On November 14, the NCSBA Delegate Assembly approved NCSBA’s 2023-2024 Legislative Agenda, which will be used to guide the Association’s advocacy efforts. We are currently working on issue briefs for each item on the Legislative Agenda, so be on the lookout for those. Click here to access NCSBA’s Legislative Agenda.

 

The State Board of Education (SBE) met this week on November 30 and December 1 for its December monthly meeting. Board members were presented with the following:

• Teacher licensure/salary model – blueprint for action
• NC school performance grades redesign
• DPI’s Portrait of a Graduate update
• Legislative requests for the 2023 long session

Teacher licensure/salary model – blueprint for action: On Thursday, the Board approved a blueprint of the draft teacher licensure/salary model, which would most likely be implemented as a pilot rather than a statewide revamp. Last month, Board members heard a presentation from the chair of DPI’s Professional Educator Preparation and Standards Commission (PEPSC) on this blueprint. As a reminder, this draft model would pay teachers based on performance, effectiveness, and years of experience, rather than exclusively on years of experience. The draft model would also provide higher salaries for most, if not all, teachers.

At its November 10, 2022, meeting, PEPSC approved a version of this blueprint to be sent to the SBE for approval. On Thursday, the Board unanimously approved a motion acknowledging receipt of the blueprint, which includes 10 items. The motion also does the following:

1. Requires the State Superintendent to identify how the blueprint aligns with the Board’s Strategic Plan and DPI’s Operation Polaris
2. Directs SBE General Counsel to determine statutes and policies that would be impacted by the work of PEPSC
3. Requests PEPSC to make recommendations to implement field testing or piloting for specific parts of the blueprint

The State Superintendent and SBE General Counsel are required to report back to the Board at the next monthly meeting on January 4 and 5, 2023, and PEPSC is required to report back to the Board no later than the monthly meeting on March 1 and 2, 2023. Board Chair Eric Davis explained that this approved motion precedes a motion for a formal legislative ask.

Click here for an article on the presentation and the Board’s discussion. Click here for an article on PEPSC’s November 10, 2022, meeting, which provides more information on PEPSC’s approval of this blueprint and the work still to be done.

NC school performance grades redesign: The Board was presented with an update on the work of the Testing and Accountability Working Group, which is in the process of creating recommendations for redesigning the current school accountability model. Earlier this fall, the Working Group launched a public survey to gain stakeholder feedback. The presentation to the Board included top academic and school quality indicators based on that feedback, as well as feedback gathered from various education groups including the NCSBA Board of Directors.

DPI presenters stated that there is consensus among education groups to recommend separate accountability models for elementary, middle, and high schools. Going forward, DPI will continue to refine the list of indicators based on feedback, review indicators to determine measurements of validity and reliability, and provide findings to the Working Group at its December 12, 2022, meeting. DPI staff stated that a recommendation from the Working Group will most likely be brought to the Board in February 2023.

Click here for an article on the presentation to the Board. Click here for an article on the Working Group’s November 7, 2022 meeting, which includes a review of the survey results and discussion about which indicators should be prioritized.

DPI’s Portrait of a Graduate update: The Board heard two presentations on DPI’s newly released State Portrait of a Graduate. The Portrait identifies seven competencies that students need for success after high school (click here for the list). State Superintendent Catherine Truitt explained the “why” behind the creation of the Portrait, saying that employers seek durable skills almost four times more than the top five technical/hard skills. Following a study over the past two years of 2.8 million job postings across 20 industries, DPI staff found that 2.1 million NC jobs demand durable skills. Truitt also presented the Portrait Playbook, which is meant to familiarize school districts with Portrait competencies. The Playbook is a living document that allows educators to provide feedback.

The other presentation on the Portrait was a request to continue using federal COVID reserve funds to roll out phases II and III, during which rubrics and performance assessments around the seven competencies will be created to guide the work of school districts in implementing the Portrait. The Board approved the funding request.

Click here for the Portrait FAQ and click here for the Portrait webpage.

