NCSBA Legislative Update – March 8, 2024

NCSBA Legislative Update – March 8, 2024

MARCH 8, 2024
There are a few staples of life in North Carolina; college basketball, barbecue, and the 30-year legal fight over the Leandro decision. In the latest round on February 22, the NC Supreme Court once again heard arguments in the case, despite ruling on it in November of 2022. Republican legislative leaders brought the case back up to have the Court rule whether Superior Court Judge James Ammons, the latest to oversee the litigation originating almost 30 years ago, had authority last spring to enter an order declaring the state owed $678 million to fulfill years two and three of an eight-year comprehensive remedial plan.

At issue is whether the trial court has the authority to order a statewide remedy when the original claims were only brought forth by a handful of counties (Cumberland, Halifax, Hoke, Robeson, Vance). It’s unclear when the justices will issue a ruling on this matter. It’s worth noting that there are several other claims involving Leandro that also remain unresolved.

The NCSBA 2023-24 legislative agenda specifically called upon the NC General Assembly to fund years four and five of the plan without supplementing other education funding. To read the 2023-24 NCSBA issue brief on Leandro click here.

Primary Elections

On Tuesday, March 5, primary elections were held in North Carolina for offices from school board all the way up to President of the United States. The primaries for State Superintendent of Public Instruction are of particular concern to school board members.

In the Republican primary, incumbent State Superintendent Catherine Truitt was upset by Michele Morrow of Wake County. In the general election this fall, Morrow will face the winner of the Democratic primary, Mo Green, a former Superintendent of Guilford County Schools.

WUNC: Republican Primary: Michele Morrow defeats incumbent State Superintendent Catherine Truitt

Legislative Committee Meetings

The House Select Committee on Education Reform convened on February 12 and February 26. The topics discussed in the two meetings are outlined below.

Funding Cliff

DPI Deputy Superintendent Dr. Michael Maher presented on the “funding cliff’ that school systems will face as monies provided by the federal government to help with Covid-19 relief expire. “Those monies are not long-term monies,” Dr. Maher told the Committee. “Now, we’re going into post-COVID and money is running out.”
                                                                                                     
To help districts combat growing concerns, DPI has produced an Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund (ESSR) Funding Cliff Toolkit that will assist education leaders in using data on budgets and student outcomes to help determine the best return on investment of available funds going forward. To view Dr. Maher’s presentation, click here. NCSBA Government Relations staff was interviewed on the topic by WNCN-TV.

School Performance Grades

Superintendent Truitt presented a new public school accountability system to the Committee. Criticizing the current A-to-F grading system as insufficient, Truitt emphasized the need for a more comprehensive assessment beyond mere test scores. She highlighted the fact that North Carolina schools have comparable or better outcomes to states like Arizona, Florida, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas on the National Assessment of Education Progress, yet the current evaluation system deems many of these same schools as underperforming their peers in these same states.

The proposed model  introduced by Truitt provides schools with four stand-alone grades that are not combined into a single letter.

  • Academics Grade: This grade reflects student proficiency – their performance on state exams which currently comprises 80% of the grading criteria.
  • Progress Grade: Representing student growth, this grade considers improvements over time, with a focus on supporting struggling students or maintaining advancement among already high-achieving ones, which currently comprises 20% of the grading criteria.
  • Readiness Grade: Assessing preparedness for post-secondary success, this grade entails different criteria based on school level. It includes initiatives like career exploration in elementary schools, high school planning in middle schools, and measures like graduation rates and post-graduation pursuits in high schools, necessitating the establishment of new data tracking systems.
  • Opportunity Grade: Reflecting factors beyond academics, this grade considers aspects such as chronic absenteeism, teacher survey results, and the availability of extracurricular activities. It aims to provide a holistic view of a school’s environment and opportunities for student engagement, requiring the compilation of additional data sets.

During the upcoming short session, Truitt will ask the General Assembly to approve a pilot program to start this fall:

  • 2024-25 School Year: Pilot the new model to districts and charters who opt in
  • 2025-26 School Year: Roll out the pilot statewide to run concurrently with the old system
  • 2026-27 School Year: Full conversion to new accountability model for all districts and charters

To see the full presentation, click here. To read coverage of the proposed school evaluation revamp from WFAE, click here.

The Committee also received a refresher presentation from DPI on how charter schools are funded, and a report from Asheboro City Schools Superintendent Dr. Aaron Woody on their district’s efforts to empower students and families.

Math Education Reform

DPI Superintendent Catherine Truitt and Dr. Maher presented the department’s plan to reform math education in North Carolina. They stated comprehensive reform is necessary because math scores have remained constant for the last decade.  The goal is to improve proficiency scores by better preparing students for Math 1 coursework, typically offered in eighth or ninth grade. The slide below outlines DPI’s proposal.

According to the plan presented, all K-8 students would be required to receive at least 60 minutes of math at their grade level each day. Any remedial work needed would have to be on top of the 60 minutes of grade-level math instruction. The plan includes more intervention for students outside of their regular math class. Parents would also be kept in the loop more often on their children’s progress in math. Teachers and teaching coaches would receive more training in the teaching of math, similar to they have been offered in the teaching of reading. To view the full presentation, click here.

The House Select Committee On Education Reform is scheduled to meet again on Monday, March 11. An agenda has not yet been posted.

The Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee met for the first time during the interim on  February 27. The NCGA Fiscal Research Division kicked things off with an informative presentation on how the state funds teacher bonuses and supplements.

Next up was Dr. Jonathan Plucker, Associate Dean at the John Hopkins School of Education, presenting on North Carolina’s automatic student enrollment for advanced courses. Dr. Plucker praised legislators for North Carolina’s model because student placement in advanced courses  can be arbitrary and biased, acutely affecting low income and minority students.

Deputy Superintendent Michael Maher presented the chart below as evidence that North Carolina’s approach to advanced placement is working.

To see the full presentation click here.

UPCOMING WEBINAR ON LEGISLATIVE SHORT SESSION

NCSBA Governmental Relations Staff will host a live webinar on Wednesday, March 20 at 1pm to discuss expectations for the upcoming short session of the NC General Assembly which starts Thursday, April 24. To register for the webinar, click here.

myFutureNC, a statewide nonprofit focused on educational attainment convened a series of eight simultaneous meetings across the state on February 14 to provide an update and discuss ideas of how to ensure that by 2030, 2 million North Carolinians between the ages of 25 and 44 hold either an industry-valued credential or a postsecondary degree.

As you can see from the chart below, the state is currently behind the projected pace needed to meet myFutureNC’s goal.

To read the full report by myFutureNC, click here. Click here for WRAL’s coverage of the report.

State Board of Education Meeting March 2024

Governor Roy Cooper made an unscheduled visit to this week’s State Board of Education (“Board”) meeting to discuss the state of education in North Carolina. Cooper encouraged the Board to talk to legislators about the good things happening in education in North Carolina.

Topics Discussed by SBE

Artificial Intelligence (AI) Guidance:  The Board heard about the guidance issued to districts in January on AI Implementation in PK-13 Public Schools. DPI’s guidance is aligned with the state digital learning plan and has been recognized by the Department of Education. DPI staff told the Board that now is the time for district leaders to learn about and understand AI, to develop implementation policies, and make sure staff is well trained with constant assessing and progressing. A presenter said no one is digitally literate until they become AI literate. “Teachers must think about how to use AI in the classroom.” See presentation here and Guidance here.

Parental Leave Rule:  The presenter reviewed the proposed permanent rule (16 NCAC 06C.0408) changes from the previously approved temporary rule and provided a timeline. The rule is required to be “substantially equivalent” to changes adopted by the State Human Resources Commission (SHRC) for state employees including (1) address use of 8 weeks of leave for birthing parents (2) add a requirement for employees taking FMLA leave to exhaust available paid parental leave before using other types of leave, (3) limit the length of parental leave for the birthing parent placing a child up for adoption or into foster care (4 weeks from time of birth), and (4) establish rules for the length of leave following miscarriages and still births that are tied to the time of death of the fetus or child. The Board must adopt a permanent rule by July 23, 2024. These changes will be back for approval next month. See presentation here and rule with changes shown in red here.

Standards Revisions:  The survey on draft 2 of K-12 Arts standards closes March 31. The Board was updated on K-12 dance, music, theatre arts, and visual arts. Reports for K-12 Healthful Living Standards and K-12 World Languages Standards are in progress and will be presented to the Board at a future meeting.  See update Standards Revisions presentation here.

Innovative Practices to Support Educators: The Board heard about innovative approaches to recruit and retain teachers throughout the state.  Examples include:

  • Grow your own through a Scholar Teacher Program which includes a repayable loan through service in the district.
  • Grow your own through NC Teacher Cadet.
  • Affordable Housing Opportunities.

See here for more information on funding, implementation, and results.

Educator Preparation Program Performance: The Board received the annual report on program performance. DPI reports that overall, 55 EPPs enrolled 15,865 candidates pursuing initial teaching licenses in 2022-23,  reflecting a 10% decline from the previous year, but a 43% increase in enrollment over a 10-year period. There were 5,020 new enrollments for 2022-23 which is down 11% from the previous year. Performance reports are here and the presentation is here.

North Carolina Governor’s School Update:  The North Carolina Governor’s School is a four-week summer residential program for gifted and talented high school students on the campuses of Meredith College and Greensboro College.  An amendment to SBE policy (ACIG-001) proposed to clarify leadership structure and provide other tools to support the program. See policy proposal here, presentation here, and informative video here.

Items Approved by SBE
Funding in Arrears: The Board approved the proposal to respond to Section 7.20 of S.L.2023-134 which requires DPI to develop a model funding public school units based on the actual ADM from the prior school year instead of on projections for the upcoming school year. DPI’s CFO, Alexis Schauss, says that realized growth in an LEA will be funded in the current year from a contingency fund.  See technical adjustment information here and report to the General Assembly here.  For a detailed explanation see Schauss’ presentation here.

Weighted Funding for Exceptional Children:  The Board approved a model that proposes to eliminate the 13% cap and modifies the funding structure from a flat rate for every child to one based on weighted factors, service levels, and costs. See presentation here and updated report to the General Assembly here.

