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.
Press Releases
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.
Test Results for All Race and Ethnicity Subgroups Reach Three-Year Highs
New online tool tracks progress on the state's five-year strategic plan, as thousands of families, educators and community members sign up to help build the best public schools in the nation.
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.
School nutrition professionals from across North Carolina have the opportunity to participate in regional NC K-12 Culinary Institute workshops this summer.
NCDPI recognized for high-quality educator professional learning and college and career readiness
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced the 2026-2027 federal income eligibility guidelines for free and reduced-price meals for children enrolled in North Carolina’s schools. The federally-assisted School Nutrition Programs help ensure all students have access to wholesome, nutritious, appealing meals at school.
A joint announcement from the North Carolina Community College System and the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction.
The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction today announced the launch of the North Carolina Superintendent’s Parent Advisory Council, a new statewide initiative designed to strengthen meaningful family engagement in public education and support implementation of the state’s Strategic Plan.
More than 850,000 North Carolina students rely on the nutritious meals and snacks served during the school year through the School Breakfast, School Lunch and Afterschool Snack Programs.
Dr. Mariah Walker, principal of Wake Young Women's Leadership Academy (WYWLA), is the 2026 Wells Fargo Principal of the Year.
Four Additional North Carolina Schools Selected to Expand $25 Million Golden LEAF Schools Initiative
Four additional North Carolina middle schools have been selected to join the Personalized, Competency-Based Education (PCBE) Cohort of the Golden LEAF Schools Initiative, expanding the number of schools in the five-year, $25 million initiative made possible by funding from the Golden LEAF Foundation.
North Carolina has long been home to a large population of active duty, guard, reserve and veteran armed service members. In recognition of the state’s rich military history, the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI) is pleased to recognize hundreds of schools as part of its Purple Star Award Designation initiative which first launched in the 2019-20 school year.
Cason Justice, a history teacher at Swansboro High School, was named the 2026 Burroughs Wellcome Fund North Carolina Teacher of the Year. The announcement was made today at an awards luncheon honoring Justice and eight other regional finalists at the Umstead Hotel in Cary.
Jason Johnson, Orange High School principal and the 2025 Wells Fargo North Carolina Principal of the Year, was named the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) 2026 National High School Principal of the Year. He received the recognition at the National Education Leadership Awards (NELA) in Washington, D.C. on April 17.
Last week, the State Board of Education approved the Instructional Innovation Grant which will benefit North Carolina public schools’ Digital Learning Initiative (DLI). This competitive grant opportunity is designed to support North Carolina Public School Units (PSUs) in advancing innovative digital teaching and learning through high quality professional learning and purposeful instructional technology integration.
Historic percentages of North Carolina public school students are enrolling and succeeding in college-level courses while still in high school, according to new data presented to the State Board of Education today.
Report shows strong principal retention, teacher attrition rates hold steady for 2024-25 school year
The latest data on employment trends for North Carolina public school educators, presented today to the North Carolina State Board of Education (SBE), show strong principal retention and teacher attrition increased less than a quarter of a percentage point for 2024-25 over the previous year.
While five high school finalist teams competed in the annual North Carolina Jr. Chef cook-off this month to create unique school lunch entrée recipes, the “Gold Standard” team from CHASE High School (Rutherford County Schools) won first place in the 2026 NC Jr. Chef Competition. Their “Egg Roll in a Bowl” recipe won top honors in the competition and a silver medal.