contains an outline to the drill-down process for examining and discussing survey results. It includes strategies for approaching the process, descriptions of how to utilize handouts and worksheets, and written prompts to lead discussions. The "Facilitator's Handouts" includes all the documents referenced in the "Facilitator's Guide" and helps participants better understand how to interpret and utilize survey data. The final section is the "Individual Item Prompts" provided to assist educators in examining and discussing the specific survey items selected in order to improve working conditions. The "NC Teacher Working Conditions Survey: Guide for School Improvement" is available online at www.ncteachingconditions.org where the school results are found.

NC Writing Assessment Pilot Recognized as National Best Practice

North Carolina recently received the "21st Century Skills Practice of the Year Award" for its new Writing Instruction System Pilot project. The NCDPI developed and piloted the initiative in the fall of 2008 to replace the 4th and 7th grades writing assessments with a more comprehensive K-12 writing system. The new initiative represents a major step away from traditional assessments where certain groups of students are prepared for a one-day test. The system also gives all educators, not just English and language arts teachers, more flexibility to work across subject areas throughout the school year to improve students' writing skills. Superintendent June Atkinson accepted the award for North Carolina at "Institute.21," an annual event held to showcase the progress states have made in infusing 21st century skills into core subject areas.

North Carolina Joins State-Led Effort to Develop K-12 Education Standards

North Carolina has joined 48 other states to develop a common core of state education standards. With these national standards, the state will save money and be able to focus more resources on teacher, rather than test, development. The new common core standards in K-12 English language arts and mathematics will be aligned with college and work expectations, and will be internationally-benchmarked and based on research and best practices. North Carolina also is one of 35 states to join the American Diploma Project (ADP), which works to align standards with college and career expectations. As a part of this involvement, the NCDPI has given the ADP Algebra II end-of-course exam in a random sample of schools across the state. Student performance can then be compared with results from students across the country.

Learn and Earn Online Course Registration More than Triples in Two Years

More students than ever are logging onto Learn and Earn Online to earn free college credit according to data presented in June to State Board of Education members. Learn and Earn Online enables high school students across the state to register for online college-level courses through the University of North Carolina at Greensboro iSchool and participating colleges in the North Carolina Community College System. Hundreds of different courses in language, music, politics, sociology and other subjects are currently available. In spring 2009, North Carolina high school students registered for a total of 5,429 college-level courses through Learn and Earn Online. This number represents a significant increase from the 1,421 classes students registered for at the inception of the program in the fall of 2007. Classes are offered for students to take during school with an on-site course facilitator or at home. There are prerequisites for some classes so students should check with their school counselors for program specifics. For more information, visit the Learn and Earn Online Web site at www.nclearnandearn.gov.

SECME Recognizes North Carolina Educator

Congratulations to Durham Public Schools Teacher Jamila Bowser (Lowe's Grove Middle School) who was recently recognized by SECME, Inc. (formerly the Southeastern Consortium for Minorities in Engineering) as its outstanding educator of the year. SECME recognizes outstanding K-12 educators who have demonstrated leadership ability in advancing student development and outcomes in the areas of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

Teachers Recognized for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching

Congratulations to Kathleen Conroy (Providence Spring Elementary, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools) and Carol Swink Wooten (Hunter Elementary, Wake County Schools) for receiving the 2008 Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching. Conroy was the state's 2008 Mathematics recipient and Wooten was North Carolina's 2008 Science recipient. The award is the highest recognition that a K-12 math or science teacher can receive in the United States for outstanding teaching. Recipients are recognized for their contributions to teaching and learning and their ability to help students make progress in math and science. Winners receive $10,000 awards from the National Science Foundation to be used at their discretion. They also receive an expense-paid trip to Washington, D.C., for a White House awards ceremony and several days of educational and celebratory events, including visits with members of Congress and science agency leaders.

Project-Based Learning

At the mid-point of the 2008-09 academic year, East Wake School of Integrated Technology biology teacher Kelley Yonce needed to introduce her class of 20 sophomores to deoxyribonucleic acid, a.k.a. DNA. At home on a snow day watching television, Yonce saw a news item titled "Designer Babies" and knew she had her answer. You can read about her project-based learning project online at http://www.learnnc.org/lp/pages/5319.

Free Summer Professional Development Opportunities Continue

Response to no-cost professional development this summer from United Star Distance Learning Consortium (USDLC) has been outstanding! Making our library of online, video-based courses (many filmed in NC classrooms) available at no cost through Sept. 1 is our way of showing appreciation for almost 20 years of partnering with the NCDPI to produce quality professional development. Learn all the details at www.ncpublicschools.org/distancelearning/professional/usdlc.html or contact Sandy LaPlante at info@usdlc.org or 888.828.7352.

Biotechnology Education Enhancement Grants Available

The North Carolina Biotechnology Center is offering education enhancement grants to assist in the development of activities, programs, resources and personnel necessary for biotechnology education and workforce training. Projects must be strongly related to biotechnology and the basic sciences that most closely support it. For more information, including application instructions and guidelines, please visit www.ncbiotech.org/eeg or contact the Biotechnology Center's Core Programs Director Ginny DeLuca at 919.549.8842. Submission of pre-proposals is strongly encouraged but not required. All proposals must be submitted electronically by noon Aug. 19. Notification will occur by Feb. 5, 2010.

 

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