May 2009
Copyright ©
2009 Queue, Inc.
IN THIS ISSUE:
Education Watch: Tracking
Achievement, Attainment, and Opportunity in AmericaÕs Public Schools
Brunswick
County SchoolsÕ Principal Named Wachovias Principal of the Year
Jessica
Garner Named North CarolinaÕs Teacher of the Year
Education Research Report Back
Issues (http://queueeducation.blogspot.com)
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Go to http://www.qworkbooks.com/NC/NC.html
descriptions.
The
52-report series from The Education Trust is a tool for measuring the impact of
federal stimulus funding on improving the academic opportunities and outcomes
for all of our nationÕs students
Last
month, Congress made an unprecedented commitment to AmericaÕs public schools,
passing the single biggest increase in federal education funding in our
nationÕs history. As the U.S. Department of Education begins to distribute the one-time
funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), the
onus is on states to live up to that challenge and ensure that this investment
boosts overall achievement and closes gaps.
To
measure how effectively states are using the infusion of federal support, the
public will need accurate, reliable data. The Education TrustÕs Education
Watch series assembles some of the most critical indicators of
student achievement, attainment, and opportunity, providing a state-by-state
snapshot of public education in America.
The
data in these reports and the accompanying Òquick lookÓ chart
mark the starting line in AmericaÕs ÒRace to the TopÓ Ð the federal effort to
provoke bold, enduring progress in education. Education Watch reveals which states are
farthest along the course, which are gaining on those leaders, and which are
barely out of the starting blocks. Throughout the duration of ARRA spending,
The Education Trust will provide updates on state progress as new data become
available.
These
reports reflect the most up-to-date information available across states. While some states
may have more recent data on their own schools and reform efforts, Education
Watch
uses only data that are consistent across states. This allows for accurate
comparisons and the ability to identify and learn from the leaders on each
indicator. While no state is yet where it needs to be, especially in terms of
educating lower income students and students of color, some are doing a much
better job than others.
For
example, on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP):
á
In
eighth-grade math, Massachusetts leads the nation in gains overall since 2000, and
was among the top gainers for Latinos and lower income students. However, state
improvement among African-American students (6 points) lagged significantly
behind the national average (16 points), resulting in a widening of the
performance gap between African-American and white students. Massachusetts was
one of just two states in which an achievement gap between student subgroups
grew larger.
Though
each state is different, common patterns emerge from these NAEP data,
indicating just how far we have to go to ensure that all young Americans have
equal access to a high-quality education Ð especially lower income students and
students of color, who now comprise almost half of all students in our
nationÕs public schools. Student performance is too low overall, varying
dramatically between student groups, and the pace of improvement is far too
slow.
ÒThese
reports provide a sobering look at the challenging work that lies ahead,Ó said
Kati Haycock, president of The Education Trust. ÒOne thing is clear: To secure
our economic future, we must confront educational inequities head-on and ensure
that every school in America is ready to help every student advance farther,
faster. The federal dollars are not a license to do business as usual; they
come with a demand for change. We will never have this opportunity again, so
the pressure is on for states to invest big in what works for kids and stop
supporting the policies and programs that simply arenÕt getting the job done.Ó
When
evaluating student achievement data, many people are quick to attribute
performance to the home lives of students. But the variation of results among
states for the same groups of students proves that what happens in school matters immensely.
ThatÕs
why the Education Watch data on opportunity in education offer a valuable way to
compare student achievement, taking into account the level of resources
available to each student group. A look at these data show that lower income
students and students of color Ð the ones who most often come to school with
less Ð are consistently and systematically provided with less of everything
that research and experience tell us matters most in school: less access to
well-prepared, effective teachers; less access to challenging curriculum; and
less funding.
For
example:
NC
Report:
http://www2.edtrust.org/edtrust/summaries2009/NorthCarolina.pdf
Public school leaders are celebrating a major technology
and data collection milestone with the completion of NC WISE deployment in 113
of the state's school districts - which includes 1,391 schools, and all 98
charter schools. Peter Asmar, chief information officer and associate state
superintendent for the NC Department of Public Instruction today made this
announcement to the State Board of Education.
The North Carolina Window of Information on Student
Education, commonly referred to as NC WISE, is the largest centralized Student
Information System in public education in the United States.
According to NC WISE Project Manager Skip Neal, over
half of the schools were converted during the 2008-09 school year. "Now is
the time to take pride in a job well done, but, also to look forward to all of
the new opportunities that a statewide information source provides to every
educator in North Carolina," Neal said.
With full NC WISE deployment, the state's public schools
are able to share student information and other school business data in a
seamless way across schools and districts and from districts to the state
level. Some of the features of NC WISE include the ability to move student
transcripts immediately when a student transfers from one school to another;
produce progress reports and report cards; share student grades and emergency
information with appropriate school employees; and more quickly and accurately
report student grades, attendance, and information used to support public
school business processes.
NC WISE replaces SIMS, which was the official public
schools' data collection source for more than 20 years and relied on antiquated
technology. NC WISE enables school districts to do many things they could not
do on the old system, and because NC WISE is Web-based, teachers and other
educators can access information from any computer with Internet access.
