At the conclusion of the June State Board meeting Chairman Bill Harrison shared the following

about the proposed budget. The State Budget is an act of smoke and mirrors and is undermining

the progress and reform North Carolina has made over the last 10 to 15 years. Public education in

NC is NOT BROKEN! Yes, there are things that we can do better and we were on a path to continue

reform but now, we are not so sure. The budget writers claim they are “right sizing” government;

but yet programs and support for the general public will have less funds to carry out mandates and

new Task Forces and Commissions are being created to work parallel with some agencies. The flex

spending plan, touted as a way to save public educator jobs, pushes down to the LEAs decisions and

reversions that will not save jobs. Local Boards will have to “give back” or revert more funds to the

state (this year $428 million and next year at least a half a billion). These reductions in local fund-

ing will mean 9,200 positions. There will be no Edu-jobs funding!

The budget has special provisions costing money. One is to study how to improve K-3 reading; pro-

grams that were working were cut out of the budget last year. There is no need to study this issue

because there is data and programs with strategies that work. One of the resources to support K-3

reading/literacy is the NC Teacher Academy, which is being eliminated as well. To reduce paper

work they have eliminated the School Improvement Plan and Team, with the sole purpose to focus

on student achievement and school climate; as well they have eliminated the required Safe School

Plans. The programs and “reforms” in the proposed budget make little sense when you look at the

whole picture. This budget is slowly dismantling public education and the support to the profes-

sion; cutting NC Teaching Fellows, NC Teacher Cadet, school programs that have made positive im-

pacts on student achievement; like More at Four and Smart Start! The budget writers and support-

ers do not care about safety in the school communities. If they cared there would be other ways to

reduce paper work besides eliminating plans and collaboration among staff. If they wanted schools

to remain a safe place they would not be cutting Assistant Principal positions or allowing loaded

guns on a school campus.

This budget confuses people because the wrong facts are being presented. Schools in NC are not

broken, yet! Over the last five years the graduation rate has gone from 62% to 74% and more pro-

gress will be announced soon. The state funds K-3 teachers 1:18, and you will not see many classes

of 18, nor will we see a K-3 class in the future with 15 students. The SBE/DPI and other partners

hope to survive these draconian acts. This budget is bad for education and is bad for the state of

NC!

SBE Condemns the State Budget SBE Condemns the State Budget

and Passes A Resolution! and Passes A Resolution!

NCAE SBE ReviewNCAE SBE Review

J U N E 2 0 1 1J U N E 2 0 1 1 N C A E C T LN C A E C T L

Lee County Schools

presented an overview

of their Global

Preparation Through

a World of Languages.

Lee County is using

RT3 funds to

incorporate a world

language program that

not only impacts the

academic side of school

but the economic is-

sues facing students in

the 21st Century. This

year the program was

implemented in the

three middle schools

and next year will be

system wide in all

grades. The tool in use

is Rosetta Stone

Educational Learning

Software. Students

spend 30 minutes a

day on a language of

their choice. Students

who spoke were taking

Italian, Chinese and

Arabic.

NCAE Center for Teaching and Learning NCAE Center for Teaching and Learning NCAE SBE Review May 2011 NCAE SBE Review May 2011

Effective Leaders and Teachers: RT3 newsEffective Leaders and Teachers: RT3 news

P A G E 2 N C A E C T LN C A E C T L

NCAE Center for Teaching and Learning NCAE Center for Teaching and Learning June 2011 June 2011

NC, being a Race to the Top State, has

to create new measures and standards

for educators that connect to student

growth beyond what is already built in

to the NC EES. A Teacher Effectiveness

Workgroup has been plugging away

for several months on what the

multiple measures and standard

should be.

In 2011 NC must report to the Feds an

aggregate report of where leaders and

teachers fall within the current evalua-

tion system. It has been decided that

NC will use the median in the aggrega-

tion of evaluation ratings for this fed-

eral report. Each educator will have

the standards listed by “rating” order

to discern the median score for each

individual. Example: V; D, II; P, III; P,

I; P, IV; d. The rating evaluation for

educator X would be Proficient.

One possible component for the

multiple measurement could be a stu-

dent survey. There are student sur-

veys that align to the NC EES con-

structs. The plan is to pilot next year

in 16 LEAs, 2 in each Education Dis-

trict, a student survey that will connect

to the new standard for both teachers

and principals. Data collected would

be one of the multiple measures for

the new standard.

