Recognized NC STEM Schools of Distinction

In the school year 2014-15, eleven schools in North Carolina were the first to be honored before the North Carolina State Board of Education for their exemplary leadership and instruction in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education.  The STEM Recognition Program and application process was developed in partnership with representatives from NCDPI, North Carolina schools, business and industry, post-secondary institutions, and STEM-related experts leading a review team, as a way to identify and recognize outstanding STEM schools and STEM programs; which has been established as one of the country's most rigorous programs to commemorate educational excellence.

These recognized schools represent the very best in STEM education in North Carolina which exemplify outstanding leadership and learning and empower keen creative thinking, reasoning, and teamwork: the underpinnings of 21st-century skills; in addition to implementing the essential STEM Attributes needed to be successful in today's society. 

Schools receiving this honor undergo a rigorous application process that requires: detailed responses demonstrating STEM implementation covering the Key Elements that define the quality characteristics rooted within the Five Overarching Principles; including strategic class documents and video evidence, a self-assessment of their school aligning to the STEM Schools Progress rubric and identification of educational excellence. These criteria, along with a panel of reviewers' consensus that evidence presented represented the highest levels of attainment and a site visit; led to the designations.

Return to STEM Schools of Distinction Webpage

*use (+) to expand selection to include year of recognition and present status 

Type Name County District Distinction Recognized Status
High Brunswick County Early College High School Brunswick County Southeast Region, District 2 Prepared 2014-2015* Inactive
High Nesbitt Discovery Academy Buncombe County Western Region, District 8 Prepared 2015-2016 Active
Elementary Coltrane-Webb STEM Elementary School Cabarrus County Southwest Region, District 6 Model 2015-2016 Active
Elementary Patriot STEM Elementary School Cabarrus County Southwest Region, District 6 Model 2015-2016 Active
Middle JN Fries Magnet Middle School Cabarrus County Southwest Region, District 6 Prepared 2014-2015* Active
High Central Cabarrus High School STEM Magnet Program Cabarrus County Southwest Region, District 6 Model 2015-2016 Active
High Yadkin Valley Regional Career Academy Davidson County Piedmont Triad Region, District 5 Model 2017-2018 Active
High James Kenan High School Duplin County Southeast Region, District 2 Prepared 2015-2016* Inactive
High NC School of Science and Mathematics Durham County North Central Region, District 3 Model 2015-2016 Active
Middle Hanes Magnet Middle School Winston-Salem/ Forsyth Schools Piedmont Triad Region, District 5 Prepared 2014-2015* Active
High Greene Central High School Greene County Southeast Region, District 2 Model 2014-2015* Active
Middle Greene County Middle School Greene County Southeast Region, District 2 Model 2017-2018 Active
High STEM Early College NC A&T Guilford County Piedmont Triad Region, District 5 Prepared 2014-2015* Active
Elementary Hendersonville Elementary Henderson County Western Region, District 8 Prepared 2016-2017 Active
K-8 Contentnea-Savannah K-8 School Lenoir County Southeast Region, District 2 Prepared 2014-2015* Active
Middle Riverside Middle School Martin County Northeast Region, District 1 Prepared 2015-2016* Inactive
Middle J Sam Gentry Middle School Surry County Piedmont Triad Region, District 5 Prepared 2014-2015* Inactive
Middle Meadowview Magnet Middle School Surry County Piedmont Triad Region, District 5 Prepared 2017-2018 Active
Elementary Weatherstone Elementary Wake County North Central Region, District 3 Model 2016-2017 Active
Elementary York Elementary School Wake County North Central Region, District 3 Prepared 2015-2016 Active
Elementary Brentwood Magnet Elementary School of Engineering Wake County North Central Region, District 3 Model 2015-2016* Active
Middle East Cary Middle School Wake County North Central Region, District 3 Prepared 2015-2016* Inactive
Middle Exploris Charter Middle School Wake County North Central Region, District 3 Model 2014-2015* Inactive
K-8 Hilburn Academy Wake County North Central Region, District 3 Model 2016-2017 Active
High Wake STEM Early College High School Wake County North Central Region, District 3 Model 2015-2016* Active
High Wayne School of Engineering at Goldsboro High School Wayne County Southeast Region, District 2 Prepared 2014-2015* Active
K-8 Envision Science Academy Wake County North Central Region, District 3 Model 2019-2020 Active
Middle Elkin Middle School Elkin City Schools Piedmont Triad Region, District 5 Prepared 2014-2015* Inactive
High Atkins Academic & Technology High School Winston-Salem/ Forsyth Schools Piedmont Triad Region, District 5 Model 2014-2015* Active
High Davie County High STEM Center Davie County Piedmont Triad Region, District 5 Prepared 2015-2016 Active
K-8 *Private (Religious) Blessed Sacrament School Diocese of Raleigh Independent School Unit Model 2014-2015* Inactive
Elementary Lakeshore Elementary School Iredell-Statesville Schools Southwest Region, District 6 Prepared 2020-2021 Active
Elementary Hawk's Nest STEAM Academy Gaston County Southwest Region, District 6 Model 2020-2021 Active
Elementary Beverly Hills STEM Elementary School Cabarrus County Southwest Region, District 6 Model 2021-2022 Active
K-8 Oakboro Choice STEM School Stanly County Southwest Region, District 6 Prepared 2021-2022 Active
K-1 Snow Hill Primary School Greene County Southeast Region, District 2 Prepared 2021-2022 Active
Elementary C.T. Overton Elementary School Rowan-Salisbury School System Southwest Region, District 6 Prepared 2022-2023 Active
Elementary Eastern Elementary School Pitt County Northeast Region, District 1 Prepared 2022-2023 Active
Elementary R. Brown McAllister Elementary School Cabarrus County Southwest Region, District 6 Model 2022-2023 Active
Middle Foothills Community School McDowell County Northwest Region, District 7 Model 2022-2023 Active
Middle Wellcome Middle School Pitt County Northeast Region, District 1 Prepared 2022-2023 Active
Elementary A.B. Combs Magnet Elementary School Wake County North Central Region, District 3 Prepared 2023-2024 Active
High Innovation Early College High School Pitt County Northeast Region, District 1 Prepared 2023-2024 Active
Middle Northwest Cabarrus Middle School Cabarrus County Southwest Region, District 6 Prepared 2023-2024 Active
Middle Reedy Creek Magnet Middle School Center for the Digital Sciences Wake County North Central Region, District 3 Prepared 2023-2024 Active
High Southeast Raleigh Magnet High School Program of Distinction Wake County North Central Region, District 3 Prepared 2023-2024 Active
High Vernon Malone College and Career Academy Wake County North Central Region, District 3 Prepared 2023-2024 Active

This page was last modified on 03/27/2024