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Number 10
Support Student Growth with NC Virtual Public School (NCVPS) Edvantage Tutoring
NCVPS Edvantage Tutoring provides personalized virtual support designed to strengthen student understanding and increase growth in identified standards and courses.
Enrollment is now open for the 2026–27 school year. Tutoring is available in:
- Middle School Math
- Math I, Math II and Math III
- Middle School Science
- Biology
- Earth and Environmental Science
Fall tutoring: Sept. 21–Dec. 11, 2026 | Spring tutoring: Mar 1–May 19, 2027
Evening tutoring is offered Monday-Wednesday from 4:30–6:30 p.m. Sessions are available in 30-minute increments at a flat rate of $35 per hour. Payment is made directly by the participating district or school, allowing tutoring to be provided at no cost to students and their families.
Because NCVPS is part of NCDPI, all North Carolina schools may participate without completing a bidding process.
Public school units ready to partner should review the Edvantage Tutoring Overview and complete the 2026–2027 Districts and Schools Partnership Agreement. After the agreement is submitted, the primary contact will receive a DocuSign from the NCVPS chief operations officer that serves as the invoice. The Edvantage team will then schedule a meeting to discuss your school’s goals and student needs.
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Number 9
Applications Open for 2026-27 Multilingual Learner Teacher Network (MLTN)
Take your co-teaching partnership statewide by applying to the 2026-27 Multilingual Learner Teacher Network (MLTN)!
Great co-teaching brings together the expertise of Multilingual Learners (ML) and content teachers to create stronger learning opportunities for multilingual learners. The NCDPI ML/Title III Team invites current ML–content co-teaching pairs to apply together for this statewide community of practice.
Selected pairs will study evidence-based guidance, strengthen their collaborative teaching practices and develop classroom-ready resources to share with educators across North Carolina. Individual applicants are also welcome and may be matched with compatible participants.
Members will attend three MLTN meetings as well as the summer conference, and devote approximately one hour per week to required readings, partner collaboration and resource development. Selected participants will receive sponsorship for approved costs associated with the required in-person convenings.
Join a statewide community dedicated to improving outcomes for multilingual learners and apply for the 2026-27 MLTN here. The deadline to apply is Oct. 15.
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Number 8
EdNC: "Literacy Supports Cultural Connection and Fosters Hope in this Rural Community"
"Walking through the halls of Pleasant Grove United Methodist Church in Robeson County, you see drawings of cats with buttons and vowel worksheets on the walls. In the classrooms down the hall, local teachers are addressing summer learning loss by guiding children through literacy programming.
Last year was the church’s first year hosting a summer literacy camp through the Summer Literacy Initiative (SLI). Created by The Duke Endowment in 2012, SLI is a network of partners that provide evidence-informed summer reading camps for rising first through third graders with certified Science of Reading teachers. In the summer of 2026, SLI had sites across 35 rural communities in North Carolina.
'We connect church to community, and so I see this as an outreach and a ministry of the church, and it works in a church because the church is a connector in rural communities,' said Camille Roddy, the SLI coordinator for the Western North Carolina Conference of United Methodist Churches.
Serving a region that’s home to the Lumbee Tribe, the Public Schools of Robeson County have an estimated nearly 21,000 students. Pleasant Grove was one of three SLI sites in Robeson County this year and served 28 children."
Read the full article here.
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Number 7
Register 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.
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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.
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Number 4
97.9 The Hill Radio Interview with National Principal of the Year Jason Johnson
"Orange High School Principal and National Principal of the Year Jason Johnson joined 97.9 The Hill’s Andrew Stuckey in studio on Monday, August 3. He discussed his recollection of receiving the National Principal of the Year award at a ceremony in Washington, D.C. He also recounted the work that has earned him accolades, including his decision to return to Orange High School after a prior stint leading that building, and more."
Listen to the full "Speaking of Schools" episode with Jason Johnson here.
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Number 3
Video: NCDPI's Dr. Ashley McBride Talks New Screen Use Guidance with Spectrum News
"As more North Carolina schools prepare for a new academic year state education leaders are offering fresh guidance on how screens should be used in the classroom.
Laptops, tablets, and smart boards have become a staple in classrooms across North Carolina. But as technology use has grown, so has concern about how much screen time is too much.
Now, North Carolina’s Department of Public Instruction is encouraging schools to be more intentional about how technology is used."
Hear from Dr. Ashley McBride, Digital Learning Initiative section chief, on NCDPI's screen use guidance here.
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Number 2
2025 North Carolina High School Survey Shows Improvement in Student Safety, Risk Behaviors
"North Carolina public high school students reported improved outcomes in health and safety related behaviors according to the 2025 North Carolina High School Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS), presented to the State Board of Education today.
Notably, the report revealed that North Carolina has returned to and exceeded pre-pandemic levels across nearly all reported measures. The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction’s (NCDPI) strategic plan, Achieving Educational Excellence, addresses many of the issues identified in the YRBS: enhancing parent, caregiver and community support and ensuring healthy, safe and secure learning environments.
'The 2025 Youth Risk Behavior Survey reflects meaningful progress, particularly in improving student safety and reducing several risky behaviors,' North Carolina Superintendent of Public Instruction Maurice 'Mo' Green said. 'At the same time, the findings reinforce the need to help every student feel safe, connected and prepared to learn. In order to become the best public schools in the nation by 2030, we must continue to uplift progress while responding to the continued needs of students in our schools.'"
Read the full press release here.
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Number 1
NCDPI Marks One Year of Achieving Educational Excellence, Launches Public Dashboard as North Carolinians Answer the Call to Get Involved
"The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI) marked the one-year anniversary of Achieving Educational Excellence, the state's 2025-2030 strategic plan, with the public launch of a new online dashboard tracking the plan's progress. The announcement came during the August meeting of the State Board of Education.
The dashboard gives families, educators and community members a direct window into the plan's eight pillars and the 110 actions underway to make North Carolina's public schools the best in the nation by 2030. Visitors can explore each pillar, track measures the state has committed to publicly and see which actions have already launched in classrooms and communities across North Carolina.
Alongside the dashboard launch, NCDPI highlighted examples of the ways many North Carolinians have stepped forward over the plan's first year to help carry it out. Nearly 2,000 parents applied for 20 seats on the state's new Parent Advisory Council. Roughly 400 educators and community leaders applied for 20 seats on the Innovation Leadership Council. More than 6,000 North Carolinians have joined the NC Education Champions Network. And school districts across the state are increasingly building their own local strategic plans modeled on the state's approach."
Read the full press release here.
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