State Board of Education Vision:Every public school student in North Carolina will be empowered to accept academic challenges, prepared to pursue their chosen path after graduating high school, and encouraged to become lifelong learners with the capacity to engage in a globally-collaborative society.
State Board of Education Mission:The mission of the North Carolina State Board of Education is to use its constitutional authority to guard and maintain the right of a sound, basic education for every child in North Carolina Public Schools.
Friday, March 8, 2024
Highlights
Catherine Truitt - Superintendent of Public Instruction
From the day I stepped foot in the Superintendent’s office, I have been singularly focused on doing what is best for students and their families. I assembled the best educational team in the history of our state and the results we achieved in just a few years have been striking: We bounced back from the pandemic faster than the rest of the nation, we put phonics-based reading back in classrooms, we prioritized workforce readiness to align the K-12 system with our rapidly changing job market, and we championed and delivered choice for families.
While last night's election did not go the way I had hoped, I’m deeply proud of what we accomplished and I am gratified by the support of educators, parents, school and legislative leaders and so many others from across the state.
It has been one of the great honors of my life to serve as Superintendent of Public Instruction. Our students deserve the absolute best, and I'm committed to delivering for them during the remainder of my tenure.
The Standard - Staff | March 2, 2024: Greene Schools celebrate additional $12M for new high school; Additional grants fund animal shelter, wastewater projects - The funding was announced on Feb. 27 during a visit by N.C. State Superintendent of Public Instruction Catherine Truitt. It was distributed through the state Department of Public Instruction's Needs-Based Public School Capital Fund and is among several grants announced recent to fund projects in Greene County, including wastewater infrastructure and animal shelter improvements. The grant will provide additional funding for the construction of the new high school building, the school district said. In the fall of 2022, Greene County Schools announced it was among districts to receive a $50 million state lottery-funded grant for a state-of-the-art building.
Supplemental Grant Applications [per SL 2023-134, Section 4.3.(c)] -The special FY23-24 application period for FY22-23 NBPSCF Grant recipients, with projects that are not yet under construction, is NOW OPEN. The deadline for submitting applications and supporting materials under this provision is June 30, 2024.
Pictured left to right: Commissioner Mike Eldreth, Commissioner William Sands , Commissioner Chuck Olive, Commissioner Chairman Todd McNeill, Ashe County Schools Superintendent Dr. Eisa Cox, North Carolina Superintendent of Public Instruction Catherine Truitt, North Carolina State Senator Ralph Hise, School Board Chairman Josh Roten, School Board Member Dianne Eldreth, Ashe County Middle School Principal Dr. Susan Mochen School Board Member Polly Jones and Dr. Kimberly Simmons via Zoom. - Photo by Teresa Laws
Ashe Post & Times - Moss Brennan | March 1, 2024: Board of Education, Commissioners accept $12 million grant for middle school- Ashe County Schools was awarded $12 million from the Needs-Based Public School Capital Fund for the new middle school project. The project will support the addition of 6th grade and an additional 250 students, helping to alleviate overcrowded elementary schools. The middle school will be built on a plot of land adjacent to the high school. The new space will include:
11 core classrooms per grade level (33 in total)
An auditorium (absent in current school)
A gym and secondary gym (secondary absent in current school)
Meeting areas for school and community activity use
On-site medical clinic supported by their local health department
Air conditioning
With the addition of 6th grade, the school plans to expand their CTE program to include additional agricultural experiences and bring digital media, coding and technology courses to middle grade students in Ashe County, according to the DPI.
The funding was awarded from the Needs-Based Public School Capital Fund. The original Needs-Based Public School Capital Fund award in 2020-2021 was $15 million.
An additional $25 million was added in 2021-2022 and another $10 million in 2022-2023 from the Needs-Based Public School Capital Fund, putting the school district’s funding for the project at $50 million. Robeson County commissioners gave a match of $2.5 million, and PSRC gave a match of $2.5 million. Senator Britt and legislators also allocated $5 million towards the planetarium and science center through the state budget. The additional $12 million brings the district’s total to $72 million. “This board is appreciative, the Public Schools of Robeson County is appreciative,” said PSRC Board of Education Chairman Randy Lawson. “Dr. Williamson, Senator Britt, thank you for advocating for us. State Superintendent Truitt, thank you.”
“What a great day,” said PSRC Superintendent Dr. Freddie Williamson. “We will serve 1,000 students in this facility.
Craven County Schools Awarded $15 Million Grant
Photo - Provided by WNCT Greenville
WNCT Greenville - Jennifer Wagner | March 1, 2024: Craven County schools presented with $15 million for new classrooms - Craven County is fortunate to benefit from the prudent management of lottery funds by the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction. The interest earned from these funds, presented to Craven County Schools Board of Education, will now be utilized to create an enhanced learning environment for the students of Havelock.
Colonel Burks, Commanding Officer for Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, expressed his support for the project in a letter, emphasizing the importance of incorporating new technologies into education and facilities. With educational facilities in the Havelock area unable to keep up with the changing technological demands of today, this expansion project will support MCAS Cherry Point with a local workforce that is well-equipped to meet the ever-evolving demands of today’s world.
The Regular Session of the 2023 General Assembly adjourned October 25, 2023, and will reconvene on the following dates: Wednesday, March 13, 2024, at 12:00 P.M.; and Wednesday, April 10, 2024 at 12:00 P.M. (S.J.R. 760).
The Short Session of the 2023-2024 legislative biennium will convene on Wednesday, April 24, 2024 at 12:00 P.M. See this MEMORANDUM for matters that may be considered for the 2024 Short Session.
