January 2011 NCAE State Board Review

SBE Review NCAE CTL

J a n u a r y

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Ready Set Go! Race to the Top Update The SBE welcomed the new Local School

The NCDPI and the Governor’s office have been busy providing data and re-

Board Advisor and Dingman Award win-

sponding to questions from the US DOE regarding the State’s RT3 application.

ner, Bill Tatum of Lee County.

worked out. To date twelve percent of the Federal funds have been sent to NC

Two initiatives he shared that he was very proud of for Lee County: the 1:1 lap

Every LEA RT3 plan has been approved and the funding streams are being and the LEAs have been told it is okay to spend what their local plan outlines.

Two project coordinators have been hired and soon transformation consultants will be hired. Technical assistance has been outlined for LEAs needing support with their plans and several contracts with research partners have been formed.

The Governor’s Education Transformation Commission has now met twice.

top program for grades 33-12 and the new Head of the

President Strickland along with the NC Teacher’s of the Year and Pitt County

Class Award going to schools meeting

could be for the non-standardized tested areas of the curriculum; as the state

growth goals. The public and private

trators on educators effectiveness based on student outcomes.

Education Foundation will award schools

Center, has developed six categories for evaluation questions and feedback. One

funds that all staff will have access to for making growth.

NCAE President Mary Robinson are the teacher representatives on this commission. One task they have been given is to create what the multiple measures works on creating a sixth standard for teachers and eighth standard for adminis-

The RT3 research team comprised of SERVE, Friday Institute and UNC Policy promise is to gather data from teachers but not placing a burden on teachers with too many questions. The evaluation is to measure the success of how the Federal funding and new initiatives impacted student achievement and created a better supply of effective school leaders and teachers and can this work be sustained beyond 2014?

21st Century Tool: iTunesU The "North Carolina Department of Public Instruction and Partners" iTunes U site is a new tool teachers, students, and parents can use to download the latest multimedia education resources, including presentations, professional development videos, curriculum materials and more.

To date, content contributors include: Office of the Governor, NC Department of Public Instruction, NC Virtual Public School, NC Museum of History and LEARN NC. http://www.ncpublicschools.org/itunesu/ please check out this site and follow the directions on how to access materials and PD resources! Subscribing is FREE! NCAE Center for Teaching and Learning

SBE Review January 2011

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Status of eTextbooks and Digital Learning Resources As NC continues to move forward with 21st Century curriculum revisions there will be a greater need for online assessments as well as eTextbooks. eTextbooks are digital formatted resources that are either static (PDF) or dynamic (simulations, interactions and multimedia). Less than 10% of the LEAs are currently using eTextbooks system wide. Mooresville City, Granville County and Onslow County are using numerous formats of eTextbooks as do a few other LEAs. LEARNC has create an eTextbook for 8th grade NC History that is free to all schools and students in NC. Data collected on why LEAs are not using more digital resources had two major reasons: lack of student hardware and a slow paradigm shift to teaching differently.

Cost factors level out about the same as traditional books are replaced on five year cycles and hardware in most LEAs can last up to eight years. Several surrounding states are piloting a variety of digital formats in high schools and/or elementary based settings. Lt. Governor Dalton and Dr. Bryan Setser are planning a Digital Summit to assist instructional/technology leaders in NC to better understand how to access digital tools.

ACRE Update Proposed NC Accountability measures and targets confirmed by the SBE: 4-year cohort graduation rate and 5-year cohort graduation rate Performance on NAEP Scoring 3 or above on AP Exams and % of graduates taking courses High School graduates who enroll in Postsecondary Programs SAT composite (possible ACT) Freshmen enrolled in at least one remedial course Passing or exceeding EOG and EOC assessments LEA requiring The Graduation Project Students completing a concentration in CTE, Arts, Second Language or JROTC cluster Passing Algebra II Targets will be shared that will impact RT3 and ABCs soon. Professional development will be provided this summer with a blended approach (face to face and online) connected to the new curriculum and Common Core Standards. NC DPI is working with NCAE to hold focus groups on the new accountability program.

