New from BEST NC! