Topics Related to Press Release
During a press conference today, Gov. Roy Cooper announced lifting restrictions and allowing districts and charters to return PreK – 5 students to school buildings operating under Plan A beginning Oct. 5. In June, schools were directed to develop a plan to return students to buildings following the abrupt closure to schools in March due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Digital teaching and learning in North Carolina is getting a boost from $1.2 million in grants this year to 12 school districts and charter schools to fund innovative improvement initiatives.
Teachers in North Carolina and France are already benefiting from a new partnership between the N.C. Department of Public Instruction and a French regional school district that aims to foster educational activities to support teaching and learning of the respective languages and cultures.
Three North Carolina public schools today were named National Blue Ribbon Schools for 2020 by U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos. The three schools are among 367 schools nationwide recognized this year for their overall academic performance or progress in closing achievement gaps.
"It’s great news today that we are a step closer to providing the option of in-person learning to families who want their children to return to school. While the Governor, the State Board of Education, and I have our differences, I join with them today to encourage local school board members to take advantage of this change and open all schools safely. I thank the many parents and teachers across North Carolina who have been vocal advocates on this important issue.
Reflecting a similar trend nationally, the performance of North Carolina’s high school class of 2020 on the SAT college entrance exam slipped from that of the previous year’s graduates, according to results released today by The College Board.
North Carolina’s four-year cohort high school graduation rate increased to 87.6 percent with the class of 2020, up from 86.5 percent for the 2019 graduating class. Since 2006, when North Carolina first reported a cohort graduation rate – then 68.3 percent – this critical measure of student success has improved by more than 19 percentage points.
Kisha Clemons, principal of Shuford Elementary School in the Newton-Conover City School district, was named the 2020 Wells Fargo North Carolina Principal of the Year at an awards luncheon today in Cary.
Nearly three dozen charter schools across North Carolina have been awarded five-year grants ranging from $300,000 to $900,000 by the N.C. Department of Public Instruction to attract and enroll more educationally disadvantaged students.
More than 50 school districts across North Carolina will be replacing older school buses with new, more environmentally friendly models under the state’s initial share of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s settlement with Volkswagen for unlawfully cheating on vehicle emissions.