In a significant achievement for North Carolina’s education system, the state’s Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI) has been awarded the Southern Regional Education Board’s (SREB) 2026 State Leadership Award. This accolade was presented at the Making Schools Work Conference held in Nashville, Tennessee, acknowledging North Carolina’s efforts in educational advancement.
The award commends NCDPI for its dedication to professional development for educators and the implementation of strategies aimed at enhancing college and career readiness among students. The SREB State Leadership Award is a prestigious honor given to states that have successfully established structures and processes for continuous improvement, transforming educational practices, and boosting student outcomes.
“Thank you to the Southern Regional Education Board for this wonderful recognition,” expressed Maurice “Mo” Green, North Carolina Superintendent of Public Instruction. “I accept it on behalf of the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, the State Board of Education and all the public school educators across our state who show up every day to do the incredible work of educating our 1.5 million students. Our recent student results have been historic. We have the highest graduation rate in our history, the greatest participation and performance on Advanced Placement exams in our history, the most industry-recognized credentials earned in our history and the highest percentage of graduates passing a college-level course while still in high school in our history. North Carolina’s goal is to be the best state in the nation for public education. We are not there yet. But we are on our way, and we are grateful to have partners like SREB alongside us on this journey.”
Dale Winkler, SREB’s senior vice president for school improvement, noted, “North Carolina is creating opportunities for each student to achieve career and college readiness.”
The SREB highlighted North Carolina’s advancements in offering educators professional learning that is engaging, job-embedded, and sustained. Schools throughout the state have adopted the Making Schools Work key practices, fostering a culture of continuous improvement. North Carolina’s collaboration with SREB has resulted in lasting commitments to career and technical education teacher induction, enhanced mathematics instruction, and increased family engagement. The state is recognized as a regional leader in aligning curricula with college and career-ready standards.
This recognition is in harmony with NCDPI’s strategic plan for 2025-2030, titled Achieving Educational Excellence, which aims to position North Carolina’s public schools as the nation’s best by 2030.
Founded in 1948 by Southern governors and legislators, SREB is a nonprofit, nonpartisan interstate compact based in Atlanta, dedicated to advancing education and improving the social and economic conditions of the region. Governor Josh Stein serves on the SREB board ex officio.
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