Number 10

District Highlight - Mooresville Graded School District: "More than a Summer Program: Inside Mooresville Graded School District’s Approach to Helping Young Readers Thrive"

"The hallway is a little quieter than it is during the traditional school year, but it isn’t silent.

In one classroom, second grader Nora eagerly shares what she has learned about baby dolphins with Jemma Conley​, the director of elementary instruction at Mooresville Graded School District. “Baby dolphins follow their moms all over the place,” Nora says.

Farther down the hall, Emersyn adds another fact she discovered during her research. 'Dolphins swim in pods and can’t hold their breath very long,' she explains.

Third grade classmates, Dakota and Kanaan, are just as eager to talk about their summer learning. Dakota proudly explains that once sea turtles hatch, 'they immediately go to the ocean by looking for the sun to help.' Kanaan has become an expert on macaws. 'Macaws live 80 years and prefer to live in humid rainforests,' she says.

Nearby, their teacher, Stephanie Adkins, who is teaching at Mooresville Intermediate’s reading camp for the first time this summer, watches the conversations unfold with a smile, clearly proud of how confidently her students are sharing what they have learned.

It feels more like summer camp than summer school. This is because of intentional planning and collaboration on the part of district leaders and teacher collaboration."

Read the full story here. 

Number 9

North Carolina State Education Assistance Authority (NCSEAA): "North Carolina Leads the Country in FAFSA Completion Growth"

"North Carolina has the highest growth in Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) completions of any state in the country so far this year, according to the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Federal Student Aid.

As of late June, FSA said North Carolina was up 11.1% compared to the same time last year. That percentage encompasses all students, including adult learners, current college students, and high school seniors.

'North Carolina’s growth is a testament to all the hard work education professionals and other partners are doing to ensure their students know about how to access financial aid and have the support they need to do so,' said Mary Shuping, the Executive Director of the North Carolina State Education Authority (NCSEAA), which administers the state’s need-based scholarships. 'It also highlights that our efforts to expand access for adult learners are paying dividends in the form of increased FAFSA completions.'

Completing the FAFSA is the most important step in accessing financial aid for college, allowing students to be considered for aid at the federal, state, and college level. It is the primary application for federal Pell Grants, as well as North Carolina’s Next NC Scholarship and Need-Based Scholarship for Private College and University Students."

Read the full article here.

Number 8

Register for NC Chamber Education & Workforce Conference

CTE educators and administrators are invited to attend the NC Chamber’s Education and Workforce Conference on August 4 in Raleigh. 

This convening will bring together leaders from business, education, workforce development, philanthropy and policy to examine how North Carolina can build a more responsive talent system. The day will focus on practical strategies for using AI, strengthening employer leadership, making skills-first approaches actionable, scaling work-based learning and designing new ways of working together that can keep up with the pace of change.

Highlights for educators:

• Reduced educator rate
• Connect directly with statewide industry leaders to build relationships that benefit students
• Gain actionable insights about what employers are looking for in a rapidly changing workforce
• Build new workforce talent pipelines for your students

Learn more and register for the conference here.

Number 7

Participate in "Civic Readiness for All: A Discussion about K-12 Civic Education in North Carolina" Virtual Discussion

Join a virtual discussion focused on the current landscape of K-12 civic education in North Carolina, benchmarking progress against other states. Participants will explore what our state can do to ensure every student has the opportunity for high quality civic learning and leadership experiences that build civic readiness and connect to college and career.

The virtual discussion will take place August 11 at 3 p.m. and is expected to last about an hour. Learn more and register for the discussion here. 

The conversation is hosted by NCDPI, GenerationNation, North Carolina Civics Coalition and CivxNow, a program of iCivics. Please contact Amy Farrell amy@generationnation.org with questions.

Number 6

"Ambitious Science Teaching" Monthly Professional Development Book Study

The NCDPI K-12 Science Team is hosting a monthly professional development book study featuring "Ambitious Science Teaching" by Mark Windschitl, Jessica Thompson and Melissa Braaten. The book study meets online from Sept. 29 through April 20, with sessions scheduled from 3:30–5 p.m.

Educators will explore effective instructional strategies, share classroom practices, discover new tools and resources, strengthen student engagement and reflect on ways to make science learning more meaningful. Participants are encouraged to purchase or borrow a copy of the book. Certificates of attendance will be provided for each session after participants submit a Google Form reflection.