Final Temporary Rules For Educator Standards of Professional Conduct: The Board approved changes to the approved final temporary rules that include amendments to 2 existing rules, repeal of 5 existing rules, and adoption of 6 new rules. These include (1) a “child” is now defined as a person under the age of 16,  (2) a “student” is defined to include Pre-K, (3) prohibit intentional exposure of students to profane, vulgar, or sexually explicit material except as part of age-appropriate classroom instruction, (4) clarify that solicitation or encouragement of a romantic or sexual relationship is prohibited in any form (written, verbal, or physical), (5) revocation or suspension of an educator license or other occupational license in NC or another state can be grounds for disciplinary action against a license, and (6) reporting requirements include convictions and charges for certain crimes, conduct involving physical or sexual abuse of a child or student. See rules here  and presentation here.

Temporary Rules Interscholastic Athletics: The Board approved changes to the temporary rules (16 NCAC 06E .0200) that (1) add definitions, (2) specify that PSUs are responsible for implementing rules at the middle and junior high school level subject to general oversight by the superintendent,  (3) change attendance rules to require attendance during at least 85 percent of total instructional days in the prior semester (permits ~ 13 absences, consistent with old NCHSAA rule and NCSBA policy), (4) clarify that “on track” to advance to next grade level or graduate means “making sufficient progress toward meeting the academic and curricular requirements of the PSU and SBE,” (5) specify who is prohibited from exercising undue influence on young athletes, and (6) clarify the appeals process while giving the Superintendent authority to stay a decision of the administering organization pending review by the appeals board. For the presentation summarizing changes see here.  See rules with changes shown here.

ESSER III Funding Distribution: The Board approved requests to use more than $5.5 million in unobligated funds.  The Board also approved a budget adjustment to reallocate $1,163,446 from PRC 189 Supplemental Academic Enrichment Program to PRC 201 Educational and Competitive After-School Robotics Grant Program because the Robotics program received more funding requests than the $1,600,00 appropriated by the General Assembly in S.L. 2021-180 Section 7.27(a)(31). See requests and funding distribution here.

Policy Amendment For Use of State-Designated Assessment for NC Teacher Evaluation Process:  The Board amended policy (TEST-016) as discussed last month to allow use of State-Designated Assessments for the NC Teacher Evaluation Process to accommodate the implementation of credential/certification exams and performance based measurements. See presentation here and policy here.

CTE Grant Expansion Program Recommendations: The Board approved grants to expand CTE programs to sixth and seventh grades in several LEAs and Charters For a list of grant funding recipients see here. Authorizing legislation which limits the uses of funding is here.

Report On Education and Workforce Innovation Commission (EWIC): The Board approved the report.  The EWIC oversees the Education and Workforce Innovation Fund grant and the CTE sixth and seventh grade expansion grant.  See report to General Assembly here.

Invitation to Submit Instructional Materials for Adoption K-12 Science: The Board approved an invitation for bid to support the recently adopted science standards and initiate the annual evaluation and adoption of materials/textbooks for K-12 Science. See presentation here and invitation here.

Report On Principal Recruitment Supplement:  The Board approved the report. See report here.

Consolidated Data Report: The Board approved the report with no substantial changes from last month.  See report here and presentation from last month’s meeting here.

Educator Preparation Programs (EPPS):  The Board approved programs in elementary education for Cape Fear Community College, James Sprunt Community College, Sandhills Community College, South Piedmont Community College, Guilford Tech Community College, and Rowan-Cabarrus Community College.

Report on Career and College Promise and Cooperative Innovative High School Programs: The Board approved the exact same report it reviewed last month. See report here.

Extended Learning and Integrated Student Supports (ELISS) Funding Grants:  The Board recommended 15 applicants receive these grants for at-risk students. Eligibility requirements prevent stand-alone PSUs from applying. Only non-profit corporations or non-profit corporations working with a PSU are eligible. For more information see presentation here and recipients here.

Plasma Games Grant Award: S.L. 2023-134 provides $3,00,000 in funding for public school units (PSUs) to access innovative digital and personalized learning solutions for STEM students. DPI staff is reviewing the 20 applications submitted. Funds must be dispensed by March 15.

ESSA State Plan Amendment:  The Board approved an amendment effective for the 2023–24 school year to provide for a continuity of resources to schools. See presentation here, redline of plan amendment here, and full plan amendment for submission here.

Report On Cursive and Multiplication Tables: The Board approved the report seen here. This annual report lists the compliance of each local school administrative unit.

Allotment Policy Amendment: The Board approved several modifications to policy (A LOT-003) including a change to extend the deadline from January 31 to March 31, 2024, for licenses for digital learning. All changes are shown here.


State Board Member Wendell Hall and Local Board Advisor Mike Williams

February 5, 2024 Headlines From the Weekly Report Include:
Congressional Hearing On K-12 Oversight: The House Oversight and Accountability Health Care and Financial Services Subcommittee held a hearing addressing the challenges affecting the country’s K-12 public education system, including declining academic achievement and rises in chronic absenteeism. ​ The hearing featured witnesses from various organizations, including the Education Freedom Center at the Independent Women’s Forum, the American Enterprise Institute, and The Education Trust. ​

​Members in both parties agreed that targeted tutoring and increased learning time could be effective learning recovery strategies, but questioned whether COVID relief funds were spent effectively. ​​The hearing also touched on issues such as school choice, diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), social emotional learning (SEL) initiatives, book bans, and gun violence. ​ The hearing highlighted the different perspectives on the root causes of the challenges in K-12 education and how to address them. ​For a summary of this hearing produced by COSSBA’s affiliate public affairs firm, click here.

February 12, 2024 Headlines From the Weekly Report Include:
GAO Report On School Improvement Activities: Title 1 CSI (comprehensive support and improvement) schools are found to be among the lowest performing in the nation, serving predominantly minority and low-income students who struggle with reading and math proficiency. They also have higher student-teacher ratios compared to other schools.

A review by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) found that less than half of CSI school improvement plans adequately addressed the required elements, including being based on a needs assessment, identifying resource inequities, and incorporating evidence-based interventions. GAO also noted wide variation among the plans, with some focusing on student-specific inequities like poverty or homelessness, while others addressed resource distribution within the district or school.

The Department of Education monitors state compliance with Elementary and Secondary Education Act requirements for school improvement but relies on states and districts to select CSI plans for review, potentially limiting its ability to identify and address compliance issues effectively. GAO suggests that the Department of Education independently select these plans to better ensure compliance and address risks in its monitoring strategy. To view the report, click here.

February 20, 2024 Headlines From the Weekly Report Include:
USDA Issues New Income Guidelines for Free/Reduced School Meals: The Department of Agriculture’s income eligibility notice is an annual adjustment to the guidelines used to determine eligibility for free and reduced-price meals, free milk, and Summer Electronic Benefit Transfer benefits for the period from July 1, 2024, through June 30, 2025. ​ These guidelines are used by schools, institutions, and facilities participating in various federal programs, such as the National School Lunch Program, School Breakfast Program, Special Milk Program for Children, Child and Adult Care Food Program, and Summer Food Service Program. ​ The purpose of these guidelines is to direct benefits to children who are most in need, and they are revised annually to account for changes in the Consumer Price Index. ​For more information, click here.

February 26, 2024 Headlines From the Weekly Report Include:
Department of Education Releases New Resources for Students with Disabilities:  ​​ The four new resources provide information for students, parents, and schools addressing the civil rights of students with disabilities. ​ They also address common medical conditions that can be disabilities for purposes of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, such as asthma, diabetes, food allergies, and gastroesophageal reflux disease.​ The resources explain when these medical conditions trigger protections under Section 504, what modifications educational institutions may need to make to avoid discrimination, and how to remedy past discrimination. ​ Finally, the added resources aim to inform students with disabilities, their families, and schools about their legal rights and provide guidance on ensuring equal access to education. For more information, click here.  ​

March 4, 2024 Headlines From the Weekly Report Include:
Once again, Congress has managed to avert an appropriations crisis of its own making. Last week, the House and Senate passed another continuing resolution (CR) that avoids shutting down any federal agencies while lawmakers continue to work on Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 spending bills. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA) shared details of the agreement that gives lawmakers until March 8 to pass a package of six spending bills—bills that were released late Sunday night and include the subcommittees of the Agriculture-Food & Drug Administration, Commerce-Justice and Science, Energy and Water Development, Interior, Military Construction-Veterans Affairs, and Transportation-Housing and Urban Development. The other six bills, including the Labor, Health and Human Services and Education spending bill, must be finished by March 22 to avoid any agency closures. Both chambers overwhelmingly passed the latest two-part stopgap funding patch on Thursday. The Senate passed the measure 77-13, after the House did so via a 320-99 vote.


State News

Carolina Journal: State’s Highest Court Wrestles Again With Leandro Education Funding Issues
News & Observer: Will NC Supreme Court Overturn Ruling That Orders Transfer of Money To Public Schools?
WRAL: NC High Court Weighs Who Should Benefit From $677.8 Million Education Improvement Plan
WFAE: Five Tries and 30 Years – NC Supreme Court Takes Up Leandro Funding Case Again
WFAE: Big Money Rides On How North Carolina Tracks Enrollment
News & Observer: Is It Time For NC To Approve ‘Sweeping Reform’ For How Math Is Taught In Schools?
North State Journal: Superintendent: Legislature Needs To Act On Math Achievement
WRAL: North Carolina Needs To Overhaul Math Instruction, Superintendent Tells Lawmakers
Carolina Journal: School Finance in North Carolina: It’s Time To Take the Next Step
Public School Forum: Local School Finance Study
K-12 Dive: Foxx Will Not Seek Another Term As House Education Committee Chair
News & Observer: Wake Schools To Sue Social Media Companies For Addicting Young People
Governor’s Office Press Release: Governor Cooper Announces Grants To Public Schools To Expand School Breakfast
Education NC: A Look At North Carolina’s State Bonuses and Supplements for Teachers
Education NC: DPI Wants School Grades To Better Reflect School Performance In New Model Presented to Lawmakers
WFAE: Thoughts On a Better Way to Rate NC Schools
Education NC: Honoring 60 North Carolina Black Educators For Contributions to Students
The Center Square: Education Leaders Preparing For End of Federal Pandemic Assistance
Education NC: A 10-Year Look At School District Fund Balances
Education NC: Applications For Opportunity Scholarships Are In. What Are the Numbers?