The Workgroup along with the NC Pro-

fessional Teaching Standards Commis-

sion recommends the following: Stan-

dard VIII for Administrators: Aca-

demic Achievement Leadership.

School Executives will contribute to

the academic success of students. The

work of the school executive will re-

sult in acceptable, measurable pro-

gress for students based on estab-

lished performance expectations using

appropriate data to demonstrate

growth.

Standard VI for Teachers: Teachers

Contribute to the Academic Success of

Students. The work of the teacher re-

sults in acceptable, measurable pro-

gress for students based on estab-

lished performance expectations using

appropriate data to demonstrate

growth.

The Feds are requiring RT3 States to

evaluate teachers annually. Right now

in NC LEAs are not required to conduct

full summative observation cycles for

all staff once tenured. The new NC EES

is a wonderful tool and growth model

that is creating powerful learning com-

munities. The process is time consum-

ing and there is no way that a principal

of a large school can conduct a full

evaluation cycle of all staff every year.

The workgroup is also recommending

the following policy change for SBE

approval for July.

Each local board shall adopt a policy

requiring career teachers to be evalu-

ated annually. The annual evaluation

requirement shall be met either: (1)

Using the Evaluation Process as set

forth in 16 NCAC 6C.0503; or (2) Using

an abbreviated evaluation consisting

of Standards IV and VI of the Teacher

Evaluation Process.

Proceeding with Caution! Please

note that no teacher will be evaluated

on the sixth (VI) standard until he/she

has three (3) years of valid student

achievement data. This one new stan-

dard will not be a stand alone piece of

the evaluation process. There will be

no negative consequences on standard

VI unless there are other issues with

performance on Standards I-V. Using

the current data for grades 3-8 math

and English, less than 5% are not mak-

ing expected growth. Under the cur-

rent EVAAS system, nearly 80% of the

teachers stay in the same category

each year. So the five standards with

embedded student achievement mat-

ter and connections are being made.

Over the summer 50 teacher work

groups will begin creating multiple

measures in the non-tested subject

areas to support the new standard.

NCAE members have been involved in

the Teacher Effectiveness Workgroup

and NCAE members will be part of

these 50 work groups. If you have spe-

cific questions; contact President Sheri

Strickland or Angela Farthing in the

NCAE Center for Teaching and Learn-

ing.

P A G E 3

Implementing PD

based on Guskey’s

evaluation tools:

1. Reaction of Session

2. Learning a new skill

3. Organizational

Support for Change

and Practice

4. Use of Knowledge and

Engagement in

classroom

5. Student Learning

Outcomes : Impact

DHHS Schools

matter!

Common Core and Essential Standards Common Core and Essential Standards

Professional Development UpdateProfessional Development Update

Needs Assessment for Transition of Needs Assessment for Transition of

DHHS Schools DHHS Schools The NC DPI Transformation

Team worked with the

DHHS Superintendent to

carry out an audit to gather

data for the transition of the

Eastern and Western School

for the Deaf and the Gover-

nor Morehead School for the

Blind to the NC DPI.

Consistent needs at all three

schools:

Clarity of vision and

mission

Strategic Planning for

programmatic sup-

port

Alignment of pro-

grams with instruc-

tional goals

Improving parent/

guardian communica-

tion

Instructional needs at the

school sites:

Leadership

Mentoring and quality

feedback to teachers

on their work

Improving the quality

of teaching and learn-

ing at all grade levels

with specific IEP goals

Profound integration

of technology

for teacher leaders within their

schools. All of the PD sessions will

be based on research-based activi-

ties. There will be blended PD; face

to face, PLC conversations, web-

based and webinars. NC DPI will fol-

low up on the PD sessions to see how

teacher behaviors have changed and

what they are implementing in their

lessons. There will be job embedded

coaching using PD Leads, RESA and

hopefully other mentors and instruc-

tional leaders.

The PD cycle will begin an annual

process to support teachers with the

new standards and assessments.;

Summer Institutes, five RESA follow

up sessions through out the year,

and formative assessment by teach-

ers year long.