Learn more and register here. 

Number 5

EdNC: "App State Awarded $1.4 Million to Bolster Western NC’s Special Education Workforce, Partner with Local School Systems"

"A new career pathways program at Appalachian State University will kick off this fall, designed to 'address the shortage of special education teachers in rural Appalachia,' according to a recent article from Appalachian Today. The program is funded by a more than $1.4 million grant from the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), providing 'tuition assistance, stipends and professional development.' The article says over 100 teaching assistants, educators, and administrators from Watauga, Caldwell, and Catawba county schools will participate in the program, gaining important training in special education.

Special education, or exceptional children (EC) services, is a broad term referring to the ways the needs of children with a disability, health impairment, or learning difference are met. According to the article, 'special education teachers work with students with a wide range of learning, intellectual, emotional, neurological and/or physical disabilities, providing specially designed instruction that meets the students’ individual needs.'

In recent years, as EdNC has reported, the EC teacher pipeline has faced stress, including factors like pay, resources to recruit candidates, and the daily needs and demands of teachers."

Read the full article here. 

Number 4

Registration Open for 2026 NCED Connect Symposium

Registration is now open for the 2026 NCED Connect Symposium, Sept. 29 through Oct. 1 at the Koury Convention Center in Greensboro.

Educators, technology leaders, school library media coordinators, student information systems professionals and education partners from across North Carolina will explore digital learning, artificial intelligence, instructional technology, leadership and more. Attendees will discover new ideas, connect with colleagues and expand their professional networks.

Learn more and register for the 2026 NCED Connect Symposium here.

Number 3

North Carolina Superintendent’s Parent Advisory Council Accepting Applications

Parents, caregivers and guardians, apply today to serve on Superintendent Mo Green's Parent Advisory Council.

This council will bring together parent leaders from across North Carolina to represent each of the eight State Board of Education regions. Members will help elevate family voices, strengthen trust and ensure those closest to students have a meaningful role in shaping the future of public education.

Council members will provide feedback and perspective on key priorities identified by Superintendent Green and NCDPI, meet quarterly and serve a two-year term.

Learn more and apply here. The deadline to apply is September 15.

Number 2

Final Release of 2024-25 School Report Cards (SRC) Now Available

The final release of the 2024-25 North Carolina School Report Cards is now available, providing state, district and school-level data on student performance, academic growth, school characteristics and more.

Newly released data includes:

• AP (Career and College Ready section, College Ready tab)
• SAT (Career and College Ready section, College Ready tab)
• College Enrollment (Career and College Ready section, College Ready tab)
• Career and Technical Education data (Career and College Ready section, Career Ready tab)
• Discipline data (School Environment section)
• Public school finances SAT (Career and College Ready section, College Ready tab)

The data reflects outcomes from a full school year, spanning July 1, 2024, through June 30, 2025, and is therefore reported one school year behind. School Report Cards data is released in two phases—an initial fall release to meet the Dec. 31 federal reporting deadline and a second release in the spring/summer. Data elements are published as they become available and may be subject to verification, correction, certification, and in some cases, State Board approval timelines.

View the 2024-25 School Report Cards here. 

Number 1

North Carolina Public Schools Earn 2026 Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) State Leadership Award

"The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI) received the Southern Regional Education Board's (SREB) 2026 State Leadership Award, presented today at SREB's Making Schools Work Conference in Nashville, Tennessee.

The award recognizes NCDPI for creating professional learning experiences for educators and for implementing college and career readiness strategies. SREB's State Leadership Award honors states that have established continuous improvement structures and processes to help schools transform school and classroom practices, establish and sustain change, and increase student achievement.

'Thank you to the Southern Regional Education Board for this wonderful recognition,' said North Carolina Superintendent of Public Instruction Maurice 'Mo' Green. 'I accept it on behalf of the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, the State Board of Education and all the public school educators across our state who show up every day to do the incredible work of educating our 1.5 million students. Our recent student results have been historic. We have the highest graduation rate in our history, the greatest participation and performance on Advanced Placement exams in our history, the most industry-recognized credentials earned in our history and the highest percentage of graduates passing a college-level course while still in high school in our history. North Carolina's goal is to be the best state in the nation for public education. We are not there yet. But we are on our way, and we are grateful to have partners like SREB alongside us on this journey.'"

Read the full press release here.