National News

New York Times: Teachers Are Missing More School and There Are Too Few Substitutes
Washington Post: Teachers Are Limiting Lessons On Political, Social Issues Report Finds
K-12 Dive: Black History Month Teaching Strategies Change Amid Curriculum Restrictions
K-12 Dive: States With Universal School Meal Policies See Higher Participation Rates
K-12 Dive: Ed Dept – Common Medical Conditions Have Disability Protections
Education Week: Absenteeism Was A Big Problem In This District. A New Strategy Is Getting Results
The 74 Million: School Boards Face Their Most Difficult Budget Season Ever. Many Are Unprepared

Both the House and Senate are tentatively to be back in Raleigh for session on  Wednesday, March 13th  in case one is needed. The NCSBA Governmental Relations staff doesn’t anticipate any activity.

Committee Meetings

House Select Committee On Education Reform
Monday, March 11, 1pm
643 Legislative Office Building
An agenda has not yet been released. Click here to stream.

Please join NCSBA in sending best wishes to our Assistant Director of Governmental Relations Madison Skeens-Hall, who is moving on to pursue other opportunities. Her last day was February 29. Best of luck Madison!

Bruce Mildwurf
Director of Governmental Relations
NC School Boards Association
bmildwurf@ncsba.org

Rob Black
Assistant Director of Governmental Relations
NC School Boards Association
rblack@ncsba.org

Christina DavoileNCSBA Legislative Update – March 8, 2024
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NCSBA Legislative Update – February 2, 2024

NCSBA Legislative Update – February 2, 2024

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FEBRUARY 2, 2024
Despite the North Carolina General Assembly being out of session, there’s been some notable activity to report. The House Select Committee on Education Reform has been quite busy, meeting twice over the past two weeks. Typically, during these off-session periods, these committee meetings focus on policy-related reports and updates from state agencies, legislative staff, or education-related interest groups.

During the January 22nd meeting, the committee delved into reports concerning teacher compensation and benefits, as well as advanced teaching roles. Presentations were made by the legislature’s Fiscal Research Division and BEST NC, a non-profit, non-partisan business-led coalition dedicated to improving education. The BEST NC presentation really did a particularly good dive into teacher pay in North Carolina as the slide below illustrates.

To see this full BEST NC presentation, click here.  You can check out the remainder of the reports below.

Fiscal Research Division: Teacher Compensation and Benefits
Fiscal Research Division: Advanced Teaching Roles
Best NC: Advanced Teaching Roles

Moving to the January 29th meeting, the Fiscal Research Division started off with a report on Public School Technology – Assessing Demand For and Supply of State Resources. During the presentation, a key item from NCSBA’s legislative agenda was noted – the $730 million owed to the school technology fund that was unconstitutionally diverted to other purposes. Representatives Diane Wheatley (R-Cumberland) and Maria Cervania (D-Wake) serve on the committee and have introduced bills proposing the use of motor vehicle speeding fines to help address over time the $730 million owed to the school technology fund.

Additionally, the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI) shared two reports: the first one being  Student Device, Home Connectivity, and K12 Artificial Intelligence Guidance Updates. In that presentation DPI’s Chief Information Officer Dr. Vanessa Wrenn reported that 89 of 115 LEAs have indicated that they don’t have, or haven’t identified resources to pay for replacement devices because these federally funded programs expire this year. The other presentation was on learning loss recovery, titled NC’s Road to Recovery through Evidence-based Policymaking.

The final presentation was from the Superintendent of  Randolph County Schools, Dr. Steven Gainey, who discussed the local impact of both learning loss and technology funding. Dr. Gainey also shared concerns about the “funding cliff” that local districts will face when the federal affordable connectivity funding program ends in April and the remaining ESSER funds must be committed by the end of September. Dr. Gainey also pointed out that state funding for technology and connectivity is substantially lower for the 2023-24 school year than it was for the 2009-10 school year. To view Dr. Gainey’s presentation, click here.

Looking ahead, the Education Reform Committee is scheduled to meet again on February 12th.  An agenda has not yet been posted. Both the House and Senate are scheduled for session in case one is needed Wednesday, February 14th. The NCSBA Governmental Relations staff doesn’t anticipate any activity.

Dr. Williams Begins SBE Tenure

Dr. Michael Williams, Board of Trustees Chair of the Roanoke Rapids Graded School System officially began his tenure as the Local Board Representative on the NC State Board of Education (SBE) at this week’s board meeting. “It’s an honor and privilege to be here, I represent the hundreds of school board members from across the state. I hope to bring to the table their perspective on various matters under consideration by this board. We all share a common interest, and that is the children of this state, and affording to them the best opportunities we can provide to educate and prepare themselves for their futures.”

Dr. Williams is the 2023-2024 recipient of NCSBA’s Raleigh Dingman Award, the highest honor bestowed on a North Carolina school board member each year. By statute, each year’s award recipient serves as an ex-officio member of the NC State Board of Education. Dr. Williams also serves on the NCSBA Board of Directors.

Dr. Williams With the NC State Board of Education
Click on the image for video of Dr. Williams’ opening comments.
State Board of Education Meeting February 2024
The State Board of Education (“Board”) met on Wednesday and Thursday of this week.

SBE Legislative Agenda
The Board discussed and approved its legislative priorities for the upcoming legislative short session which begins in late April. Items include:

  • $4.5 million to continue funding efforts to transform schools designated as low performing.
  • A joint ask with NC DHHS around evidence-based prevention and early intervention
  • Supporting DPI priorities to ask for resources across 3 areas:  (1) early math screeners, (2) math professional development for teachers in elementary, (3) addressing literacy to middle grade readers, 4th and 5th grade readers in particular.

DPI Legislative Agenda
DPI Secretary Truitt also shared DPI’s legislative priorities for the short session.  Items include;

  • Expansion of Read to Achieve professional development to middle grades teachers
  • Legislate a statewide policy framework for math that includes Early math screener and professional development for elementary math teachers
  • School Performance Grade Redesign
  • Grant Funding to continue support for low-performing schools and districts
  • Continued funding  for Office of Learning and Research at NC DPI

NCSBA Legislative Priorities
While it was not a part of the SBE meeting, it is useful to also list NCSBA’s legislative priorities for the short session.

  • Recruiting and Retaining Top Talent; Improving Working Conditions
    • Increased pay and additional benefits
  • Student Centered Calendar
  • Fund more School Health Personnel
  • Accountability
    • Work with and support DPI’s efforts to revamp the school grading formula, statewide testing, and what constitutes a low-performing school
  • High School Athletics
  • Modify New Early Graduate Program
    • Allow local boards of education to maintain additional requirements for students graduating in 4 years, based on local needs.

Center for Safer Schools Data Report
First, the Board received the Annual Consolidated Data Report for the 2022-2023 School year from Karen Fairley, Executive Director, Office of the Center for Safer Schools. The center compiles the report which is required by the legislature to address dropout rates, suspensions, expulsions, uses of corporal punishment, reassignments for disciplinary purposes, alternative placements, and acts of violence in the public schools.   Statistics in the report include:

  • 13.3% decrease for high school dropouts from 10,841 in 2021-22, to 9,612 in 2022-23. DPI notes this is the lowest number of high school dropouts across the state in a non-pandemic year since the 2013-14 school year.
  • Increase in school safety incidents (includes acts of crime violence, possession of a controlled substance, and possession of a weapon) from11,170 in 2021-22, to 13,193 in 2022-23. DPI notes that incidents involving weapon possession decreased by 3.7%
  • 35.7% increase in controlled substance incidents.
  • 3.7% decrease in weapon possession incidents.

DPI stated that “the report’s findings increase safety awareness and allow school districts to evaluate safety protocols while facilitating discussions around how to improve, identify and strengthen safety measures in schools and communities.”

Click here for a DPI press release on these statistics and more, including increases in suspensions and expulsions.  To see the PowerPoint presentation click here and see the full report to the legislature here.

Student Health and Safety

NC Health and Human Services Secretary, Kody H. Kinsley, wants to continue working with the Board and DPI to improve student and community health and safety. He highlighted the important impact of school-based health programs on student behavior and performance.

Secretary Kinsley reported on the following statistics:

  • North Carolina is ranked 42nd out of 50 states in youth mental health service access
  • Suicide is the 2nd leading cause of death for youth ages 10-18 in NC
  • On average more than 50 children sleep in emergency departments and DSS offices each week due to unmet behavioral health needs
  • 1 in 10 NC high school students attempted suicide
  • 1 in 3 NC high school students are chronically absent
  • 72% of NC high school students are not able to access needed mental health care

Secretary Kinsley believes that working together to address these issues in the schools maximizes the impact which in turn improves academic outcomes. See his full presentation which includes areas in need of investment, the vision for school behavioral health, and next steps,  here.

Dr. Sarah Komisaro, from the Duke Sanford School of Public policy, then spoke to the benefits of school-based telemedicine access which her research shows reduces the likelihood that a student is chronically absent by 2.5 percentage points (29 percent) and the number of days a student is absent by about 0.8 days per year (10 percent).  She added that her research suggests that telehealth can reduce violent or weapons-related disciplinary infractions. Reginald Keenan, Chair of the Healthy Responsible Students committee, summed it up later in the meeting in speaking about the Duke report and use of telemedicine in schools, “any positive effort to get to the children before the crisis is important” and it shows that “you can prevent violence if you put things in place.” See full presentation here.

Further Discussions

American Rescue Plan ESSA III Updated Budget Plan: DPI indicated that due to changes in the budgets for previously approved items, there is approximately $4.6 million currently available from ESSER III grants for further initiatives. The Board is poised to approve activities to be funded from ESSER III State Reserve funds at the March meeting.

