Common Core standards: In the fall of 2012, North Carolina schools will implement the Common Core State Standards in K-12 mathematics and English Language Arts. These standards are intended to establish expectations for student learning and will bring change to learning and teaching in the classroom. Dr. Judith Rizzo, Executive Director of the Hunt Institute for Educational Leadership and Policy, will lead a discussion on the Common Core standards and what they mean for students, teachers, and funders, and moderate a panel discussion on Common Core implementation in North Carolina. Panel members will include Tracey Greggs, Race to the Top Standards and Assessment Lead, NC Department of Public Instruction; Dr. Jeff Moss, Superintendent of Lee County Schools; and Dale Minge, Principal of Pittsboro Elementary in Chatham County.

Next Generation Science Standards: Lisa Rhoades, NC Science, Mathematics, and Education Technology Center will provide an update on the development of new essential standards in science that will be implemented in NC schools beginning in 2013.

Public will in public education: Discourse on public education in recent years has focused on budget cuts, reform efforts, and increasingly polarized political stances on these matters. Lost in the discussion is the reason for public education, its purpose and importance in a democratic society. Del Burns, former superintendent of Wake County Schools, and Ann McColl, Legislative Director for the NC State Board of Education, will lead a discussion on why state provision of public education matters and how apparently competing values may be reconciled to create a common vision for public education in North Carolina.

Teacher quality and effectiveness: A team of researchers at the UNC Carolina Institute for Public Policy have been using an Impact Research Model to examine the effectiveness of teachers from various North Carolina and national teacher preparation programs. Alisa Chapman and Gary Henry will review their latest teacher quality research results.