This document outlines COVID-19 transition and recovery strategies and priorities for the North Carolina State Board of Education and Department of Public Instruction. It discusses goals to eliminate opportunity gaps, improve school performance, and increase educator preparedness by 2025. Key strategies addressed include statewide learning challenges, whole child support, workforce development, connecting students to post-secondary options, and modernizing school business systems. Specific initiatives proposed include expanding reading and math support, increasing student support staff, supporting career and technical education, and improving teacher recruitment and compensation.

1. COVID-19 Transition and Recovery
Strategies and Priorities
The Office of Government and
Community Affairs
January 2021
North Carolina
State Board of Education
and
Department of Public Instruction

3. State Board 2025 Strategic Plan
Mission:
To use its constitutional authority to guard and maintain the right of a
sound, basic education for every child in North Carolina Public
Schools.
Goals:
• Goal 1: Eliminate opportunity gaps by 2025
• Goal 2: Improve school and district performance by 2025
• Goal 3: Increase educator preparedness to meet the needs of
every student by 2025

4. COVID-19 Transition and Recovery
Strategies
• Addressing Statewide Learning Challenges and Recovery
• Whole Child, Whole School, Whole Community
• Education Workforce Development (Teacher and Principal
Recruitment and Retention)
• Connecting Middle/ High School Students to Post-
Secondary and Career Opportunities
• Support for Other Agency Priorities
– Teacher and Principal Recruitment, Retention, and Compensation Strategies
– School Business System Modernization
– Other Priorities

5. Addressing Statewide Learning Challenges
• School and District Assistance and Turnaround
– Rebuilding NCDPI District and Regional Support
Staff Capacity
• Continue efforts of CARES 10% funding to lead district and
school transformation and provide regional and statewide
system of support

6. Addressing Statewide Learning Challenges
• Plan to Address Early Grades Learning
Challenges
– Funding for a statewide system of training on the science of reading, high quality
curriculum and evidence-based interventions for principals, teachers, reading coaches,
and district curriculum and instruction leaders. (Training to occur over two years.)
• Driver Education Strategic Plan
w/ modification in response to COVID
– To address immediate needs due to COVID – 19, and long-term
solution recommended by the Driver Education Strategic Plan of a
single curriculum delivered to the districts using technology, which
will be uniform, equitable, and flexible, which produces
accountability, and analytics tools.
– Immediate Support for Spring 2021
– 2021-2023 Support (Additional to Existing Administrative
Budget)
• Curriculum and Technology Project
• Regional Support Project

7. Addressing Statewide Learning Challenges
• Broadband/ Internet Connectivity
– Continue efforts of CARES 10% funding to establish innovative ways to
close connectivity gaps (ex. Low-Orbit Internet Satellite Service- SpaceX)

8. Addressing Statewide Learning Challenges
• Other Considerations
– Evaluation of Reading/ Math Levels
– State Supported Summer Learning Program
– Extended Learning Time Programs
– School Accountability and Teacher Effectiveness Models
– Graduation
– End of Year Grades
– Testing and Accountability
– Drop-Out Prevention
– Grade Promotion
– 2021-2022 ADM Projections
• 16,000-17,000 New Kindergartners

9. Whole Child, Whole School,
Whole Community
• Student Mental Health Policy Plan
• Student Support Services Staffing and Pilots for Pipeline
Development of Student Support Staff Professions
– School Psychologists
– Social Workers
– Mental Health Specialists/ Counselors
– School Nurses
– Funding request would begin 10-year implementation to meet national recommended ratios.
• Exceptional Children Funding for Future Services
• Child Nutrition
– Eliminate Reduced-Price Lunch Copay:

10. Whole Child, Whole School, Whole Community
• LEP/ ESL (Limited English Proficiency/ English as
a Second Language) Expanding Funding
– Expand Funding for Allotment for LEP/ESL Students
• Social and Emotional Learning SEL Pilot for Pre-
K/ Kindergarten
• Residential Schools Staff/ Contractual Services
• Office of Equity Affairs

11. Education Workforce Development Plan
• Advanced Teaching Roles
• New Teacher Support Program
• TEACH NC and Jobs Board
• Teaching Fellows Program
• Support District Models of Alternative Principal
Recruitment Models
• “Turnaround Principal Training Program”
• NC Virtual Observation Tool
• Educator Licensure System

12. Connecting Middle and High School to Post-
Secondary and Career Opportunities
• Continued Support of Cooperative Innovative High Schools
• Credentials and Certifications for Students
– 2019-2020 Credentialing Data Report
• CTE Credential and Performance Based Data Collection and
Assessment​
– The system helps NC CTE by maintaining and enhancing NCCTE Admin, the test
administration management system which supports access, scheduling, and online
report access to LEAs and school staff. It also provides an online system (Test
Development System – TDS and NCTest) to import, write, edit, review test questions,
create test forms, and publish forms for both paper and online.
• Career and College Ready Graduates
• Career Readiness Assessment

13. Education Workforce Development Plan-
Compensation
• Teacher Recruitment, Retention, and
Compensation Strategies
• SREB Teacher Compensation Dashboard
– Expansion of CTE “Teaching Profession” Courses
(Pipeline Development)
– Support District Models of Alternative Teacher
Recruitment Models
• Examples:
– “Grow Your Own”
– Residency Model (Remote Partnership with Regional EPP)
– “2+2”
– “TA to Teachers”
– “Troops to Teachers
• Principal Recruitment, Retention, and
Compensation Strategies

14. School Business Systems Modernization
– School Business Systems Modernization
• Funding to continue transitioning LEA and state systems
to modern, more stable and secure cloud-based platforms
as directed in S.L. 2017-57
– Student Information System (SIS) Update
– Cybersecurity Expansion and Training
– UERS Stabilization Fund (Technology
Services)

15. Questions?
Freebird McKinney
Director of Government and Community Affairs
freebird.mckinney@dpi.nc.gov