Alan Duncan, Chair of the Business Operations Committee, reported that he expects the amount of available funds to rise until June 30 to around $5.5 million.  Proposals include $1.75 million for professional development in advanced teaching roles, $1.3 million for portrait of a graduate online learning modules, and regional training.

Up to $2 million is proposed for virtual summer courses through NC Virtual Public School. Superintendent Truitt notes that the national score card out of Harvard this week shows summer programs are recommended to recover from pandemic learning loss. $100,000 is proposed for DPI to hold a summit on AI issues with folks throughout the state. For the full list of proposed program spending see the Updated Budget Plan and the additional Funding Requests for 2024.

Career and College Promise (CCP) and Cooperative Innovative High School Programs: The full report will be submitted to the General Assembly. NC students have 3 pathways to higher education without cost as follows: College Transfer Path (CTP), Career and Technical Education (CTE), and Cooperative Innovative High Schools (CIHS).  State Board policy CACP-000 requires LEAs to have developed a CCP Partnership Agreement with their CCP college partner by December 2023. The agreement must address partnership protocols, program offerings, communication plan to broaden access, student academic support systems, and responsibilities of school/district and college personnel, responsibilities for program expenses, operation and use of facilities and transportation. See  presentation here and full report here.

Standards Revisions:  The Board received the monthly update on the progress of ongoing standards revisions. DPI is analyzing data collected from surveys that closed on the K-12 Healthful Living Standards January 14 and will now create the third and final draft for these standards. Another survey will be released in mid-February following the second draft of K-12 Arts standards.  K-12 World Language surveys will be open until mid-March.  For more information see full report here.

The Board reviewed and did not approve EPPs for Moreland University and Kipp NC to allow time for further research. For information on Moreland University see here and Kipp NC see here.

Policies Reviewed and Approved

  • Parents’ Bill of Rights Parental Concern Hearings Policy Changes
  • Ninth Grade Accelerated Preparation for College Entry
  • Middle School Introduction to Computer Science Elective Courses Requirement
  • RFP for Community Learning Centers
  • USDA Assistance Funds
  • Changes to Professional Certification of Finance Officers
  • After School Robotics Grant Recipients
  • Allotment for Modernization of LEA Business Systems
  • Heathy Active Children Policy Report
  • 2023 School Mental Health Policy Report
  • Final Evaluation Report for Innovation School District (INSD

Parents’ Bill of Rights Parental Concern Hearings Policy Changes: The Board updated State Board Policy PRNT-001, Parental Concern Hearings Procedure, so that it is consistent with 16 NCAC 06G .0701, the newly approved rule approved at the last meeting.  Changes add definitions, clarify parents’ right to request a hearing, and provide documents to be submitted. See policy changes here.

Ninth Grade Accelerated Preparation for College Entry:  The Board amended policy GRAD-006 to include the changes discussed last month which provide a recommended course sequence for both traditional and block high school schedules and for PSUs adopting sequences based on local needs. See policy here.

Middle School Introduction to Computer Science Elective Courses Requirement: The Board approved a list of elective middle school courses which satisfy the introductory computer science course requirement mandated in S.L. 2023-132. See list here.

RFP for Community Learning Centers: The Board approved the Request for Proposal (RFP) for LEAs, community-based organizations, city or county agencies, faith-based organizations, Bureau of Indian Education schools, Institutions of Higher Education, and for-profit corporations to submit applications to receive federal funds to provide education enrichment and learning support in out-of-school programs. Applications are due April 23, 2024. See report here and RFP here.

USDA Assistance Funds: The Board approved distribution of $35,228,553 in federal funds to assist districts dealing with supply chain disruptions which are causing financial difficulty/need. Recipients must agree to purchase only unprocessed or minimally processed food products.  For grant agreement and a full list recipients’ funding allocations see here and here.

Professional Certification of Finance Officers: The Board approved changes to the Professional Certification Program for North Carolina School Finance Officers (FINO-000) to align policy with S.L. 2023-134. Finance Officers must complete at least two hours of conflict-of-interest training regarding the making and administering of contracts every odd-numbered fiscal year. Current Finance Officers must receive their initial training by April 2024. New Finance Officers must receive their training within 90 days, and subsequent trainings in every following odd-numbered fiscal year.  See policy here.

After School Robotics Grant Recipients: Per S.L. 2023-134, the After School Robotics Competitive Grant application was provided to all PSUs. The total grant was funded at $1,000,000. NCDPI received over $2.1 million in requests from 46 schools. The Board approved the 22 recipients listed here.

Allotment to Modernize LEA Business Systems:  The Board approved changes to the allotment policy for funds to implement the School Business System Modernization Plan which supports the modernization of local education agency (LEA) business systems, particularly those that support financial, payroll, human resources, and related human capital functions. See policy here.

Healthy Active Children Policy Report: Last month DPI staff reported on ratios of licensed PE teachers to students and data showing a correlation between physical activity and less persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness among high school students in NC.  This month the Board approved the report.  See full report here.

2023 School Mental Health Policy Report:  Last month the Board discussed the need for support personnel such as school psychologists, counselors, and nurses, noting that chronic absenteeism goes down with the right ratios and time for instruction goes up.   This month the Board approved the report. See full report here.

Final Evaluation Report for Innovation School District (INSD): The Board approved the report to the general assembly with the final evaluation of the pilot program known as the Innovate School District (INSD). See report here.

The following is the Consortium of State School Boards Association’s (COSSBA) most recent federal education reports.

January 29, 2024 Headlines From the Weekly Report Include:

Federal Budget Update: The continuing resolution (CR) passed by Congress in November expired on January 19th. The day before the CR expired, both chambers of Congress kicked the can down the road again and passed a CR which expires either March 1, or March 8th, depending on the classification into which the funded federal agencies fall. The Democratic-controlled Senate remains far apart from the Republican-controlled House.

Education Department Releases National Education Technology Plan: The plan points to three key factors, or “divides,” that limit impactful education technology usage to support teaching and learning. Those divides include, 1) The Digital Use Divide, addressing opportunities to improve how students use technology to enhance their learning; 2) The Digital Design Divide, addressing opportunities for educators to expand their professional learning and build the capacities necessary to design learning experiences enabled by technology; and 3) The Digital Access Divide, addressing opportunities for students and educators to gain equitable access to educational technology. To read more about the plan, click here.

Montgomery County School System Wins $1.4 Million Federal Grant: They’re celebrating down in Troy, NC. Their system was among 19 school systems across the country receiving a total of $25 million in grants through the first-ever Perkins Innovation and Modernization Career Connected High School Programs. The grants from the Department of Education build the capacity of education and workforce systems to partner with business and industry, to develop new high-quality career-connected high school programs for more students. Grantees will leverage four evidence-based strategies, or “keys,” to help students in unlocking career success including: providing postsecondary education and career guidance; increasing access to dual or concurrent enrollment programs; increasing work-based learning opportunities; and providing industry-recognized credentials. To read a press release about the program, click here.

 

The following are recent news articles, reports, and press releases on state and national education-related issues.

State News

WFAE: No Oversight For NC Charter Schools? That’s Not Really True
WFAE: Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools Board Is Ready For Legal Fight Over Parents Bill of Rights
News & Observer: Federal Complaint Accuses NC Parents Bill of Rights of Anti-LGBTQ Discrimination
News & Observer: NC Legislative Leader Vows Quick Response to School Board Vote On Parents Bill of Rights
News & Observer: School Crime Soars In NC Public Schools. It’s Now 38% Above Pre-Pandemic Levels.
WCNC: North Carolina Schools To Add Threat-Assessment Teams Ahead of Next Year
News & Observer: NC Schools Get $35 Million In Safety Grants. Here’s What It Can Be Used For.
Carolina Journal: School Board Rejects NC Law, A Quick Trip To Chaos
WFAE: State Education Officials Recommend Changes To Special Education Funding, Services
News & Observer: We Could Not Be More Proud; NC Leads US in Number of Nationally Certified Teachers
Charlotte Observer: New Policy Will Allow NC Private High School Athletes To Benefit From NIL
UNC System Press Release: NC Teaching Fellows Program Launches District Pilot Recruitment Initiative
WCNC: NC To Receive $12 M From White House for School Counselors
WRAL: Most NC Schools Say They’re Running Out of Money To Replace Students Laptops
WRAL: NC Creates AI Guidebook For Schools, Fourth In the Nation To Do So
WRAL: NC’s New School Voucher Program Reignites Funding Debate
North State Journal: NC Department of Public Instruction Releases AI Guidebook

National News

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Press Release: CMS Announces $50 Million In Grants to Deliver Critical School Based Health to Children
Higher Ed Dive: 2 Final Title IX Regulations Will Likely Be Delayed – Again
Education Week: How Taylor Swift’s Experience With Deepfakes Can Help Students Examine AI Ethics
Education Week: What’s On the K-12 Agenda For States This Year? 4 Takeaways
Washington Post: White House Urges Schools To Address Absenteeism Amid Troubling Data

House Select Committee on Education Reform
Monday, February 12 1:00pm
Legislative Office Building, Room 643
An agenda has not yet been released. Check the committee website linked above for updates.
Bruce Mildwurf
Director of Governmental Relations
NC School Boards Association
bmildwurf@ncsba.org

Madison Skeens
Assistant Director of Governmental Relations
NC School Boards Association
mskeens@ncsba.org

Rob Black
Assistant Director of Governmental Relations
NC School Boards Association
rblack@ncsba.org

Christina DavoileNCSBA Legislative Update – February 2, 2024
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NCSBA Legislative Update – January 5, 2024

NCSBA Legislative Update – January 5, 2024

As the holidays passed in the NC Senate and House, not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse. Once again, skeletal sessions were held on Wednesday, December 20, and Thursday, December 21 with no votes taken. The legislature is scheduled to reconvene on Wednesday, January 17. We’ll certainly keep you posted on any developments.