Effective principals do more than improve student achievement; they also increase the retention of effective teachers and diminish chronic absenteeism among students, each of which are positively correlated with student academic and behavioral outcomes.— BEST NC
EdNC - Hannah Vinueza McClellan | March 4, 2024: Conference highlights importance of dual enrollment - Hundreds of higher education leaders across the country gathered virtually on Feb. 28-29 for a dual enrollment conference hosted by several North Carolina agencies — the N.C. Community College System (NCCCS), the N.C. Department of Public Instruction (DPI), the University of North Carolina at Greensboro’s Early College Research Center, and the national RAND Corporation. In North Carolina, dual enrollment opportunities for high school students have existed for more than 30 years. The state’s dual enrollment program, Career and College Promise (CCP), was created in 2011 to provide structured opportunities for high school students to earn college credits tuition-free that “lead to a certificate, diploma, or degree as well as provide entry-level jobs skills.”
NC FREE Leandro Timeline*The North Carolina Institute for Constitutional Law has an in-depth chronology that can be found here.
The NC Teacher Working Conditions Survey
Check your school email for a link from NCTWC@adi.org to begin. Have questions or need help? Check the FAQs document at www.nctwcs.org/FAQ.html, contact your NCTWC coordinator, or email SurveySupport@adi.org.
The Office of Learning Recovery and Acceleration has just released a Grant Sustainability guide that is designed to support districts and schools in navigating the landscape of available funding opportunities following the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) program.
This guide aims to empower program leaders by offering insights into various grants that can sustain and bolster initiatives initially funded through ESSER. Through clear, accessible information and curated links to relevant resources, this guide equips educators with the knowledge and tools necessary to identify suitable funding avenues and maximize the impact of their programs. Moreover, it provides practical examples illustrating how these grants can be strategically utilized to ensure the continuity of programming.
If you have questions about how you might apply for any of these grants to sustain ESSER-funded programming in your PSU, please reach out to our team at olr-esser-support@dpi.nc.gov.
Launched in 2022, Accelerate’s Call to Effective Action (CEA) supports models of tutoring and individualized instruction that demonstrate the potential to deliver cost-effective services on a large scale to improve outcomes for students, particularly those in historically underserved communities.
Public school districts, public charter schools, and charter management organizations
Colleges and universities
Support organizations (nonprofit and for-profit), such as education intermediaries, organizations building data infrastructure, and citywide collaboratives
Research firms, university-based researchers, and individual researchers
There are three types of grants available in 2024:
Innovation Grants (up to $150,000 each) are available to scalable tutoring models that have been successfully piloted but do not yet have preliminary evidence of impact on student outcomes
Promise Grants (up to $250,000 each) are available to scalable, established tutoring models that have prior evidence suggesting positive effects on student outcomes
Adoption Grants (up to $350,000 each) are available to scalable, established tutoring models that have prior evidence of causal program impact on student outcomes
Accelerate will offer office hours for technical assistance in February; information on these hours can be found here.
Early applications are encouraged. We invite applicants to submit by the priority deadline on March 1, 2024. Priority deadline applicants will receive early feedback on their submissions and have the opportunity to revise and/or submit additional information based on this feedback.
All applications must be received by March 15, 2024
Up to $2,500 for visiting on-campus outdoor educational programs such as museums, zoos, aquariums, beekeepers, and gardeners.
Up to $3,000 for single-day field trips – field trips must contain an outdoor learning component/activity and may include visits to National/State Parks, city/county parks, outdoor recreation areas, etc.
Up to $4,000 for 2-day 1-night field trips.
Up to $5,000 for 3-day 2-night field trips.
Up to $15,000 for outdoor learning structures and equipment, including greenhouses, apiaries, pollinator, and vegetable gardens.
Up to $20,000 for outdoor agricultural structures and equipment, including large/aquaponic/hydroponic greenhouses, animal barns, corrals, milking stations, etc.
Up to $20,000 for outdoor archery ranges and equipment.
Up to $20,000 for outdoor aquatic activity structures and equipment, including fishing docks, canoes, kayaks, etc.
Up to $20,000 for onsite nature trails and educational signage.
On April 17th, the Commission, along with states, communities, and schools will honor military students.
Our Purple Up! Toolkit is ready and has all you need to promote Purple Up! for Military Kids. The toolkit includes letter templates, celebration ideas, posters, social media posts with captions, and more to show your support.
Be sure to tag MIC3 on X, Instagram, and Facebook @MIC3Compact! Use - #MIC3Compact #purpleup4militarykids to be featured. Email any event highlights and pictures to mic3info@csg.org | Read More
UPCOMING EVENTS: Compact 101 Training - Wednesday, March 20, 8 PM ET - Register Here
Farm to School Coalition of North Carolina - Farm to school connects local agriculture, schools, and partners to benefit students, educators, farmers, and families, and communities.
NC STEM Center - The NC STEM Center is a Web Portal for All Things Related to Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Education in North Carolina.
myFutureNC - Statewide nonprofit organization focused on educational attainment and is the result of cross-sector collaboration between North Carolina leaders in education, business, and government.
EDDIE (Educational Directory and Demographical Information Exchange) is the authoritative source for NC public school numbers and demographic information, is used by multiple NCDPI technology systems including: Accountability, PowerSchool, NC School Report Cards, and is used to meet federal reporting requirements.
LEAs and charter schools are responsible for ensuring their data in EDDIE are complete, accurate, and current. EDDIE is located at: http://apps.schools.nc.gov/eddie
