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.
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Four Additional North Carolina Schools Selected to Expand $25 Million Golden LEAF Schools Initiative
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.
Nine public school leaders from across the state have been recognized as regional Principals of the Year.
The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI) has been awarded more than $11 million in federal funding to strengthen school-based mental health services, following a recent announcement from the U.S. Department of Education. The two grants received will support school psychology training, recruitment and retention efforts, with a focus on high-need and rural school districts.
More than 23,000 public high school seniors have accepted direct admission offers from North Carolina colleges and universities through the NC College Connect program.
North Carolina Career and Technical Education (CTE) students earned a record 382,964 industry-recognized credentials during the 2024-2025 academic year, the highest total in state history, according to a report released today by the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI).
Demonstrating strong levels of safety, North Carolina public school units (PSUs) reported that nearly 80% of schools had five or fewer acts of reportable criminal offenses (reportable offenses), with 44% of schools having zero such acts, in the 2024-25 academic year.
With 229 magnet programs, 138 early college high schools, 211 charter schools and more than 500 career and technical education courses in 14 career pathways, North Carolina's public school system offers families an unprecedented range of educational choices.
Since 2013, the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI) has been proud to partner with the Burroughs Wellcome Fund to honor North Carolina teachers. The state has recognized outstanding teachers through its Teacher of the Year program since 1970.
The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI) is seeking schools and fiscally responsible community organizations to serve as sponsors for NC Summer Nutrition Programs in 2026 to help ensure children who have limited access to food at home get the educational enrichment and nutritious meals they need for optimal growth, development and overall well-being.
The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI) today announced $197,929 in grants to 10 public school districts to expand Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs in homebuilding and residential construction.
The North Carolina State Board of Education (SBE) and North Carolina Superintendent of Public Instruction Maurice “Mo” Green today announced the upcoming retirement of Allison Schafer, general counsel to both the Board and the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI).
The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI) is gaining national recognition for its advanced learning efforts, both as a partner in the new National Research Center on Advanced Education and through a national award honoring one of its leaders
Under the guise of a schoolwide assembly at Pittsboro Elementary School, fourth grade teacher Shane Henderson was surprised with being named as the newest Milken Educator Award recipient on Wednesday morning.