Candidate filing for the 2024 elections closed on Friday, December 15. Incumbents and challengers from across the political spectrum seized the opportunity to submit their filing fees and secure a spot on the ballot for positions ranging from congress and governor to sheriff and school board.

Roughly 12% of State legislators (15 House & 6 Senate) chose not to run again for their current seat. 8 of those 15 House members and 2 of the 6 Senators decided to instead run for a different office (1 for State Senate, 5 for Council of State, 4 for Congress).

Click here for the list of North Carolina House candidates. Click here for the list of North Carolina Senate candidates. Click here for a list of Council of State, Congressional, and Judicial candidates.

The NCSBA Governmental Relations team would like to wish everyone a very Happy and Healthy New Year!

The State Board of Education (“Board”) rang in the New Year with a meeting on Wednesday and Thursday of this week.  Raleigh Dingman Award recipient Dr. Michael Williams was recognized as Local Board of Education advisor for this year.
The Board approved the following:

  • Parents’ Bill of Rights Parental Concern Hearings Rule Changes
  • Three-Year High School Graduation Rule
  • Amendment to Policy on Reform of Continually Low-Performing Schools
  • Update on Temporary Rules for Interscholastic Athletics
  • Licensure Renewal Requirements
  • Standards of Professional Conduct Rule
  • Funding Model for Advanced Teaching Roles Program
  • Approval of Summer Enhancement Grant Program
  • Amendment to Schools Allotment Policy Manual

Parents’ Bill of Rights Parental Concern Hearings Rule Changes: In response to public input, the Board approved changes to the temporary rule 15 NCAC 06G.0701 it approved in November.  Changes add definitions, clarify parents’ right to request a hearing, and provide documents to be submitted.  Legal staff will return with a permanent rule later this year.   See rule with proposed changes in detail here.

Three-Year High School Graduation:  The Board approved changes to the temporary Rule 16 NCAC 06D.0510 it approved in November.  Changes address the need for PSUs to provide information on the graduation requirements for this three-year option. See changes here.

Amendment to Policy on Reform of Continually Low-Performing Schools: State Board policy DSTR-040 provides procedures for a local board of education to request authorization to implement a school reform model in a continually low-performing school under G.S. 115C-105.37B. The Board approved changes to set forth procedures for qualification for all four school reform models, including the Transformation Model, the Restart Model, the Turnaround Model, and the School Closure Model.  See policy and changes here.

Update on Temporary Rules for Interscholastic Athletics: On October 3, 2023, the General Assembly enacted S.L. 2023-133, which made significant changes to state laws governing interscholastic athletics and requires the State Board to adopt temporary rules in time for the 2024-2025 school year. The proposed temporary rules are designed to satisfy this legislative requirement and address such topics as the administration of interscholastic athletics, student health and safety, student participation requirements, amateur rules, penalties, and the appeals process. There will be a public comment period and hearing with adoption in March.  The temporary rules will take effect July 1, 2024.  A summary of the proposed changes is here.  Proposed temporary rules are here.
Licensure Renewal Requirements: The Board approved changes it reviewed last month for licensure renewal in SBE Policy LICN-005.  These changes apply to administrators, teachers, and student services personnel (including counselors, social workers, school psychologists, audiologists, speech-language pathologists, and media coordinators).  As recommended by PEPSC amendments include removal of the requirement for separate continuing education units (CEUs) solely related to digital teaching and learning. Also, mandatory state and local professional development must (was may) be counted towards general CEUs if certain criteria are met.  See policy changes here.

Standards of Professional Conduct Rules:  The Board approved several proposed temporary rules for public notice and comment which revise and create new provisions addressing the conduct of professional educators and revise Board rules related to teacher licensure suspension and revocation.  One of the new rules clarifies that a licensee may face disciplinary action against the license for violating the Standards of Professional Conduct.   Other provisions specify the types of sanctions the Board can impose on a licensee, including a written warning, a written reprimand, a suspension for a defined term, and revocation. Under the rules, the Board may attach remedial conditions to an action, such as a requirement that the licensee complete additional CEUs. PEPSC has reviewed and recommended the rules. See presentation here and a complete summary of proposed rule changes here.

Funding Model for Advanced Teaching Roles Program: The Board approved a funding model for the LEAs previously selected to participate in this program.  For presentations and a list of  districts participating in this program see here and here.

Approval of Summer Enhancement Grant Program: Under the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act NCDPI was awarded $1.4 million in supplemental funding which it proposed to use to fund the Competitive Summer Enhancement Grant ProgramNine applications met the minimum threshold for quality and are recommended for funding of a total award of $839,557. These applicants proposed to serve 625 students in 2- or 3-week intensive summer sessions. No LEAs applied.  Of the eleven applicants that submitted a proposal, two were charter schools, eight were community-based nonprofits, and one was a community-based for-profit.  Students in Pitt, Wilson, Scotland, Guilford, Buncombe, Bladen, and Cabarrus may benefit from these programs. See overview here.

Amendment to Schools Allotment Policy Manual:  The Board approved changes to the Allotment Policy Manual resulting from the 2023-24 appropriations legislation and to address several new State grants and one Federal grant.  Grants include funding for stop sign arms, teacher apprentices, Rethink Education which provides professional development and compensates teachers for it, and  PLASMA Games which provides educational software to be used in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) and career and technical education (CTE) courses. See revised Allotment Policy Manual for the 2023-24 year here.

In addition, this month, the Board received several reports and discussed the following:

  • Funding in Arrears Report
  • Ninth Grade Accelerated Preparation for College Entry
  • Standards Revisions
  • Year-Over-Year Analysis Report on Recovery from Covid-19
  • ESSA State Plan Amendment
  • $7.9 Million Grant for Math Education in Rural Schools
  • SparkNC
  • Renewal School System Report
  • Charter Schools Review Board Update
  • Charter School Renewal Process
  • Heathy Active Children Policy Report
  • 2023 School Mental Health Policy Report
  • Wilson Area School-Based Health Centers
  • Other reports

Funding in Arrears Report: This report is due for DPI to submit to the General Assembly next month. Section 7.20 of S.L.2023-134 (State Budget) requires DPI to develop a model to fund PSUs based on the actual ADM from the prior school year instead of projections for the upcoming school year. DPI is required to propose technical adjustments for public school funding to the State Board of Education for approval before submitting the State Budget Director and the Fiscal Research Division. DPI’s CFO, Alexis Schauss, gave a lengthy report on a proposed model proposed for calculating school funding which includes a method to account for newly formed charter schools. The report was for discussion only this month and will be up for State Board approval to send to the General Assembly next month. (See report here and presentation here).

Ninth Grade Accelerated Preparation for College Entry:  Since PSUs are now required to offer 3-year pathways to graduation, the Board discussed amending policy GRAD-006 to include a recommended course sequence for both traditional and block high school schedules and for PSUs adopting sequences based on local needs. See here.

Standards Revisions:  The Board received an update on the progress of ongoing standards revisions.   DPI indicates it is making progress on drafts of K-12 World Language and Arts standards.  Surveys on Healthful Living will be open until the middle of January.  For more information see here.

Year-Over-Year Analysis Report on Recovery from Covid-19: The Board received the 2023 Year-Over-Year Analysis Report from the Office of Learning Recovery and Acceleration. This report indicates North Carolina Schools are steadily continuing to recover from the Pandemic with what DPI reports are “gains virtually across all grades and subjects.” Two of 16 standardized assessments (EOG Reading Grade 3 and EOC English II) already show gains above the recovery thresholds.   The report uses a new method of analysis which provides more information to inform local discussion about recovery from the Pandemic. The new analysis focuses on trends in achievement during the last 10 years and compares those trends during time periods before, during, and after the Pandemic. For presentation and report see here and here.

ESSA State Plan Amendment: DPI met with the Department of Education to discuss resetting long-term goals. There will be a webinar this month to gather input on this proposal to reset long-term goals, timelines, and criteria for implementing the State ESSA plan. More information is here. For an article entitled “NC’s latest response to learning loss: Asking feds to let state hit the reset button” click here.

$7.9 Million Grant for Math Education in Rural Schools: This 5-year grant awarded by the Department of Education is referred to as the Patterns for Reaching & Impacting Students in Math (PRISM).  The goal is to increase math proficiency. Through a partnership with Carnegie Learning to implement a professional development platform and coaching and WestEd to research and evaluate the impact on teachers and students,  up to 300 rural 4th grade Math teachers serving 7000 students across the state will receive ongoing professional learning. Initial groups of teachers and students will be identified this year as DPI finalizes the processes, protocols, and procedures to initiate the grant work.  Full implementation is expected to begin in January of 2025. See presentation here.

SparkNC:  SparkNC is a North Carolina nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization, launched with the support of the North Carolina General Assembly in partnership with DPI with the strategic vision of developing students’ durable skills and engagement in real-world challenges.
SparkNC is designed to help students who are Spark Scholars create their own pathway to high-tech fields. Through the program a network of school districts collaborates so each district operates one or more SparkLabs to serve as physical hubs for a new kind of learning. This organization wants to expand this to districts throughout the State. SparkLabs are currently available in 20 districts, two charters, and some private schools. Wake County Schools have the newest lab located on the Wake Tech campus. Former Superintendent of Rowan-Salisbury Schools, Dr. Lynn Moody, introduced this project to the Board and Dr. John Stover, superintendent of Rockingham County Schools reported on the value of the program currently operating in his school system.  See presentation here and website here.  For an article on this program titled “SparkNC brings self-directed, competency-based learning to public school students” click here.

Renewal School System Report:  Rowan-Salisbury Schools (RSS) is North Carolina’s only Renewal School System which provides RSS charter-like flexibility with its calendar, curriculum, personnel, and finance.  Kelly Withers, RSS superintendent, presented the district’s annual report last month and was back to respond to questions this month. See her presentation here.

Charter Schools Review Board Update: Chair Bruce Friend and Vice Chair John Eldridge, gave a brief update on the December meeting. No charters have been approved yet in the 2023 cycle, but the chair reports that of the 15 original applicants • 10 Application interviews / reviews have been completed • 6 have been moved into the Ready to Open Process/4 were declined • 2 applicants have their second interview with CSRB in January • 3 applicants withdrew prior to the interview process. See report here.

