Projects in the state of North Carolina
College and Career Ready – Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts Instructional Support Videos
The Southeast Comprehensive Center (SECC) has collaborated with the Center on Instruction Content Center and the states in SECC's region to design English Language Arts (ELA) Common Core State Standards (CCSS) videos to support states, schools, and teachers with the implementation of the ELA CCSS. Due to a reorganization of the content centers, collaboration efforts are at present only with the states in SECC's region. Each video is an audiovisual resource that focuses on providing specific examples and illustrations to address the standard.
College- and Career-Ready State Standards Resource Review
All five states in the Southeast Comprehensive Center (SECC) region have adopted the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) as a vehicle for preparing college- and career-ready students. To assist these states with their implementation of the CCSS, program associates from the SECC do an exhaustive review of the CCSS resources in order to provide the best CCSS resources to the states in the SECC region. These resources are updated twice annually to provide SECC states with guidance in implementing the CCSS.
Common Core State Standards for Mathematics Instructional Support Videos
The Common Core State Standards Mathematics (CCSSM) videos are designed to support states, schools, and teachers in the implementation of the CCSS for mathematics. The videos were created in collaboration with the states in the Southeast Comprehensive Center region based on their needs for professional development support for the implementation of the Common Core State Standards for mathematics. Each video is an audiovisual resource that focuses on specific standards and includes examples and illustrations geared to enhancing understanding.
Cross-State Community of Practice (CoP)
SECC staff will initiate an interstate community of practice that focused on sharing knowledge and expertise between state education agencies. The CoP will provide a forum for SEA representatives and stakeholders to interact and collaborate with national experts and staff from other SEAs.
Effective Teachers and Leaders
SECC will support NCDPI as it continues to incorporate Standard 6 (student growth component) into the North Carolina Effective Educator System (NCEES) for teachers of grades and subjects without end-of-grade (EOG), end-of-course (EOC) assessments, common exams, and CTE Exams. In Year 2, SECC supported the development of PD modules and guidance documents for the Spring 2014 Pilot of the Analysis of Student Work (ASW) process. In Year 3, SECC collaborated with the SEA in facilitating stakeholder engagement for the states’ equity plan. In Year 4, SECC will assist NCDPI in examining options for determining student growth for teachers of Exceptional Children (EC), ELs, and Academically and Intellectually Gifted (AIG) students and examine research on student growth options for middle school CTE teachers. SECC will also assist the SEA in examining methods for continuing to engage stakeholder feedback to ensure equitable distribution of effective teachers.
Ensuring School Readiness Community of Practice
SECC will establish a regional community of practice (CoP) focused on ensuring school readiness and success of preschool-age children in the five states in its region. This CoP will provide a forum in which SEA representatives can interact and collaborate with national experts and staffs from other SEAs to learn about research-based and emerging promising practices in the area of school readiness, analyze their state's use of resources to address this topic, and develop strategies for strengthening connections between services provided through funding sources and K–12 standards and expectations in the state.
Instructional Improvement System Project
North Carolina has built a robust Instructional Improvement System to manage the process of teaching and learning through a continuous improvement cycle of (a) curriculum development; (b) instructional delivery; (c) assessment at the classroom, district, and state level; and (d) the review and analysis of data. During Year 3, SECC assisted NCDPI with the development and implementation of assessment tools to gauge the use and effectiveness of IIS resources. In Year 4, SECC will assist NCDPI in developing a training tool to assist teachers in identifying and developing instructional resources and in obtaining and analyzing feedback from stakeholder groups regarding the review of ELA and math standards.
NC College and Career Data Use Project
SECC will support NCDPI as it develops evaluation strategies to support college to career readiness initiatives in schools and districts. In Year 3, SECC partnered with NCDPI staff to develop a survey tool and to analyze data to gauge counselors’ needs, collaborated to determine options for a SREB Essential Math Course evaluation plan, and began discussions to prepare for an examination of the relationship between WorkKeys and student performance in career and technical education courses. In Year 4, SECC will assist in evaluating the impact of the implementation of the SREB Essential Math Course and continue work toward the examination of the relationship between WorkKeys and student performance in CTE courses.
NC Diverse Learners Project
NCDPI has developed an extensive array of support services for local education agencies and teachers that provide instruction for EL students. Professional development for teachers and school teams in the use of SIOP, WIDA standards, ExCELL and Linguafolio as instructional tools has been offered throughout the state for a number of years. During Year 3, SECC assisted in the development of an evaluation plan and evaluation tools for instruction and PD. In addition, SECC collaborated in a study of the achievement of American Indian students in the state. In Year 4, SECC will support NCDPI in assessing the effectiveness of its PD and PD providers, analyzing study results, and developing a plan for scaling up successful strategies for American Indian students.
North Carolina Intermediate Structures
NCDPI provided significant levels of support to local education agencies and charter schools using Race to the Top (RttT) funds to increase academic achievement and teacher and leader effectiveness. With the end of RttT funds approaching and reductions in state and local funding in Year 3, SECC assisted the SEA in examining regional intermediate structures and investigating alternative approaches for the allocation of program and service support. During Year 4, SECC will collaborate with the SEA to examine data gathered during interviews and surveys and assist with determining next steps. SECC will assist the NCDPI in engaging in a process to examine its roles, responsibilities, and practices to more clearly align them with state board goals, NCDPI capacity, and the needs of LEAs and charter schools.
Promoting Equitable Access at the State and Local Levels Regional Institute
Each year, the SECC provides a regional institute in an identified priority area for SEAs. The SECC will support the attendance of a team from each state for the institute. Additional follow up will take place after the institute to aid statewide implementation efforts.
Student Success Sustainability
NCDPI has initiated and expanded academic and instructional initiatives to support increased academic achievement, teacher leader effectiveness, and structural efficiencies. In Year 3, SECC assisted by providing sustainability PD and redesigning the agency’s panel review process for SIG schools. In Year 4, SECC will continue to provide support for the state’s lowest performing schools and assist NCDPI in developing an evaluation process for the Virtual Charter School Pilot program.
Support for Implementing North Carolina’s Common Core State Standards
The SECC will work with North Carolina to strengthen their plans for implementing the CCSS by ensuring that they are
- identifying and providing to districts and schools high-quality resources that are supported by research-based and emerging promising practices,
- collecting feedback from districts, schools, and teachers to determine the quality, usefulness and relevance of the resources and supports they are providing, and
- adjusting and refining their implementation plans and resources to address identified needs or concerns.
