North

Carolina
Education
2020
Vision
K12 Standards
Working Group
October 14, 2014
Some of BEST NC’s 90+ Member Companies
 Welcome
and
Introductions
2020 Vision Initiative
2020 Vision Priorities
Inclusive
Broad
Shared
Dynamic
 Education Innovation Lab
Barwell Elementary
BCBS NC
Belk Foundation
Campaign for Grade-Level Reading (CGLR)
Carteret County Schools
Center for Creative Leadership
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools
Civitas
Communities in Schools of NC
Cumberland County Schools
DPI - Office of Early Learning
Duke Center for Child & Family Policy
Durham Schools
Foundation for Excellence in Education / IEI
Friday Institute
Institute for Child Success
Institute for Emerging Issues
John Locke Foundation
John M. Belk Foundation
Johnston County Schools
Low-Wealth District Consortium
N.C. Budget and Tax Center Professional Educators of North Carolina (PENC)
National Board for Professional Teaching Public Impact
Standards (NBPTS) Public School Forum
NC Association of Educators (NCAE) RTI
NC Center for Public Policy Research SAS
NC Child Southern Regional Education Board
NC Early Childhood Foundation Teach for America
NC House The Hunt Institute
NC Independent Colleges and Universities The National Center for Family Literacy
NC New Schools The North Carolina Partnership for Children Inc.
NC Office of State Budget and Management (Smart Start)
(OSBM) UNC General Administration
NC State Board of Education UNC Greensboro
NC State University UNC Wilmington
NC Virtual Public School Western Carolina University
NCCAP, Public School Forum Wilkes Community College
North Carolina Community College System
North Carolina Justice Center
Nurse-Family Partnership
Office of the Governor
Office of the Lt Governor
 2020 Vision Initiative
Focus Area Working Group Co-Chairs
Early Learning Programs Senator Tamara Barringer & Susan Gates
K-3 Learning John Pruette & Marcella Savage
Ready to Learn
Expanded Learning Programs Michael Willoughby & Tricia Willoughby
Birth to Age 8 Transitions Christopher Hill & Johanna Anderson
Early Childhood Educators Senator Gene McLaurin & Lisa Eads
K-12 Teacher – Recruiting & Training Rep. Tricia Cotham & Karyn Dickerson
Talent K-12 Teacher – Compensation, Evaluation, & Retention Rep. Rob Bryan & James Ford
K-12 Leadership – Boards, Principals and Superintendents Eric Guckian & Supt. Heath Morrison
Higher Education Faculty & Staff David Belcher, Dale McInnis, Sen. Josh Stein, Sen. Jeff Tarte
K-12 Standards Caroline McCullen & Terry Stoops
Specialized Education Programs Rep. Hugh Blackwell & Rep. Rick Glazier
Career & College Ready Access to/Delivery of Information Kristy Teskey & Supt. Don Phipps
Post-Secondary Standards Bill Ingram & Peter Hans
Business-Education Partnerships Sec. Sharon Decker & Sue Breckenridge
Facilities & Technology Lt Gov. Dan Forest & Glenn Kleiman
Accountability, Transparency, & Communication Rep. Craig Horn & Supt. June Atkinson
Systems & Structures
Finance Rep. Bryan Holloway & Martez Hill
Governance JB Buxton & John Hood
Working Group Meetings
1. Vision, Scope & Barriers
2. Discuss Best Practices
3. Solidify Recommendations
K12 Standards
Working Group
K12 Standards Working Group
 2020 Vision Initiative
Working Group
Business-Endorsed NC
Innovation Lab Recommendations & Winter Event
Education 2020 Vision
Existing Strategic Plans

Move the needle on student success

Evidence-based
Scalable (as needed)
Actionable
Feasible
 2020 Vision
 What is the top N&O headline in October
2020 if North Carolina reaches “success” in
K12 Standards?
 What barriers did we have to overcome to
get there?
Headline
2020 Headlines & Barriers
NC students are now at the same level as the best-prepared
countries – raising the standards is key to success.
NC Top State on NAEP
Company X to put 1,000 jobs in Sampson County – cites major
gains in educated workforce.
Fewer, deeper assessments show all students are growing.
NC students are top performance on measures of innovation
and creativity
NC exceeds 90%+ graduation rate in 2020.
NC students recognized for innovation, with the highest
graduation rate in the country.
NC limits testing to performance-based assessments aligned to
the CCSS. Our graduates are ready and competitive.
More NC young people are productive, contributing citizens.
Colleges report remediation for recent high school grads is
eliminated and employers report that high school graduates are
ready for jobs.
NC students rank #1 nationally through a mastery based
education system.
Beyond K-12: NC students are hitting the mark. Enhanced state
standards lead to college and workforce successes.
? Language learners make unparalleled gains in closing the
achievement gap.
Barriers
• Clarifying the standards, implement, etc.
• Consistency – to compare apples to apples across states – comparable/benchmarked
• Interpretation of the standards in the classroom.
• Assessment of the standards
• How the standards translate through the system.
• Stakeholder buy-in: teachers, parents, employers, higher education, etc.
• National perceptions of education system – stability / instability
• Lack of agreement on what the standards should be, that we use to assess the students.
• Implementation – financial support for classes and schools
• We don’t know what those measures are – what gets measured, gets into the classroom. Need to look at that.
• Centralized data system to accurately track the progress of students and teachers.
• Sticking with it. Thinking of Finland, they made a choice in 1970 and stuck with it for 40 years. Critical to have continuity and everyone on the
same page to have a long-range vision. Avoid curriculum and other swings – need to continue moving in one direction.
• Communication with all stakeholders
• Social media – miscommunication
• Stick with it.
• Allow for teachers to be willing to take a risk – ensure assessments are aligned accurately
• Important to see that the standards are a means to an end (Awareness). Transition from K-12 to Post-Secondary.
• Agreement on ‘what ready to be productive, contributing’ means
• Having a way to measure the standards – to actually support improvement toward achieving them. (Nature of the assessments)
• Having the standards and assessments broadly accepted, so there is incentive for the system and students to achieve them.
• Understand what students need to succeed and then align to those needs.
• Training for teachers to enable them to help all students achieve these standards, e.g., learners with different needs.
• System of assessments, well aligned to the expectations. Not just end of year tests, e.g., formative and benchmark assessments.
• Graduation versus knowing what they need to know.
• Individualized teaching at a student’s level of need.
• Fewer, deeper assessments
• Time. Devising standards and the measures takes time.
• Teacher training for pre-service and veteran teachers, aligned with best practices.
• Testing aligned with best practices in instruction.
Working Group Scope
 Standards: Rigorous and relevant standards that are benchmarked and
teachable
• Including a clear process for developing and continually revising standards (including
input and buy-in from various stakeholders)

 Curriculum: standards interpreted and applied faithfully in the classroom

while allowing autonomy and local control
 Assessments: “21st century”; aligned with standards; useful to educators,
parents, students, and policymakers; and reasonable in number and time
required
 Training and support for pre-service and veteran educators so they are best
prepared to meet and successfully implement the standards
 Next Steps
 What do we need to learn more about as a group?
 Where would additional expertise help?
Upcoming Meetings
October 24 11:00-12:30

November 7 11:00-12:30

All meetings will be held on the SAS Campus in Cary, NC,

with the option to join remotely via WebEx
Thank you!
Brenda.Berg@BEST-NC.org

Julie.Kowal@BEST-NC.org

Amanda.Desjeunes@BEST-NC.org