Charter School Renewal Process:  The State Board and Superintendent Truitt continue to discuss the charter school approval process. This month the discussion focused on proposed guidelines for the renewal process.  See guidelines here.  To read an article on this issue titled, “Charter school renewal policy proposal sparks testy State Board of Education debate” click here.

Heathy Active Children Policy Report: DPI staff reported on ratios of licensed PE teachers to students and data showing a correlation between physical activity and less persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness among high school students in NC.  Some good news is that 100% of LEAs have a policy in place while 50% of School Health Advisory Councils (SHACs) met at least quarterly. 72% of SHACs provided annual reports to their local board. 63% of schools provided staff wellness programs.  Areas of health focused on this year were tobacco/vaping, safe school environment, mental health counseling, and social work.  Employee wellness is the top area in need of additional resources while counseling, psychological, and social services are second.  99% of LEAs elementary schools provide 30 minutes of daily moderate to vigorous physical activity through recess, physical education, classroom energizers, and GoNoodle. 76% of Middles Schools do this through Physical Education and classroom energizers, recess, intramurals. No teacher or school withheld recess as a punishment in 99% of LEAs.  See full report here.

2023 School Mental Health Policy Report:  327 to 336 total PSUs responded to DPI’s survey. Staff and the Board discussed the benefit of support personnel such as school psychologists, counselors, and nurses, noting that chronic absenteeism goes down with the right ratios and time for instruction goes up.   See full report here. For an article entitled “NC schools lack enough counselors, nurses, social workers and psychologists report says” click here.

Wilson Area School-Based Health Centers:  Within the context of the Healthy Responsible Students committee discussion on healthy schools, Superintendent Lane Mills from Wilson gave a presentation on the school-based health centers set up in Wilson County Schools.  He noted that this partnership with the local county health department enables them to provide 4 onsite clinics in the schools. Mills reported that relationships are key to making this work. A private Healthcare Foundation provided seed funding.  DPI staff indicated that the state provides some seed funding to get these clinics started in schools. Mills also noted that the clinics have been key to keeping teachers and staff in school and that telehealth has been helpful in staffing the clinics. Information on WASH is here.

Other Reports: Read to Achieve Literacy Intervention Plans Approved and Denied in 2022-2023 (report here), Pilot Program to Raise the High School Dropout Age (report here), School Connectivity Initiative (report here), Weighted Funding for Exceptional Children (report here and presentation here), and Study for Students with Extraordinary Costs (report here and presentation here).

The following is the Consortium of State School Boards Association’s (COSSBA) most recent federal education reports.

December 11, 2023 Headlines From the Weekly Report Include:

-NC Educational Programs were awarded almost $15 million of the $277 million distributed by the Federal Education Innovation and Research (EIR) Grant Program.  The EIR programs help create, implement, replicate, and expand entrepreneurial, evidence-based innovations to improve outcomes for historically underserved learners and to evaluate such innovations. There were a total of 45 grantees.  Three listed below are the North Carolina based programs.

N.C. Department of Public Instruction PRISM: Patterns for Reaching and Impacting Students in Math  $7,868,972
Village of Wisdom, Inc. That’s Just Good Teaching Program  $4,000,000
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Strengthening Social-Emotional Learning in High Schools with Integrated Multi-Tiered Mindfulness Programming   $4,000,000

To learn more about the EIR Grants, click here.

-FCC Proposes New Rules Addressing Homework Gap: The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) published a proposed rule to address the ongoing remote learning needs of students, school staff, and librarians through the E-Rate program.  The purpose is to help ensure families benefiting from the Emergency Connectivity Fund (ECF) program are not left behind when the program sunsets on June 30, 2024. The program helps fund connected devices, Wi-Fi hotspot devices, broadband connections, and other eligible equipment and services for their needs outside of their school or library.  The FCC is reexamining the E-Rate program and seeking comment on proposals and potential actions the Commission could take to support E-Rate beneficiaries who are at risk of losing access to essential broadband connections necessary to engage in educational opportunities once the ECF program sunsets this June. The FCC is accepting comments through January 8, 2024, and reply comments are due on January 22, 2024.

For more information on these programs and to learn how to submit comments, click here.

Authors of the weekly COSSBA updates took a break following the December 11th publication.  They’ll be back at it the week of January 15th.

The following are recent news articles, reports, and press releases on state and national education-related issues.

State News

North State Journal: 46% of North Carolina School Board Races Will Be Partisan in 2024
North State Journal: A Look Back At The Year In K-12 Education
WFAE: New Report – Third Grade Reading Is Bright Spot for Learning Recovery
WFAE: NC Students Face Brutal Realities of Lingering Pandemic Setbacks In Schools
WFAE: Most CMS Families Aren’t Responding to ‘Parents Rights’ Permission Requests
WFAE: Where Do NC Students Go to School? Trends Show Decline At Traditional Public Schools
WFAE: Gaston Schools Will Keep Defying NC Calendar Law For Two More Years
WFAE: NC Budget Lets Teachers Who Struggle With Licensing Exams Keep Their Jobs
News & Observer: NC Schools Lack Enough Counselors, Nurses, Social Workers and Psychologists Report Says
News & Observer: Facing a State Deadline, Wake Schools Pass Policy To Comply With Parents Bill of Rights
News & Observer: NC Schools Sue Social Media Companies For Exploiting Addictive Nature of Platforms
News & Observer: NC Is a National Leader in Charter and Private School Growth. Good News or a Threat?
Carolina Journal: Change For Good – The NC Charter School Review Board and the Road Ahead
Carolina Journal: NC Has 3rd Highest Charter School Enrollment Growth In Nation
NC Health News: Task Force To Focus On Social Media Algorithms, Gun Storage Education, To Help Keep NC Kids Safer in 2024
NC Department of Public Instruction Press Release: NCDPI Awarded $7.9 Million To Address Math Disparities in Rural Schools

National News

EdSource: Threats, Stress and Politics Pushing Superintendents Out the Door
K-12 Dive: School Districts Face Growing Competition for Students
K-12 Dive: 4 Key School Staffing Solution Themes That Emerged in 2023
K-12 Dive: 5 Insights From Top School Administrators In 2023
Education Week: Students’ Math Outcomes Have Plummeted. Here’s What To Do
Washington Post: Homeschooling’s Rise From Fringe to Fastest Growing Form of Education

There are no education-related committee meetings scheduled at this time.
The NCSBA Governmental Relations team would like to wish everyone a very Happy and Healthy New Year!
Bruce Mildwurf
Director of Governmental Relations
NC School Boards Association
bmildwurf@ncsba.org

Madison Skeens
Assistant Director of Governmental Relations
NC School Boards Association
mskeens@ncsba.org

Rob Black
Assistant Director of Governmental Relations
NC School Boards Association
rblack@ncsba.org

Christina DavoileNCSBA Legislative Update – January 5, 2024
read more
NCSBA Legislative Update – December 8, 2023

NCSBA Legislative Update – December 8, 2023

Recently, the NC General Assembly convened for skeletal sessions on Wednesday, November 29, with no votes taken. Meanwhile, County Boards of Elections experienced heightened activity as the filing period for the 2024 elections kicked off at noon on December 4th. Incumbents and challengers from across the political spectrum seized the opportunity to submit their filing fees and secure a spot on the ballot for positions ranging from Governor to school board.

Notably, the political arena saw three state legislative contenders emerge from the school boards community: Dana Caudill Jones, the former Chair of the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Board of Education, is running for Senate District 31, the seat being vacated by the retirement of Sen. Joyce Krawiec (R-Forsyth). Additionally, Monika Johnson-Hostler, from the Wake County Board of Education, entered the race for House District 33, the seat being vacated by the retirement of Rep. Rosa Gill, also a former school board member (D-Wake). Finally, Nancy Meek, a former Chair of the Hickory City Board of Education, filed to run  for Senate District 45, the seat being vacated by the retirement of Sen. Dean Proctor (R-Catawba).

Filing closes at noon on Friday December 15th. Click here for the list of North Carolina House candidates who have filed so far. Click here for the list of North Carolina Senate candidates. Click here for a list of Council of State and Congressional candidates.

The State Board of Education ( “Board”) met Wednesday and Thursday of this week.  The Board approved the following:

  • New Policy on Parents’ Guide to Student Achievement
  • K-12 Guidance Standards
  • Computer Science Courses Satisfying Graduation Requirements
  • Changes to Athletics Policies
  • General Licensing Requirements Policy Amendment
  • Membership NCVPS Advisory Board
  • Digital Learning Grants RFPs
  • Extended Learning and Integrated Student Supports (ELISS) Competitive Grant Program
  • Contract Over $500,000

New Policy on Parents’ Guide to Student Achievement: The policy requires PSUs to develop and distribute a guide to student achievement for parents that meets certain requirements of the recent Parents’ Bill of Rights legislation. DPI staff indicated there will be a webinar next week with a template. See the policy here and the presentation here.

K-12 Guidance Standards:  Pursuant to Board policy SCOS-012 the Board approved guidance standards that are based on the American School Counselor Association Standards called Mindsets and Behavior for Student Success.  Instead of Guidance Standards, the name of this standard will be changed to Student Success Standards. See presentation here.

Computer Science Courses Satisfying Graduation Requirements: SL2023-132 created GS §115C-81.90 which requires the completion of a computer science course for graduation from high school starting with students entering the ninth grade in school year 2024-2025. The Board approved a list of Computer Science, IT, and Technology Education courses that would satisfy the graduation requirements. Click here for the list.

Changes to Athletics Policies:  Board legal counsel recommended  changes in several policies to coordinate Board policies with those of the N.C. High School Athletic Association for the 2023-2024 year. Those policies are as follows;

Athletic Trainers
Interscholastic Athletics
Administering Organizations
Concussion Safety and Emergency Plans
Penalty Rules
Student Participation Rules
Reporting Rules

Counsel indicated policy changes reflect what the Board originally approved during its September meeting.