Legislative requests for the 2023 long session: The Board received a brief update on DPI’s and SBE’s draft legislative requests. Minimal changes had been made since the November monthly meeting presentation, but Chair Davis said that more work will be done on the requests prior to the Board’s vote for approval at the January 2023 monthly meeting.

Click here to access all meeting materials. Click here for an article on the meeting.

 

House Select Committee on An Education System for North Carolina’s Future

During the November 15 meeting, Committee Chair, Representative John Torbett, R-Gaston, hinted at a few items that will be included in the Committee’s forthcoming report. Torbett said the report will “suggest a Labor Day to Memorial Day calendar” and recommend realigning the responsibilities of the State Superintendent, State Board of Education, and General Assembly. The report will also include a recommendation for increased teacher pay and advancement opportunities for teachers that will keep them in the classroom. Torbett said the report will be discussed and voted on at the Committee’s next meeting, which has not yet been scheduled.

Click here for a list of Committee members to contact if you have concerns about the upcoming report. (Click on individual Committee member pictures to access their contact information.)

The Committee also heard two presentations:

• Developing Excellent Leaders for Effective Schools
  • Bonnie Fusarelli, Director of NC State’s Leadership Academies, NC State University
  • Karen Anderson, Cohort Director of Wake Cohort
• NC Annual Testing Program
  • Tammy Howard, Senior Director of Accountability and Testing, DPI

Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee

The Committee met on November 29 and heard four presentations, two of which focused on K-12 education. DPI presented the Excellent Public Schools Act 2021-22 State Summary. Most notably among the findings, NC’s literacy growth in K-2 students outpaces all other states. Additionally, DPI is placing one Early Literacy Specialist in each of the State’s 115 school districts.

Schools That Lead presented on its efforts to provide professional development for teachers and principals. The organization focuses on improvement efforts at the classroom level, in order to elevate student outcomes. Their Networked Improvement Community initiative works with 52 schools across 15 districts and charters to increase on-time graduation, reduce ninth grade retention, and reduce the number of students with early warning indicators in attendance, behavior, and course performance. The network serves 30,000 students, 70% of whom live in poverty. According to the presentation, graduation rates and chronic absenteeism in these schools generally improved.

Click here for an article on the meeting.

 

As Congress wraps up its business before the end of the year, there’s an opportunity to help schools operating JROTC programs. The US Senate’s version of the annual Defense Authorization Bill contains language that broadens the pool of military professionals that schools may employ as JROTC instructors. Previously, those instructors were limited to retired military. The new language would allow active reservists and the honorably discharged with at least eight years of service to also be employed as instructors, thereby making it easier for schools to staff these positions.

NOW is the time to call and email members of the NC Congressional delegation to urge the inclusion of this important language in the final version of the Defense Authorization Bill. To find out who represents you and obtain contact information, click here.

 

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

November 7, 2022, Weekly Report

• Headlines for this edition include:
  • States receive additional $50 million in federal funding for the Community Learning Centers grant program, providing before and after-school, weekend, and summer school academic enrichment opportunities for children attending low performing schools.
  • 2022 Across the Aisle Report: What Voters and Parents Want In Education

November 14, 2022, Weekly Report

• Headlines for this edition include:
  • USDA Launches $50 Million School Nutrition Grants

November 21, 2022, Weekly Report

• Headlines for this edition include:
  • National Council on Teacher Quality: Analysis of State Policies on Teacher and Principal Evaluations

 

The Committee met on November 29 and worked on goal setting and planning for 2023. The Committee broke into groups and discussed the following:

• What State policies the Committee should inform
• How the Committee can use its platform to elevate the teaching profession
• What local education issues need to be highlighted
• Who to partner with to advance the Governor’s priorities

Click here to read more about the Committee’s discussion. The Committee’s next meeting is scheduled for January 24, 2023.

 

Tuesday, December 6

3:00 pm – House Select Committee on Advancing Women in STEM – Legislative Offices Building, rm 643 (livestream)

 

 

 

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

Rebekah Howard
Governmental Relations Research Specialist
NC School Boards Association
rhoward@ncsba.org

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

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