ELD Recognition Award
The nomination period closes in one month, on May 17.
- Each PSU will submit one nominee on the nomination form, which will include the portfolio
- The nominee must be a certified ESL teacher
- Please contact ESLTitleIII@dpi.nc.gov with any questions or for technical assistance
We are grateful to ALL teachers for your hard work and dedication to the academic advancement of your students and your support for public schools.
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Summer Conference Keynote!
We are excited to announce that Margo Gottlieb will serve as the keynote speaker for the in-person 2026 Standards Academy and Growing Success for Multilingual Learners Summer Conference.
Dr. Gottlieb is a nationally recognized leader in language development and assessment and is widely known for her pioneering work with the WIDA English Language Development Standards. Her work has helped educators across the country better understand how language and academic content connect to support multilingual learners’ success.
Keynote Highlight: In her keynote session, Dr. Gottlieb will explore how collaborative assessment can serve as a natural extension of instruction. She will share practical strategies for using everyday classroom interactions as opportunities to observe and assess language development while supporting meaningful learning. Participants will also consider how to rethink classroom assessment so that it becomes seamlessly embedded within high-quality instruction.
This joint conference brings together The Standards Academy and Growing Success for Multilingual Learners, offering educators across North Carolina an opportunity to deepen their understanding of standards-aligned instruction and effective practices that support multilingual learners.
We are honored to welcome Dr. Gottlieb and look forward to the inspiration and insight she will bring to this year’s conference.
Join us! Don't miss this outstanding professional development experience!
What Makes This Special? Dual Conference Access – Attend sessions from both conferences at one location, at no cost. Consider bringing a team to maximize learning and collaboration.
Flexible Attendance Options – Choose from the in-person locations or attend virtually to fit your schedule and preferences.
Expert-Led Sessions – Engage with best practices, collaboration strategies, and proven methods for elevating multilingual learner success.
Professional Networking – Connect with fellow educators, exchange ideas, and build lasting professional relationships.
In Person
June 23rd - 25th
Johnston County
Cleveland High School
1892 Polenta Road, Clayton NC 27520
Virtual Summer Conference
Sessions
July 13th - 16th
Register today!
PD Opportunities
Meaningful Growth Can Happen at Any Moment
WIDA and NCDPI are here to help you make the most of it!
Twelve self-paced workshops designed to help K–12 educators expand their skills, collaborate with colleagues, and deepen their impact with multilingual learners are available to educators in participating member education agencies.
Whether you’re setting professional learning goals or refreshing your teaching strategies, these flexible, on-demand Self-Paced Workshops make it easy to keep growing—anytime, anywhere.
Have a WIDA Account? You can access the workshops by logging into your existing WIDA account.
Do you need access? Contact your school or district's testing coordinators if you need an account to access the WIDA e-learning site.
Remember: Self-paced workshops are available through August 31, 2026.
WIDA Annual Conference Giveaway
The 2026 WIDA Annual Conference will take place September 15-18, 2026, in St. Louis, Missouri under the theme "Building Gateways to Colaboración.” Visit the conference website for need-to-know information including a schedule overview, registration rates and more. This year’s event also includes a curated virtual track.
Enter to win! WIDA is giving away registrations to attend #WIDA2026 in St. Louis. Head over to our Facebook or Instagram page to enter by Friday, April 17 at 12 p.m. CT.
New Focus Bulletin on Literacy and Secondary Newcomers
Our new Focus Bulletin: Content, Language, and Literacy Learning for Secondary Newcomers shares research-based strategies to help this group of secondary multilingual learners engage with grade-level content while developing strong language and literacy skills. Featuring practical classroom approaches, a complete unit example and insights from educators and former newcomers, this resource shows how rigorous, asset-based instruction can make learning accessible and meaningful.
Join the New ML/Title III Social Media Platforms!
The ML/Title III Team is excited to announce that we’ve officially launched our Facebook and Instagram pages! These new platforms will allow us to share updates, resources, events, and success stories from across North Carolina—all in real time.
Follow us and:
- Stay up to date on our latest announcements
- Access professional learning opportunities and resources
- Celebrate the successes of multilingual learners and educators across the state
- Connect with a wider community dedicated to supporting ML students and families
Join the conversation today!
Follow us on Facebook
Follow us on Instagram
Let’s keep building a strong, connected community for multilingual learners together. We can’t wait to see you online!
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2026 ELA Standard Course of Study: New Resources Released!
Unpacking Documents
To support successful implementation of the 2026 ELA Standard Course of Study (SCOS), the NCDPI ELA Team has created Unpacking Documents to deepen the understanding of the SCOS and its Fundamental Principles: 1) Grade-Level Complex Texts at the Center, 2) Integrated Model of Literacy & Spiraling, and 3) Variety of Texts. These documents are now available on the NCDPI ELA SCOS webpage and the Virtual Implementation Kit (VIK).
The Unpacking Documents include the following to support standards-aligned instruction:
- the ELA Standards and Objectives,
- relevant glossary terms for each standard,
- clarifications of what students should be able to know and do at each grade-level/grade-band,
- standards-based question stems and sentence frames,
- classroom considerations, and
- additional supplemental resources.
