April 24, 2009 r

Top News

Former Chair, Sen. Vernon Malone Remembered

Funeral services were held in downtown Raleigh yesterday for State Senator Vernon Malone, who served as the Wake County Board of Education's first chairman in the 1970s. Malone passed away on Saturday, April 18.

Malone was remembered at the April 21 Board of Education meeting with a resolution approved by the board and remembrances by Board chair Rosa Gill, a friend and neighbor of Malone. Gill said that it was Malone’s encouragement that led her to run for the school board and he continued to encourage her as she served on the board.

"He was a strong supporter of education for all children," said Rosa Gill, chair of the Wake County Board of Education. "He believed in equal access to opportunities for our students to become all they wanted to be in life."

In his lifetime Malone served in a variety of public and volunteer leadership positions, always placing a high priority on children. He was first elected to the North Carolina Senate in 2002 and had begun his fourth term. Before that he was a Wake County Commissioner from 1984 to 2002, serving for a number of years as chairman. He was a member of the Wake County Board of Education for six years.

Eight WCPSS Seniors Named National Merit Corporate Scholars

Eight WCPSS seniors were named 2009 National Merit Corporate Scholars by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation.

They are Rachel C. Rowe, Pradeep B. Gopinathan and Diana L. Xie of Enloe High, Michael S. Nokes of Apex High, Jonathan H. Edwards of Broughton High, Sean M. Bartell of Green Hope High, Sarah Phillips of Middle Creek High and John T. Primm of Panther Creek High.

Most of these awards are renewable for up to four years of college undergraduate study and provide annual stipends that range from $500 to $10,000 per year. Some provide a single payment between $2,500 and $5,000. Recipients can use their awards at any regionally accredited U.S. college or university of their choice.

Two WCPSS Teachers Named Kenan Fellows

Two WCPSS teachers - Jason Wolfe of Enloe High and Justin Osterstrom of Combs Elementary - were selected for the 2011 Class of Kenan Fellows.

Wolfe will work with mentor Dr. Bob Rose from NC State University. His project is entitled “Biotechnology and Biochemistry: Enriching Lab Experiences for Teachers and Students.” His fellowship is supported by the North Carolina STEM Initiative and NC State University.

Osterstrom will work with mentors Dr. Laura Bottomley and Liz Parry from NC State University. His project is entitled “Finding Solutions through Problem Solving Methods in Engineering.” His fellowship is supported by GlaxoSmithKline.

ISSUE: The Graduation Project Graduation requirements have been getting tougher in recent years. The State Board of Education required passage of five End-of-Course exams for graduation and had scheduled the Class of 2010 to complete a graduation project. NC DPI News Release on delaying implementation of graduation project NC DPI Graduation Project Website NCDPI Video - Student Success Stories 13:20 minute video WCPSS Graduation Project “The NC Graduation Project will play a significant role in assisting students to demonstrate their learned knowledge and skills through a 21st Century performance-based process. This process will involve students, schools, parents and communities. It is an opportunity for students to spend extended time delving into a topic for which they have a particular interest and passion, and serves as a summary and reflection of the student’s experience. Prior to graduation, students are given the opportunity to present what they have accomplished and learned to their project partners, school family, and members of the community. This culminating demonstration is a personal affirmation of a student’s individual achievement and a memorable experience to mark the conclusion of thirteen years of public education,” NC DPI says on its website. The graduation project consists of four components: research paper, oral presentation, product, and portfolio. School systems have had several years to implement the graduation project. But the state determined that a number of school districts across the state were having difficulties putting the multi-year project into place, offering the support in schools and recruiting mentors to help students. On April 2, the State Board of Education approved a one year delay in the graduation project requirement. Wake County The Wake County Board of Education discussed the Graduation Project in its Student Achievement Committee on April 14 and in its Committee of the Whole on April 21. The board agreed to delay implementation of the graduation project for 2009-10. This means current WCPSS Juniors will not be required to complete the graduation project, but will be recognized if they complete it. In Committee of the Whole discussions, board members agreed they want to move forward with establishing the graduation project as a WCPSS requirement in the future and asked staff to look at the best way to structure it for Wake County students. Ruth Steidinger, WCPSS administrator for high school instruction, says the delay of implementation will result in a better process for students. Three WCPSS high schools already required students to complete projects. Southeast Raleigh High has a graduation project and Broughton High and Garner High have International Baccalaureate personal projects. The board agreed those three schools should continue forward with the requirements they have in place. You can hear Steidinger discuss the graduation project here.

More News

Dr. Hargens Provides Update on CMA

At the April 21 board meeting, WCPSS Chief Academic Officer Donna Hargens gave the board an update on the work being accomplished on the Curriculum Management Audit report. Hargens noted in the last quarter great progress had been made in policy development. She said the board has developed and revised policy that give clear guidance and expectations for curriculum management. She pointed to Policy 5100 which describes responsibilities for implementing curriculum. Classroom teachers are seeing day-to-day benefits. Hargens says online resources have been developed to help guide their instruction. In looking ahead, she says work is underway on audit recommendations that will affect professional development. You can find more information here and listen to Hargens discuss progress on the audit here.

Success Series Offerings Increase

At the April 21 meeting, WCPSS administrators told the board about the new offerings available in the Success Series, a collection of multi-media lessons taught by WCPSS teachers. The new additions are English I, and Spanish I. You can see the Success Series here.

School Teams Work To Speak Up For Every Child

In schools across Wake County, teams of adults work behind the scenes speaking up for every child, working with families so that students achieve academic success. To foster this partnership between home and school, the Wake County School Board is embracing standards of the National PTA. The PTA’s six standards for judging effective family-school partnerships are now included in Board Policy 2541. Ann Rollins, who coordinates WCPSS Parent Liaisons and serves as Wake County PTA Council Family Involvement Chair, visited Green Elementary to talk with Principal Shelly Watson and the members of the school’s Partnership for Education Success (PES) team to talk about Standard 4: Speaking Up for Every Child - Families are empowered to be advocates for their own and other children, to ensure that students are treated fairly and have access to learning opportunities that will support their success. You can read more about the way PES team members help children here.

ParentVision: Financial Aid

Chip Sudderth talks with a high school guidance counselor with advice for parents who are looking at financial aid for college. Click here.