K-12 Innovation and Transformation Act.

GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
SESSION 2025
S 2
SENATE BILL 1006
Education/Higher Education Committee Substitute Adopted 6/3/26

Short Title: K-12 Innovation and Transformation Act. (Public)
Sponsors:
Referred to:
May 4, 2026
*S1006-v-2*
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1
AN ACT TO APPROPRIAT E FUNDS TO SUPPORT E LEMENTARY AND SECONDARY 2
PUBLIC EDUCATION, TO MAKE VARIOUS CHANGES TO THE LAWS AFFECTING 3
ELEMENTARY AND SECON DARY PUBLIC EDUCATIO N, AND TO ENACT 4
PROVISIONS TO TRANSFORM THE HIGH SCHOOL EXPERIENCE. 5
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts: 6
7
PART I. ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY PUBLIC EDUCATION 8
9
NORTH CAROLINA HIGH SCHOOL REDESIGN COMMISSION 10
SECTION 1.1.(a) Commission Established. – There is established the North 11
Carolina High School Redesign Commission (Commission). The Commission shall be located 12
administratively in the Department of Public Instruction but shall exercise all of its prescribed 13
powers indep endently of the Department. The purpose of the Commission is to explore and 14
recommend changes to policies and systems governing high school and higher education that 15
will better prepare North Carolina students for success as they transition to higher educa tion or 16
the workforce. 17
SECTION 1.1.(b) Commission Membership. – The Commission shall consist of 15 18
members as follows: 19
(1) Two members appointed by the General Assembly upon recommendation of 20
the Speaker of the House of Representatives. 21
(2) Two members appointed by the General Assembly upon recommendation of 22
the President Pro Tempore of the Senate. 23
(3) One member appointed by the Governor. 24
(4) The State Superintendent of Public Instruction or his or her designee. 25
(5) The President of The University of North Carolina or his or her designee. 26
(6) The President of North Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities or his 27
or her designee. 28
(7) The President of the North Carolina Community College System or his or her 29
designee. 30
(8) The chief executive officers o f each of the following organizations, or their 31
designees: MyFutureNC, the North Carolina Chamber of Commerce, BEST 32
NC, and SparkNC. 33
(9) One chief administrative officer or president of a community college 34
participating in a program, project, or initiative developed pursuant to this act 35
and one superintendent of a local school administrative unit participating in a 36
General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
Page 2 Senate Bill 1006-Second Edition
program, project, or initiative developed pursuant to this act or their respective 1
designees. These members shall be appointed by the chair of the Commission 2
elected pursuant to subsection (c) of this section. 3
SECTION 1.1.(c) The Commission shall elect a chair from the members appointed 4
by the General Assembly. Each member shall have one vote for the chair, except those members 5
to be appointed by the chair pursuant to subdivision (9) of subsection (b) of this section who shall 6
be appointed after a chair is elected. The Commission shall meet at least four times annually. The 7
Commission shall meet on the call of the chair or as additionally provided by the Commission. 8
A quorum is six members of the Commission. Members may not vote by proxy. 9
SECTION 1.1.(d) All members shall be appointed to terms for the entire duration of 10
the Commission. Any vacancy in a term shall be filled by the appointing author ity for the 11
remainder of the unexpired term. 12
SECTION 1.1.(e) Commission Duties. – The Commission shall examine promising 13
practices in North Carolina and nationally to inform the Commission's recommendations. At a 14
minimum, the Commission shall consider the following: 15
(1) Flexible requirements for high school diplomas that are relevant to the 16
knowledge, skills, and abilities students will need for success in the future 17
workforce. 18
(2) Access to apprenticeships, internships, clinical experiences, and other 19
high-quality, work-based learning experiences while in high school. 20
(3) Opportunities for students to earn industry recognized credentials while in 21
high school. 22
(4) Partnerships between public school units and North Carolina Community 23
Colleges, The University of North Carolina, and North Carolina Independent 24
Colleges and Universities for the purposes of facilitating subdivisions (1) 25
through (3) of this subsection. 26
(5) Personalized pathways for students to satisfy core graduation requirements. 27
(6) Modular credit-bearing alternatives to semester or yearlong courses. 28
(7) Competency-based alternatives to time bound courses. 29
(8) Strategies for extending learning beyond school walls at scale via community 30
connected experiences, including incorporating incentives for local businesses 31
to partner with schools. 32
(9) Uses of artificial intelligence to expand student opportunities to engage in 33
career exploration and work-based learning experiences. 34
(10) Alternative funding models to enable the development of a statewide learning 35
ecosystem that encourages subdivisions (1) through (9) of this subsection. 36
(11) Career exploration opportunities for students in middle school and the first 37
two years of high school that prepare students to engage successfully in a 38
redesigned high school experience. 39
(12) Evaluation of the programs, projects, and initiatives established by this act, 40
and any other competency -based education (CBE) programs or high school 41
redesign efforts taking place in the State. The Commission shall partner with 42
the Office of Learning Research at the North Carolina Collaboratory to 43
conduct these evaluations. 44
SECTION 1.1.(f) Meetings and Organization. – The chair shall designate one or 45
more of the organizations identified in subdivision (8) of subsection (b) of this section to plan 46
and manage Commission meetings and draft reports. Designated organizations shall provide 47
administrative staff for meetings. Funds appropriated to the Department of Public Instruction to 48
be used to contract with one or more organizations to plan and manage Commission meetings 49
shall be divided equally among the organizations designated by the chair unless otherwise agreed 50
by the chair and all designated organizations. 51
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SECTION 1.1.(g) Report. – The Commission shall submit a report to the Join t 1
Legislative Education Oversight Committee by April 30, 2027, and annually thereafter. The 2
reports shall include all recommendations approved by a majority of Commission members and 3
a summary of any evaluations of the efficacy of any CBE programs and high school redesign 4
efforts implemented during the current school year. 5
SECTION 1.1.(h) The Commission shall terminate on June 30, 2031, or upon filing 6
of its final annual report, whichever occurs first. 7
8
SME EDUCATION FOUNDATION PILOT PROGRAM 9
SECTION 1.2. There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of 10
Public Instruction the sum of three million six hundred thousand dollars ($3,600,000) in 11
nonrecurring funds for the 2026-2027 fiscal year to be allocated as a directed grant to the SME 12
Education Foundation. The SME Education Foundation shall create a pilot program for the 13
2026-2027 and 2027 -2028 school years for 10 high schools to receive equipment, curriculum, 14
professional development, scholarships, and STEM -focused extracurricular activities for 15
students and teachers that align with the SME PRIME (Partnership Response in Manufacturing 16
Education) Program. Funds appropriated in this section shall not revert but shall remain available 17
until the end of the 2027-2028 fiscal year. 18
19
PROHIBITION ON EXCESSIVE EXPENDITURES 20
SECTION 1.3. Part 3 of Article 31 of Chapter 115C of the General Statutes is 21
amended by adding a new section to read: 22
"§ 115C-438.1. Prohibition on excessive expenditures by local school administrative units. 23
(a) The Department of Public Instruction shall establish a procedure for reviewing 24
monthly expenditures by local school administrative units from specific State-funded dollar 25
allotments beginning with October of each school year. If a local school administrative unit has 26
expended more funds than allotted from a specific allotment, then the local school administrative 27
unit shall remit payment of the amount overexpended to the Department consistent with rules 28
and policies adopted by the State Board . If a local school administrativ e unit fails to remit 29
payment to the Department for more than 60 days, the S tate Board of Education shall exercise 30
its oversight authority pursuant to G.S. 115C-451. 31
(b) To the extent practicable, beginning with October of each school year, the Department 32
of Public Instruction shall conduct monthly audits of local school administrative u nit 33
State-funded position allotments to ensure compliance with the requirements of this Chapter . If 34
the Department determines that a local school administrative unit is not compliant with the 35
requirements of this Chapter, the Department shall take action consistent with rules or policies 36
adopted by the State Board of Education." 37
38
RENEWAL SCHOOL SYST EM MODIFICATIONS AND STUDY OF RENEWAL 39
SCHOOL SYSTEM 40
SECTION 1.4.(a) Section 6(p) of S.L. 2018-32 reads as rewritten: 41
"SECTION 6.(p) State Board of Education Review; Termination of Plan. – The State Board 42
shall conduct a review of the operation and student performance of the local school administrative 43
unit operating under an approved renewal school system plan following the end of the 2022-2023 44
2028-2029 school year and, at least every three five years thereafter, to ensure that the unit is 45
meeting the expected academic, financial, and governance strategic goals set forth in the local 46
board of education's plan. The State Board may terminate the renewal school system plan after a 47
review upon any of the following grounds: 48
(1) Failure to meet the requiremen ts for student performance contained in the 49
plan. 50
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(2) The majority of schools in the local school administrative unit have been 1
identified as low -performing schools in the two school years immediately 2
preceding the review. 3
If the State Board determines that the local school administrative unit operating under an 4
approved renewal school system plan has failed to meet generally accepted standards of fiscal 5
management or violated State or federal law, the State Board may termin ate the renewal school 6
system plan prior to the end of 2022-2023 the 2028-2029 school year. In addition, if the State 7
Superintendent finds that satisfactory progress is not being made after reviewing the reports 8
required to be submitted under subsection (q ) of this section, the State Superintendent shall 9
recommend to the State Board that the renewal school system plan be terminated immediately. 10
The State Board shall terminate the renewal school system plan if such a recommendation is 11
made by the State Superintendent. 12
Upon termination of the renewal school system plan by the State Board, the State Board shall 13
develop a transition plan for the local board of education to revert to operating the local school 14
administrative unit in accordance with applicable State laws and regulations for other local school 15
administrative units." 16
SECTION 1.4.(b) Section 6(q) of S.L. 2018-32 reads as rewritten: 17
"SECTION 6.(q) Reporting to State Superintendent. – The local school administrative unit 18
operating under an approved renewal school system plan shall report to the State Superintendent 19
of Public Instruction as follows: 20
(1) An annual report on the assessment instruments used pursuant to 21
G.S. 115C-174.11(a) and the student outcomes based on those assessments. 22
(2) An annual report on the number of classroom teacher and school administrator 23
vacancies, turnover, and use of long -term substitutes in filling vacancies for 24
both classroom teachers and school administrators. This report shall also 25
provide comparisons with the statewi de data on these items. In addition, the 26
report shall also provide comparisons with the previous year's data on these 27
items both at the local school administrative unit level and statewide. 28
(3) An annual report on student absences. This data shall provide comparisons 29
with the previous year's data on these items. 30
(4) Any other reporting requirements deemed necessary by the State 31
Superintendent of Public Instruction. 32
(5) Proficiency data on each end-of-grade or end-of-course exam. 33
(6) EVAAS growth data for the local school administrative unit. 34
(7) The number of former students employed, enlisted in the Armed Forces of the 35
United States, or enrolled in a postsecondary educational program. 36
(8) The high school graduation rate for the local school administrative unit. 37
(9) The rate of chronic absenteeism in the local school administrative unit , with 38
chronic absenteeism being more than 10 absences within 90 instructional 39
days." 40
SECTION 1.4.(c) S.L. 2018-32 is amended by adding a new subsection to read: 41
"SECTION 6.(k1) Teacher Evaluations. – Local school administrative units operating under 42
a renewal school system plan may use an alternative evaluation model to the North Carolina 43
Educator Evaluation System (NCEES) when evaluating teacher effectiveness." 44
SECTION 1.4.(d) The North Carolina Collaboratory shall conduct a study on the 45
following topics: 46
(1) The effect of the Renewal School System on student outcomes. 47
(2) An analysis of how financial and personnel flexibilities permitted under a 48
renewal school system plan have been utilized. 49
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SECTION 1.4.(e) The North Carolina Collaboratory shall report on the results of the 1
study conducted pursuant to subsection (d) of this section to the Joint Legislative Education 2
Oversight Committee by January 15, 2028. 3
SECTION 1.4.(f) This section is effective when it becomes law. 4
5
EXPAND AUTOMATIC ENROLLMENT IN ADVANCED COURSES IN K -12 6
SCHOOLS TO INCLUDE ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS COURSES 7
SECTION 1.5.(a) G.S. 115C-81.36 reads as rewritten: 8
"§ 115C -81.36. Advanced courses in mathematics.mathematics and English Language 9
Arts. 10
(a) When practicable, local boards of education shall offer advanced learning 11
opportunities in mathematics in grades three through five, and advanced courses in mathematics 12
in all grades six and higher. For the purposes of this section, advanced learning opportunities are 13
those services and curricular modifications in mathematics and English Language Arts for 14
academically or intellectually gifted students approved as part of the local plan, as required by 15
G.S. 115C-150.7.G.S. 115C-150.7, and advanced courses are advanced courses in mathematics 16
and English Language Arts. 17