State Board of Education Chairman and CEO Bill Harrison
was the Cumberland County Schools' Superintendent when that district
participated in the pilot of NC WISE. "There were growing pains initially,
which is to be expected with a project of this magnitude," he said,
"but NC WISE moved North Carolina forward. We are able to make better
decisions about how we serve students and how we operate our schools because we
have better data through NC WISE."
School officials who were a part of their school
districts' conversion projects attributed the smooth transition onto the new
system to the NCDPI NC WISE Deployment team. Dan Hicks, a technology services
director with Johnston County Schools, stated that new data cleaning tools
which weren't available for previous deployment waves made things much simpler.
"Johnston County Schools have been very pleased with the whole conversion
experience. We are thankful to all who made our conversion a great
success," Hicks said.
Charlotte-Mecklenburg and Wake County schools are the
only two school districts in the state that were not a part of the deployment
plan. Each of the state's two largest districts operate the same software but
hosts their data separately. Work is underway to link them into the statewide
NC WISE environment by June.
With the completion of statewide deployment, the NC WISE
staff and state education leaders plan to focus on upgrades to the system and
new features, including a Parent Portal, which would give parents ready access
to information about their children's school performance and other school
details.
South Brunswick High School Principal Vann Pennell today
was named the 2009 Wachovia North Carolina Principal of the Year during a
luncheon ceremony held in Raleigh. The Brunswick County Schools' principal
succeeds Debra Morris, principal of A.L. Brown High School (Kannapolis City
Schools.)
In naming the 2009 North Carolina Wachovia Principal of
the Year, Juan Austin, Wachovia's Senior Vice President and Community Affairs
Manager for the Carolinas and Virginia said, "The Principal of the Year
Program is a way for Wachovia to demonstrate the value we place on education.
It also allows us to recognize and honor exceptional administrators across the
state such as South Brunswick High School Principal Vann Pennell for
outstanding work in preparing young people who are our future employees and
customers to succeed in a global economy. By partnering in worthwhile programs
that support and reinforce worthwhile goals, we make significant contributions
to the communities in which we live and work. Support of public education is
one of those worthwhile goals."
State Superintendent of Public Instruction June Atkinson
commended the new Principal of the Year for his many years of service in
education. "Vann Pennell has spent nearly three decades serving North
Carolina's public schools as a coach, teacher and now a well-respected and
effective school administrator," said Atkinson. "He leads his school
with courage and compassion and is a role model for educators across our state."
"Mr. Pennell will bring the energy, wisdom and
experience that earned him the Principal of the Year distinction to the State
Board of Education when he joins us as an advisor in July," said State
Board of Education Chairman and CEO Bill Harrison. "Mr. Pennell and I
worked together on the Board of Directors of the North Carolina High School
Athletic Association for a number of years and I look forward to working with
him again."
Harrison also commended Wachovia Corporation for its
faithful sponsorship of the state's Principal of the Year Program.
"All of the Principal of the Year candidates boost
the quality of education in North Carolina in so many ways and we are grateful
to Wachovia for making it possible for us to publicly show our appreciation for
all they do," Harrison said.
As South Brunswick High's principal, Pennell led the
effort to develop the Brunswick County Schools' Attendance Policy. He also
helped establish the International Studies/Travel class and endorsed the
Aquaculture Program to promote flounder research at the school. For the 2007-08
school year, South Brunswick High School was ranked the 863rd Top Public High
School in the Nation by Newsweek magazine.
Pennell credits his success at South Brunswick High to
his "family" of hardworking and talented teachers and staff.
"One of the strongest qualities a leader can possess is to admit what one
does not know and hire those that know more than the leader and let them go to
work," he said.
Pennell received his Bachelor of Science in Health and
Physical Education, Master of Arts in Education, and Education Specialist
degrees all from East Carolina University. He is a member of the North Carolina
Association of Secondary Administrators, the National Association of Secondary
Principals and the Brunswick County Association of School Administrators. He
also is a former president and current member of the North Carolina High School
Athletic Association.
Pennell has received a number of honors including being
named the Camden County Principal of the Year for 1991-1992 and 1993-1994 and
the North Eastern Regional Principal of the Year in 1994. He also has been
named a Conference Football Coach of the Year, Area Football Coach of the Year
and Williamston High School Kiwanis Teacher of the Year.
Pennell was selected from among eight regional finalists
following interviews and on-site visits by a statewide selection committee
comprised of the previous year's principal of the year, the current teacher of
the year, a member of the Principals' Executive Program, a Wachovia
representative, and a nonvoting member of the North Carolina Department of
Public Instruction.