Work on the new Essential Standards is

done! In NC the Standard Course of

Study, now known as the Essential

Standards, has fewer, clearer and more

rigorous goals. The ACRE project work

is 1/3 complete. The staff at NC DPI are

working on a cross walk of standards to

provide professional development sup-

port for measuring growth.

Teachers must understand the new

standards and the new generation of

assessments for student and teacher

success. Teachers must have tools and

strategies to help them implement com-

mon core standards in math and Eng-

lish and to work in PLCs as they change

the culture in their schools.

NC DPI using RT3 funds to jump start

the new PD, will hold regional summer

institutes in June-July to build capacity

NCAE SBE ReviewNCAE SBE Review

Next Generation of Assessment: ACRE updateNext Generation of Assessment: ACRE update

P A G E 4 N C A E C T L

As the state moves into the

next generation of assess-

ments, the NC DPI conducted a

survey of the students who

were participating in field

tests this year, using web-

based and online computer

generated assessments. Here

is a sampling of what the stu-

dents said:

84% said they did not find

the online format a prob-

lem to navigate

85% said they are using

tech tools beyond what

the school provides

61% stated that they had

submitted writing sam-

ples via e/mail or web

application

78% said they knew how

to operate a hand held

device

The question on, Was the

online assessment better

than paper and pencil

assessments? 51% - yes,

33% Did not respond and

16% said no.

Wiley Elementary and An-

drews High in Guilford, Forest

Park in Winston Salem,

Woodhill Elementary in Gas-

ton, Morven Elementary and

Anson High school in Anson,

Billingsville Elementary and

West Charlotte High in Meck-

lenburg. Of these 17 schools

The following schools have

been approved for round two

of SIG in NC: Dare County Al-

ternative School, Green Cen-

tral High, Dillard Academy a

charter school, YE Smith and

Hillside in Durham, Longview

in Wake, Warren High School,

Westover in Cumberland,

one is a Turn-around school

and the others are Transfor-

mation reform. Total fund-

ing for the next three years

is $50,365,556.

Bern High and West Cra-

ven High, Pine Forest

High, Glenn High and

Paisley IB Magnet, Arch-

dale Middle, Hamlet Mid-

dle and Toisnot Middle.

4. Approved funding for 42

Homeless Children Youth

Grants.

5. Approved LEA-based cal-

endar waivers for weather

related causes.

6. Approved the Nash-Rocky

Mount TIMS system change.

7. Discussed the NCVPS fund-

ing formula.

8. Approved Haywood County

Dropout Recovery Pilot pro-

gram.

1. Approved the CTE essen-

tial standards revisions.

2. Approved 54 of 105 Sup-

plemental Educational

Service Providers for the

coming year.

3. Approved Impact Grants

for East Alexander Middle,

Enka High School, Robert

Patton High School, New

Other Actions

Phase II SIG Schools Approved

The SBE The SBE The SBE

believes that believes that believes that

the proposed the proposed the proposed

Senate Senate Senate

budget budget budget

derails public derails public derails public

education education education

and public and public and public

school school school

success! success! success!

Compulsory Public School Attendance Age Compulsory Public School Attendance Age

Blue Ribbon Task Force Report Blue Ribbon Task Force Report

P A G E 5 N C A E C T LN C A E C T L

Vice President Rodney Ellis served on this Blue Ribbon Task Force, representing NCAE. The committee conducted a survey and over 8,000 responses were submitted within a three week window. The pur-pose of the survey was to determine if NC should raise the public school compulsory attendance age from 16 to 18? Findings and discussion items: 73% agreed that NC should raise the age from 16 to 18 84 counties had a greater than 60% support of raising the attendance age Themes of relationships, community and relevance emerged from the focus groups that were held

with high school dropouts The most frequently addressed topic from the focus groups was a need for a quality alternative set-

ting and differentiated programs to exist Time should not be the constant but the variable noted several Task Force members and SBE mem-

bers The Task Force recommends that NC begin to phase-in raising the attendance age to 18. Implications of such a practice: Alignment of policies among the multiple agencies is needed A need for targeted PD emphasizing student engagement and options for service delivery Flexibility for program management and funding structures Leveraging community agencies, parental/guardian involvement and business in a strategic plan Match student’s interests, abilities, and learning needs with curricular approaches

NCAE Center for Teaching and Learning NCAE Center for Teaching and Learning SBE Review June 2011 SBE Review June 2011