(a1) When advanced learning opportunities are offered in mathematics in grades three 18
through five, any student scoring at the highest level on the corresponding end-of-grade test shall, 19
for the next school year, be provided advanced learning opportunities in mathematics approved 20
for that student's grade level. No student who qualifies under this subsection shall be removed 21
from the advanced learning opportunity provided to the student unless a parent or guardian of the 22
student provides written consent for the student to be excluded or removed after being adequately 23
informed that the student's placement was determined by the student's achievement on th e 24
previous end-of-grade test. 25
(b) When advanced courses are offered in mathematics in grades six and higher, any 26
student scoring at the highest level on the corresponding end-of-grade or end-of-course test for 27
the mathematics course in which the student was most recently enrolled shall be enrolled in the 28
advanced course for the next mathematics course in which the student is enrolled. A student in 29
seventh grade scoring at the highest level on the seventh grade mathematics end -of-grade test 30
shall be enrolled in a high school level mathematics course in eighth grade. Local boards of 31
education may provide supplemental content enrichment, which may include the administration 32
of diagnostic assessments, to students enrolled in a high school level mathematics course. No 33
student who qualifies under this subsection shall be removed from the advanced or high school 34
mathematics course in which the student is enrolled unless a parent or guardian of the student 35
provides written consent for the student to be excluded or removed from that course after being 36
adequately informed that the student's placement was determined by the student's achievement 37
on the previous end-of-grade or end-of-course test. 38
(b1) When a high school mathematic s course is offered in eighth grade, a student in 39
seventh grade scoring at the highest level on the seventh grade mathematics end -of-grade test 40
shall be enrolled in a high school level mathematics course in eighth grade. 41
(c) By December 15, 2020, and annually thereafter, the The Department of Public 42
Instruction shall submit a report annually by December 15 to the Joint Legislative Education 43
Oversight Committee containing data collected for the current school year on the number and 44
demographics number, demographics, and socioeconomic status of students who were eligible 45
for advanced mathematics courses under this section, including high school level mathematics 46
courses in eighth grade, and of those students, the number and demographics number, 47
demographics, and socioeconomic status of those who were placed in advanced mathematics 48
courses and were not placed in advanced mathematics courses. The report shall include 49
information on the type and format of advanced mathematics courses provided and shall also 50
include any feedback provided by local boards of education on the implementation of this section. 51
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(d) The Department of Public Instruction shall provide guidance to local boards of 1
education on how to best develop programming and courses t o ensure all impacted students 2
receive rigorous, academically appropriate instruction in mathematics.mathematics and English 3
Language Arts. 4
(e) No student who qualifies for advanced learning opportunities or advanced courses 5
under this section shall be removed from the advanced learning opportunity or advanced course 6
provided to the student unless a parent or guardian of the student provides written consent for the 7
student to be excluded or removed after being adequately informed that the stude nt's placement 8
was determined by the student's achievement on the previous end-of-grade or end-of-course test. 9
Local boards of education may provide supplemental content enrichment, which may include the 10
administration of diagnostic assessments, to students enrolled in advanced courses." 11
SECTION 1.5.(b) This section is effective when it becomes law and applies 12
beginning with the 2026-2027 school year. 13
14
SPARKNC EXPANSION 15
SECTION 1.6.(a) Article 16 of Chapter 115C of the General Statutes is amended by 16
adding a new Part to read: 17
"Part 12. Experiential Learning. 18
"§ 115C-238.90. Learning accelerator programs. 19
(a) Definitions. – The following definitions apply to this section: 20
(1) Eligible partner. – An entity that provides a menu of learning units and works 21
with a public school unit to implement a learning accelerator program. 22
(2) Health science learning accelerator. – A learning accelerator focused on topics 23
related to health science. 24
(3) High-tech learning accelerator. – A learning accelerator focused on topics 25
related to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) , 26
including any of the following: 27
a. Artificial Intelligence. 28
b. Computer Systems Engineering. 29
c. Cybersecurity. 30
d. Data Analytics. 31
e. Design UX/UI. 32
f. Software Development. 33
(4) Learning accelerator. – A student-selected combination of modular learning 34
units offered as part of a learning accelerator program that, when aggregated, 35
meets all of the following: 36
a. Is recognized by a n eligible partner as the competency-based 37
equivalent of a traditional elective course credit. 38
b. Includes opportunities for work-based learning. 39
(5) Learning accelerator program. – A nontraditional, student -driven pathway 40
developed and offered by a n eligible partner through which students may 41
select and complete learning accelerators. 42
(6) Learning lab. – A physical site where collaborative learning and networking 43
takes place for a learning accelerator program. 44
(7) Learning unit. – A modular learning experience provided to students in person 45
or remotely, including asynchronously, that serves as an individual 46
component of a learning accelerator. 47
(b) Learning Accelerator Program Authorization. – Public school units may work with 48
eligible partners to implement learning accelerator programs that include high-tech learning 49
accelerators, health science learning accelerators, or both, in compliance with this section. Public 50
school units shall allow a student who participates in a learning accelerator to continue to 51
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aggregate learning units throughout the time the student is enrolled in the public school unit and 1
shall not require the learning accelerator to be completed in a single semester or school year. For 2
the purposes of student participation in a learning accelerator, the calendar requirements of Part 3
2 of Article 8 of this Chapter do not apply. 4
(c) Memorandum of Understanding. – To implement a learning accelerator program, 5
public school units shall enter into a memorandum of understanding with an eligible partner that 6
addresses at least all of the following: 7
(1) The provision of a learning lab, including its operating schedule. 8
(2) The qualifications for learning lab facilitators. 9
(3) The learning lab facilitator's duties, including at least the following: 10
a. Being the teacher of record for students enrolled in the learning 11
accelerator program. 12
b. Advising students. 13
c. Designing learning experiences. 14
d. Coordinating with industry partners. 15
e. Validating student work. 16
f. Networking with other learning lab facilitators to share best practices 17
across public school units. 18
(d) Learning Lab Facilitators. – Notwithstanding G.S. 115C-295 and any other law or 19
rule to the contrary, learning lab facilitators are not required to hold a teaching license but shall 20
meet the qualifications established by the memorandum of understanding. Notwithstanding 21
G.S. 115C-316 or any other law or rule to the contrary, public school units are not required to 22
pay learning lab facil itators based on the teacher salary schedule. Learning lab facilitators are 23
subject to the criminal history check requirements of Part 6 of Article 22 of this Chapter. 24
(e) Contractors. – Public school units and eligible partners may contract with additional 25
nonlicensed personnel on a full- or part-time basis for the purpose of providing timely, real-world 26
content, industry expertise, and student learning experiences as part of a learning accelerator 27
program. Contract personnel are subject to the criminal history check requirements of Part 6 of 28
Article 22 of this Chapter. 29
(f) Course Credit. – Public school units shall award an elective credit to a student who 30
completes a high-tech learning accelerator or health science learning accelerator upon 31
verification of successful completion of the learning units by the learning lab facilitator in 32
accordance with all of the following: 33
(1) The public school unit may award a student up to four learning accelerator 34
credits but shall not award credit for a learning accelerator that includes a 35
learning unit that the student has already completed for credit. 36
(2) For a student who does not complete all of the lea rning units for a learning 37
accelerator, t he public school unit shall not denote a fail on the student 's 38
transcript. 39
(3) The public school unit shall denote the e lective credit on the student 's 40
transcript as achieved competency in either a high-tech learning accelerator or 41
a health science learning accelerator. 42
(g) Funding for Local School Administrative Units. – To the extent funds are made 43
available for the purpose, the State Board of Education shall establish a funding allotment for 44
learning lab facilitator positions. Any State funds provided to a local school administrative unit 45
for a learning lab facilitator position may only be used to pay salaries and benefits of learning lab 46
facilitators or hire contract personnel. Local school administrative units shall not conver t these 47
funds for any other purpose. 48
(h) Report. – No later than March 1 of each year , the Department of Public Instruction 49
shall report to the Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee on the following 50
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information, disaggregated for each public school unit by grade level and school, when 1
practicable: 2
(1) Number and percentage of students with access to a learning accelerator 3
program. 4
(2) Student retention and persistence in learning accelerator programs. 5
(3) Student completion of learning accelerator elective credits and student 6
achievement of personalized learning goals. 7
(4) Student evaluation of the learning accelerator programs. 8
(5) Student interest in STEM following participation in a learning accelerator 9
program. 10
(6) Cost per student for learning accelerator programs. 11
(7) Number and percentage of students who have participated in a learning 12
accelerator program who choose to pursue a career pathway or further study 13
in a STEM field. 14
(8) Number and percentage of public school units that established a learning 15
accelerator program and p ublic school unit persistence in maintaining the 16
program. 17
(9) Recommendations for program changes, including recommended legislative 18
changes and changes neede d to ensure that federal funding for career and 19
technical education can be used for the learning accelerator programs. 20
(10) Recommendations on development of a competency transcript." 21
SECTION 1.6.(b) SparkNC is an eligible partner for learning accelerator programs, 22
as authorized by this section. Successful completion of a high -tech learning accelerator offered 23
by SparkNC satisfies the computer science graduation requirement pursuant to 24
G.S. 115C-83.31(a)(3). 25
SECTION 1.6.(c) There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department 26
of Public Instruction the sum of eight million eight hundred fifty -five thousand dollars 27
($8,855,000) in recurring funds beginning in the 2026 -2027 fiscal year for the Department to 28
administer the learning accelerator learnin g lab facilitator allotment, as established by this 29
section. 30
SECTION 1.6.(d) There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department 31
of Public Instruction the sum of six million five hundred thousand dollars ($6,500,000) in 32
recurring funds beginning in the 2026-2027 fiscal year to be allocated as a grant to SparkNC for 33
program and administrative costs associated with being an eligible partner for learning 34
accelerator programs. 35
SECTION 1.6.(e) There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Depart ment 36
of Public Instruction the sum of five million seven hundred eighty thousand dollars ($5,780,000) 37
in nonrecurring funds for the 2026-2027 fiscal year to be allocated as a directed grant to SparkNC 38
for start-up costs associated with expanding to provide services in additional public schools with 39
the goal of providing services statewide. Funds appropriated pursuant to this subsection shall not 40
revert at the end of the 2026 -2027 fiscal year but instead shall remain available until June 30, 41
2029. 42
SECTION 1.6.(f) This section becomes effective July 1, 2026, and applies beginning 43
with the 2026-2027 school year. 44
45
EXTENDED LEARNING AND INTEGRATED STUDENT SUPPORTS COMPETITIVE 46
GRANT PROGRAM 47
SECTION 1.7.(a) Article 16 of Chapter 115C of the General Statutes is amended by 48
adding a new Part to read: 49
"Part 7A. Extended Learning and Integrated Student Supports Grant Program. 50
"§ 115C-238.35. Program; purpose. 51
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(a) Program; Purpose. – There is established the Extended Learning and Integrated 1
Student Supports Grant Program ( Extended Learning Grant Program). The purpose of the 2
Extended Learning Grant Program is to fund high -quality, independently validated extended 3
learning and integrated student support service programs for at-risk students that raise standards 4
for student academic outcomes . Nonprofit corporations and nonprofit corporations working in 5
collaboration with local school administrative units may apply for grants from the Extended 6
Learning Grant Program for the operation of student programs that focus on the following: 7
(1) Use of an evidence-based model with a proven track record of success. 8
(2) Inclusion of rigorous, quantitative performance measures to confirm 9
effectiveness of the student program. 10
(3) Deployment of mult itiered systems of support in schools to address student 11
barriers to achievement, such as strategies to improve chronic absenteeism, 12
antisocial behaviors, academic growth, and enhancement of parent and family 13
engagement. 14
(4) Alignment with State performance measures, student academic goals, and the 15
North Carolina Standard Course of Study. 16
(5) Prioritization of student programs that integrate clear academic content, in 17
particular, science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) 18
learning opportunities or reading development and proficiency instruction. 19