Please note: These unpacking documents are not meant to be exhaustive. Because North Carolina is a local-control state, all curricular decisions (e.g., texts, tasks, activities, etc.) are approved at the local level. Prior to implementing any of the materials in this resource, teachers should follow appropriate policies and procedures to have their curriculum vetted and approved by their school and district leaders.
View the 2026 ELA Standard Course of Study Unpacking documents by grade-level/band:
Acknowledgements: The NCDPI ELA Team consulted with educators in the field as well as the Offices of Early Learning and Exceptional Children during the creation of this resource.
Highlighted Vertical Progression
The Highlighted Standards Progression Tool provides a vertical view of the NC Standard Course of Study for English Language Arts, K-12 (2026). This resource allows educators to see how each standard and objective changes and builds from grade-to-grade as they progress towards career and college readiness. Educators can use the vertical progression to align and differentiate curriculum and instruction, develop scaffolds and supports, and coordinate curriculum and instruction across grades.
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Skills for the Future Pilot
NCDPI Office of Research and Promising Practices is proud to announce the expansion of the Skills for the Future Pilot with Cohort 3 starting in Fall 2026. Currently, Skills for the Future is in 5 districts and 1 Charter School working with educators to help students develop durable skills to support post-secondary success.
This innovative program partners with ETS, AASA, UNC, and the Carnegie Foundation to serve high school educators, support staff, school administrators, and district leaders with professional development, networking, and community development using the NCDPI Portrait of a Graduate resources.
Learn more about the opportunities for educators, schools, and districts with our SFF Information Flyer,
To learn more about how your District or Charter School can become a part of the Skills for the Future pilot, join us for one of our Information Session Webinars
 Test scores, graduation rates on the rise for North Carolina students
North Carolina students achieved a three-year high in most standardized tests at the end of the 2024-25 academic year, according to the annually released test data that was presented to the State Board of Education today.
Students scored higher in 12 of 15 math and reading assessments, with only third-grade reading, English II and NC Math I trailing the 2023-24 results. The average composite score for 11th graders taking the ACT, a college readiness test, rebounded to 18.2 in 2024-25 from a slight dip of 18.1 the previous year.
Demonstrating alignment to Pillar I of the Strategic Plan, Prepare Each Student for Their Next Phase in Life, new data shows that the four-year cohort graduation rate has also risen to 87.7%, up from 87.0% in 2023-24, and is the highest in the past 10 years. Read more.
Webinar: National Schools of Character: Panel Discussion
May 13th | 3:00–4:00 PM
Do you want to strengthen your school's climate and culture? Are you looking for proven strategies to enhance character development? Join us for an engaging conversation with State and National Schools of Character. Learn from and be inspired by our National Schools of Character:
- Person Early College for Innovation and Leadership
- Haynes-Inman Educational Center
- North Shelby School
- Patriot STEM Elementary
- Union Academy
Hear directly from schools that are using the 11 Principles of Effective Character Education to build stronger relationships, foster respect and responsibility, and create positive, thriving learning environments. You will walk away with practical strategies and fresh inspiration to begin transforming your own school's culture — one principle at a time.
Register
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Teacher Survey on Assessment Practices in Spanish DL/I Classrooms
The Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute at UNC–Chapel Hill is conducting a statewide survey focused on assessment practices in Spanish dual language/immersion (DL/I) classrooms. Elementary Spanish DL/I teachers, especially lead teachers, are invited to respond. The survey, which is available in English and in Spanish, should only take about 20 minutes to complete. Responses are anonymous and will be reported only in aggregate.
Survey Link
Bonus: The first 100 respondents will receive a $25 gift card.
Surveys need to be submitted by Thursday, April 30, 2026.
Feel free to share this opportunity with any Spanish DL/I teachers and administrators who might be interested.
K-12 Student Poster Contest for Fight the Bite Campaign
The North Carolina Division of Public Health, Communicable Disease Branch is excited to announce the Annual “Fight the Bite!” campaign.
All K-12 students across the state are invited to create and submit an educational poster that may be used in this statewide campaign to help educate North Carolinians about the prevention of vector-borne diseases from ticks and mosquitoes, which cause a great deal of illness in North Carolina, including Rocky Mountain spotted fever, Lyme disease, and La Crosse Encephalitis.
Poster Contest Rules:
- The poster contest is open to all K-12 students across the state of North Carolina. There will be three grade categories: K-5, 6-8, and 9-12.
- Students must create their posters on an 8 ½” X 11” sheet of paper in either landscape or portrait layout. Only one submission per student is allowed.
- All art must be original! Submissions should be colorful and eye-catching. Any text should be large enough to read, legible, and spelled correctly. Note: Messages in any language are welcome! Students who are bilingual just need to add a separate sheet of paper with their messaging in English so that the panel of judges understand the content.
- Students may pick any theme related to “Fight the Bite” or any topic relating to the prevention of tick- and mosquito-borne illnesses.
- Each participating student should fill out an entry form and tape it to the back of their poster. Do not staple.
The deadline to submit posters is Monday, May 18, 2026. Entries must be mailed to the address below in an envelope big enough to hold the poster without folding and should be labeled “Do Not Fold." Posters can also be scanned and emailed to emily.herring@dhhs.nc.gov. Fax submissions will not be accepted.
Mail submissions to:
Dr. Emily Herring
1902 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, NC 27699-1902
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