NCAE Center for Teaching and Learning

SBE Review January 2011

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Globally Competitive Students News 1. The North Carolina Extended Content Standards for Math and Science are being reviewed for adoption. Writing and review teams composed of teachers, DPI exceptional children’s consultants, DPI curriculum staff, assessment staff, LEA curriculum consultants, members of institutes of higher education, and members of community agencies were involved in a collaborative writing process that involved face-to-face meetings, as well as e-mail correspondence. Multiple feedback cycles were used to obtain input from individuals across the state and collective feedback from LEAs. Analysis of all feedback resulted in revisions to draft 1.0 and the posting of draft 2.0. Continued refinement of draft 2.0 allowed for the final draft, 3.0, which was presented to the State Board of Education for discussion in January and approval in February. Draft Content Standards for ELA will be posted for review and feedback very soon.

2. Due to the policy change for admission into Kindergarten, there is a small student population who would have otherwise been age eligible to participate in athletics. Currently, the NOTE in the policy delays implementation of the cut off date change to 2015-2016. In fairness to this small group of students, the policy NOTE should be deleted. Deletion of the NOTE will allow all students who turn 19 after August 31st of their senior year to be age eligible to participate in athletics. Deleting the NOTE now will allow students who turn 19 after August 31, 2011 to be age eligible to play interscholastic athletics beginning 2011-12 and beyond.

3. Received the 2010 Healthy Children Policy Report prepared for the Education Oversight Committee.

All but one LEA provided information for the report. SBE Policy GCS-S-000 Healthy Active Children requires Local School Health Advisory Councils, Physical Education in K-5 with a minimum of 150 minutes per week, grades 6-8 with a minimum of 225 minutes per week of Healthful Living Education and structured recess and physical activity daily in grades K-8. 

87% of the SHAC lists a representative from required areas and 39% of the SHACs meet quarterly

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50% of the SHAC have Action Plans focused on physical activity efforts for students and teachers

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49% report that ALL students are provided the minimum of PE/Healthy Living by a certified PE Teacher (other LEA may have some students but not all to meet policy mandate)

SHAC Successes!    

Parent/teen programs on cyber safety Suicide protocol developed Bullying hotline reporting awareness campaign Continued focus on Energizers to increase physical activity in the classroom and engage the brain

Full report can be found on NC DPI Web site.

NCAE Center for Teaching and Learning

SBE Review Review January 2011

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21st Century Professionals 1.

The SBE pulled an Action Item on First Read and discussed at length the issues surrounding recognizing the NC Board of Examiners for Speech and Language Pathologists and Audiologist Licensure as qualifying for service in public schools. Currently, public school speech and language services are provided by speech-language pathologists licensed by the Department of Public Instruction. The recommendation is to move to the more rigorous professional licensing standards of the North Carolina Board of Examiners for Speech and Language Pathologists and Audiologists (NCBOESLPA), by recognizing the NCBOESLPA license as the qualifying credential for speech language pathologists’ service in public schools. Board of Examiners’ requirements for a license include: (a) completion of at least 75 semester hours of study in the field at an institution of higher education (b) a minimum score of 600 on Praxis II Speech Language Pathology, (c) completion of 30 hours of continuing professional education in the field every 3 years, and (d) renewal of the license on an annual basis. The NCBOESLPA requires passing the test before working. Major concerns with the proposal include; NC and three other states require only a passing score of 550 to be licensed, while the NCBOESLPA requires at least 600 on the Praxis II. The Speech Pathologists/Audiologists who work in LEAs as contract staff have met the NCBOESLPA standard. The proposal will change to “grandfather” current NC DPI Licensed staff who did not meet the National Standard.

2. Approved the following Praxis II qualifying scores: Physics: Content Knowledge (0265) to be 133. Passing score not required to be licensed or employed. This is effective January 2011.

3. Approved the new regenerated Elementary Praxis II test requirements that will go into effect the fall of 2011: Elementary Education Instructional Practice and Applications (0015), passing score for licensure 161 and Technology Education (0051) score of 159 not required for licensing or being employed.

NCAE Center for Teaching and Learning

SBE Review January 2011