New Grant Opportunity: 2026–2027 Competitive Speech and Debate Grant Program
The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction is pleased to announce the 2026–2027 Competitive Speech and Debate Grant Program, a new funding opportunity designed to help North Carolina public schools develop, maintain, or expand educational and competitive speech and debate teams for students in grades 9–12.
Grant Opportunity at a Glance
Who is eligible? Any North Carolina public school unit (PSU) that includes a high school serving students in grades 9–12 may apply.
How much funding is available? A total of $250,000 in nonrecurring funding is available statewide for the 2026–2027 school year. NCDPI may award up to $10,000 per participating high school team.
What can grant funds support? Grant funds may be used for:
- Coach stipends, including up to $2,500 for one lead coach and $1,500 for one assistant coach
- Fees associated with participation in speech and debate leagues or competitions
- Travel to and from speech and debate competitions
What are the program requirements? Teams receiving grant funds must participate in both the Tarheel Forensic League and the National Speech and Debate Association.
What will be prioritized? Funding will be awarded through a competitive process, with consideration given to applications that support access, broad geographic representation, economically disadvantaged student populations, and a clear plan for measuring the program's impact on academic achievement and other student outcomes.
Important Dates
Application Opens: August 19, 2026
Application Deadline: September 19, 2026, by 5:00 p.m. ET
Anticipated Award Notification: No later than October 31, 2026
PSUs will submit one application on behalf of participating high schools. The application will be submitted through the Google Form provided to PSU leaders.
We encourage interested PSUs to review the Competitive Speech and Debate Grant Program Guidance & Planning Document carefully before applying. The document includes eligibility requirements, allowable uses of funds, application guidance, evaluation rubrics, budget requirements, and other information to support the development of a competitive proposal.
Important Links
This grant provides an exciting opportunity to expand student access to speech and debate experiences that strengthen communication, engagement, academic learning, and student voice.
Questions about this grant can be directed to Dr. Kristi Day at Kristi.Day@dpi.nc.gov.
New Grant Opportunity: NC Competency-Based Education Innovation Grant Program
The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction is pleased to announce the North Carolina Competency-Based Education (CBE) Innovation Grant Program, a new multi-year opportunity designed to support schools ready to reimagine teaching, learning, and assessment through competency-based education.
Through this competitive grant program, 10 North Carolina schools will be selected to receive $330,000 each to support the planning and implementation of competency-based education models.
About the Opportunity
The CBE Innovation Grant Program is designed to support schools and districts in transitioning to educational models that focus on mastery of learning rather than instructional time. Participating schools will explore innovative approaches that provide students with more personalized learning pathways, flexible opportunities to demonstrate mastery, and rigorous learning experiences grounded in the North Carolina Standard Course of Study.
The initiative will focus on four key areas:
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Redesigning learning pathways to support personalized learning and flexible student progression
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Innovating assessment practices, including formative and performance-based approaches that measure student mastery
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Building educator capacity through sustained professional learning and implementation support
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Developing strategies and promising practices that can inform the expansion of competency-based education across North Carolina
Funding
NCDPI will award grants to 10 participating schools, with each selected school receiving $330,000 over the life of the program.
Participating schools will use $95,000 each applicable school year for training on the implementation of competency-based education. Remaining grant funds may support costs associated with the transition to CBE, including travel and competency-based education resources.
Who May Apply?
The grant program is open to all North Carolina public school units.
NCDPI will prioritize schools that demonstrate a strong commitment to competency-based education and assessment innovation and show readiness to undertake this significant instructional transformation.
Program Timeline
The initiative is a multi-year commitment.
2026–2027: Planning and preparation
2027–2028: Implementation begins
2028–2030: Continued implementation, learning, evaluation, and refinement
June 30, 2030: Grant funding and services conclude
Selected schools will participate in professional learning, technical assistance, collaborative learning opportunities, monitoring, evaluation, and quarterly progress reporting throughout the initiative.
Important Application Dates
Application Opens: August 19, 2026
Application Deadline: October 18, 2026, by 5:00 p.m.
Tentative State Board of Education Approval: December 2026
Interested PSUs are strongly encouraged to review the North Carolina Competency-Based Education Initiative Guidance & Planning Document and application materials carefully before beginning a proposal.
Important Links
This opportunity is intended for schools ready to engage in meaningful, sustained work to rethink how students experience learning, demonstrate mastery, and progress toward rigorous academic expectations.
Questions about this grant can be directed to Dr. Kristi Day at Kristi.Day@dpi.nc.gov.