General Licensing Requirements Policy Amendment: The Board amended its policy to reflect the changes from the recent appropriations legislation and also made some technical changes. The Board approved the limited license to be renewable for a duration of three years for the same PSU and eliminated the requirement of effectiveness data for out-of-state license holders with three or more years of teaching experience. With each of these changes, the Board added provisions.

First, when a limited license is being renewed, the employing local board must submit an affidavit signed by both the supervising principal and the superintendent stating that the teacher is an effective teacher who is currently employed by the local board and who will be encouraged to continue to pursue a CPL. Second, under the revised policy, out-of-state educators with three or more years of experience will now need to (1) provide documentation showing completion of an educator preparation program approved in the state in which the educator resides and (2) have achieved a passing score on an exam approved by that state where the license is issued and which fulfills, in part, the requirement to convert the license to a continuing license in that state. Technical changes revised the definition of Public School Unit to include LEA, Charter School, ISD School, Laboratory School, or Residential School and replaced references to LEA with PSU. See policy here.

Digital Learning Grants RFPs:  The Board approved the RFPs for these grants. The North Carolina Digital Learning Plan recommends the provision of grants to support the development and dissemination of local innovative digital learning models. The goal is to have effective innovative practices, implementing digital teaching and learning in conjunction with NC Digital Learning Competencies and Digital Learning Standards for Students. All PSUs are eligible to apply for these grants.  The request for proposals opens December 6, 2023, with proposals due March 4, 2024. The programs will be implemented Fall 2024-Spring 2027. See Digital Learning Impact Grant RFP and  Emerging Technologies Grant RFP.  See presentation here.

Extended Learning and Integrated Student Supports (ELISS) Competitive Grant Program:  This program funds support service programs for at-risk students to raise standards for student academic outcomes. The legislature has appropriated seven million dollars each year for 2023-2025.  Grant participants are eligible to receive grants for up to two years in an amount of up to $500,000 each year. Nonprofit corporations working with LEAs are eligible to apply to implement new or existing eligible programs for at-risk students. RFPs will be made available December 8, 2023, and are due by noon on January 17, 2023.  Approval and notification will be in March 2024. See presentation here.

Contract Over $500,000:  The Board approved amending the contract with the SAS EVAAS team to continue to gather and analyze the data needed to generate the legislatively mandated report which will quantify recovery from the pandemic. For a presentation on the amendment  click here. For the memorandum on the contracts click here .

In addition, this month, the Board received several reports and discussed proposed changes to policy as follows:

  • 2023-2024 Report Beginning of Year Early Grade Reading Proficiency
  • Report on Broadening Access to and Increasing Success in Advanced Courses
  • Report on Transition Planning for Residential Schools for the Deaf and Blind
  • Standards Revisions
  • Licensure Renewal Requirements
  • Charter Schools Review Board Update
  • Appeals from Charter Schools Review Board (CSRB)
  • Charter School Renewal Process
  • Other reports

2023-2024 Report Beginning of Year Early Grade Reading Proficiency:  New data shows that elementary school students continue to make significant improvements in their reading skills. Based on beginning-of-year testing data, North Carolina students outpaced their peers on a national level in grades 1-3, while grades K-3 have shown steady improvement since the implementation of a standardized early literacy assessment in the 2021-22 school year.  For more information see presentation here.

Report on Broadening Access to and Increasing Success in Advanced Courses:  This report indicates that due to a consistent and intentional focus in the state, improvements have been made both in terms of participation in advance level courses and performance on advanced level exams. In 2022-2023 exam fees were covered for the cost of college level exams for all in the amount of $14,178,991.45.  Professional learning was also available for teachers in all districts. There is a 15.9% increase since last year in the number of students taking at least one AP course with 93,050 students currently enrolled-the highest enrollment ever according to DPI.  NC public school students earned qualifying scores on 80,792 AP tests which is a 15.4% increase over the prior year. See the report here and presentation here.

Report on Transition Planning for Residential Schools for the Deaf and Blind:  Pursuant to Session Law 2023-10 the residential schools for the deaf and blind will be governed by separate, independent boards of trustees, effective July 1, 2024.  DPI is required to develop a transition plan and submit interim reports on progress.  This is the second of three reports.  DPI highlighted the need for HR and legal supports for these schools. See full report here.

Standards Revisions:  The Board received an update on the progress of ongoing standards’ revisions.   DPI indicated it is making progress with surveys on K-12 Healthful Living, Arts, and World Language standards this past month.  For more information see presentation here.

Licensure Renewal Requirements:  Based on changes in Session Law 2023-134, policy LICN-005 has been updated to reflect the changes for licensure renewal.  These amendments include removal of the requirement for digital teaching and learning continuing education units (CEUs) and the provision that mandatory state and local professional development may be counted towards general CEUs. The Professional Educator Preparation and Standards Commission (PEPSC) unanimously recommended these amendments to LICN-005 during its November monthly meeting. See presentation here.

Charter Schools Review Board Update: Chair Bruce Friend and Vice Chair John Eldridge, gave a brief update on the November meeting. The board (1) approved Movement Freedom’s grade span reduction amendment request, (2) approved two applications (Movement School Gastonia and Movement School Greensboro), and (3) began renewal presentations/interviews with 8 schools placed at 3 year renewals or nonrenewal. The next meeting of this board is December 11, and 12. For more information see here

Appeals from Charter Schools Review Board (CSRB): Two charter schools appealed to the State Board of Education from decisions by the CSRB. After hearings on the requests, the board unanimously voted to not renew the charter for Heritage Collegiate Leadership Academy and close the School of the Arts for Boys Academy (SABA).

Charter School Renewal Process:  Within the context of revising policy, the Board discussed the charter school renewal process now that there is the new CSRB. The Board discussed revising current policy to set forth its expectations regarding compliance requirements for charters to meet for the renewal process.  Chair Davis would like to see the policy set forth a process for DPI to sign off on certain requirements. He wants the State Superintendent to make sure charters are in compliance and let the Board know when they are not.  Vice Chair Duncan indicated it is problematic when there are not matching comparables.  Local board advisor, Henry Mercer said he would like to see similar expectations for all schools but thinks it will be hard to guarantee this if some are held to higher standards.

Other Reports:

  • Pilot Program to Raise School Dropout Age (report here and presentation here)
  • Teacher Compensation and Advanced Teaching Roles Program Grant Recipients (report here and presentation here)
  • 2022-2023 NC Virtual Public School Report here
  • Rowan-Salisbury Schools-Renewal School System (report here)
  • Education of Children in Private Psychiatric Residential Treatment Facilities (report here).

The Board recognized eight Blue Ribbon Schools award winners designated by the US Department of Education. The program recognizes public and private elementary, middle, and high schools based on their overall academic excellence or their progress in closing achievement gaps among student subgroups. The schools recognized were:

  • Beaufort County Early College High School, Beaufort County Schools
  • Fairview Elementary School, Buncombe County Schools
  • Greensboro Academy, Charter
  • Heyward C. Bellamy Elementary School, New Hanover County Schools
  • Highland School of Technology, Gaston County Schools
  • Jay M. Robinson Middle School, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools
  • Lucama Elementary School, Wilson County Schools
  • W.R. Odell Elementary School, Cabarrus County Schools

Click here for a news story about the Blue Ribbon Schools.

The Board also recognized and thanked Henry Mercer, Vice-Chair of the Wilson County Board of Education, for his service as local board advisor this year. Board chair Eric Davis called Henry Mercer a “kind, compassionate, deeply committed, fiercely determined advocate for our students.”  Mercer said he would miss seeing everyone on the Board but was confident he was leaving the education of the children of North Carolina in good hands with this Board.

By statute, the yearly winner of the Raleigh Dingman Award – the highest honor NCSBA bestows upon a school board member – serves one year on the State Board of Education as the local board representative. The 2023-24 Raleigh Dingman Award winner is Dr. Mike Williams, Board of Trustees Chair, Roanoke Rapids Graded School District. Dr. Williams will begin his term in January.

The following is the Consortium of State School Boards Association’s (COSSBA) most recent federal education reports.

November 6, 2023 Headlines From the Weekly Report Include:

Federal Funding Awards Help Increase Educator Pay, Increase Diversity: The Department of Education  announced last week nearly $115 million in new awards to support 29 Teacher and School Leader (TSL) Incentive projects, which expand on the department’s efforts to ensure a well-prepared, diverse, and sustainable educator workforce. The TSL grants help districts to address educator shortages by supporting career advancement and teacher leadership opportunities, increasing compensation, and improving educator retention.

Three North Carolina School districts will receive the awards:
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools                     $2,826,328
Wake County Public Schools                         $4,579,709
Montgomery County Schools                         $8,269,050

Click here to read a press release on the initiative.

November 13, 2023 Headlines From the Weekly Report Include:

Education Department Launches Campaign To Boost Teaching Profession: The US Department of Education has started a new campaign to elevate the teaching profession while also highlighting diversity. The centerpiece of the campaign is a public service announcement (PSA) meant to inspire more people to become teachers. The PSA will be featured on television, radio, and social media across the United States. Click here to see the PSA.

November 20, 2023 Headlines From the Weekly Report Include:

Congress Averts Government Shutdown – For Now: The House and Senate passed a continuing resolution (CR) that President Biden then signed. The CR funds federal agencies and programs at current levels. The CR includes a “two-step” element with two separate expiration dates. The first expiration date in the CR, January 19, would apply to the programs covered by the Agriculture, Energy-Water, Military Construction-VA, and Transportation-HUD bills. The second expiration date, February 2, would apply to the programs covered by the Commerce-Justice-Science, Defense, Financial Services-General Government, Homeland Security, Interior-Environment, Labor-HHS-Education, Legislative Branch, and State-Foreign Operations bills.

FCC Proposes Rule to Expand Home Wi-Fi For Students Without Internet Service: The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has proposed a new rule that would allow schools and libraries to apply for funding from the E-Rate program  to fund Wi-Fi hotspots and wireless internet access services that can be used off-premises. Click here to read a press release on the proposed rule.

