Join Us for the NCED CONNECT Symposium 2026!

February 9–11, 2026, Koury Convention Center, Greensboro, NC

The NCED Connect Symposium brings together North Carolina’s digital teaching and learning leaders, technology directors, central office leadership, instructional coaches, NCSIS data managers and leads, as well as district innovators for three days of powerful collaboration and forward-thinking sessions.

This statewide event is designed to connect people, platforms, and possibilities across North Carolina’s education ecosystem. 

Attendees will explore the latest updates on NCED Connect (NCEES, Schoolnet, LMS), NCSIS (Infinite Campus), School Connectivity, E-Rate, Cybersecurity, and Digital Teaching & Learning initiatives—all while engaging with hands-on sessions led by DPI teams, regional experts, and district practitioners.

Through keynote presentations, breakout sessions, and networking opportunities, participants will:

• Discover integrated solutions that power digital learning environments
• Learn about emerging technologies and AI integration in classrooms
• Collaborate on best practices for connectivity, cybersecurity, and innovation
• Strengthen their connections with colleagues and partners across the state
• Be apart of our first student AI Solve-A-Thon
• Annual School Library Media Directors Meeting
• Cybersecurity Table Top Exercises Event
• and more!

Join us as we build bridges between data, instruction, and innovation—because when North Carolina educators connect, students thrive!

Ticket Categories & Pricing **New!**

Early Bird Registration (Oct. 17–Nov 7) Lunch and Breakfast included

• Individual Registration: $250 – Save before the early bird deadline!
• Team Builder 5-Pack: Buy 4, get 1 free ($250 each) – perfect for small teams.
• Buy 8, Get 2 Free + 1 Hotel Room: Register 8, get 2 free registrations plus one complimentary hotel room for three nights – ideal for larger district teams.

General Registration (Nov. 8–26)

• Individual: $350
• Group: $350 each (invoiced together)

Late Registration (Nov. 27–Feb. 6): $450 each

Presenter Registration: Please see separate email. 

**Invoices are automatically emailed upon registration and should be paid within two weeks.

Hotel Information

The event will be held at the Koury Convention Center in Greensboro. Discounted room rates and booking links will be shared upon registration. Teams purchasing the Buy 8, Get 2 Free + 1 Hotel Room package will receive details for their complimentary stay via email for the first attendee registered. Hotel information and registration is located HERE. 

Learn More & Register

Registration is OPEN!  Full details Here.

We can’t wait to connect with you in Greensboro, where innovation meets collaboration!

🚀 The NC AI Solve-A-Thon is Off and Running!

50 teams from 22 PSUs representing each of our 8 regions are solving real issues in their communities with AI.  They will compete in a virtual pitch fest on Nov. 24 and the top 10 teams will compete in person in Greensboro on Feb. 11, 2026, for the state championship.

For more information, visit: go.ncdpi.gov/NC-AI-Solve-A-Thon

Upcoming AI Webinars

Remember that all of our webinars are added to the AI Webinars website for on-demand viewing.

Check out our EventBrite Collection & Registrations for upcoming registrations.

Remember that our webinars are made available for on-demand viewing on our NC AI Resources website as well as our YouTube Channel.

• Oct. 29, 2025: Free AI Literacy Course for K-12 with Skillstruck.  Register
• Nov. 12, 2025: Once Upon a Standard: Personalized Storybooks in the Classroom with Lindsey Sipe.  Register
• Dec. 3, 2025: Take a Byte Out of Custom GPTs & Gems with Lindsey Sipe and Stacy Lovdahl. Register

District Leaders - Sign Up for the AI Innovation Index!

Found Here: innovate-ai.org

Benefits for NC Districts • 

• Triangulated data: student, staff, and leadership perspectives.  
• Learn from innovators: Access exemplars, resources, and supports. 
• Low-lift: Only two brief survey cycles per year.• 
• Supports NC’s national leadership in responsible AI adoption. 

Preview the survey items for each audience (student, staff, C-Suite)

•   https://survey.innovate-ai.org/framework/ 

The first data cycle is open.

