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.

Latest Work Update

The partial list of suggested resources was reviewed for inclusion/exclusion by SECC staff. RMC and SECC staff met and made final inclusion decisions for the first list of resources. RCC staff continued the research and evaluation of additional prospective resources for inclusion in the winter edition. Distribution expanded to include SEA staff the are participants in the SECC Assessment and Accountability Network. 
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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.

Latest Work Update

Video on standard 7.G.A.2 Part 1 was corrected and captions edited and approved. Transcripts for videos on standard 7.G.A.2 Part 1 and 7.G.A.2 Part 2 were created and forwarded for review and approval. 
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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.

Latest Work Update

The monthly project update will be added as work progresses.
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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.

Latest Work Update

On September 5, SECC staff forwarded REL Central webinar information to NCDPI staff in the Educator Effectiveness division. The webinar was scheduled for September 12 and was titled “How School Districts Monitor New Teachers: What a Multi-State Study Reveals.” Agency staff indicated they would register and attend the webinar. SECC staff also forwarded the EASN resource on the Talent Management Self-Assessment and the Educator Effectiveness Research Alliance webinars.
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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.

Latest Work Update

On October 3, SECC and CEELO held their monthly conference call tocontinue collaboration and discussion of early childhood efforts in SECC’s region and nationally. The SECC early childhood team continued to update the virtual community site with current research-based information and practices as well as early childhood news and events. The site serves as a vehicle for collaboration and knowledge building to strengthen early childhood systems across the region. The SECC early childhood team also disseminated the monthly ECCoP E-Newsletter to sustain collaborative efforts and deepen awareness of early childhood activities and efforts across the southeast region and nationally. In addition, the SECC team shared several E-Alerts with information about upcoming webinars that are important to states’ work with ESSA. The team also sought feedback from CoP members concerning how SECC can better meet their needs and to learn about topics of interest. Presently, 90% of the members have participated in the survey.
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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.

Latest Work Update

SECC staff conducted three meetings with the K–12 mathematics section chief to discuss various iterations of a mathematics survey that the SEA is planning to disseminate to educators, members of institutions of higher education, and the general public to examine and provide input to North Carolina for math course goals and objectives. Working with the SEA, SECC is also developing a draft of a protocol of decision options and surveying procedures for revising standards across the content areas.
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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.

Latest Work Update

SECC provided NCDPI a resource on the rewriting of the federal career and technical education. This and other resources that have been provided can serve to advise SEA leaders embarking upon a study that will determine the impact of CTE program placement/ courses taken on student performance on the ACT as well as one regarding the effectiveness of an SREB Math Essentials course with which they would like support. The resources provided connect to the concept of career- and college-preparedness, which is the goal for all students completing K–12 education in North Carolina.
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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.

Latest Work Update

In September, SECC staff completed a draft of the report of the state Title III networking webinar, which they facilitated on July 19 among four SECC states that shared a 15-minute presentation of their EL support system for technical assistance and professional development. The report includes a description of each state’s support system captured through narrative and summary tables. On September 20, the SECC team sent an email to SEA participants that included a draft of the report requesting feedback by September 28. The email also included a poll for scheduling the next webinar and a request for each state to provide topic suggestions. Next steps for SECC are to finalize and disseminate the state Title III networking webinar report to each participating state and schedule the second webinar.
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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.

Latest Work Update

On September 13, SECC staff contacted NCDPI staff from the division of Educator Effectiveness, Federal Programs and Monitoring, Low- Performing Schools, and Data/Research and Education Policy to invite them to participate in a T4TLA webinar to receive information about the academy and participation requirements. NCDPI staff also received information on “ESSA and What States Learn About College and Career Readiness.” Information regarding the upcoming forum titled “To Accountability and Beyond” sponsored by Brustein & Manasevit was shared on September 23, to determine if the SEA planned to participate. This forum is scheduled for November 30–December 2.
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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.

Latest Work Update

Two SECC states, Georgia and Mississippi, were selected to participate in the Talent for Turnaround Leadership Academy’s first cohort, which will allow them to collaborate to design and implement innovative talent management strategies to attract, support, and retain excellent educators in the highest need, lowest performing schools. The states were notified that the first T4TLA national conference will be December 1–2, with the introductory T4TLA webinar for RCC/SEA/LEA teams set for November 1. The two states were asked to work closely with SECC to ensure that they named and confirmed district partners and named a complete team of staff to participate. Submission of completed tables to the Great Teachers and Leaders Center (GTL) at AIR was requested by October 14. In support of the cross-department collaboration encouraged by T4T, states were asked to identify a minimum of two SEA staff and two LEA staff from each participating district, with a focus on staff who are responsible for school improvement and educator effectiveness/equitable access. 
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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.

Latest Work Update

SECC staff continued work with NCDPI staff supporting virtual public charter schools to schedule interviews with virtual charter school administrators and focus groups with their board members. They also partnered with NCDPI staff to work with the charter schools to encourage participation in the parent and student surveys that were open for most of September. SECC staff met with NCDPI staff to discuss data needs for the summary reports of 2015–2016 school data for the virtual public charter schools and met with NCDPI staff to discuss preliminary parent and student survey results and reporting needs. In other work, SECC staff participated with NCDPI staff in a “Getting Better Together” webinar sponsored by Indistar on September 15.  This webinar provided information regarding new technologies that have proven effective as tools to support school improvement efforts.
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