Number 10

It's Arts in Education Week!

NCDPI celebrated Arts in Education Week with performances by two outstanding North Carolina high school marching bands on the Halifax Mall lawn!

Grimsley Senior High School (Guilford County Schools), the 2025-26 High School OT Marching Band of the Year, showcased a program grounded in musical excellence, community and discipline. Scotland High School (Scotland County Schools), whose band tradition dates to the 1950s, proudly celebrated its Scottish heritage and history of performing at prominent parades and competitions nationwide.

Watch recordings of the performances on the NCDPI YouTube channel.

Superintendent Green also shared a special message celebrating Arts in Our Schools Week and the important role of arts education in North Carolina’s public schools. Watch Superintendent Green's video message here. 

Number 9

United States Senate Youth Program (USSYP) Accepting Applications

The United States Senate Youth Program (USSYP) gives high school juniors and seniors interested in studying history or political science an opportunity to spend a week in Washington, D.C. meeting legislators, cabinet members, Supreme Court justices and officials from federal agencies and the White House.

The program will select two North Carolina students as delegates. Each delegate will receive a $12,500 scholarship and attend a week-long educational program in Washington, D.C. from March 6-13.

Learn more about the program, including eligibility information, and find the application here. The deadline to apply is Oct. 4.

Number 8

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.

Number 7

ABC11: "NC Educators Navigate AI's Role in Education While They Ensure Students Develop Critical Thinking"

"As students return to the classrooms in North Carolina, how they learn is rapidly changing.

State leaders, teachers and schools are increasingly exploring how AI can support learning while ensuring students continue to develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills.

'We're thinking about what could best practice look like in the classroom,' said Meredith Ward Hill, the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction's emerging technologies consultant.

North Carolina was among the first states in the nation to release AI guidance for schools in 2024. The recommendations serve as a resource for local districts as they develop their own policies and classroom practices.

'We really want to develop AI awareness starting in elementary school, moving to AI literacy in middle school,' Ward Hill said. 'And then the ultimate goal is AI fluency in high school.'"

Read the full article and watch the accompanying news video clip here.

Number 6

Bright Spot Schools Are Improving Student Attendance - Presentation State Board of Education

September is Attendance Awareness Month! As part of an Attendance Bright Spots presentation to the State Board of Education during its September meeting, three principals: Torry Hines, Washington County High School (Washington County Schools NC); Elena Riddick, Hertford County Middle School (Hertford County Public Schools); and Taimak Willis, Northwest Elementary (Pitt County Schools) shared how their schools are reducing chronic absenteeism by building relationships, identifying concerns early and responding to the needs of students and families.

Watch the full presentation to the State Board of Education here.

Number 5

NCSSA: "North Carolina School Superintendents’ Association (NCSSA) Announces the Selection of Dr. Rob Jackson as Assistant Executive Director"

"The North Carolina School Superintendents’ Association (NCSSA) is proud to announce the selection of Dr. Rob Jackson as the Assistant Executive Director. In this new role in the organization, the Assistant Executive Director will be working in the areas of Policy, Advocacy, and Leadership Support; Professional Development, Coaching, and Program Leadership; Corporate Partnerships, Grants, and Resource Development; and Communications and Member Engagement.

Dr. Rob Jackson is a native North Carolinian and a proud Public School Graduate. He served for twelve years as a School Superintendent in three North Carolina School Systems, Edenton-Chowan, Carteret County, and Buncombe County.

During his 34-year career in education, Dr. Jackson has served as a School Secretary, Bus Driver, Summer Custodian, After-School Associate, Teacher, Assistant Principal, Elementary School Principal, High School Principal, Chief Communications Officer, and Superintendent of a small, medium, and large school system. Dr. Jackson also served in the US Navy onboard the USS Iwo Jima."

Read the full press release here. 

Number 4

EdNC: "Rural Health Transformation Program Announces $1.25 Million to Expand School-Based Health Centers"

"Gov. Josh Stein and the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) announced $1.25 million in federal funding on Monday toward the expansion of preventive and acute healthcare, nutrition supports, and behavioral health needs addressed by school-based health centers.

'This investment will bring critical health care directly to students in rural North Carolina,' said Stein. 'For many young people struggling with their mental health, having these resources at school can make all the difference.'

According to the press release, when mental health services are available at schools, nearly 20% of public school students use those services. Approximately 30,000 children and youth receive healthcare from about 90 school-based health centers in North Carolina."

Five organizations will receive the funding: the Appalachian District Health Department, Blue Ridge Community Health Services, First Health of the Carolinas, Mountain Community Health Partnership, and Wilson County Health Department.

To be eligible, applicants had to have an active grant agreement with NCDHHS’ Department of Child and Family Well-being, provide a school-based health center program, and serve areas with limited access to local behavioral or physical health providers."

Read the full article here. 

Number 3

Needs-Based Public School Capital Fund (NBPSCF) FY26-27 Grant Applications Open, Office Hours Hosted through September

The application period for the FY26-27 Needs-Based Public School Capital Fund (NBPSCF) is now open. The deadline for submitting applications and supporting materials is Oct. 2.

NCDPI's Office of School Facilities has scheduled online Q&A Office Hours to answer questions from districts and counties that are considering a NBPSCF Grant Application in the current grant cycle.

These live Q&A sessions will be held at 11 a.m. on Sept. 18, 21, 23, 25 and 28. Register for Office Hours here. 

Program guidance and application materials are available on the Capital Funding page of the School Planning website. Questions about the NBPSCF Grant program should be directed to SchoolPlanning-NBPSCF@dpi.nc.gov.

Number 2

College is Within Reach for Every Senior Graduating from North Carolina Public Schools

"NC College Connect is changing the trajectory of North Carolina public school students' lives. Beginning today, every North Carolina public school senior on track to graduate with a diploma will receive direct admission to one or more of the more than 90 North Carolina colleges and universities participating in NC College Connect. That is 105,036 seniors, every one of them, with at least one college seat already waiting in fall 2027.

Sixty-four percent of those seniors, 67,607 students, are also admitted today to at least 30 four-year colleges and universities, in addition to their local community college, with no application, essay, test score or recommendation letter required. Students with the strongest academic records will open a letter listing as many as 41 schools where they already have a seat. The remaining 36 percent, 37,429 students, are directly admitted to their local community college, a clear signal that college is within reach for every graduate.

Last year, in the program's second year, 62 percent of seniors were eligible, and more than 70,000 received offers. This year, every senior on track to graduate is eligible, and more than 95 percent of all current 12th graders in North Carolina public schools are receiving an offer."

Read the full press release here. 

Number 1

NCDPI Awarded Nearly $4 Million to Help Students Show the Skills That Matter After Graduation

"Thousands more North Carolina students will soon be able to show colleges, employers and the military not just what they scored on standardized tests, but the personal and collaborative skills they bring to these settings. The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI) has been awarded nearly $4 million from the U.S. Department of Education to expand Skills for the Future, a statewide initiative that helps students demonstrate durable skills like critical thinking, collaboration and communication through real classroom work.

The $3,990,756 Competitive Grants for State Assessments award, one of only four funded nationally in this year's competition, will support Skills for the Future 2.0: Creating Connections over three years, from October 2026 through September 2029. The U.S. Department of Education notified NCDPI of its selection in September, citing the department's 'thoughtful approach,' while federal peer-reviewers praised the project's design, professional learning strategy and sustainability plan. It is North Carolina's fourth award under this program since 2013, with the two most recent awards supporting Skills for the Future and bringing the state’s combined federal investment in the initiative to nearly $8 million."

Read the full press release here.