In a significant step towards transparency and accountability, the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI) has launched an online dashboard to track the progress of its strategic plan, Achieving Educational Excellence. This initiative marks the first anniversary of the plan, which aims to elevate the state’s public schools to the top by 2030.
The dashboard offers a comprehensive view of the plan’s eight pillars and the 110 actions that are in motion. It allows educators, families, and community members to monitor the state’s commitments and achievements, providing a transparent look at how North Carolina is striving to enhance its educational system.
In conjunction with the dashboard’s unveiling, NCDPI showcased the enthusiastic participation of North Carolinians in the strategic plan’s first year. Nearly 2,000 parents vied for 20 positions on the new Parent Advisory Council, while about 400 educators and community leaders sought seats on the Innovation Leadership Council. Over 6,000 individuals joined the NC Education Champions Network, and numerous school districts began developing local strategies inspired by the state’s model.
North Carolina Superintendent of Public Instruction Maurice “Mo” Green stated, “A year ago, we made a promise to the students, families and educators of this state: that we would hold ourselves accountable, in the open, for building the best public school system in America. This dashboard is one way we are satisfying that promise. It shows what we said we would do, what we have done and what comes next. It also serves as an invitation for every North Carolinian to celebrate the successes of our public schools and to support us as needed.”
A Year of Historic Results
Following the plan’s inception, North Carolina public schools celebrated four unprecedented achievements:
- An impressive 87.7% graduation rate within four years
- 72.1% of Advanced Placement exams achieved scores qualifying for college credit, exceeding the national average
- 382,964 industry-recognized credentials awarded to Career and Technical Education students
- 54% of graduates completed at least one college-level course during high school
A Year of Action
Since the strategic plan’s launch in August 2025, NCDPI and its collaborators have moved several initiatives from planning to execution:
- Over 23,000 high school seniors accepted direct admission offers from state colleges through NC College Connect
- Collaboration with the Golden LEAF Foundation to enhance math instruction in rural middle schools
- Introduction of a statewide Parent Advisory Council to incorporate family and community perspectives in decision-making
- Implementation of new guidelines on the use of wireless devices in schools to maintain focused learning environments
- Development and dissemination of effective practices to reduce chronic absenteeism and improve attendance
- Successful transition to the Infinite Campus student information system statewide, minimizing disruptions
- Formation of the Innovation Leadership Council to pilot and expand promising educational practices
- Creation of task forces by the State Board to revamp school accountability and modernize teacher licensure
- Expansion of the NC Education Champions Network, enlisting parents, business leaders, and community members to advocate for public education
- Preparation for the 10 Million Book Challenge, encouraging students across North Carolina to collectively read 10 million books
Green emphasized, “These are not just checkmarks on a plan. These actions represent the intensive work done by many educators, community members and students. The story of the first year of the strategic plan that people chose to go further, together. Our job over the next four years is to keep building on this momentum, and to keep showing our work while we do it.”
The dashboard will be continuously updated as new strategic actions are initiated and fresh data becomes available. NCDPI invites all stakeholders to explore the dashboard and follow the plan’s progress.
About Achieving Educational Excellence
Achieving Educational Excellence: 2025-2030 is the collaborative strategic plan of the North Carolina State Board of Education and the North Carolina Superintendent of Public Instruction. It is structured around eight key pillars to ensure North Carolina’s public schools become the best in the nation by 2030. View the full Strategic Plan.
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