(6) Minimization of student class size when providing instruction or instructional 20
supports and interventions. 21
(7) Expansion of student access to high -quality learning activities and academic 22
support that strengthen student engageme nt and leverage community -based 23
resources, which may include organizations that provide mentoring services 24
and private-sector employer involvement. 25
(8) Utilization of digital content to expand learning time, when appropriate. 26
(b) Extended Learning Grant Program Requirements. – In each year in which sufficient 27
funds are available, the Department of Public Instruction (Department) shall administer the 28
Extended Learning Grant Program in accordance with this Part. 29
(c) Program Funding. – The Department shall use up to seven million dollars 30
($7,000,000) from the At -Risk Student Services Alternative School Allotment each fiscal year 31
to fund the Extended Learning Grant Program. Of the funds allocated for the Extended Learning 32
Grant Program, the Department may use up to two hundred thousand dollars ($200,000) for each 33
fiscal year for expenses of administering the Extended Learning Grant Program. 34
"§ 115C-238.36. Awards; eligible uses. 35
(a) Eligible Uses. – Grants shall be used to award funds for new or existing eligible 36
student programs for at -risk students operated by nonprofit corporations and nonprofit 37
corporations working in collaboration with local school administrative units. The student 38
programs shall focus on serving (i) at-risk students not performing at grade level as demonstrated 39
by statewide assessments, (ii) students at risk of dropout, and (iii) students at risk of school 40
displacement due to suspension or expulsion as a result of antisocial behaviors. Priority 41
consideration shall be given to applications demonstrating models that focus services and 42
programs in schools that are identified as low-performing pursuant to G.S. 115C-105.37. 43
(b) Awards; Required Match. – Grant recipients are eligible to receive grants for up to 44
two years in an amount of up to five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000) each year. Grant 45
recipients shall provide certification to the Department that the grants received under the 46
Extended Learning Grant Program shall be matched on the basis of three dollars ($3.00) in grant 47
funds for every one dollar ($1.00) in nongrant funds. Matching funds shall not include other State 48
funds. The Department shall also give priority consideration to an applicant that is a nonpro fit 49
corporation working in partnership with a local school administrative unit resulting in a match 50
utilizing federal funds under Part A of Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 51
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1965, as amended, or Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended, and other federal 1
or local funds. Matching funds may include in -kind contributions for up to fifty percent (50%) 2
of the required match. 3
(c) Fiscal Agent. – A nonprofit corporation may act as its own fiscal agent for the 4
purposes of the Extended Learning Grant Program. 5
"§ 115C-238.37. Reporting requirements. 6
(a) Recipient Reporting. – No later than July 15 of each year in which a grant recipient 7
is participating in the Extended Learning Grant Program, the recipient shall report to the 8
Department on the expenditure of grant funds and the progress of the student program being 9
funded by the Extended Learning Grant Program , including alignment with State academic 10
standards, data collection for reporting student progress, the source and amount of matching 11
funds, and other measures, before receiving grant funds for the next fiscal year. Grant recipients 12
shall also submit a final report on key performance data, including statewide test results, 13
attendance rates, graduation rates, and promotion rates, and financial sustainability of the student 14
program being funded by the Extended Learning Grant Program. 15
(b) Department Reporting. – No later than September 15 of each year of the Extended 16
Learning Grant Program, the Department shall report to the Joint Legislative Education 17
Oversight Committee on the Extended Learning Grant Program, including recommendations 18
regarding effective student program models, standards, and performance measures based on 19
student performance, l everaging of community -based resources to expand student access to 20
learning activities, academic and behavioral support services, and potential opportunities for the 21
State to invest in proven models for future grant programs for at-risk students." 22
SECTION 1.7.(b) This section becomes effective July 1, 2026, and applies 23
beginning with the 2027-2028 school year. 24
25
SCHOOLS IN COMMERCIAL ZONES 26
SECTION 1.8.(a) Part 1 of Article 9 of Chapter 160D of the General Statutes is 27
amended by adding a new section to read: 28
"§ 160D-917. Public school sites in commercial zones. 29
In areas zoned for commercial use, zoning regulations shall permit, by right or by special use, 30
the siting of a school building that is primarily used for the instruction of students and is under 31
the control of a public school unit as defined in G.S. 115C-5." 32
SECTION 1.8.(b) This section is effective when it becomes law. 33
34
INCREASE FUNDING FOR ADVAN CED TEACHING ROLES SALARY 35
SUPPLEMENTS AND GRANTS 36
SECTION 1.9.(a) There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department 37
of Public Instruction an additional forty -three million three hundred thousand dollars 38
($43,300,000) in recurring funds beginning in the 2026-2027 fiscal year to bring the total revised 39
net appropriation to the Department to fifty-four million two hundred thousand dollars 40
($54,200,000) in recurring funds beginning in the 2026 -2027 fiscal year for the Department to 41
allocate to public school units participating in the Advanced Teaching Roles program to provide 42
salary supplements under G.S. 115C-310.13. 43
SECTION 1.9.(b) There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department 44
of Public Instruction an additional four million dollars ($4,000,000) in recurring funds beginning 45
in the 2026-2027 fiscal year to bring the total revised net appropriation to the Department to nine 46
million five hundred forty thousand dollars ($9,540,000) in recurring funds beginning in the 47
2026-2027 fiscal year for the Department to expand the Advanced Teaching Roles grant program 48
in accordance with Article 20A of Chapter 115C of the General Statutes. For the 2026-2027 fiscal 49
year only, the Department shall prioritize awarding Advanced Teaching Roles g rants to public 50
General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
Senate Bill 1006-Second Edition Page 11
school units that qualified for a grant in the 2025 -2026 fiscal year but did not receive the grant 1
due to insufficient funding. 2
SECTION 1.9.(c) This section becomes effective July 1, 2026. 3
4
TEACHER EVALUATION PILOT PROGRAM 5
SECTION 1.10.(a) Program Established; Purpose. – The State Board of Education 6
shall establish the Teacher Evaluation Pilot Program (Program) for the 2026 -2027 school year 7
through the 2029 -2030 school year. The purpose of the Program is to establish a robust set of 8
meaningful teacher professional evaluation tools that do the following: 9
(1) Support improved teacher professional development. 10
(2) Provide opportunities for career advancement for teachers. 11
(3) Provide additional insights for accountability for educator preparat ion 12
programs. 13
(4) Facilitate licensure renewal. 14
SECTION 1.10.(b) Professional Evaluation Tools Selection. – No later than March 15
15, 2027, the State Board of Education, in consultation with the Professional Educator 16
Preparation Standards Commission, The Un iversity of North Carolina Board of Governors, the 17
State Board of Community Colleges, and educator preparation programs, shall select at least 18
three professional evaluation tools for use by local school administrative units in accordance with 19
this section. The professional evaluation tools selected by the State Board shall meet at least the 20
following requirements: 21
(1) Be evidence-based and replicable. 22
(2) Provide feedback that supports each teacher's professional development and 23
career experience, which may include evidence of student outcomes, student 24
surveys, or independent evaluations. 25
(3) Be designed to provide all of the following: 26
a. Improved professional development for all teachers. 27
b. Improved licensure criteria and multiple tools for teachers to pr ovide 28
real, student-focused evidence for a continuing professional license. 29
c. Reduce the administrative burden on principals who are required to 30
conduct teacher evaluations multiple times per year. 31
d. Additional insights for the selection of advanced teac hing roles and 32
mentorship positions, for licensure renewal, and for other 33
accountability metrics for educator preparation programs. 34
(4) To the extent possible, at least two of the professional evaluation tools selected 35
by the State Board shall meet the following additional requirements: 36
a. Be available to all teachers in the local school administrative unit. 37
b. Include student surveys and independent performance evaluations. 38
SECTION 1.10.(c) Participation. – Local school administrative units may apply to 39
the State Board of Education to participate in the Program. The State Board shall select units to 40
participate in the Program each year, beginning in the 2027 -2028 school year and ending in the 41
2029-2030 school year. At the discretion of the State Board, a l ocal school administrative unit 42
may participate in the Program for one or more school years over the duration of the Program. 43
SECTION 1.10.(d) Licensure Renewal Flexibility. – Notwithstanding 44
G.S. 115C-270.30(b)(4), at the direction of the State Board, local school administrative units that 45
are participating in the Program may use one or more of the Professional Evaluation Tools 46
selected by the State Board pursuant to subsection (b) of this section to determine proficiency for 47
a teacher to maintain his or her current license status under G.S. 115C-270.30(b)(4). 48
SECTION 1.10.(e) Report. – No later than March 15, 2029, the State Board of 49
Education shall report to the Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee with the following 50
information: 51
General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
Page 12 Senate Bill 1006-Second Edition
(1) The local school administrative units selected to participate in the Program. 1
(2) The impact of the Program on teacher evaluation in the participating local 2
school administrative units. 3
(3) The professional evaluation tools selected for the Program. 4
(4) The impact of the Program on teacher licensure renewal, including differences 5
in renewal rates in local school administrative units participating in the 6
Program and all other local school administrative units. 7
(5) A plan to implement the Program on a statewide basis beginning in the 8
2030-2031 school year, including any waivers of existing law that may be 9
needed to facilitate the transition. 10
SECTION 1.10.(f) Funds. – There is appropriated from the General Fund to the 11
Department of Public Instruction for the 2026 -2027 fiscal year the sum of six million dollars 12
($6,000,000) in nonrecurring funds to implement the Program described in this section. These 13
funds shall not revert at the end of the 2026-2027 fiscal year but shall remain available until June 14
30, 2030. 15
16
REVISION OF HEALTHY LIVING STANDARD COURSE OF STUDY 17
SECTION 1.11.(a) Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, the 18
State Board of Education shall conduct an expedited revision of the NC Standard Course of Study 19
for Healthful Living, Grades K-12 standards to be adopted and implemented beginning with the 20
2028-2029 school year. The revised standards shall include standards on the following: 21
(1) Mental health awareness. 22
(2) Common mental health conditions, such as anxiety, depression, and trauma, 23
and their warning signs. 24
(3) Help-seeking strategies for self and peers, including school and community 25
resources. 26
(4) The neurological basis of addiction. 27
(5) The risks of alcohol, nicotine and vaping, cannabis, opioids, misuse of 28
prescription drugs, and other illicit substances. 29
(6) The relationship between mental health and substance abuse. 30
(7) Treatment, recovery, and prevention of mental health disorders, including 31
reducing the stigma surrounding mental health disorders. 32
(8) The effects of social media and other environmental influences on mental 33
health and addictive behavior. 34
(9) Protective factors, coping skills, and sound decision making. 35
SECTION 1.11.(b) The Department of Public Instruction shall report to the Joint 36
Legislative Education Oversight Committee by December 15, 2028, on the following: 37
(1) Adoption and implementation status of the NC Standard Course of Study for 38
Healthful Living, Grades K -12 standards required by subsection (a) of this 39
section. 40
(2) Early implementation feedback from local school administrative units. 41
(3) Recommended technical changes to the standards. 42
43
AI ACADEMIC SUPPORT PROGRAM 44
SECTION 1.12.(a) Chapter 115C of the General Statutes is amended by adding a 45
new Article to read: 46
"Article 42. 47
"Academic Support Programs. 48
"§ 115C-650. Establish AI Academic Support Program. 49
(a) Purpose; Program. – There is established the AI Academic Support Program 50
(Program) to allow public school units to contract with Khan Academy, Inc., (Khan Academy) 51
General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
Senate Bill 1006-Second Edition Page 13
for use of the academic support service Khanmigo, in grades six through 12. Khanmigo is an 1
application that uses artificial intelligence to support teachers with lesson plan development and 2
to support students with lesson comprehension. 3
(b) Funding. – Funds shall be allocated to each public school unit that elects to participate 4
in the program on the basis of average daily membership (ADM) in grades six through 12 in the 5
public school unit for the purposes set out in this section. 6
(c) Funding Use. – Public school units that utilize funds pursuant to this section shall use 7
all funds to contract with Khan Academy for use of the Khanmigo service , any associated 8
professional development, and the rostering programs required pursuant to subsection (e) of this 9
section. 10
(d) Contract Term. – Public school units entering into contracts with Khan Academy shall 11
contract for a term of one year. At the end of each school year, each public school unit shall 12
evaluate the use of Khanmigo services in the public school unit prior to contracting with Khan 13
Academy for the subsequent school year. The evaluatio n shall include all of the information 14
required to be reported on by the Department of Public Instruction in subdivisions (2) through 15
