Press Releases

As the science of reading reaches full implementation in North Carolina, new data presented to the State Board of Education today shows that K-3 students are making significant progress in being on track and narrowing the racial achievement gap when it comes to literacy.

The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI) has been awarded a nearly $4 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education to pilot the Skills for the Future (SFF) project in North Carolina.

A total of $800,000 in grants has been awarded to 18 North Carolina school districts to help develop student skills in computer science through coding.

Seven school districts will share more than $360 million in new state lottery-funded grant awards for school construction, renovation projects and other capital improvements. Among the projects funded by the grants are plans to consolidate schools into one campus, increasing access to career and technical education and modernizing facilities for students, faculty and the surrounding community.

In the 2024-25 school year, 212 schools across North Carolina are participating in the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program (FFVP). Every North Carolina school that applied was selected and approved by the State Board of Education to participate.

North Carolina high school students in 2023-24 participated and performed in college-level Advanced Placement (AP) courses at record-setting levels – reaching the highest participation and final scores in the 10-year partnership between the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI) and the College Board, which administers the AP program and exams.

Five North Carolina public schools and one private school were named National Blue Ribbon Schools for 2024 by U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona. The schools are among 356 schools nationwide recognized this year for their overall academic performance or progress in closing achievement gaps.

North Carolina students continue to see gains in most grades and subjects, according to the 2023-24 state test results presented to the State Board of Education today. Schools also showed progress on accountability measures.

The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction today announced the 2024-2025 United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) policy for free and reduced-price meals for children enrolled in North Carolina’s schools.

For the third year in a row, North Carolina’s kindergarten through third grade students outperformed the national average on end-of-year literacy assessments, according to data presented to the State Board of Education today

The Center for Safer Schools (CFSS) will hold its annual RISE Back to School Safety Summit from July 29-Aug. 2, 2024, at Union Station Conference Center at Cape Fear Community College in Wilmington, N.C.

Durable skills included in the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction’s Portrait of a Graduate are essential to every occupation in the state, and jobseekers need these skills to meet employer demand, according to a new analysis from the North Carolina Department of Commerce’s Labor and Economic Analysis Division (LEAD).

As the drone industry continues its rapid expansion, a new program is creating exciting career prospects for North Carolina’s high school students in the Uncrewed Ariel Systems (UAS) field, thanks to a partnership between the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI) and Zipline, the world’s largest autonomous delivery service.

School nutrition managers from across North Carolina have the opportunity to participate in regional N.C. K-12 Culinary Institute workshops this summer.

The State Board of Education approved 11 grant proposals for 10 public school units today that will fund effective digital learning practices in North Carolina’s K-12 public schools.

North Carolina students’ mental health is improving as they become more physically active, according to the results of the 2023 NC Youth Risk Behavior Surveys (YRBS) presented to the State Board of Education today.

Over 44,000 North Carolina educators are now practitioners in the science of reading as the third, and final, cohort of educators completed professional development as of this month, June 2024.

More than 900,000 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.

Beckie Spears, principal of Wilkesboro Elementary School, was named the 2024 Wells Fargo North Carolina Principal of the Year today at a ceremony at the Umstead Hotel honoring nine finalists from across the state.

Students from Durham Public Schools’ Northern High School won the 2024 Southeast Jr. Chef Competition with their Crispy Taquitos with Chipotle Sauce recipe.