The other regional finalists were: North Central Region:
Matthew Wight, Apex High (Wake County Schools); Northeast Region: Donald
Sisson, Northeastern High (Elizabeth City-Pasquotank Schools); Northwest
Region: DeAnna Finger, Tuttle Elementary (Catawba County Schools); Southwest
Region: Steve Hall, Bruns Avenue Elementary (Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools);
Sandhills/South Central Region: Jeffrey Jernigan, Cape Fear High (Cumberland
County Schools); Piedmont-Triad/Central Region: Sabre Robinson, Eastlawn
Elementary (Alamance-Burlington Schools); and West Region: Ronette Dill, Saluda
Elementary (Polk County Schools). Each regional finalist received $1,000 for
their school and $1,000 for personal use.
Pennell will receive an additional $3,000 for his school
and $3,000 for personal use. He also will serve a one-year term as advisor to
the State Board of Education.
Jessica Garner, a Spanish teacher at Porter Ridge High
School, Union County Schools, was named the 2009-10 AT&T North Carolina
Teacher of the Year at an awards ceremony held tonight in Raleigh. Garner
succeeds Cindi Rigsbee from Gravelly Hills Middle School, Orange County
Schools.
Chairman and CEO of the State Board of Education Bill
Harrison said, "No one works harder to give students the skills they need
to succeed beyond high school than our public school teachers. We are so fortunate
to have talented educators like Jessica to entrust with this critical task. I
look forward to learning from her expertise and working with her while she
serves as an advisor to the State Board."
State Superintendent June Atkinson said, "Jessica's
enthusiasm for foreign language and culture is a wonderful gift she shares with
her students. Her professionalism, sincerity and passion make her a model whom
teachers across North Carolina will have the pleasure of learning from over the
coming year. She embodies all that is great about the teaching
profession."
In accepting the award, Garner said that she believes
that what she does has an impact on the future. "I have the ability to
affect positive change in lives of my students every day. What an amazing
job," said Garner. "I am so honored to share in this challenge and
honored to be chosen to represent the wonderful teachers of the state of North
Carolina."
AT&T officials joined state educational leaders in
announcing the 2009-10 North Carolina Teacher of the Year. This is the second
year AT&T has sponsored the state's recognition program, the most
prestigious honor for North Carolina teachers.
Cynthia Marshall, president of AT&T North Carolina,
said, "Education is the key to a bright future for every young person and
it is the classroom teacher who passes on that key. Through creative use of
technologies and techniques, a love of learning and a genuine concern for
students, outstanding teachers across this state help young people begin to
fulfill their potential and achieve their dreams. We are proud to be the title
sponsor of the North Carolina Teacher of the Year award and to encourage those
educators who are literally changing young lives every day."
Garner has been a public school teacher for 11 years and
has spent the last four years teaching at Porter Ridge High. In addition, she
has taught in schools in Indianapolis, Indiana and Woodstock, Virginia. Garner
is a member of the Foreign Language Association of North Carolina.
She has presented at the annual conference for the
Foreign Language Association of North Carolina as well as various county-level
staff development and curriculum workshops. Garner helped the Union County
Curriculum Coordinator create the Spanish Resources for Parents and Students
Web site.
At the school level, she has served as the foreign
language department chair at Porter Ridge High since 2005 and is co-sponsor of
the Spanish Club. She worked with the guidance department to develop the
"Noche de Voces Latinas" or "Night of Latin Voices," a
program which has encouraged Latino students and their parents to visit the
school and talk with guidance counselors and teachers. Garner earned a grant to
purchase interactive software for foreign language classrooms and started the
Advanced Placement Spanish program at Porter Ridge High. She has taken students
to Costa Rica, Spain and Italy.
Garner spends time assisting new educators. She has
served as a teacher mentor in Porter Ridge High School for three years and
assists school leaders with teacher recruitment and training efforts.
Garner earned her Bachelor of Arts in Modern Foreign
Language from James Madison University and her Master of Education in
Curriculum and Instruction from Indiana Wesleyan University. She has studied
abroad at the University of Salamanca in Spain.
The AT&T North Carolina Teacher of the Year will
spend the school year traveling the state as an ambassador for the teaching
profession. In addition, she will receive a personal automobile, an engraved
plaque, a one-time cash award of $7,500, a trip to the National Teacher of the
Year conference, the opportunity to travel abroad through an endowment at the
North Carolina Center for International Understanding, and a technology package
valued at over $14,000 from the SmarterKids Foundation. She will serve as an
advisor to the State Board of Education for two years.
The other regional finalists were:
|
REGION |
FINALIST |
SCHOOL |
COUNTY |
|
North Central |
Matthew Bristow-Smith |
Tarboro High |
Edgecombe County Schools |
|
Northeast |
Gina Beaman |
Creekside Elementary |
Pitt County Schools |
|
Northwest |
Robert Turner |
Grandview Middle |
Hickory Public Schools |
|
Southeast |
Southeast |
James Kenan School of Engineering |
Duplin County Schools |
|
Piedmont-Triad/Central Region |
Phillip Little |
Northwood High |
Chatham County Schools |
|
Sandhills/South Central |
Martha Anderson |
Washington Street Elementary |
Richmond County Schools |
|
West |
Jo Peterson Gibbs |
Asheville Middle |
Asheville City Schools |
|
Charter Schools |
John Hall |
ArtSpace Charter |
Buncombe County |