The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI) has been thrust into the national spotlight for its pioneering efforts in advanced education. This recognition comes as the department partners with the newly established National Research Center on Advanced Education and celebrates a prestigious award won by one of its leaders.
In a recent State Board of Education meeting, NCDPI announced its inclusion as one of only three state agencies involved in the National Research Center on Advanced Education. This center, spearheaded by Johns Hopkins University and financed by a U.S. Department of Education grant, aims to serve as a focal point for research and policy innovation. Other collaborators include the American Institutes for Research, Texas A&M University, the University of Calgary, and the education departments of New Jersey and Nebraska.
“I’m personally excited to be continuing our work with North Carolina, one of the country’s leaders in advanced education,” declared lead researcher Jonathan Plucker. “Pairing a great research team with leaders and educators in a state that continues to push the envelope should pay great dividends for both North Carolina and the country.”
Initially, the center’s research will scrutinize automatic enrollment policies in North Carolina, while also creating toolkits for educators in New Jersey and Nebraska to recognize students who could benefit from advanced services.
A Continuum of Potential
Back in 2018, the NC General Assembly approved legislation to broaden access to advanced courses. This included the automatic enrollment of eighth graders in Math 1, a high school-level course, contingent on achieving a level five on their seventh-grade math exam. The policy also mandates that districts enroll students from grades 4-12 in advanced math courses if they achieve the necessary exam scores.
This pioneering initiative has set a national precedent, influencing other states with its straightforward yet impactful approach.
In North Carolina, this forms part of a decade-long endeavor to unlock every student’s potential and expand access to advanced learning opportunities.
“The auto-enrollment legislation has helped us in our efforts to think about the long game for students – their entire school career,” commented Sneha Shah-Coltrane, senior director of the Office of Advanced Learning and Gifted Education. “Sometimes potential is harder to recognize in the early grades because of a variety of challenges, but we have seen that if we continue providing multiple on-ramps for advanced learning opportunities throughout K-12, more students’ potential is tapped, and with school supports in place, we expand excellence.”
The office has introduced various entry points for advanced learning, leading to increased student participation over time.
For instance, in the 2024-25 academic year:
- 16% of fourth graders are identified in Academic or Intellectually Gifted (AIG) programs;
- 31% of eighth graders took Math 1 in middle school;
- 56% of 2024-25 graduates engaged in college-level coursework while in high school; and
- 62% of seniors qualified for the NC College Connect direct admissions program.
“Multiple entry points give all students a chance to participate in advanced learning,” said North Carolina Superintendent Maurice “Mo” Green. “Part of preparing students for their next phase of life is challenging them to strive for excellence, even when they don’t see excellence in themselves or when others tell them they cannot achieve it.”
Honoring an Advocate
Sneha Shah-Coltrane, who has led NCDPI’s Office of Advanced Learning and Gifted Education since 2009, recently received the David W. Belin Advocacy Award from the National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC). This award honors individuals who consistently advocate for gifted students and support advanced learning services in schools.
“Sneha Shah-Coltrane has been critical to advanced learning in North Carolina by ensuring that ZIP code and circumstances do not determine a child’s access to rigorous coursework,” stated Superintendent Green. “This national recognition reflects not just her individual excellence, but North Carolina’s commitment to expanding excellence for all students, proving that the greatest barriers to student success are not ability, but expectation and opportunity.”
During her 30-year tenure in NC public education, Shah-Coltrane has served in various roles, including elementary school teacher, gifted education specialist, and state-level administrator.
She co-directed Project U-STARS~PLUS at UNC-Chapel Hill, a research initiative that developed a framework for supporting the intellectual and emotional growth of young children who may be overlooked due to socioeconomic factors.
Shah-Coltrane has held leadership roles in numerous professional organizations, including NAGC and The Association for the Gifted.
At NCDPI, Shah-Coltrane has championed auto-enrollment in advanced math courses and worked to enhance access to Advanced Placement (AP) courses and dual enrollment. She has also been a driving force behind NC College Connect, a program that admitted over 70,000 students this fall.
Shah-Coltrane was instrumental in creating the Office of Advanced Learning and Gifted Education at NCDPI and developing North Carolina’s AIG Program Standards. Her work emphasizes equitable practices across advanced learning and gifted education.
Despite the award being in her name, Shah-Coltrane emphasizes that the recognition is a testament to North Carolina’s collective efforts.
“The synergy of our policymakers, educators, students and families has created the policies, practices and mindsets to do what is best for our students. We aim to see each child as ‘at-potential’ and cultivate and respond to their advanced learning needs,” she said. “It’s been my life’s work to advocate for those students whose potential we can see easily and also for those students whose potential has yet to be tapped. Being recognized with this award shows that N.C. is on the right path towards expanding excellence in public schools across our state.”
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