Today the N.C. Department of Public Instruction submitted the state’s application for funding under the federal Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). On Sept. 7, the N.C. State Board of Education approved North Carolina’s state plan to implement the federal legislation, which became law in December 2015.
Press Releases
North Carolina Superintendent Mark Johnson has announced that applications for funding through the new Needs-Based Public School Capital Fund are now available. The fund - more than $100 million over the next two years - was provided by the General Assembly to assist lower-wealth counties with their critical public school building capital needs. For this year and next year, funding will be available only to Tier 1 counties. In later years, Tier 2 counties will also be eligible.
In the fourth year of the state's A-F grading system, the percentage of A or B schools (35.8 percent) continued to climb and the percentage of D and F schools (22.6 percent) fell compared to the 2015-16 school year, according to school accountability data released today to the State Board of Education. In addition, the state's four-year high school cohort graduation rate continued its upward trend, moving to 86.5 percent from the 85.9 percent figure from the 2015-16 school year. North Carolina's public schools have set a record graduation rate for a 12th consecutive year.
Eric Hall, the superintendent of the newly created North Carolina Innovative School District (NCISD), today announced the schools that qualify for consideration for this new statewide intervention model for low-performing schools. A list of the schools that qualify can be found here. The NCISD will now begin the task of selecting the first schools to participate, beginning in the 2018-19 school year. There are 48 qualifying schools on the list for consideration from across 21 school districts in North Carolina. Launched in 2017, NCISD is focused on improving student and school outcomes in low-performing schools by creating a collaborative and accountable partnership with school districts and local communities.
The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI) today announced the 2017-18 United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) policy for free and reduced-price meals for children enrolled in North Carolina schools. The USDA’s school meals programs help ensure all students have access to wholesome, nutritious, appealing meals at school.
North Carolina Superintendent Mark Johnson announced Wednesday that the Department of Public Instruction is now accepting grant applications for the new $400,000 Coding and Mobile App Development competitive grant program. The program will fund up to $40,000 per school to develop industry partnerships to design and implement computer science, coding, and mobile app development programs for middle school and high school students.
The North Carolina State Board of Education is pleased to announce the selection of Drew Elliot as the director of Communication and Information Services for the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction.
The superintendent of North Carolina’s new statewide school district created to include some of the state’s lowest-performing schools outlined to the State Board of Education today the broad framework of the initiative, which is aimed at turning around a number of the state’s chronically struggling schools.
Three students from Green Hope High School in Wake County took top honors at the 2017 Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) U.S. National Championship recently held in Orlando, Fla. The competition, sponsored by Certiport, included more than 320,000 total entrants and 124 finalists.
North Carolina public school students who rely on federally-funded School Nutrition Programs during the school year can now “Meet Up to Eat Up” thanks to the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI) School Nutrition Services’ Summer Nutrition Programs.
School nutrition managers from across the state have the opportunity to participate in regional K-12 Culinary Institute workshops this summer. The institute, designed to increase the availability of fresh, appealing, nutritious meals at school, is funded in part by a training grant the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI) School Nutrition Services received from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Students from Johnston County Schools and McDowell County Schools received top honors in the North Carolina Summer Nutrition Programs Artwork contest. The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI) School Nutrition Services staff invited students to design artwork to help increase the visibility of its Summer Nutrition Programs.
Buncombe County Schools, Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools, Rockingham County Schools and the YMCA of Western North Carolina are among the first summer nutrition program sponsors nationwide to receive the Turnip the Beet awards. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) sponsors the award to recognize outstanding summer nutrition program sponsors that work hard to offer high quality meals that are appetizing, appealing and nutritious.
NC Superintendent Mark Johnson will visit C.C. Spaulding Elementary School on Thursday, June 8, at 10 a.m., to help students select books for summer reading as part of Book Harvest’s Books on Break program. C. C. Spaulding is located at 1531 S. Roxboro Street, Durham.
NC Superintendent Mark Johnson will participate in a special literacy support event hosted by Reach Out and Read and the Wake County Child Health Clinic on Tuesday, June 6, at 2:30 p.m. The event will be held at the Wake County Child Health Clinic, 10 Sunnybrook Road, Raleigh.
Twenty-nine of the state’s best school bus drivers spent last Thursday navigating a big yellow school bus through an obstacle course that tested their skills in mastering a diminishing clearance, backing, making a tight turn and parallel parking. When all was said and done, Hertford County school bus driver Eric Turner was named the best of the best winning the state’s annual School Bus ROADeo held at the NC State Fairgrounds in Raleigh.
The principal of an elementary school in one of the state's smallest counties was named Wells Fargo North Carolina Principal of the Year for 2017 during an awards luncheon today in Cary. Winning the title of the state's top school administrator is Jason Griffin, principal of Hertford Grammar School in Perquimans County, near Elizabeth City in the northeastern corner of the state.
NC Superintendent Mark Johnson marked National Teacher Appreciation Week (May 8-12) and National Teacher Day (May 9) by posting a video message to teachers across North Carolina public schools and public charter schools.
The State Board of Education has hired Cecilia Holden as its new director of Legislative Affairs. She began work with the Board and Department of Public Instruction last week.
The State Board of Education will hold a special Every Student Succeeds Act planning and work session on Tuesday, May 2, with approximately 20 local school superintendents to ensure that the local district perspective is incorporated into North Carolina’s state accountability plan and to hear other concerns and ideas from schools and districts.