Maurice “Mo” Green North Carolina Superintendent of Public Instruction | North Carolina Department of Public Instruction
The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI) and the State Board of Education (SBE) have launched a new strategic plan called "Achieving Educational Excellence," aiming to make North Carolina’s public schools the best in the country by 2030. The plan, which received unanimous approval from the SBE at its August meeting, is the first joint initiative between NCDPI and the board in over a decade.
State Superintendent Maurice “Mo” Green introduced the plan at two events held in Wake County public schools. Green will also host regional events throughout the fall to inform communities about the plan and encourage involvement.
The strategic plan was developed through extensive engagement across North Carolina, including Superintendent Green's "Mo Wants to Know" listening tour. It outlines eight pillars for change with specific goals and timelines, focusing on educator compensation, student achievement, mental health support, infrastructure modernization, and community engagement.
"This is a bold plan that matches North Carolina's potential to have the best public schools in the country,” said Green. "We created this strategic plan after crossing the state listening to parents, students and educators about their hopes and dreams for education. Now, with the State Board of Education's unanimous approval, I’m eager to get to work with educators, families, partners and students to make North Carolina’s public schools the best in the nation.”
Key initiatives include a $25 million investment from Golden LEAF Foundation aimed at improving mathematics instruction in rural middle schools; NC College Connect, which guarantees college admission for students who maintain a 2.8 GPA or higher; expanded mental health support; Youth Mental Health First Aid training; an annual statewide campaign encouraging reading 10 million books; and developing an endowment for two years of tuition-free postsecondary education.
Benchmarks set by the plan include reaching a 92% graduation rate, raising average ACT scores to 20, and leading national performance on National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) scores by 2030. Progress will be tracked through quarterly reports and an Excellence Report Card.
“We will achieve educational excellence — not because it’s easy, but because it is hard,” said Eric Davis, Chairman of the North Carolina SBE. " We do our best when we do hard things together, and our students deserve nothing less. And with your help, we will make that promise a reality. Now let’s go to work."
Governor Josh Stein also voiced his support: "North Carolina public schools open doors of opportunity for 1.5 million students,” said Stein. “This strategic plan sets a bold and ambitious vision for our schools to be the very best in the nation. It builds upon our successes and reimagines a system where every kid is prepared for success. It will take all of us to work together to deliver on our state’s and our students’ potential."
The eight pillars guiding this effort are: preparing each student for their next phase in life; revering public school educators; enhancing parent and community support; ensuring healthy learning environments; optimizing operational excellence; leading transformative change; celebrating educational excellence; and encouraging broad investment in public education.
Development of this strategy involved input from thousands across all counties through regional sessions, stakeholder meetings, school visits, as well as feedback from educators, parents, business leaders, and community members.
To ensure accountability during implementation NCDPI will create an Office of Strategic Planning along with a monitoring committee responsible for tracking progress annually based on data outcomes.
NCDPI serves about 1.5 million students across nearly 2,700 public schools—about 84% of school-aged children statewide—and leads nationally with almost 25,000 National Board Certified Teachers as well as innovative early college programs recognized among top performers nationwide (https://www.ncpublicschools.gov/).
Community members can view details about "Achieving Educational Excellence: 2025-2030 Strategic Plan for North Carolina Public Schools" at go.ncdpi.gov/bestinnation.
The State Board of Education sets policy on teacher pay standards course content testing requirements manages funding decisions impacting all districts throughout North Carolina.
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