Register Now! Webinar on Early Learning in NC’s ESSA Plan

UPDATED: North Carolina is currently drafting its state plan for the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). While ESSA offers unprecedented opportunity to expand birth-to-eight alignment, most of these provisions are not mandated. Early childhood leaders will need to play an active role in ensuring that local educators and policy makers address early learning in their local communities and plans.

Register now for on a webinar on July 15 at 10 am to talk with the Lou Fabrizio, Director of Data, Research and Federal Policy, Office of the State Superintendent, NC Department of Public Instruction.

Dr. Fabrizio is leading the NCDPI development team for NC’s ESSA plan and is seeking input from the early learning community. John Pruette, Executive Director of the Office of Early Learning, and Donna Brown, Director of the Division of Federal Program Monitoring and Support at NCDPI, will be joining Dr. Fabrizio on the webinar as well.

Register online now!

Webinar participants include:

Lou Fabrizio headshot 111607Lou Fabrizio, Director of Data, Research and Federal Policy, Office of the State Superintendent, NC Department of Public Instruction (NCPDI). Dr. Fabrizio is leading the NCDPI development team for NC’s ESSA plan. Read Lou’s Bio.

 

 

 

john_pruetteJohn Pruette, Executive Director of the Office of Early Learning, Department of Public Instruction. Read John’s Bio.

 

 

 

 

DonnaBrownDonna Brown, Director of the Division of Federal Program Monitoring and Support at NCDP. Read Donna’s Bio.

 

 

 

 

As background, review these fact sheets:

And watch our webinar on Early Learning Opportunities in the Every Student Succeeds Act.

 

Lou Fabrizio

Dr. Lou Fabrizio has been a member of the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI) for almost 24 years, working in different positions from 1978-81 and 1996-present. He was named the Director of the Division of Data, Research and Federal Policy at the NCDPI in August of 2011 where he is responsible for the management of the P-20W longitudinal data system federal grant, submission of several federal reports for the US Department of Education (USED), and understanding federal policy related to the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) including the ESEA Flexibility (waiver) process and now the more recent Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA).

He continues to serve as the state’s Federal Liaison with the USED and has been the NCDPI point person in completing the NC ESEA Flexibility Request, the NC ESEA Educator Equity Plan and now the NC ESSA Plan. He also serves as an advisor to leadership in the Accountability Services Division where he had worked for 15 years overseeing the state’s former ABCs Accountability Program, the statewide testing program, and the state’s accountability and assessment plans for ESEA.

From 2007-15, he was a member of the National Assessment Governing Board which sets policy for the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) and currently serves as a member of the National Center for Education Statistics Advisory Task Force.  He has been an active member of numerous other state and national committees/organizations and previously worked in several different capacities for CTB/McGraw-Hill, the test publishing company, from 1982-96.

He has been a Head Start Director in Wake County and a mathematics & science teacher in a private school in Washington, DC and has a B.S. in Physics from Georgetown University, and an M.S. in Education Administration and Supervision and a Ph.D. in Educational Research and Policy Analysis, both from North Carolina State University in Raleigh.

 

John Pruette

John Pruette is currently the Executive Director of the North Carolina Office of Early Learning with his work focused on structural reform in the early grades and strengthening the PK-3 learning continuum in NC’s schools.

His influence has helped shape the direction of early education in the state.  Most notably, his contributions were central to the design and implementation of the More at Four (now named NC Pre-K) which remains a nationally recognized model for high-quality state-funded pre-kindergarten.

John holds appointed memberships to various national and state-level councils and boards including; Southern Regional Education Board Early Childhood Commission, Education Commission of the States Early Learning Caucus, Governor’s Early Childhood Advisory Council, North Carolina Partnership for Children Board of Directors, North Carolina Superintendent’s Leadership Council, North Carolina SchoolWorks Council, and NC Early Childhood Integrated Data System Executive Committee where he serves as Chair.  Additionally, he was recently elected President of the National Association of Early Childhood Experts in State Departments of Education (NAECS-SDE).

Importantly, John views his tenure as both a pre-kindergarten and primary teacher as most important in shaping who he is as a professional in the field of early education today.

 

Donna Brown

Donna Brown is currently the Director of the Federal Program Monitoring and Support Division at the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction. The division supports approximately $514,000,000 in federal funds provided to districts and schools each year and includes responsibility for continuous school improvement planning. Prior to this she served as the Section Chief for Federal Program Monitoring and the State Textbook Administrator. A graduate of the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and Appalachian State University, Donna began her education career in Surry County where she was a classroom teacher, an Instructional and Curriculum Specialist, and a Federal Program Director. Most notably, Donna has served the public schools of North Carolina for over 34 years.