(7) of subsection (h) of this section. Public school units shall submit their evaluations to the 16
Department of Public Instruction by July 15 following each year that funds are used pursuant to 17
this section. 18
(e) Class Rostering for Khanmigo. – All public school units that contract with Khan 19
Academy pursuant to this section shall use a secure, cloud -based, single sign -on and class 20
rostering platform to manage access to digital instructional resources and student information 21
systems and to facilitate automated data integration between educational applications and school 22
district systems. Class rostering products used pursuant to this section must be approved by the 23
Department of Public Instruction. 24
(f) Juvenile Justice. – The Department of Public Instruction shall contract with Khan 25
Academy for 500 Khanmigo lice nses for use in school s operated by the Division of Juvenile 26
Justice of the Department of Public Safety. The Department of Public Instruction shall provide 27
technical support to the Division of Juvenile Justice for the use of Khanmigo. The Division of 28
Juvenile Justice shall comply with evaluation requirements pursuant to subsection (d) of this 29
section. 30
(g) Study. – The Office of Learning Research at the North Carolina Collaboratory (OLR) 31
shall design and conduct a study to measure the effectiveness of using Khanmigo, including any 32
impact on student performance and growth. As part of the study, the Department of Public 33
Instruction shall aggregate and report to OLR on the evaluations submitted by public school units 34
pursuant to subsection (d) of this section. OLR shall collaborate with Khan Academy to aggregate 35
data on student performance by teacher and by subgroup, to the extent allowed by law. OLR shall 36
provide the results of this study to the Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee no later 37
than April 1, 2028. 38
(h) Report. – No later than October 15 following each year that funds are made available 39
for the Program, the Department of Public Instru ction shall report to the Joint Legislative 40
Education Oversight Committee at least the following information: 41
(1) The number of public school units that contracted with K han Academy 42
pursuant to this section. 43
(2) The number of students using the Khanmigo application. 44
(3) The average number of minutes and interactions students had with the 45
Khanmigo application weekly. 46
(4) The number of teachers using the application. 47
(5) The average number of minutes and interactions teachers had with the 48
Khanmigo application weekly. 49
(6) Any identified impact on student outcomes. 50
(7) Any identified impact on teacher performance. 51
General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
Page 14 Senate Bill 1006-Second Edition
(8) The number of moderation flags generated by the application." 1
SECTION 1.12.(b) There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department 2
of Pu blic Instruction the sum of ten million sixty thousand five hundred sixty dollars 3
($10,060,560) in recurring funds beginning with the 2026 -2027 fiscal year to allocate funds 4
pursuant to G.S. 115C-650, as enacted by this act. 5
6
TEACHREADYNC PROGRAM 7
SECTION 1.13.(a) The title of Article 17D of Chapter 115C of the General Statutes 8
reads as rewritten: 9
"Educator Preparation Programs.Preparation." 10
SECTION 1.13.(b) Article 17D of Chapter 115C of the General Statutes is amended 11
to add the following new Parts: 12
(1) Part 1, to be entitled "Educator Preparation Programs" and consisting of 13
G.S. 115C-269.1 through G.S. 115C-269.30 and G.S. 115C-269.35 through 14
G.S. 115C-269.55. 15
(2) Part 2, to be entitled "Teacher Pipeline Support Programs" and consisting of 16
the below provisions to be recodified as follows: 17
Former Citation Recodified Citation 18
115C-269.31 115C-269.75 19
115C-269.32 115C-269.77 20
SECTION 1.13.(c) G.S. 115C-269.5 reads as rewritten: 21
"§ 115C-269.5. Educator preparation programs. 22
(a) Role of EPPs. – An EPP shall p repare students for educator licensure and meet the 23
standards and requirements set forth in this Article. Part. To recommend students for licensure, 24
an EPP shall be recognized by the State Board. 25
(b) State Board Authority. – The State Board shall initially authorize and recognize an 26
EPP as required by this Article. Part. The State Board shall have authority to regulate EPPs in 27
accordance with this Article.Part. 28
…." 29
SECTION 1.13.(d) G.S. 115C-269.10(b) reads as rewritten: 30
"(b) Rules for Granting State Approval. – The State Board shall adopt rules for granting 31
approval to EPPs in accordance with this Article. Part. The rules shall ensure the following: 32
(1) A rigorous approval process that requires that the criteria in this Article Part 33
are met. 34
(2) An application process, peer review, and technical assistance provided by the 35
State Board. 36
(3) An approval period of five years and process for renewal of approval." 37
SECTION 1.13.(e) G.S. 115C-269.45(a)(3) reads as rewritten: 38
"(3) Revoked. – An EPP shall be assigned revoked status and its approval to 39
recommend students for educator licensure revoked if it meets any of the 40
following criteria: 41
a. Is assigned probation status for three consecutively measured years. 42
b. Has been on probation status for one year and the State Board 43
determines that revoking the program's approval is reasonably 44
necessary to achieve the purposes of this Article.Part." 45
SECTION 1.13.(f) G.S. 115C-269.55(a) reads as rewritten: 46
"(a) Authority. – The State Board shall adopt rules necessary to establish a process for a 47
student to report a violation of this Article Part to the State Board." 48
SECTION 1.13.(g) Part 2 of Article 17D of Chapter 115C o f the General Statutes, 49
as enacted by subsection (b) of this section, reads as rewritten: 50
"Part 2. Teacher Pipeline Support Programs. 51
General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
Senate Bill 1006-Second Edition Page 15
"§ 115C-269.65. Definitions. 1
Definitions. – Except as otherwise provided, the following definitions apply in this Part: 2
(1) Apprentice. – An individual employed as an apprentice teacher by a 3
participating unit. 4
(2) Apprentice supervisor. – An experienced teacher employed by a participating 5
unit who mentors an apprentice and is a member of a team of teachers that is 6
led by a teacher with an advanced teaching role, as defined in 7
G.S. 115C-310.3. 8
(3) Department. – The Department of Public Instruction. 9
(4) Eligible educator preparation program. – A recognized educator preparation 10
program that meets all of the following criteria: 11
a. Is either an institution of higher education or a public school unit. 12
b. Is selected by a participating unit to enroll apprentices employed by 13
that unit. 14
(5) Eligible unit. – A local school administrative unit that is an Advanced 15
Teaching Roles unit, as defined in G.S. 115C-310.3(6). 16
(6) Participating unit. – An eligible unit selected by the Department to participate 17
in TeachReadyNC. 18
(7) TeachReadyNC. – The TeachReadyNC Program established pursuant to 19
G.S. 115C-269.67. 20
"§ 115C-269.67. TeachReadyNC Program. 21
(a) Program Established; Purpose. – There is established the TeachReadyNC Program to 22
increase the number of professionally licensed teachers in the State and improve teacher 23
competency, student outcomes, and teacher retention in the State. The Department shall 24
administer TeachReadyNC, in collaboration with ApprenticeshipNC, as set forth in this Part. 25
(b) Applications. – No later than November 1 of each year, the Department shall issue a 26
request for applications from eligible units to participate in TeachReadyNC, beginning in the 27
subsequent school year. Applications shall include at least the following information: 28
(1) A plan to obtain recognition by the United States Department of Labor as a 29
registered teacher apprenticeship program in collaboration with 30
ApprenticeshipNC, including at least the following information: 31
a. The number of apprentices the unit intends to employ. 32
b. The total grant funds the unit requests for each apprentice position in 33
accordance with the requirements of G.S. 115C-269.69. 34
c. Specific subject areas and grade levels in the local school 35
administrative unit with teacher shortages. 36
(2) A system of supports that would be provided for apprentices, including (i) 37
apprentice supervisors and their qualifications and (ii) a schedule of 38
supervision. 39
(3) Alternative sources of funding , including federal workforce development 40
funds, to support apprenticeships that could be paired with any State funds 41
that could be used for TeachReadyNC pursuant to subsection (f) of this section 42
or G.S. 115C-269.69. 43
(4) An explanation of how the unit would incorporate its teacher apprenticeship 44
program with its advanced teaching roles program to enhance the learning 45
environment for apprentices. 46
(5) Strategies to encourage candidates to accept an apprenticeship before directly 47
entering the teaching profession. 48
(6) A list of eligible educator preparation programs. 49
(c) Selection of Participants; Initial Term. – The Department shall review applications 50
for participation in TeachReadyNC every three months of each school year following the 51
General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
Page 16 Senate Bill 1006-Second Edition
issuance of the request for applications. The Department shall approve applications on a rolling 1
basis and shall approve every application from an eligible unit for a term of three years as long 2
as the application includes a clear strategy to support apprenticeships that complies with the 3
requirements of subsection (b) of this section. 4
(d) Program Requirements. – All participating units shall meet the following 5
requirements: 6
(1) Obtain recognition as a registered teacher apprenticeship program under 7
requirements established by the United States Department of Labor. 8
(2) Require each apprentice to work full-time in a classroom with an apprentice 9
supervisor. 10
(3) Ensure that each apprentice meets all of the following requirements: 11
a. Holds a bachelor's degree. 12
b. Is not eligible to hold an initial professional license or continuing 13
professional license. 14
c. Does not serve as a teacher of record for any students. 15
d. Is enrolled in an eligible educator preparation program. 16
e. Submits a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) for each 17
year in which the individual is employed as an apprentice. 18
f. Does not engage in substitute teaching for more than eight hours per 19
week. 20
g. Does not work as an apprentice for more than three years. 21
(4) Provide each apprentice with the following: 22
a. Annual compensation that is greater than the average salary provided 23
to a teacher assistant employed in the participating unit. 24
b. Financial support for the cost of attendance at an eligible educator 25
preparation program, including subject -specific content courses 26
required for licensure at the associated institution of higher education. 27
(5) Provide salary supplements for the following persons: 28
a. Each apprentice supervisor. 29
b. Each teacher who agrees to become a teacher of record for additional 30
students as a result of the emergency position conversion permitted 31
under subsection (f) of this section. 32
(e) Term Renewal. – Prior to the conclusion of a three-year term in TeachReadyNC, a 33
participating unit may apply to the Department to renew its term. The Department shall evaluate 34
the success of TeachReadyNC at the participating unit and the compliance of the participating 35
unit with the requirements of this Part. At the conclusion of the evaluation, the Department may, 36
in its discretion, renew the participating unit for an additional term . Participating units shall 37
provide any information or access requested by the Department for the evaluation required by 38
this section or G.S. 115C-269.35. 39
(f) Emergency Position Conversion . – Notwithstanding G.S. 115C-105.25(b), a 40
participating unit may convert one position allocated to the participating unit for classroom 41
teachers to its dollar equivalent at the salary on the first step of the "A" Teachers Salary Schedule, 42
including benefits, for each apprentice employed by the unit. Funds made available pursuant to 43
this subsection may only be used for the following purposes: 44
(1) Salaries for apprentices. 45
(2) Annual salary supplements of up to five thousand dollars ($5,000) for each 46
teacher accepting additional students as a result of an emergency position 47
conversion occurring pursuant to this subsection. 48
(3) The permitted purposes and maximum amounts identified in 49
G.S. 115C-269.69(b). 50
General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
Senate Bill 1006-Second Edition Page 17
(g) Administration. – To the extent funds are appropriated for TeachReadyNC, including 1
TeachReadyNC grants under G.S. 115C-269.69, the Department may retain the greater of fifteen 2
percent (15%) or three hundred thousand dollars ($300,000) each year for administration of 3
TeachReadyNC. As part of the administration of TeachReadyNC, the Department may establish 4
one or more new full-time employment positions to support the Program and shall do at least all 5
of the following: 6
(1) Collaborate with ApprenticeshipNC to do all of the following: 7
a. Outline the duties and responsibilities of apprentices , including 8
on-the-job training requirements. 9
b. Create minimum competencies for apprentices that reflect the 10
progressive acquisition of ability. 11
c. Develop a process to monitor apprentices in their first years of 12
teaching after successful completion of TeachReadyNC to evaluate the 13
qualities of teacher candidates that correlate to successful outcomes 14
and lower teacher turnover rates. 15
d. Create resources that can be used by participating units to select and 16
train apprentice supervisors, including the responsibilities of an 17
apprentice supervisor and background information on teacher 18
apprenticeship programs. 19
e. Develop a training module for apprentice supervisors that establishes 20
standards for apprentice supervisors under TeachReadyNC and 21
incorporates, where applicable, any preexisting standards for 22
apprentice supervisors. 23
(2) Collaborate with eligible educator preparation programs and 24
ApprenticeshipNC to establish education requirements for apprentices and 25
revise curriculum requirements for clinical internships to include 26
apprenticeships under TeachReadyNC. 27
(3) Assist participating units with the following: 28
a. Combining State, federal, and other funds to maximize the number of 29
apprentices. 30
b. Complying with applicable State and federal law. 31
(4) Allocate any grant funds pursuant to G.S. 115C-269.69. 32
(h) Report. – No later than March 15 of each year, the Department, in consultation with 33
ApprenticeshipNC, shall report to the Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee on the 34
