Office of Teaching and Learning
The primary purpose of the Office of Teaching and Learning is to serve as the authoritative source for the review, revision, and support for the implementation of state content standards in the North Carolina Standard Course of Study. The Office of Teaching and Learning additionally supports multiple legislative and grant-related programs, initiatives, and reporting requirements. Please visit the webpages on the side-rail as well as the links below to access information, materials, and resources across areas and programs.
All About the Office of Teaching and Learning
All About the OTL is designed to outline the roles and functions of the Office of Teaching and Learning at NCDPI through a series of one-pagers, emphasizing our efforts in supporting student academic standards, grants, and other initiatives. This document details our office's organizational structure, key programs and initiatives, and student academic standards, as well as the resources provided to enhance instruction and promote student success. For questions, please contact Dr. Kristi Day at kristi.day@dpi.nc.gov.
External Implementation Guide (EIG)
To view resources for supporting administrators, educators, and parents during the implementation of the current Standard Course of Study for each content area, view the External Implementation Guide (EIG).
24-25 Office of Teaching and Learning Statewide Supports
North Carolina Standard Course of Study (SCOS) Internal Procedures Manual
In April 2023, the State Board of Education approved the updated internal procedures' manual for reviewing, revising, and implementing content standards.
The purpose of this manual is to provide explanation of and guidance on:
- the process to be followed when developing or revising a section of the North Carolina Standard Course of Study (NCSCOS),
- the topics, categories, and minimum supporting materials to be included in the contents of a standard course of study, and
- the considerations that must be made as standards are being reviewed/revised/implemented.
The manual is designed to assist with the task of revising or developing a content area of the NCSCOS. It is not intended to guide the development and/or revision of local curriculum guides or other curriculum support documents.
Download the manual at the bottom of the page.
Standards Review and Revision Updates
Draft 3 Survey Closes October 1, 2025
State Board of Education policy specifies that the NC Department of Public Instruction will formally collect feedback on the draft revised standards from educators, administrators, parents, students, institutions of higher education, business/industry representatives, and other education agencies.
The purpose of the Draft 3 Standard-by-Standard Survey (K-2, 3-5, 6-8, and 9-12) is to obtain input from educators and stakeholders familiar with the English Language Arts (ELA) Standard Course of Study in order to inform further revision decisions. As such, the ELA team requests your thoughtful input and comments on the draft revised academic standards for ELA to inform the revision process.
To support completion of the standard-by-standard survey, view this previous listserv regarding the ELA Standards Timeline. This listserv explains key reasons for the delay in the revision timeline for the Proposed 2025 ELA Standard Course of Study. The Survey Companion Document provides context for revisions made to Drafts 1-3 of the Proposed 2025 ELA SCOS.
- Draft 3 of the Proposed ELA Standard Course of Study
- Draft 3 Survey Companion Document
- K-2 Survey
- 3-5 Survey
- 6-8 Survey
- 9-12 Survey
We remain deeply committed to maintaining clear, transparent, and ongoing communication throughout this process, and to providing the support needed to ensure a smooth and successful transition for all educators and school communities.
Thank you for your continued dedication and partnership.
To stay updated on ELA Standards revision, please subscribe to our listserv.
In March 2024, the Office of Teaching and Learning announced the kickoff of the review phase for the K-12 Mathematics Standards. This process is guided by State Board policy as outlined in the Internal Standards Manual. The review phase involved research, data collection, and analysis. During the summer and fall of 2025, the K-12 Math team prepared and distributed various surveys, conducted focus groups and interviews, gathered research from other states, as well as national and international standards, and reviewed current legislation and policies.
The K-12 Math team is excited to announce that during the meeting, the Board voted to begin the revision process for the NC K-12 Math Standards. One of the first steps was establishing a Standards Writing Team(SWT), tasked with revising the current K-12 Math standards based on research and recommendations from the Data Review Committee (DRC), which were compiled from feedback collected during the review phase. Working in grade-level/content area groups, the SWT will consider possible revisions to K-12 Math when and where applicable.
Over 1,200 applications to participate in the SWT were submitted. We want to thank all of the applicants! The high number of candidates reflects the enthusiasm and passion in North Carolina for supporting math education. A working group was finalized in July 2026, representing all 8 State Board of Education regions, consisting of math educators who serve as classroom teachers, school leaders, district leaders, and educators from both NC Community Colleges and UNC System schools.
The K-12 Math Standards Writing Team began reviewing the recommendations from the Data Review Committee last month with the goal of releasing a first draft of possible K-12 Math Standards revisions later this Fall.
Please contact Dr. Charles Aiken (charles.aiken@dpi.nc.gov), Section Chief for Math, Science, and STEM, with any questions.