Charter School Renewals

The following were approved for a ten-year charter renewal: The Arts Based School, Art Space

Charter School, Bethany Community Middle School, Bethel Hill Charter School, Cape Fear Center

for Inquiry, Charter Day School, Metrolina Regional Scholars' Academy, Millennium Charter Acad-

emy, Piedmont Community Charter, Socrates Academy, Southern Wake Academy, Two Rivers

Community Charter, Union Academy, and Washington Montessori.

The following schools were approved for a ten-year renewal with the condition that any staff mem-

ber or spouse of administration be a nonvoting member of its board of directors. The Charter

School Advisory Board recommended a ten-year renewal for Alpha Academy

The following school was approved for a seven-year renewal: The Academy of Moore County, and

Phoenix Academy.

The following charters received three-year renewals with stipulations: Healthy Start Academy, and

Success Institute. While the Haliwa-Saponi-Tribal School received a one-year renewal due to

significant concerns over Exceptional Children.

Virtual Charter Schools Open in the Fall of 2015

Virtual Charter Pilots were approved after much discussion, clarification

and questions over accountability, issues in other states and process as

well as the legislative mandate to open at least two virtual charter pilots.

Prior to the SBE approving the pilots, adjustments were made and ap-

proved to the charter agreement each charter board must sign. The

adjustments made were to encompass concerns over the differences in a

traditional charter school and a virtual charter school and to ensure monitoring for this

four-year pilot program.

North Carolina Virtual Academy, associated with K12,inc a for-profit company, and

Connections Academy, associated with the for-profit Pearson Company were approved.

Each virtual charter pilot school can enroll up to 1,500 students for the 2015-16 school

year, with a grade span starting with Kindergarten. Funds to cover theses schools will be

drawn from the LEA the student resides, whether a home schooled student, charter school

or traditional public school student. Each virtual pilot school must provide a computer if

one is not available in the student’s home and each child must have a learning coach to

monitor and support the student.

Charter School News

NCAE SBE Review:

Instructional Policy Updates F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 5

Congratulations to the

following educators:

The following educators were

recognized as being School

Health Champions:

Tiffany Parks, Health

and PE Teacher Hoke

County Schools

Les Spell, Health and

PE Teacher; Sampson

County Schools

Angie Miller, Director of

Athletic Activities; Nash

County Schools

Pam Taylor, Student

Services Coordinator;

Durham Public Schools

Jama Stallings, Director

of Child Nutrition;

Franklin County Schools

Amanda Hajnos, P E

Teacher; Wake County

Marian Faulkner,

Reading. Language Arts

Teacher; Vance County

Schools

Sherri Hodges, Lead

School Nurse; Vance

County

Diana Bowling, PE

Teacher, Durham

County Schools

Johnnye Waller, Direc-

tor of Student Services;

Lee County

Norma Hedgepeth,

Health Education

Teacher; Halifax County

Schools

Lisa Frangipane, Health

and Physical Education

Teacher; Chapel Hill-

Carrboro City Schools

NCAE SBE Review January 2015

P A G E 2

Other SBE Action

Beaufort County Ed Tech Center: An

Exemplary Alternative School

NC Alternative Learning Programs and Schools provide safe, orderly, caring and inviting learning

environments assisting students with overcoming challenges that may place them “at-risk” of academic failure.

The goal of each program and school is to provide a rigorous education while developing student strengths,

talents, and interests. During the last ten years, Beaufort County Schools has reduced its dropout rate by 70

percent. In 2014 Beaufort County has posted its highest graduation rate on record. District leaders attribute

this success to an increase of academic choices designed to engage and motivate high school students and

address individual needs and interests. Among the options available to high school students is Pathways, a

dropout prevention and recovery program hosted at the Beaufort County Ed Tech Center, the district’s

alternative school. Established in 2007-2008, Pathways has graduated between 30 and 40 students annually for

the past six years.

A former student shared how she would not have gone back to school after dropping out and graduated to be

able to enter Community College hand it not been for Ed Tech Center, the help of not only the teachers but

the janitor and her determination to make her child proud.

1. Received the State Advisory Council on Indian Education report, which can be found at this link:

http://www.ncpublicschools.org/americanindianed/reports/

2. Heard an update on the NC Virtual Public School where total enrollment of courses this year is

55,753. These numbers represent the courses being taken, as some students may be enrolled in more

than one NCVPS course. The demographics of where the courses are taught: In all 115 LEAs represent-

ing 776 schools, 156 charter schools impacting over 2,889 students. Students paying a fee for the NCVPS

courses: 85 home schooled, and 192 non-public schools. Camp Lejeune; 24 students, NC School for the

Deaf 7 students and the NC School of the Arts 4 students.

3. Received an overview of the K-3 formative assessment process where assessments and tools are being

created that are developmentally appropriate, non intrusive within the instructional day and not to be

duplicative tasks in regards to MClass and Dibbles. There is still work to be done!

NCAE SBE Review: Instructional Policy Updates

NCAE SBE Review February 2015

New School Report Card to Include the A-F Legislated Grades

P A G E 3

The A-F grades data by overall school and categories.

For additional details regarding this morning’s School Performance Grades release, please visit www.ncpublicschools.org and look under “News.”

NCAE SBE Review February 2015

Overall Grade

A-F

Traditional

Public Schools

Charter Schools

A 118 14

B 545 37

C 968 35

D 539 22

F 129 17

Total 2,299 125

Traditional Growth

Status

Elementary Middle High

Exceeds Expected

Growth

340 233 200

Meets Expected

Growth

604 259 180

Does Not Meet

Growth

243 181 167

Total 1,187 673 547

New A-F Grade Schools with 0-49% of

Teachers Meeting or

Exceeding Growth

Schools with 50-74%

of Teachers Meeting

or Exceeding Growth

Schools with 75– 100%

of Teachers Meeting

or Exceeding Growth

A 0 1 123

B 1 23 555

C 18 118 864

D 11 114 435

F 8 52 80

TOTAL 38 308 2,057

A-F Grades Schools with 50% or

more Poverty Level

Math

Schools with 50% or

more Poverty Level

Reading

Schools with less than 50%

Poverty

Math

Schools with less than

50% Poverty

Reading

A 7 2 48 43

B 80 65 259 331

C 464 607 221 218

D 532 549 65 5

F 255 115 5 1

TOTAL 1,338 1,338 598 598

The NC Teacher Evaluation policy/process was in need of being revised to clarify teacher observation

requirements and policy language to ensure alignment to statutory requirements. With the elimination

of teachers being able to earn career status, and based on language in the current statute, proposed

changes include adding experience along with career status (as there are teachers who still have career

status). The revised policy revisions will help administrators discern what type of observation cycle a

new teacher, veteran teacher and career status teacher might be placed. Teachers with fewer than three

years of experience will continue to have three formal observations, and a peer observation as outlined

in the current statute. Teachers with more than three years of experience must be evaluated annually in

accordance with one of the existing evaluation cycles, at the discretion of the local district.

Teacher Evaluation Observations Requirements