 Audrey Vinson Recognized as 3rd Annual ERA Recipient by NC State Board of Education
Thursday, September 3 - Audrey has been recognized for her outstanding commitment to multilingual learners, innovative instructional practices, and exceptional leadership in English language development.
“Audrey’s work consistently aligns with the highest standards of quality and relevance,” shared Emily Lewis, ESL Director for Orange County Schools.
Please join us in celebrating Audrey and her exceptional contributions to multilingual learners and English language development across North Carolina!
Join Us for Session 2 of the 2026–27 ML/Title III Webinar Series!
How Language Functions within the Content Area Classroom
Discover how language drives learning across content areas. In this interactive session, educators will examine how students use language to engage in academic tasks, demonstrate understanding, and participate meaningfully in instruction. Participants will explore the NC ELD Standard Course of Study Key Language Uses—Narrate, Inform, Explain, and Argue—and apply WIDA language features at the discourse, sentence, and word/phrase levels to identify and support the language demands of classroom instruction.
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Where Content and Language Expertise Meet
Applications are open for the 2026–27 Multilingual Learner Teacher Network (MLTN).
Great co-teaching brings together the expertise of ML and content teachers to create stronger learning opportunities for MLs. The NCDPI ML/Title III Team invites current ML–content co-teaching pairs to apply together for this statewide community of practice.
Please share this announcement with content and classroom teachers you know who have been proactive about co-teaching and collaborating for MLs. Their perspective is a significant part of what this network is built around.
Approximately 10 selected pairs will study evidence-based guidance, strengthen their collaborative practice, and develop classroom-ready resources to share with educators across North Carolina. Individual applicants are welcome and may be matched with compatible participants. Teachers of all grade levels and content areas, including general education, are encouraged to apply.
What Members Do
From November 2026 through June 2027, members will:
- Study the IES practice guide Teaching Academic Content and Literacy to English Learners in Elementary and Middle School (Baker et al., 2014) and choose an instructional focus.
- Meet regularly with their partners in a shared digital workspace, documenting progress and action items in a simple collaboration log.
- Develop, implement, and reflect on at least one instructional resource, then prepare it for statewide sharing.
Time and Support
Members attend three MLTN meetings and the Summer Conference (two in person, two virtual) and commit about one hour per week to readings, partner meetings, and resource development. There is no stipend for participation. Selected members receive sponsorship for approved costs tied to the required in-person convenings, including registration, travel, lodging, meals, and substitutes.
Why Apply?
- Collaborate with educators from across North Carolina.
- Strengthen your co-teaching practice using evidence-based strategies.
- Develop classroom-ready resources that reach teachers statewide.
- Grow as a teacher leader while improving instruction for MLs.
Meeting Dates
Accepted members should hold all four windows. Specific dates will be set once the cohort is finalized.
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Initial meeting (in person): week of November 16–20, 2026
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Second meeting (virtual): week of January 25–29, 2027
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Third meeting (virtual): week of April 19–23, 2027
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Summer Conference (in person): Summer 2027
Apply by Thursday, October 15, 2026
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The WIDA Core Learning Collection is here
The WIDA Core Learning Collection is now available through the WIDA Secure Portal. Designed to help educators move from learning to implementation, the collection brings together WIDA Self-Paced Workshops, new WIDA On-Demand Videos and educator resources in one streamlined professional learning experience.
Whether you're a classroom teacher, specialist, instructional coach or school leader, the collection offers flexible learning opportunities that fit your schedule and support multilingual learners.
What's in the Core Learning Collection?
Why WIDA professional learning?
The WIDA Core Learning Collection was created to make professional learning more accessible, practical and relevant. With learning opportunities available on demand, educators can choose content that aligns with their goals and immediately apply their learning in the classroom.
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DL/I Leaders Meetings for 2026-2027
The DL/I in NC Committee is evolving! Starting this school year, we are transforming into the DL/I Leaders Meetings—a dynamic, statewide collaborative network open to all dual language/immersion (DL/I) practitioners across North Carolina.
Participants will:
- receive policy updates and understand their direct impact on DL/I programs at the elementary, middle, and/or high school levels.
- review and access high-quality materials, research, and resources to support program implementation and long-term growth.
- collaborate, share solutions, and network with peers on the topics you need to talk about the most. Please note: this will take place during the final hour of each meeting as a virtual working lunch.
Dates & Registration
With over 300 DL/I programs driving success across North Carolina, leadership takes many forms. We have the virtual capacity to welcome at least three leaders from every single program (central office leaders, school administrators, and/or instructional leads).
Please click on the dates below to register for each meeting and receive a calendar invitation with your connection details for these Fridays from 9:00 am - 12:00 pm:
- October 30, 2026
- February 19, 2027
- June 4, 2027
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