December 4th, 2023 Headlines From the Weekly Report Include:

Coalition Affirms Commitment To Bolstering Student Mental Health: The US Department of Education released a statement in conjunction with the US Conference of Mayors, the National Conference of State Legislatures, and other organizations to affirm their commitment to bolstering student mental health. The statement highlights the exacerbation of mental health issues due to the pandemic’s disruptions and emphasizes the role of schools in providing mental health services. The ED announced a $2 billion investment to create inclusive learning environments, hire and train 14,000 new mental health professionals, and collaborate with the Department of Health and Human Services to expand Medicaid reimbursement for school-based health and mental health services.

The following are recent news articles, reports, and press releases on state and national education-related issues.

State News
North State Journal: Teacher and Principal Receive National Education Award
North State Journal: Three NC Districts To Receive Millions In Award Funds From US Department of Education
Carolina Journal: School Board Group Backs Gaston County in State Supreme Court SAFE Child Act Case
Carolina Journal: Private Schools Appeal Trial Court Rulings in Dismissed Opportunity Scholarship Lawsuit
Carolina Journal: Retirement System Asks State Supreme Court To Reject Harnett Pension-Spiking Case 
WFAE: More North Carolina Students Are Taking High School Classes For College Credit Than Ever Before
WFAE: North Carolina Students Must Study Computer Science To Graduate Under New Law
WRAL: K-3 Students In NC Getting Back On Track For Reading
Charlotte Observer: NCHSAA Formally Approves New Classification Model, Expects New Memorandum With State
News & Observer: NC Has Spent Over $100 Million On the Science of Reading. Is It Paying Off?
Education NC: Report Ranks Best Schools In North Carolina
Education NC: ESSER Funds: NC Districts Played It Safe On Teacher Pay And May Avoid Fiscal Cliff

National NewsEducation Week: Athletic Trainers Are Often Missing From the Sidelines In School Sports
K-12 Dive: Final Title IX Rules Delayed Once More As Ed Department Misses Deadline
K-12 Dive: School Districts Face Growing Competition For Students
New York Times: In School Board Elections, Parental Rights Movement Is Dealt Setbacks
Washington Post: Homeschooling’s Rise From Fringe To Fastest Growing Form of Education
The Hill: Should the School Year Be Extended To Make Up for Learning Loss?

There are no education-related committee meetings scheduled at this time.
Bruce Mildwurf
Director of Governmental Relations
NC School Boards Association
bmildwurf@ncsba.org

Madison Skeens
Assistant Director of Governmental Relations
NC School Boards Association
mskeens@ncsba.org

Rob Black
Assistant Director of Governmental Relations
NC School Boards Association
rblack@ncsba.org

Christina DavoileNCSBA Legislative Update – December 8, 2023
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North Carolina School Boards Association Elects New Leaders

North Carolina School Boards Association Elects New Leaders

The North Carolina School Boards Association (NCSBA) elected officers and members to its governing Board of Directors during the delegate meeting of the 2023 Annual Conference for Board Member Development. NCSBA’s new president is Jennifer Thompson, Cherokee Central School; president-elect is Margaret Bradsher, Person County; vice president is Mac Hodges, Beaufort County; and treasurer is Debbie Marsh, Mooresville Graded Schools. Officers will serve a one-year term.

Members elected to serve a second two-year term on the NCSBA Board of Directors are Dr. Leslie Barnette, Catawba County; Sandra Bowen, Lee County; Chris Heagarty, Wake County; Carlos Riddick, Washington County; and Dr. Anne White, Perquimans County.

Members elected to serve a first two-year term on the Association’s Board of Directors are Dianne Bellamy Small, Guilford County; Kimberly McMichael, Rockingham County; Heather Rhyne, Lincoln County; and Lenora Sanders-Shipp, Charlotte-Mecklenburg.

The Board of Directors establishes the mission and goals for the Association and ensures that NCSBA activities and programs remain focused on these goals. In addition, the officers and directors are the personal communications link between their regions and the Association.

Ramona PowersNorth Carolina School Boards Association Elects New Leaders
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Roanoke Rapids Board of Education Member Wins Prestigious Award

Roanoke Rapids Board of Education Member Wins Prestigious Award

Dr. Mike Williams of the Roanoke Rapids Graded Schools Board of Education is the 2023-2024 recipient of the Raleigh Dingman Award for Outstanding Boardsmanship. To receive this esteemed award, which is given annually by the North Carolina School Boards Association (NCSBA), a board member must be peer-nominated by their local school board.

“Our 2023-2024 Raleigh Dingman recipient is like a North Carolina education superhero,” said NCSBA Executive Director Leanne Winner during the announcement. Williams started as a math teacher, then became a principal, and a superintendent for three school systems before serving on the Roanoke Rapids school board. Since retiring, he has contributed part-time to various education-related roles, including coaching principals, serving as a liaison, and acting as interim superintendent. Williams has continued to be actively engaged in state-level education, holding positions on many boards, all while remaining committed to his local community and family. “I believe our Raleigh Dingman winner will now make a difference for children across the state,” said Winner.

The Raleigh Dingman Award is the highest honor bestowed on a North Carolina school board member. The award is named in honor of Dr. Raleigh Dingman, the Association’s first full-time executive director, and was first presented at the 1981 annual conference. In 2002 legislation was passed by the North Carolina General Assembly that provides for the Raleigh Dingman Award winner to serve as an ex officio advisor to the state board of education and to attend meetings and participate in deliberations of the state board. Williams will serve in this capacity.

Ramona PowersRoanoke Rapids Board of Education Member Wins Prestigious Award
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Cumberland Superintendent Named 2024 A. Craig Phillips NC Superintendent of the Year

Cumberland Superintendent Named 2024 A. Craig Phillips NC Superintendent of the Year

Dr. Marvin Connelly, Jr., superintendent of Cumberland County Schools, was named the 2024 A. Craig Phillips North Carolina Superintendent of the Year. The award is jointly presented annually by the North Carolina Association of School Administrators (NCASA), the North Carolina School Superintendents’ Association (NCSSA) and the North Carolina School Boards Association.

As the 2024 A. Craig Phillips North Carolina Superintendent of the Year, Dr. Connelly will compete for the National Superintendent of the Year honor at the American Association of School Administrators’ National Conference on Education in San Diego, CA, Feb. 15-17, 2024.

The following 2024 North Carolina Regional Superintendents of the Year, who all were nominees for North Carolina’s prestigious state award, were also recognized at the Nov.14 ceremony:

Region 1 | Northeast | Barry Williams, Gates County Schools

Region 2 | Southeast | Wesley Johnson, Clinton City Schools

Region 3 | Central | Rhonda Schuhler, Franklin County Schools

Region 4 | Sandhills | Dr. Marvin Connelly, Jr., Cumberland County Schools

Region 5 | Piedmont/Triad | Stephen Gainey, Randolph County School System

Region 6 | Southwest | Aaron Allen, Lincoln County Schools

Region 7 | Northwest | Matt Stover, Catawba County Schools

Region 8 | Western | Aaron Greene, Polk County Schools

Read the entire press release here.

Ramona PowersCumberland Superintendent Named 2024 A. Craig Phillips NC Superintendent of the Year
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Watauga County School Board Chair Named Champion of Education Award Winner

Watauga County School Board Chair Named Champion of Education Award Winner

Dr. Gary Childers, chairman of the Watauga County school board, has been awarded the Association’s 2023 Champion of Education Award. This award recognizes those individuals, businesses, community members, employees, or school board members who have demonstrated ongoing dedication to the success of our K-12 students and the betterment of public schools in North Carolina.

Dr. Childers has dedicated an impressive 50 years of service to students, families, and colleagues in Watauga County and throughout North Carolina. From starting as a middle school teacher to becoming the chair of the board of education, his journey reflects a remarkable commitment to education. His extensive leadership roles, numerous awards, and active involvement in community services showcase not only his professional excellence but also his unwavering dedication to the well-being of children and families. With his unquestioned integrity and thoughtful leadership, Dr. Childers stands as a beacon in strengthening public education and creating opportunities for a better life for all.

NCSBA presented the award to Dr. Childers during the November 14 awards ceremony of the Annual Conference for Board Member Development held in Greensboro.

Ramona PowersWatauga County School Board Chair Named Champion of Education Award Winner
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2023 County Commissioners of the Year

2023 County Commissioners of the Year

The North Carolina School Boards Association (NCSBA) presented its prestigious County Commissioners of the Year Award to the Perquimans Board of County Commissioners.

The board was recognized during the awards ceremony of the Association’s 2023 Annual Conference for Board Member Development in Greensboro on November 14. The Perquimans County Board of Education nominated their commissioners for the award and described experiencing a transformation driven by strategic leadership over the past five years. The collaboration among key leaders, including a re-elected chair of commissioners, a new county manager, and school superintendent, has not only resulted in phenomenal growth in student achievement but also a significant overhaul of school operations. This success is underpinned by teamwork and partnership, clearly demonstrated through increased current expense funding for three consecutive years. This commitment is further evident in the collaboration with local agencies and businesses, showcasing a dedicated effort to make Perquimans County the preferred place to live, learn, prosper, and play.

The County Commissioners of the Year Award is given to a board of county commissioners that is nominated by the local board of education in recognition of their extraordinary efforts.

Ramona Powers2023 County Commissioners of the Year
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Wilson County’s Communicating with Confidence Recognized Statewide

Wilson County’s Communicating with Confidence Recognized Statewide

The Innovation and Excellence in Public Education Award was awarded to Wilson County for its Communicating with Confidence program. This award was established to recognize the exemplary work of school boards that have found creative solutions to district challenges.

Created by the Wilson Education Partnership and led by Executive Director Robin Williams, the Communicating with Confidence initiative helps students regain social skills and confidence lost during the pandemic. The program’s success is evident as it expanded from a pilot in one class to multiple English III classes across all five high schools, impacting 300 juniors and fostering meaningful connections between students and business leaders.

For its exemplary work, the district was recognized during the November 14 awards ceremony of the Association’s annual conference in Greensboro.

Ramona PowersWilson County’s Communicating with Confidence Recognized Statewide
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