Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools and Onslow County Schools were recognized at the February State Board of Education meeting for achieving Global-Ready designation. They are the first two school districts to be recognized for having the programs and tools to ensure students graduate prepared to live, work and contribute in an interconnected, global world.
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools was recognized as a Global-Ready Prepared District, which means that the district effectively implemented systems and processes to support global readiness. Also, many components of global education are embedded district-wide including sound, well-embedded practices that show a positive impact on students.
Onslow County Schools received the Global-Ready Model Designation, which means the district consistently implements systems and processes to support global readiness. The district is a leader for other schools to replicate or model. Global readiness is embedded in the school’s culture, and well-developed, cutting edge practices show consistent, high-level student impact.
North Carolina Department of Public Instruction Chief Academic and Digital Learning Officer Maria Pitre-Martin congratulated district leadership on their accomplishments saying, “These districts are leading the way in demonstrating the importance and effectiveness of global education practices in graduating students who are globally engaged and productive citizens.”
In 2013, State Board of Education members approved five commitments to help ensure students graduate globally prepared. These commitments – teacher support and tools, leading-edge language instruction, new school models, district networking and recognition, and strategic international relationship – led to a new focus on global education and recognition efforts that supported the State Board’s vision statement.
One of the outcomes was to develop criteria that define what it means to be a Global-Ready District or School. The Global-Ready District implementation rubric was adopted by the State Board of Education in May 2015 and embraces the tenets to provide:
K-12 world language opportunities for all students, and pathways for teachers and administrators to achieve State Board recognized badging;
career-ready employer requirements;
global school partnerships; and
local school board resolutions and plans on global education.
Additional information on the Global-Ready District Designation process and the State Board of Education Global Education initiative is available on NCDPI’s NC Global Education website.