current state of TeachReadyNC, including at least all of the following information: 35
(1) The impact of TeachReadyNC in each participating unit on the following: 36
a. The number of teachers, disaggregated by licensure type. 37
b. Student outcomes. 38
c. Teacher retention. 39
(2) Any non-State funds used to support TeachReadyNC, including the sources 40
and amounts of those funds. 41
(3) The number of participating units that converted a teaching position in order 42
to support the Program and the use or uses of those funds. 43
(4) Successful strategies and best practices used by participating units. 44
(5) Any barriers to expanding TeachReadyNC. 45
"§ 115C-269.69. TeachReadyNC grants. 46
(a) Grant Allocation. – To the extent funds are appropriated by the General Assembly for 47
TeachReadyNC, the Department shall allocate grant funds to participating units each fiscal year 48
for each apprentice position. For purposes of this section, the cost of an apprentice position is the 49
amount identified by a participating unit in its TeachReadyNC application under 50
G.S. 115C-269.67(b) and constitutes the salary supplement for an apprentice , the cost of 51
General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
Page 18 Senate Bill 1006-Second Edition
attendance payment for an apprentice, and the salary supplement for the apprentice supervisor of 1
an apprentice, up to the maximum amounts provided in subsection (b) of this section. In addition, 2
the Department shall comply with the following requirements when allocating funds pursuant to 3
this section: 4
(1) If the TeachReadyNC funds are insufficient to fund all apprentice positions 5
identified in the applications of the participating units at the amounts provided 6
in those applications, the Department shall reduce the number of apprentice 7
positions provided to the participating units but shall not reduce the funding 8
amounts provided for each position below the amounts identified in the 9
applications. 10
(2) If there are TeachReadyNC funds remaining after funds have been allocated 11
pursuant to the requirements of this section, the Department may allocate the 12
remaining funds to participating units according to a process developed by the 13
Department to optimize the success of TeachReadyNC in those units. 14
(b) Use of Funds ; Maximum Amount s. – Grant funds received by a participating unit 15
pursuant to this section may only be used for the following: 16
(1) Annual salary supplements of u p to seven thousand five hundred dollars 17
($7,500) for each apprentice. 18
(2) Annual payments of up to five thousand dollars ($5,000) for each apprentice 19
for the cost of attendance at an eligible educator preparation program , 20
including subject -specific content courses required for licensure at the 21
associated institution of higher education . Grant funds may only be used for 22
this purpose after the apprentice has exhausted all other scholarships or grants 23
available for these purposes, including federal Pell Grants. 24
(3) Annual salary supplement s of up to five thousand dollars ($5,000) for each 25
apprentice supervisor. 26
(c) Carryforward. – Funds awarded to a participating unit under this section shall not 27
revert at the end of each fiscal year but shall remain available until October 1 of the subsequent 28
fiscal year. 29
…." 30
SECTION 1.13.(h) G.S. 115C-269.35(b) reads as rewritten: 31
"(b) Annual Performance Reports. – The State Board shall require all recognized EPPs to 32
submit annual performance reports. The performance reports shall provide the State Board with 33
a focused review of the EPPs and the current authoriza tion process in order to ensure that the 34
programs produce graduates that are well prepared to teach. At a minimum, the annual report 35
shall contain the following indicators: 36
(1) Performance data from subsection (a) of this section. 37
(2) Data related to the EPP's compliance with requirements for field supervision 38
of students during their internship and internship, appren ticeship, and 39
residency experiences. 40
(3) The following information, disaggregated by race, sex, and ethnicity: 41
a. The number of students who apply to candidacy of the EPP. 42
b. The number of students admitted as candidates of the EPP. 43
b1. The number of students working as apprentices pursuant to 44
G.S. 115C-269.67. 45
c. The number of students completing the program. 46
d. The number of graduates of the EPP licensed in North Carolina. 47
e. The number of graduates of the EPP employed in North Carolina. 48
f. The number and percentage of students who convert from a residency 49
license to either an initial professional license or a continuing 50
professional license. 51
General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
Senate Bill 1006-Second Edition Page 19
g. Any other information required by federal law. 1
… 2
(8) Percentage of graduates receiving initial professional licenses. 3
(8a) Percentage of graduates who worked as apprentices pursuant to 4
G.S. 115C-269.67 and received an initial professional license. 5
… 6
(11) The retention of beginning educators in the profession for at least two years 7
after licensure in North Carolina. 8
(11a) The retention of beginning educators who also served as apprentices pursuant 9
to G.S. 115C-269.67 in the profession for at least two years after licensure in 10
North Carolina. 11
(12) The results of surveys given to school principals that involve evaluation of the 12
program's effectiveness in preparing participants to succeed in the classroom, 13
based on experience with employed program participants. 14
(13) Any other information necessary to enable the State Board to assess the 15
effectiveness of the program on the basis of educator retention and success 16
criteria adopted by the State Board." 17
SECTION 1.13.(i) There is appropriated from the General Fu nd to the Department 18
of Public Instruction beginning in the 2026 -2027 fiscal year the sum of one million dollars 19
($1,000,000) in recurring funds to be awarded as grants under the TeachReadyNC program 20
pursuant to G.S. 115C-269.69, as enacted by subsection (g) of this section. 21
SECTION 1.13.(j) This section becomes effective July 1, 2026. The Department of 22
Public Instruction shall issue the initial request for applications for the TeachReadyNC Program 23
pursuant to G.S. 115C-269.67, as enacted by subsection (g) of this section, by November 1, 2026, 24
for applications to establish registered teacher apprenticeship programs beginning in the 25
2027-2028 school year. Notwithstanding G.S. 115C-269.67(h), as enacted by subsection (g) of 26
this section, the Department shall provide its initial report on the impact of the TeachReadyNC 27
Program by March 15, 2028. 28
29
RELEASED TIME RELIGIOUS INSTRUCTION 30
SECTION 1.14.(a) G.S. 115C-379 reads as rewritten: 31
"§ 115C-379. Method of enforcement.enforcement and excused and unexcused absences. 32
(a) It shall be the duty of the State Board of Education to formulate the rules that may be 33
necessary for the proper enforcement of the provisions of this Part. The Board shall prescribe (i) 34
what shall constitute unlawful absence, (ii) what causes may constitute legitimate excuses for 35
temporary nonattendance due to a student's physical or mental inability to attend or a student's 36
participation in a valid educational opportunity such as service as a legislative page or a 37
Governor's page, and (iii) under what circumstances teachers, principals, or superintendents may 38
excuse pupils for nonattendance due to immediate demands of the farm or the home in certain 39
seasons of the year in the several sections of the State. Adoption of Rules. – The State Board of 40
Education shall adopt rules to enforce the provisions of this Part , including rules that define 41
unexcused absences and excused absences. 42
(a1) Excused Absences. – The State Board shall require school officials to excuse absences 43
for all of the following: 44
(1) Illness. – Physical or mental illness. 45
(2) Educational opportunities. – Participation in a valid educational opportunity , 46
including service as a legislative page or a Governor's page. 47
(3) Needs of family. – Immediate demands of the farm or the home in certain 48
seasons of the year if determined appropriate by a teacher, principal, or 49
superintendent based on guidelines set by the State Board. 50
General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
Page 20 Senate Bill 1006-Second Edition
(4) Religious observance. – A minimum of two excused absences each academic 1
year for religious observances required by the faith of a student or the student's 2
parent or legal guardian. 3
(5) Military leave. – A minimum of two excused absences each academic year, if 4
all of the following conditions are met: 5
a. The student's parent or legal guardian is an active duty member of the 6
uniformed services, as defined by Article 29B of this Chapter, the 7
Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children. 8
b. The student's parent or legal guardian has been called to duty for, is on 9
leave from, or has immediately returned from deployment to a combat 10
zone or combat support posting. 11
c. The student is not identified by the public school unit as at risk of 12
academic failure because of unexcused absences. 13
(6) Released time religious instruction. – Released time religious instruction as 14
allowed under a policy adopted pursuant to G.S. 115C-407.45. 15
(b) In addition to any excused absences authorized pursuant to subsection (a) of this 16
section, the rules shall require school principals to authorize the following excused absences: 17
(1) Religious observance. – A minimum of two excused absences each academic 18
year for religious observances required by the faith of a student or the student's 19
parent or legal guardian. 20
(2) Military leave. – A minimum of two excused absences each academic year, if 21
all of the following conditions are met: 22
a. The student's parent or legal guardian is an active duty member of the 23
uniformed services, as defined by Article 29B of this Chapter, the 24
Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children. 25
b. The student's parent or legal guardian has been called to duty for, is on 26
leave from, or has immediately returned from deployment to a combat 27
zone or combat support posting. 28
c. The student is not identified by the local school administrative unit as 29
at risk of academic failure because of unexcused absences. 30
(b1) Notice of Request for Certain Excused Absences and Opportunity to Make Up Work. 31
– The rules may require that the student's parent or legal guardian give the principal written notice 32
of the request for an excused absence a reasonable time prior to the religious observance or 33
military leave. religious observance, military leave, or releas ed time religious instruction. The 34
student shall be given the opportunity to make up any tests or other work missed due to an 35
excused absence for a religious observance or military leave.religious observance, military leave, 36
or released time religious instruction. 37
(c) It shall be the duty of all School Officials' Duties. – All school officials to carry out 38
such instructions from shall follow the rules adopted by the State Board of Education, and any 39
school official failing to carry out such instructions shall be follow the rules is guilty of a Class 40
3 misdemeanor: Provided, that the compulsory attendance law herein prescribed shall not be in 41
force in any local school administrative unit that misdemeanor. However, this section does not 42
apply if a public school unit has a higher compulsory attendance feature than that provided 43
herein.in this section." 44
SECTION 1.14.(b) Article 29D of Chapter 115C of the General Statutes is amended 45
by adding a new section to read: 46
"§ 115C-407.45. Released time religious instruction. 47
(a) Definition. – For the purposes of this section, "released time religious instruction " 48
means religious instruction offered by a private entity during the school day. 49
General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
Senate Bill 1006-Second Edition Page 21
(b) Policy Required. – The governing body of a p ublic school uni t shall adopt a policy 1
that requires a school principal to excuse a student's absence from school to attend released time 2
religious instruction. At a minimum, the policy shall provide for the following: 3
(1) Consent form. – Public school units shall adopt a standard written consent 4
form that provides parents with notice that the parent or guardian is 5
responsible for arranging transportation to and from any location where 6
released time religious instruction occurs. The parent or guardian of a student 7
attending released time religious instruction shall provide the school with a 8
signed copy of the standard consent form. 9
(2) Documentation required. – The parent or guardian of a student shall provide 10
the school with written documentation affirming th at the student attended 11
released time religious instruction for each day that the student is absent. 12
(3) Make up work. – A student attending released time religious instruction shall 13
make up all school work that is missed. 14
(4) Prohibition on use of State and local funds . – The public school unit shall 15
prohibit all schools from expending State or local funds, excluding any de 16
minimis costs of administering the policy adopted pursuant to this subsection, 17
to facilitate a student attending released time religious instruction. 18
(5) Use of school facilities. – The public school unit shall p rohibit any private 19
entity from offering released time religious instruction on school property , 20
unless otherwise permitted by a neutral facility use policy. 21
(6) Time limitations. – The public school unit shall excuse one hour of released 22
time religious instruction at a minimum. A school principal shall not authorize 23
excused absences totaling more than four hours of released time religious 24
instruction in a single calendar week." 25
SECTION 1.14.(c) G.S. 115C-47 is amended by adding a new subdivision to read: 26
"(33d) To Adopt Policies on Released Time Religious Instruction. – Local boards of 27
education shall adopt a policy that requires a school principal to excuse a 28
student's a bsence to attend released time religious instruction pursuant to 29
G.S. 115C-407.45." 30
SECTION 1.14.(d) G.S. 115C-218.75 is amended by adding a new subsection to 31
read: 32
"(p) Released Time Religious Instruction. – A charter school shall adopt a policy that 33
requires a school principal to excuse a student 's absence to attend released time religious 34
instruction pursuant to G.S. 115C-407.45." 35
SECTION 1.14.(e) G.S. 115C-238.66 is amended by adding a new subdivision to 36
read: 37
"(23) Released time religious instruct ion. – The board of directors shall adopt a 38
policy that requires a school principal to excuse a student 's absence to attend 39
released time religious instruction pursuant to G.S. 115C-407.45." 40
