NCAE Center for Instructional Advocacy, Membership Organizing & Communication February 2013

Alternate Assessment

Demonstration profi-

ciency via a reading

portfolio.

Received intervention

in other grades and

has been retained

prior to 3rd grade.

Concerns raised by the

SBE members on this pro-

gram included; lack of

research-based infor-

mation on retention, the

state had social promotion

gateways a decade ago

and they were not effec-

tive, ESL students having

to take the EOG before

they are proficient in the

English language, and the

label the student must

keep until they are profi-

cient in literacy/reading.

If you would like the 34-

page program report, send

Carolyn Guthrie an e/m

Carolyn.Guthrie@dpi.nc.gov

Or you can contact Angela

Farthing at NCAE and a

copy will be sent to you

via e/mail.

The 2012 General Assembly

budget included a specific man-

dated framework for the NC

Read to Achieve Program that

will be implemented in the

2013-14 school year. The goal,

a good one, is to ensure every

student reads at or above grade

level by the end of the third

grade and continues to make

progress. The seven major

components of the program:

Comprehensive plan for

reading achievement,

Developmental screening &

K assessment,

Facilitation of early-grade

reading proficiency,

Elimination of social pro-

motion,

Successful reading pro-

grams for retained stu-

dents,

Notification requirements

to parents/guardians, and

Strong accountability

measures.

NC DPI has created a new divi-

sion to address this mandate; K-

3 Literacy with two staff at DPI

and eight regional literacy con-

sultants.

The plan’s components were

discussed at length on Wednes-

day, February 6, and is to be

voted on in March.

One area that will enhance the

teaching of reading/literacy is

the new licensure requirements

and pre-service assessments

impacting the graduating class

of 2014.

The “flow chart” of how the

program might be implemented

includes these steps:

3rd grade student completes 3rd

grade and EOG for reading; if

Proficient—Promoted to grade

4.

3rd grade student NOT Profi-

cient must re-take the EOG or

an alternate assessment; if Profi-

cient—Promoted to 4th grade.

3rd grade student NOT Profi-

cient and qualifies for a “good

cause exemption” is promoted

to grade 4.

3rd grade student still NOT Pro-

ficient must either enroll in

Summer Reading Camp (funded

by the LEA) and successfully

complete and pass EOG to be

promoted to grade 4 or DOES

not attend Summer Camp and

will be retained in grade 3.

Good Cause Exemptions

Limited English Proficiency

Students with Disabilities

Report on the Implementation of the NC General

Assembly’s Read to Achieve Program

NCAE SBE Review J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 3

S P E C I A L P O I N T S O F

I N T E R E S T :

The State Board of Educa-

tion passed a resolution

opposing corporal punish-

ment with a vote of 11-1.

The SBE does not have the

authority to end corporal

punishment based on NC

PSL: 115C. 390.4, but

wanted to go on record

that corporal punishment

is not an appropriate form

of disci-

pline.

Guilford County Superin-

tendent, Dr. Moe Green ,

challenged students to

Read to Succeed. Three

years ago his challenge

was 1 million books, then

2 million books and this

past year the challenge

was 3 million books. The

students met the challenge

and read 3.3 million

books! WFMY TV created

a “super bowl” commer-

cial to recognize the ac-

complishment.

Person County Child Nu-

trition Director, Lyn Holt,

was named the 2012 Sub-

way School Health Cham-

pion.

NCAE Center for Instructional Advocacy, Membership Organizing & Communication February 2013

The 411 on ACT Scores—Standards &

Comparisons of the 11th Grade Co-hort

Assessments

within the

ACT

ACT

Benchmark*

NC Student

Mean Score

Percentage of

students who

met benchmark

Benchmark is set

for grade 12 not

grade 11

English 18 16 40%

Reading 21 18.3 34%

Math 22 19.3 30.4%

Science 24 18.3 16.2%

Writing* 7 6.1 39%

* Writing is scaled on 2-12 points and the other four assessments are scaled on 1– 36

ACT Benchmarks denote that 75% of the students would be C students

in college and 50% would be B students.

92,152 eleventh graders took the ACT in the

Spring of 2012. The ACT is now a component for

both the College Readiness and Performance

goals for high schools.

Link to NC DPI ACT Resources http://www.act.org/stateservices/northcarolina/

NCAE Center for Instructional Advocacy, Membership Organizing & Communication February 2013

P A G E 3

Cooperative Innovative High Schools

Charter School News 1. Approved renewals for several charters,

approved the amendment of Corner-

stone Academy in Rocky Mount, and

approved the amended charter for

Uwharrie to be located in Asheboro

City and not Randolph County.

2. Approved the requested extension for

the Charter School Advisory Council to

have two additional months to screen

the applications that are due in March.

There are 156 letters of intent to open a

new charter. The applications are long

and detailed. The SBE also ap-

proved to move toward having

charter school applications post-

ed online using an automated

system instead of paper.

3. Discussed the “fast-track” char-

ters for final approval. Twenty –

five new charter schools will

open in 2013-14. In April of

2012 there were 63 applications

and 25 are being voted on in

March.

Woolard represent-

ing District 1 of the NE

and Bill Harrison,

SBE chair and mem-

ber at-large. These

two members brought

common sense ap-

proaches to the educa-

tional issues and

The

State

Board

passed two resolu-

tions honoring the

service of outgoing

SBE members, Jean

policies, spoke out on

behalf of educators

and students and

were collaborative

with NCAE. They

will be missed!

implement the STEM, Advanced

Manufacturing CTE Program and

online college partnership with

ECSU. The SBE noted they are not

opposed to innovative approaches

but the LEAs need to use resources

already in place instead of asking

for new funding streams.

There were three requests for new

innovative high school approaches

from Anson, Iredell Statesville, and

Northampton. The requests were

denied due to the duplicity of the

requests based on programs al-

ready in place within the systems

that could be used. The LEAs are

being asked to use the Career Col-

lege Promise program instead to

N C A E S B E R E V I E W

Success is not

reached by

chance—it is

reached by

choice.

Success

NCAE Center for Instructional Advocacy, Membership Organizing & Communication February 2013

P A G E 4

Common success strategies shared from these schools:

High Expectations, working as a family, controlling what they can con-

trol, celebrating small steps, engaging parents/guardians, not allowing

the high poverty rate to be a barrier for student success, and partnering

with community for resources.

N C A E S B E R E V I E W

Oak Hill Elementary, Guilford County Schools: Recognized as the National Title I

School for Closing Achievement Gaps. NCAE Members Travis Benson and

Sabrina Peacock accepting the award. Chairman Harrison, Board Member Green,

Treasurer Cowell, Superintendent Atkinson, Lt. Governor Forest and Board Co-chair

McDevitt.

Haywood County Schools—Bethel Elementary was recognized as the National Title I School

for Sustained High Performance. Jill Barker the principal beside Superintendent Atkinson and

Lt. Governor Forest and local superintendent, Dr. Garrett, on the other side of June Atkinson.