Digital Teaching & Learning Standards

Tab/Accordion Items

NCDLS

The State Board of Education and the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction are committed to providing personalized, digital-age education that K-12 students need to be successful in college, careers, and as globally engaged, productive citizens. For student standards in the areas of Digital Learning (K-12), North Carolina has adopted the International Society for Technology in Education Standards for Students.

ISTE standards for students infographic

Implementation of the NC Standard Course of Study for Digital Learning Grades K-12 began in the 2020-2021 school year. North Carolina’s Digital Learning Standards are designed to be delivered by classroom teachers in all curricular areas and grade levels providing students the equitable opportunity to learn in a digitally enabled classroom. The Digital Learning Standards encompass the following:

  • Digital citizenship, data privacy, and cyber safety
  • Digital-aged skills that enable students to be college and career ready
  • Creation, collaboration, communication, and critical thinking skills
  • Inquiry and design thinking learning opportunities

Supporting resources are located in the NCDLS Toolkit as well as the NCEES professional learning system and #GoOpenNCNCBOLD professional learning sessions (includes recordings) also support educators as they implement the standards in NC classrooms. The standards are directly supported by resources available from EBSCO & Britannica via NCEdCloud. Supporting materials are located in the Resources Toolkit.

In 2013, the North Carolina General Assembly passed House Bill 23, which called on the State Board of Education to develop digital teaching and learning competencies that would “provide a framework for schools of education, school administrators, and classroom teachers on the needed skills to provide high-quality, integrated digital teaching and learning.” These competencies demonstrate skills that teachers and leaders should integrate into their practice in order to create digital learning environments. 

 

At the April 2023 State Board of Education Meeting, the Office of Digital Teaching and Learning proposed an update to the North Carolina Digital Learning Competencies. The proposed changes were the result of 4 job-alike workgroups that included Classroom Teachers, Administrators, Coaches, and School Library Media Coordinators from each of the 8 regions. The educators on these workgroups looked at the updated North Carolina Digital Learning Plan, the North Carolina Digital Learning Standards for Students, and the North Carolina Portrait of a Graduate to ensure the updated Digital Learning Competencies aligned with these items. The State Board of Education Passed the suggested update to align with the standards created by the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE). This includes updates for the: 

Digital Learning Competencies for Teachers 

Digital Learning Competencies for School Administrators 

 

Digital Learning Competencies for Coaching

 

While these updated competencies will begin to be highlighted at the 2023 NCBOLD conferences and additional support will be made available following those dates, all educators in the state of North Carolina have access to an ISTE membership. This membership provides a multitude of resources aligned to these competencies.

Additional resources are located in the state-provided Canvas courses for professionals and can be accessed through the NCEES professional learning system and #GoOpenNC NCBOLD professional learning sessions (includes recordings) also support the DLCs with direct alignment. The competencies are also supported by research & content resources  available from EBSCO & Britannica via NCEdCloud with supporting materials located in the Resources Toolkit.

 

The purpose of these Professional Standards is to guide the curriculum development and instruction in North Carolina graduate programs in Information & Library Science and Instructional Technology. The Standards set expectations by describing what new graduates should know and be able to do. These Professional Standards are the foundation for the Evaluation Instrument for library media and technology educators.  

Instructional Technology Facilitator (ITF)
School Library Media Coordinator (SLMC)

  • The Professional Standards use a format and elements that align closely with other NC professional educator standards.
  • The Professional Standards are written to correlate with other national and state standards and Guidelines including AASL, ISTE, Partnership for 21st Century Skills, ALA/AASL Standards for Initial Preparation of School Librarians, CCSSO's Model Core Teaching Standards, NBPTS, the 2011 NC State School Technology Plan, IMPACT Guidelines, and State Board of Education priorities and policies.

Supporting resources are located in the standards toolkits as well as the NCEES professional learning system and #GoOpenNC.

NC PSUs may find addtional guidance and support through professional organizations and partners. National standards are reflected in DTL standards for students and educators.  Resources are provided as additional tools, not as an endorsement.

COSN - Consortium for School Networking

AASL - American Association of School Librarians 

All4Ed - Future Ready Schools