SECTION 1.14.(f) G.S. 116-239.8(b) is amended by adding a new subdivision to 41
read: 42
"(26) Released time religious instruction. – A laboratory school shall adopt a policy 43
that requires a school principal to excuse a student's absence to attend released 44
time religious instruction pursuant to G.S. 115C-407.45." 45
SECTION 1 .14.(g) This section is effective when it becomes law and applies 46
beginning with the 2026-2027 school year. 47
48
LOCAL SCHOOLS OPEN ENROLLMENT STUDY 49
SECTION 1.15.(a) The North Carolina Collaboratory (Collaboratory) shall study 50
how local school administrative units can allow students to attend any school within the local 51
General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
Page 22 Senate Bill 1006-Second Edition
school administrative unit in which the student is domiciled, other than the assigned base school. 1
The study shall include, at a minimum, the following: 2
(1) A review of existing voluntary open enrollment and freedom of choice plans. 3
(2) Considerations for implementing mandatory open enrollment plans, 4
including: 5
a. The number of enrollment periods a mandatory open enrollment plan 6
should have in a year. 7
b. Types of application processes for mandatory open enrollment plans. 8
c. How school capacity issues should be addressed and communicated to 9
parents, including waitlist options. 10
d. Transportation options for students when they choose a school other 11
than their assigned base school. 12
e. Reasons t hat would let a local school administrative unit deny a 13
request under a mandatory open enrollment plan. 14
f. Any appeals processes that would be available for denials of requests 15
of school assignment under a mandatory open enrollment plan. 16
(3) Any other information deemed relevant by the Collaboratory. 17
SECTION 1.15.(b) The Collaboratory shall report its findings, including any 18
recommended legislation, to the Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee, by April 15, 19
2027. 20
SECTION 1.15.(c) This section is effective when it becomes law. 21
22
ADVANCED TEACHING ROLES AMENDMENTS 23
SECTION 1.16.(a) Article 20A of Chapter 115C of the General Statutes reads as 24
rewritten: 25
"Article 20A. 26
"Advanced Teaching Roles. 27
"… 28
"§ 115C-310.3. Definitions. 29
The following definitions apply to this Article: 30
(1) Adult leadership teacher. – An ATR team lead who meets the following 31
criteria: 32
a. Works in the classroom providing instruction for at least thirty percent 33
(30%) of the instructional day. 34
b. Leads a team of between three and eight teachers. 35
c. Shares responsibility for the performance of the students of all teachers 36
on the adult leadership teacher's team. 37
d. Is not a school administrator. 38
(2) Advanced teaching role. – A teaching assignment that includes either (i) 39
teaching an increased number of students or (ii) becoming an ATR team lead. 40
(3) ATR plan. – A local board of education's plan to implement advanced teaching 41
roles under this Article. 42
(4) ATR school. – A school that is included in an ATR unit's ATR plan. 43
(5) ATR team lead. – A teaching assignment that includes leading one or more 44
teachers and being responsible responsible, in addition to the teacher of 45
record, for the student performance of all students taught by teachers on that 46
lead teacher's team. 47
(6) ATR unit. – A local school administrative unit operating under an ATR plan 48
approved by the State Board of Education. 49
(7) Classroom excellence teacher. – A classroom teacher serving in an advanced 50
teaching role who assumes and maintains responsibility for at lea st twenty 51
General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
Senate Bill 1006-Second Edition Page 23
percent (20%) of additional students as compared to the most recent prior 1
school year in which the teacher did not receive a salary supplement pursuant 2
to this section. 3
(8) Classroom teacher. – A teacher who works in the classroom providing 4
instruction to students at least seventy percent (70%) of the instructional day 5
and who is not instructional support personnel. 6
(9) Collaborative impact leader. – An ATR team lead who meets all of the 7
following criteria: 8
a. Leads a team of between four and eight teachers. 9
b. Does not serve as the teacher of record for any students. 10
c. Provides instruction, including co-teaching, for at least thirty percent 11
(30%) of the instructional day to students taught by teachers on the 12
ATR team lead's team. 13
d. Is not a school administrator. 14
(10) Partial-release collaborative impact leader. – An ATR team lead who meets 15
the following criteria: 16
a. Serves as the teacher of record for at least one class of students. 17
b. Leads a team of two or three teachers. 18
c. Is not a school administrator. 19
(11) Teacher of distinction. – A classroom teacher serving in an advanced teaching 20
role who is the teacher of record for at least twenty percent (20%) more 21
students than the average number of students taught by other teachers on the 22
teacher's ATR team. 23
(12) Teacher of record. – The classroom teacher who is responsible for a student's 24
performance. The term does not include a classroom teacher who is only 25
responsible for a student's performance by virtue of being an ATR team lead. 26
"§ 115C-310.5. Advanced teaching roles plan approval. 27
… 28
(d) Implementation Limitations. – The following limitations apply to the implementation 29
of advanced teaching roles in an ATR unit: For each year an ATR unit operates under an ATR 30
plan, the ATR unit may designate additional schools as ATR schools as follows: 31
(1) For the first year of implementation, the ATR unit may include in its ATR 32
plan at least one school up to the lesser of (i) five of the ATR unit's schools or 33
(ii) twenty-five percent (25%) forty percent (40%) of the ATR unit's schools. 34
(2) For the second and third years of implementation, the ATR unit may include 35
in its ATR plan at least one school up to the lesser of (i) 10 of the ATR unit's 36
schools or (ii) fifty percent (50%) of the ATR unit's schools.For any years 37
following the first year of implementation, the ATR unit may designate as 38
ATR schools up to the greater of (i) three schools or (ii) twenty -five percent 39
(25%) of the total number of schools in the ATR unit, not to exceed 10 schools 40
per year. 41
(3) For any years following the third year of implementation, the ATR unit's plan 42
may include any number of the unit's schools. 43
… 44
"§ 115C-310.9. Renewal Renewal, probation, and termination of program participation. 45
(a) ATR Unit Review. – The State Board of Education shall review each ATR unit once 46
every five years based on a publicly available timetable to ensure the unit is complying with the 47
approved ATR plan. The State Board of Education shall adopt a rule describing the process and 48
criteria for this review. As part of the review, the State Board of Education shall consider at least 49
the following information: 50
General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
Page 24 Senate Bill 1006-Second Edition
(1) The total number of teachers in advanced teaching roles in the unit, the number 1
of teachers in each advanced teaching role identified i n the unit's ATR plan, 2
and the number of students receiving instruction from those teachers. 3
(2) For each ATR school in the ATR unit, the total number of teachers in 4
advanced teaching roles in the school, the number of teachers in each 5
advanced teaching ro le identified in the unit's ATR plan in the school, the 6
number of students receiving instruction from those teachers, and the number 7
of teachers led by each ATR team lead. 8
(3) Growth scores for students calculated pursuant to G.S. 115C-83.15. 9
(4) Achievement scores for students calculated pursuant to G.S. 115C-83.15. 10
(5) Retention of effective teachers. 11
(6) Results of the Teacher Working Conditions Survey. 12
(7) Ratings of teachers through the North Carolina Teacher Evaluation System. 13
(8) Evidence that higher performing teachers have been selected to serve in an 14
advanced teaching role. 15
(9) A description of the activities undertaken by ATR team leads to (i) support 16
the professional development of teachers on their team and (ii) enhance 17
instruction by better aligning teachers' strengths with student needs. 18
(10) The amount and funding source for any salary supplement received by 19
teachers in advanced teaching roles in the unit. 20
(11) A description of the amount of release time given to each ATR team lead, how 21
the release time is spent, and how the school facilitates providing that release 22
time. 23
(b) Renewal or Termination. Renewal, Probation, and Termination. – Following the 24
five-year review, the State Board of Education may, in its discretion, may renew or terminate the 25
plan of any ATR unit or any ATR school within the ATR unit that fails to meet criteria established 26
by the State Board of Education. the plan of any ATR unit that meets the criteria established by 27
the State Board of Education. For any ATR unit or ATR school that fails to meet the criteria 28
adopted by the State Board of Education following the five -year review, the State Board shall 29
place the ATR unit or ATR school on probation. If placed on probation , the ATR unit or ATR 30
school will have up to one year to remedy any concerns identified by the State Board. 31
(b1) Termination. – For an ATR unit or ATR school that is on probation, t he State Board 32
of Education shall terminate the ATR status of the unit or school if it does not remedy concerns 33
identified by the State Board within one year. For an ATR unit or ATR school that is not on 34
probation, the State Board may terminate the ATR status of the unit or school outside of the 35
five-year period if the State Board finds that it is not following its approved ATR plan. 36
(c) Annual Report. – No later than October 15 of each year, the State Board of Education 37
shall report the results of any review conducted pursuant to this section and a copy of the 38
information listed in subsection (a) of this section to the Fiscal Research Division and the Joint 39
Legislative Education Oversight Committee. 40
… 41
"§ 115C-310.11. Advanced teaching roles grants. 42
(a) Term. Award of Grants. – Any funds awarded to an ATR unit pursuant to this section 43
shall be are subject to availability and awarded for a term of up to three years, in the discretion 44
of the State Board of Education. An ATR unit shall not be eligible to receive funding for more 45
than two terms. The State Board of Education shall authorize a second term of State funds in 46
accordance with subsection (c) of this section. availability. Any funds awarded to an ATR unit 47
pursuant to this section are subject to availability. Grants include (i) one-time planning funds and 48
(ii) implementation funds for a term o f up to three years, renewable once. The State Board of 49
Education shall authorize a second term of grant funds in accordance with subsection (c) of this 50
General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
Senate Bill 1006-Second Edition Page 25
section. The State Board of Education shall allocate funds to each ATR unit receiving funds 1
pursuant to this section as follows: 2
(1) One hundred fifty thousand dollars ($150,000) in one -time planning funds 3
prior to or during the first year of the ATR unit's initial grant term. 4
(2) Fifteen thousand dollars ($15,000) per ATR school in implementation funds 5
for each year the ATR unit receives grant funds, for no more than three years 6
per ATR school. 7
(b) Use of State Grant Funds. – State Grant funds shall only be used for any of the 8
following purposes, as defined by the State Board of Education: 9
(1) Development of ATR plans. 10
(2) Development of professional development courses for teachers in advanced 11
teaching roles that lead to improved student outcomes. 12
(3) Transition costs associated with designing and implementing ATR plans. 13
Transition costs may include employing staff members or contractors to assist 14
with design and implementation of the plan. 15
(4) Development of the design and implementation of compensation plans that 16
focus on teacher professional growth and student outcomes and the transition 17
costs associated with designing and implementing new compensation plans, 18
including employing staff members or contractors to assist with design and 19
implementation of the plan. 20
(c) Renewal of Award of State Grant Funds. – An ATR unit that received an initial award 21
of State grant funds pursuant to this section may apply for a second term of funding for up to 22
three years. Renewal of an award of State grant funds is in the discretion of the State Board of 23
Education. The ATR unit may apply at any time (i) after the initial awar d of State grant funds 24
expires or (ii) within 90 days prior to the date the initial award of State grant funds is set to expire. 25
Upon receipt of an application for renewal, the State Board of Education shall do the following: 26
(1) Review the unit to ensure the unit is complying with the approved ATR plan 27
and criteria established by the State Board of Education. 28
(2) Grant or deny the application within 60 days of its receipt. 29
… 30
"§ 115C-310.13. Advanced teaching roles salary supplements. 31
(a) ATR units may des ignate up to fifteen percent (15%) of the teachers in each ATR 32
school as adult leadership teachers collaborative impact leaders and five percent (5%) of the 33
teachers in each ATR school as classroom excellence teachers. To the extent funds are made 34
available for the purpose, teachers serving in an advanced teaching role are eligible to receive 35
salary supplements as follows:teachers of distinction. For the purposes of calculating the number 36
of teachers who are eligible to be designated as either collaborative impact leaders or teachers of 37
distinction, all of the following apply: 38
(1) Ten thousand dollars ($10,000) for adult leadership teachers. 39
(2) Three thousand dollars ($3,000) for classroom excellence teachers. 40
(1) If the number of allowable designated positions includes a fractional position 41
that is greater than or equal to one-half, an ATR unit shall round the partial 42
position to a full position. 43
(2) An ATR unit shall count two partial -release collaborative impact leaders as 44
one collaborative impact leader. 45
(b) Notwithstanding G.S. 115C-310.5, to the extent funds are made available for this 46
purpose, the State Board of Education shall award funds to ATR units for annual salary 47
supplements for teachers, teachers serving in advanced teaching roles, and the receiving ATR 48
units shall provide t he salary supplement supplements to participating teachers in accordance 49
with this section.section and in the following amounts: 50
(1) Ten thousand dollars ($10,000) for collaborative impact leaders. 51
General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
Page 26 Senate Bill 1006-Second Edition