Building a Culture of Focus Together

As North Carolina schools implement new cell phone restrictions, national trends and research are revealing a powerful opportunity for school libraries to lead the way in rebuilding students’ capacity for focus and deep learning. The recent CoSN Screens in Balance report highlights the need for intentional, balanced technology use; Jessica Ewing’s LitHub article “How to Raise a Reader in an Age of Digital Distraction” emphasizes that sustained attention is the foundation of literacy; and schools in Kentucky are already seeing library circulation soar as students rediscover reading in phone-free environments. Together, these insights position school libraries as essential partners in cultivating attention stamina—through rich reading experiences, creative makerspaces, and purposeful programming that help students strengthen the cognitive and emotional focus today’s learners need most.

We have a unique moment to champion the school library as a hub for focused, joyful learning. Let’s move beyond simply tracking circulation numbers and start recognizing libraries as laboratories for sustained attention, digital balance, and deep thinking. Encourage your school librarians to highlight how their programs—whether through reading engagement, makerspace design, puzzles, or mindfulness stations—are intentionally training students’ “attention muscles.” Support them in collecting and sharing this impact data, celebrating how our libraries are preparing students not just to read more, but to focus better, think deeper, and thrive in an age of distraction.

If you want to listen to those resources instead of read them, here’s an AI-generated podcast that synthesizes these ideas and what it means for NC School Librarians. 

Please Verify Your PSU's Leads for NCEd Connect Products

Hi NCEES Admins,

We need your help to ensure our contact information for NCEdConnect products is up to date.

Please visit the Support and Maintenance Site and check your PSU's contact details. From there, you can access the contact list for NCSIS, Schoolnet, and NCEES to see the leads for each area.

If any updates are needed, please email: ncedconnect@dpi.nc.gov.

Thank you for your assistance in keeping our contact list current.

Sincerely,

The NCEES Team

Upcoming NCEES Webinars

Click on the title below to register.

Reports: Staff Evaluations, Dashboard, and Quick in NCEES

Description: Participants will learn about reports available in Staff Evaluations, Staff Dashboards, and how to create a local library of NCEES Quick reports to support your PSU evaluation and professional development reporting needs. Includes how to schedule the system to run your Quick reports.

Target Audience: Site and District Administrators

When: November 5, 2025; 9:00 am -10:00 am

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Reports: Ad-Hoc Reporting and Export to PDF in NCEES

Description: NCEES District Administrators—take your reporting to the next level with Ad-Hoc Reporting. In this session, you’ll learn how to create both raw data and graphical reports, and how to publish Ad-Hoc reports that allow Site Administrators (Principals) to apply field-level filters for customized data views. We'll also cover how to schedule Ad-Hoc reports to run automatically for consistent data access. Additionally, discover how to create and run Export to PDF reports that generate individualized PDFs for each staff member—ideal for BT audits and End-of-Year Summary Evaluations.

Target Audience: NCEES District Administrators

When: November 6, 2025; 9:00 am -10:00 am

Use Headings to Organize Your Content

Headings aren’t just for visual formatting. They provide structure and help everyone navigate your content more easily. Screen reader users, for example, can move through a document or webpage by headings, making it faster to find specific information. Well-structured headings also improve readability for ALL users.

Here are a few guidelines to keep in mind:

• Use headings in order: Start with Heading 1 (H1) for the main title, followed by Heading 2 (H2) for main sections, and Heading 3 (H3) for subsections. Avoid skipping levels.
• Keep headings clear and descriptive: Use short, meaningful phrases that describe the content that follows.
• Don’t use bold text or larger fonts as substitutes: Instead of making headings identifiable just by visually changing text (e.g., size and color differences), apply proper heading styles in Word, Google Docs, or your website editor so assistive technologies can recognize them.

Related WCAG 2.1 standards: 1.3.1 Info and Relationships (A) and 2.4.6 Headings and Labels (AA)

For additional information and resources, visit the NCDPI Digital Accessibility website or contact Donna Murray, NCDPI Digital Accessibility Specialist.