(2) Five thousand dollars ($5,000) for partial-release collaborative impact leaders. 1
(3) Three thousand dollars ($3,000) for teachers of distinction. 2
(b1) If State funds are insufficient to cover the full amount of supplement the supplements 3
identified in subsection (a) (b) of this section, the State Board of Education and the ATR unit 4
shall disburse any supplement funds pro rata. If funds have been disbursed pro rata, ATR units 5
are encouraged but not required to fund the remainder of the supplement from alternate funding 6
sources. 7
(c) The following additional requirements apply to salary supplements received pursuant 8
to this section: 9
(1) Loss of a salary supplement received pursuant to this section for any reason 10
shall not be considered is not a demotion under Part 3 of Article 22 of Chapter 11
115C of the General Statutes. 12
(2) A teacher is eligible to continue receiving a salary supplement pursuant to this 13
section as long as he or she remains an adult leadership teacher a collaborative 14
impact leader or a classroom excellence teacher.teacher of distinction. 15
(3) A teacher is eligible to receive no more than one annual salary supplement 16
pursuant to this section at any time. 17
(c1) ATR units are encouraged to use funding from other sources to provide salary 18
supplements in addition to the State-funded salary supplements awarded pursuant to this section. 19
(d) The Department of Public Instruction shall issue guidance to ATR units on how to 20
effectively develop staffing plans and budgets, including how to maximize resources across 21
multiple funding sources and the reach of teachers in advanced teaching roles to a greater number 22
of students. 23
"§ 115C-310.15. Program evaluation. 24
(a) Evaluation. – The State Board of Education shall evaluate how the advanced teaching 25
roles program and new compensation plans have accomplished, at a minimum, the following: 26
(1) Improvement in the quality of classroom instruction and increases in 27
school-wide growth or the growth of teachers who are mentored or impacted 28
by a teacher in an advanced teaching role. 29
(2) An increase in the attractiveness of teaching. 30
(3) Recognition, impact, and retention of high-quality classroom teachers. 31
(4) Assistance to and retention of beginning classroom teachers. 32
(5) Improvement in and expansion of the use of technology and digital learning. 33
(6) Improvement in school culture based on school climate survey results. 34
(b) Annual Report. – No later than October 15 of each year, the State Board of Education 35
shall report the results of the evaluation conducted pursuant to this section to the Fiscal Research 36
Division and the Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee. 37
(c) Access to Review Information. – An ATR unit shall provide any information or 38
access needed to review the advanced teaching roles program that is requested by (i) the State 39
Board of Education or (ii) an inde pendent research organization selected by the State Board of 40
Education to evaluate the program pursuant to this section. 41
(d) Identifying Advanced Teaching Roles Designations. – The Department of Public 42
Instruction shall create designations for teachers serving in advanced teaching roles in the student 43
information system. 44
(e) Of the funds appropriated to the Department of Public Instruction for the Advanced 45
Teaching Roles Progra m established pursuant to this Article, the Department of Public 46
Instruction may use up to three hundred thousand dollars ($300,000) in each fiscal year for the 47
evaluation required by this section. 48
…." 49
General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
Senate Bill 1006-Second Edition Page 27
SECTION 1.16.(b) The State Board of Education shall adopt a rule describing the 1
process and criteria for the review pursuant to G.S. 115C-310.9(a), as amended by this section, 2
by January 1, 2027. 3
SECTION 1.16.(c) The Department of Public Instruction shall issue the guidance to 4
ATR units as required by G.S. 115C-310.13(d) by February 1, 2027. 5
SECTION 1.16.(d) G.S. 115C-310.11(a), as amended by this section, is effective 6
when it becomes law and applies to grant terms, including grant renewals, beginning with or 7
following the 2026-2027 school year. The remainder of this section is effective when it becomes 8
law and applies beginning with the 2026-2027 school year. 9
10
PART II. TRANSFORMING THE HIGH SCHOOL EXPERIENCE 11
12
COMMUNITY COLLEGE SEAMLESS SKILLS INITIATIVE 13
SECTION 2.1.(a) Initiative Established; Purpose. – There is established the 14
Community College Seamless Skills Initiative (Initiative). The purpose of the Initiative is to 15
create a competency -based education (CBE) model that seamlessly connects high school and 16
community college. By aligning learning experiences from high schoo l with college -level 17
competencies, the Initiative shall enable students to explore career pathways, earn dual credit, 18
and fulfill computer science requirements while gaining credentials of value in high -demand 19
technology employment sectors through college credit. 20
SECTION 2.1.(b) Initiative Participants. – Fayetteville Technical Community 21
College (FTCC) and Wilkes Community College (WCC) shall partner to fulfill the commitments 22
of the Initiative. 23
SECTION 2.1.(c) Initiative Commitments. – The Initiative sha ll commit to 24
accomplishing each of the following: 25
(1) Establish high-tech pathways that will integrate high school and community 26
college curricula for hands-on, project-based learning. 27
(2) Develop competency-based pathways that will create cross -curricular maps 28
for dual credit, fostering seamless transitions between secondary and 29
postsecondary education. 30
(3) Scale and replicate to be able to build a scalable framework for rapid 31
implementation across North Carolina. 32
(4) Empower student ownership by enabling students to set long -term learning 33
goals and to manage and own their credentials with a digital wallet. 34
(5) Facilitate student work experiences to accelerate learning and transition 35
students into work through "learn & earn" work-based learning in partnership 36
with public agencies and private employers. 37
(6) Address workforce needs by developing and sustaining a comprehensive 38
talent pipeline of skilled workers for high -demand technology fields in 39
occupations that depend upon informational technology and operat ional 40
technology for operational success. 41
(7) Develop statewide resources, including a guidebook to facilitate model 42
replication and a new talent development model to accelerate learning using 43
CBE. 44
SECTION 2.1.(d) Digital Wallet. – The participants in the Initiative shall contract 45
with a vendor to provide a Credential Management System (CrMS) that meets the following 46
criteria: 47
(1) Provides the capability to issue, manage, and verify digital credentials across 48
multiple widely adopted open standards, includi ng World Wide Web 49
Consortium (W3C) Verifiable Credentials, OpenBadges, and AnonCreds, 50
within a single platform. 51
General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
Page 28 Senate Bill 1006-Second Edition
(2) Supports secure, persistent communication channels that enable 1
authenticated, peer-to-peer interactions between parties. 2
(3) Meets or exceed s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) 3
Identity Assurance Level (IAL) 3 standards for identity proofing to ensure 4
high-confidence identity verification. 5
(4) Is designed as a decentralized deployment operating as a network appliance 6
within the State's controlled cloud environment rather than as a multi -tenant 7
Software as a Service (SaaS) offering in order to ensure data sovereignty, 8
reduce long-term operational costs, and eliminate dependency on third -party 9
hosted infrastructure. 10
(5) Includes a noncustodial mobile digital wallet that enables individuals to 11
maintain sole control of their credentials. 12
(6) Includes configurable, standards -based workflows that extend agency 13
processes directly to credential holders. 14
(7) Incorporates advanced capab ilities for workforce matching, including 15
artificial intelligence driven analysis that aligns verified credentials with 16
employment opportunities. 17
(8) Includes trust and verification systems anchored using blockchain -based 18
mechanisms solely for publishing t amper-resistant public keys and service 19
endpoints, without storing any personally identifiable information or 20
credential data on-chain. 21
SECTION 2.1.(e) Support. – The North Carolina Community Colleges System 22
Office shall provide ongoing technical support to community colleges participating in the 23
Initiative. FTCC shall enter into a memorandum of understanding with WCC to jointly co-design 24
the Initiative. As part of this effort, the colleges shall engage an organization with demonstrated 25
expertise in designing and implementing learner-centered, modular, and competency-based high 26
school programs aligned with emerging and high -tech career pathways. The selected 27
organization shall have a history of co -designing stackable credentials with public school units 28
and postsecondary institutions and a proven track record of building digital infrastructure that 29
supports student -paced progression, interdisciplinary instruction, and authentic skill 30
development. The organization shall assist in the development of a comprehe nsive framework 31
for the Initiative, including course design, sequencing, credentialing structure, and related 32
elements necessary to support personalized student progression during the 2026 -2027 school 33
year. 34
SECTION 2.1.(f) Funding. – There is appropriated from the General Fund to the 35
North Carolina Community Colleges System Office the sum of three million seven hundred fifty 36
thousand dollars ($3,750,000) in nonrecurring funds for the 2026-2027 fiscal year to be allocated 37
to FTCC and WCC for the purposes outlined in this section. Of the funds appropriated in this 38
section, the sum of up to two million seven hundred fifty thousand dollars ($2,750,000) shall be 39
allocated to FTCC and the sum of one million dollars ($1,000,000) s hall be allocated to WCC. 40
Funds allocated for the purposes outlined in this section shall not revert but shall remain available 41
until the end of the 2029-2030 fiscal year. 42
43
COMPETENCY-BASED HIGH SCHOOL AND HEALTHCARE AND HIGH -TECH 44
PATHWAYS PROGRAM 45
SECTION 2.2.(a) Program Established; Purpose. – There is established the 46
Competency-Based High School and Healthcare and High -Tech Pathways Program (Program). 47
The purpose of the Program is to create pathways that will utilize competency -based education 48
(CBE). Pathways will result in obtaining either an associate degree or an industry -recognized 49
credential/certification/licensure based on the student's goal of employment or enrollment. 50
General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
Senate Bill 1006-Second Edition Page 29
Students will decide their college or career track at the end of their junior ye ar with an initial 1
emphasis on healthcare preparation. 2
SECTION 2.2.(b) Participants. – Mooresville Graded School District (MGSD) shall 3
partner with Mitchell Community College (MCC) to implement the Program. 4
SECTION 2.2.(c) Program Time Line. – MGSD, in collaboration with MCC, shall 5
contract with an organization with demonstrated expertise in designing and implementing 6
learner-centered, modular, and competency-based high school programs that align with emerging 7
healthcare and high -tech career pathways. The organization shall have experience in 8
co-designing stackable credentials with public school units and higher education partners and a 9
documented track record of developing digital infrastructure that supports student -paced 10
progression, interdisciplinary learning, and real-world skill acquisition. This organization shall 11
assist in developing a framework for the Program, including course design, sequencing, 12
credentialing structure, and other elements necessary for personalized student progression during 13
the 2026-2027 school year. Students will have the opportunity to participate in a pathway 14
provided by the Program by the 2028-2029 school year at the latest. 15
SECTION 2.2.(d) Program Flexibilities. – Notwithstanding any provision of law to 16
the contrary, the following flexibilities shall be available to Program participants: 17
(1) MGSD may offer Credit by Demonstrated Mastery assessments and CTE 18
Proof of Learning assessments outside of existing State testing windows. 19
(2) MCC may enroll MGSD students in community college courses prior to their 20
eleventh grade year without the student meeting the requirements for ninth 21
and tenth grade students pursuant to subdivision (4) of G.S. 115D-20. 22
(3) Students participating in the Program shall have access to all community 23
college courses at MCC, regardless of pathway selection. 24
(4) MGSD may replace any high school graduation credit requirement, except 25
those outlined in this subdivision, with either community college courses 26
offered by MCC or locally developed CBE courses that a re consistent with 27
the student's pathway. MGSD shall not replace any graduation credit 28
requirements in the following subject areas: 29
a. English. 30
b. Mathematics. 31
c. Science. 32
d. Social Studies. 33
(5) MGSD may operate any high school in the local school administ rative unit 34
consistent with the flexibilities of a school operating under a restart model 35
pursuant to G.S. 115C-105.37B(a)(2). 36
SECTION 2.2.(e) Selection of Third -Party Vendor. – MGSD shall select a 37
third-party vendor (Vendor) that is an educational support provider with a nationally recognized, 38
research-based instructional and leadership framework, including a High Reliability School 39
model, a taxonomy of educational objectives aligned to classroom strategies, and a system for 40
implementing personalized comp etency-based education. The Vendor shall have published 41
extensively in peer -reviewed and practitioner literature, have an established track record of 42
working directly with K -12 schools and districts across multiple states, and offer professional 43
development services, implementation support, and instructional resources developed and led by 44
a founding education researcher with over four decades of influence in curriculum, instruction, 45
and assessment. 46
SECTION 2.2.(f) MGSD Partnership with Vendor. – MGSD shall partner with the 47
Vendor selected pursuant to subsection (e) of this section to develop standards -aligned 48
proficiency scales for all content areas in grades nine through 12 to ensure educators in the 49
participating schools have the tools necessary to successfully transition to CBE approaches. The 50
Vendor shall provide professional development and coaching to the schools in MGSD to ensure 51
General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
Page 30 Senate Bill 1006-Second Edition
educators can engage in learning about CBE approaches, including implementation of the 1
proficiency scales developed by MGSD. 2
SECTION 2.2.(g) Funding. – There is appropriated from the General Fund to the 3
Department of Public Instruction the sum of four million dollars ($4,000,000) in nonrecurring 4
funds for the 2026-2027 fiscal year. These funds shall not revert but shall remain available until 5
the end of the 2028-2029 fiscal year. These funds shall be allocated to MGSD for the following 6
purposes: 7
(1) To contract with experts in CBE and designing stackable credentials pursuant 8
to subsection (c) of this section. 9
(2) To hire one additional staff member at MGSD to oversee implementation of 10
the Program. 11
(3) To partner with a Vendor pursuant to subsection (f) of this section. 12
13
LIGHTHOUSE MATH PROJECT 14
SECTION 2.3.(a) Project Established; Purpose. – There is established the 15
Lighthouse Math Project (Project). The purpose of the Project is to increase the percentage of 16
high school students who are (i) eligible to complete college level mathematics upon graduation 17
from high school and (ii) able to complete college level math either through dual enrollment 18
while in high school or within the first year of college enrollment. 19
SECTION 2.3.(b) Project Participants. – Wake Technical Community College 20
(Wake Tech) shall partner with Wake County Public School System (WCPSS) for high school 21
students at East Wake High School and Knightdale High School to be eligible to participate in 22
the Project at the Wake Tech East campus of Wake Tech. Wake Tech and WCPSS shall partner 23
with SparkNC to align the Project participants' ongoing efforts at the Wake Tech East campus 24
with the design and implementation of the Project. 25
SECTION 2.3.(c) Project Commitments. – WCPSS, in collaboration with Wake 26
Tech, shall contract with Khan Academy, Inc., (Khan) for use of the artificial intelligence student 27
tutoring program, Khanmigo. Students enrolling at participating high schools shall have access 28
to Khanmigo from the time of enrollment in the high school and continuing through their 29
attendance at Wake Tech if the student chooses to enroll at Wake Tech East. Wake Tech shall 30
collaborate with Khan to do the following: 31
(1) Develop and deliver at least one Khanmigo -centered gateway college math 32
course to be offered to high school students at participating high schools to be 33
completed as a college level math course. This course shall also be available 34
to students who graduate from participating high schools and enroll in the 35
courses at Wake Tech East. 36
(2) Develop a Khanmigo-centered developmental math course sequence that will 37
be provided by Wake Tech faculty to students from participating high schools 38
in one of the following formats: 39
a. As part of a Career and College Promise Career Ready Pathway. 40
b. As supplement to a Career and College Promise Pathway. 41
c. As a summer bridge program available to students prior to or 42
subsequent to their junior and senior years of high school. 43
d. As a community college course during the first semester of enrollment 44
at Wake Tech. 45
SECTION 2.3.(d) Modular Math Course. – As part of the Project, Khan, in 46
consultation with Wake Tech and WCPSS, shall work to develop a self-paced, competency-based 47
modular math course with appropriate student diagnostics and student assessments based on the 48
college readiness math competencies provided as part of the Project. It is the intent that students 49
successfully demon strating college readiness math competencies will be eligible to enroll in 50
college level math courses. 51
General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
Senate Bill 1006-Second Edition Page 31
SECTION 2.3.(e) Funding; DPI. – There is appropriated from the General Fund to 1
the Department of Public Instruction the sum of five hundred thousand dol lars ($500,000) in 2
nonrecurring funds for the 2026 -2027 fiscal year to contract with Khan for licenses for the 3
Khanmigo application and to create the course developed pursuant to subdivision (1) of 4
subsection (c) of this section. Funds appropriated for the purposes laid out in this section shall 5
not revert but shall remain available to accomplish the purposes of this section until the end of 6
the 2027-2028 fiscal year. 7
SECTION 2.3.(f) Funding; NCCCS. – There is appropriated from the General Fund 8
to the Community Colleges System Office the sum of up to one million dollars ($1,000,000) in 9
nonrecurring funds for the 2026-2027 fiscal year to be used to establish time-limited positions at 10
Wake Tech. Two positions shall be assigned to work in each participating hi gh school to assist 11
in the implementation of the courses offered by the Project. Funds appropriated for the purposes 12
laid out in this section shall not revert but shall remain available to accomplish the purposes of 13
this section until the end of the 2029-2030 fiscal year. 14
15
COMPETENCY-BASED EDUCATION AND HIGH SCHOOL REDESIGN 16
STRATEGIC NETWORK 17
SECTION 2.4. Mooresville Graded School District, Mitchell Community College, 18
Wake Technical Community College, Wake County Public School System, Fayetteville 19
Technical Community College, Wilkes Community College, and SparkNC shall collaborate to 20
create a Competency-Based Education and High School Redesign Strategic Network (Network). 21
The president of SparkNC, or the president's designee, shall serve as the chair of the Network. 22
The chair shall coordinate the operations of the Network and provide administrative and technical 23
support for the Network to the extent such support is necessary. The Network shall provide a 24
means for each entity to share what it has learned and developed regarding CBE and high school 25
redesign. The goals of the Network shall be to advance the goals of developing a CBE approach 26
to education across the State. 27
28
COMPETENCY-BASED INNOVATION GRANT PROGRAM 29
SECTION 2.5.(a) Program Established; Purpose. – There is established the North 30
Carolina Competency-Based Education Innovation Grant and Network Program (Program). The 31
purpose of the Program is to provide funding and support to schools and districts to support the 32
transition to competency-based education (CBE) models that focus on mastery of learning rather 33
than instructional time. The grant aims to promote innovative instructional practices, flexible 34
assessment models, and systemic shifts to ensure all students progress based on demonstrated 35
proficiency. 36
SECTION 2.5.(b) Program Objectives. – The objectives of the Program are as 37
follows: 38
(1) Redesign learning pathways. – Support schools and districts in developing 39
personalized CBE models that allow students to progress at their own pace. 40
(2) Assessment innovation. – Utilize formative and performance -based 41
assessments that measure student mastery of skills and knowledge, including 42
the use of AI learning tools. 43
(3) Educator capacity building. – Provide common professional development for 44
educators on instructional strategies and assessment practices aligned with 45
transitioning to CBE. 46
(4) Develop strategies for statewide scaling and best practices. – Develop and 47
share resources, implementation strategies, and lessons learned t o expand 48
CBE across North Carolina. 49
SECTION 2.5.(c) Phase One. – The first phase of the Program shall begin with the 50
2026-2027 school year and continue until the conclusion of the 2029 -2030 school year. Public 51
General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
Page 32 Senate Bill 1006-Second Edition
school units shall submit applications and complete any planning or organizational duties during 1
the 2026-2027 school year with implementation of CBE in participating schools beginning with 2
the 2027-2028 school year. 3
SECTION 2.5.(d) Application. – The Department of Public Instruction shall create 4
an application for the Program and make the application available to all public school units no 5
later than 60 days after this act becomes law. Public school units shall submit their applications 6
to the Department no later than 60 days after the application becomes available. The Department 7
shall select 10 schools to participate in the Program no later than 60 days after the close of the 8
application period. When selecting schools to participate in the Program, the Department shall 9
prioritize schools that show a strong commitment to implementing CBE and innovation in 10
assessment. The Department shall develop criteria to determine which schools are most ready to 11
transition to CBE. The application shall include at least the following: 12
(1) A comprehensive plan outli ning the school's vision for competency -based 13
education. 14
(2) A description of instructional and assessment shifts to be implemented. 15
(3) A budget for use of grant funds and a sustainability plan to continue utilizing 16
CBE after the conclusion of Phase One. 17
(4) Commitments from public school units leadership and stakeholders. 18
SECTION 2.5.(e) Grant Funds; Use; Training. – Grant awards shall be in the amount 19
of three hundred thirty thousand dollars ($330,000) to each participating school. Participating 20
schools shall use the sum of ninety -five thousand dollars ($95,000) each school year to receive 21
training on the implementation of CBE in the school. The remaining grant funds shall be used 22
for costs associated with the transition to CBE, including travel costs and CBE resources. Grant 23
funds shall remain available until the end of the 2029-2030 fiscal year. 24
SECTION 2.5.(f) Selection of Third-Party Vendor. – The Department shall select a 25
third-party vendor (Vendor) that is an educational support provider with a nationally recognized, 26
research-based instructional and leadership framework, including a High Reliability School 27
model, a taxonomy of educational objectives aligned to classroom strategies, and a system for 28
implementing personalized competency -based educa tion. The provider must have published 29
extensively in peer -reviewed and practitioner literature, have an established track record of 30
working directly with K -12 schools and districts across multiple states, and offer professional 31
development services, implementation support, and instructional resources developed and led by 32
a founding education researcher with over four decades of influence in curriculum, instruction, 33
and assessment. 34
SECTION 2.5.(g) Department Partnership with Vendor. – The Department shall 35
partner with the Vendor selected pursuant to subsection (f) of this section to develop publicly 36
available, standards-aligned proficiency scales for all content areas and grade levels to ensure 37
educators in the participating schools have the tools necessary to successfully transition to CBE 38
approaches. The Vendor shall provide annual professional development events throughout the 39
regions of the State to ensure educators can engage in learning about CBE approaches, including 40
implementation of the proficiency scales developed by the Department. 41
SECTION 2.5.(h) Department Duties. – The Department of Public Instruction shall 42
do the following as part of the Program: 43
(1) Develop, in collaboration with the Vendor, a CBE Network to support the 44
long-term transition to CBE. The CBE Network shall do the following: 45
a. Provide strategic guidance and policy recommendations for scaling 46
CBE statewide. 47
b. Facilitate collaboration among grant recipients, educators, 48
policymakers, and CBE industrial leaders. 49
c. Develop a long-term roadmap for CBE implementation statewide. 50
General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
Senate Bill 1006-Second Edition Page 33
d. Offer professional learning communities and shared online resources 1
to support ongoing innovation and capacity building. 2
e. Develop methods of measuring proficiency for all courses offered as 3
part of the standard course of study in kindergarten through grade 12, 4
with support from the Vendor. 5
f. Disseminate developed proficiency measures to all public school units 6
and post standards developed to align with the proficiency measures 7
online on a publicly accessible website. 8
g. Conduct research and evaluation to inform best practices and 9
continuous improvement in participating schools. 10
(2) Provide support and technical assistance, professional learning opportunities, 11
and access to the CBE Network for all grant recipients. 12
SECTION 2.5.(i) Reporting; Participants. – Each participating school shall submit 13
a quarterly progress report to the Department detailing implementation of CBE in the school. The 14
Department shall establish the due dates and mechanism for the submis sion of the progress 15
reports. Progress shall include available student learning outcome data, including evidence of 16
progress toward content mastery. 17
SECTION 2.5.(j) Reporting; Department. – The Department of Public Instruction 18
shall submit a final report on the outcomes of Phase One of the Program to the Joint Legislative 19
Education Oversight Committee by December 1, 2030. The report shall include the following: 20
(1) A summary of student outcomes reported by participating schools. 21
(2) Any challenges experienced by participating schools or the Department with 22
implementation of the Program. 23
(3) Recommendations for scaling the Program statewide. 24
(4) Any other information the Department deems relevant. 25
(5) Any information requested by the Committee. 26
SECTION 2.5.(k) Appropriation. – There is appropriated from the General Fund to 27
the Department of Public Instruction the sum of five million three hundred thousand dollars 28
($5,300,000) in nonrecurring funds to implement the provisions of this section. Funds 29
appropriated in this section shall not revert but shall remain available until the end of the 30
2029-2030 fiscal year. 31
32
OFFICE OF LEARNING RESEARCH EVALUATION 33
SECTION 2.6.(a) Study and Evaluation. – The Office of Learning Research at the 34
North Carolina Collaboratory shall study and evaluate the programs and initiatives established 35
pursuant to this Part and report to the Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee by March 36
15, 2028, and annually thereafter, culminating in a final report on March 15, 2031. Reports shall 37
include at least the following: 38
(1) The total number of students engaging with these programs. 39
(2) The total amount of funds expended to implement, design, and operate the 40
programs. 41
(3) Effects on student achievement and learning outcomes. 42
SECTION 2.6.(b) Funding. – There is appropriated from the General Fund to the 43
Board of Governors of The University of North Carolina the sum of four hundred fifty thousand 44
dollars ($450,000) in nonrecurring funds for the 2026 -2027 fiscal year to be allocated to the 45
North Carolina Collaboratory for the Office of Learning Research to conduct the study and 46
evaluation required by this section. 47
48
PART III. EFFECTIVE DATE 49
SECTION 3. Except as otherwise provided, this act becomes effective July 1, 2026. 50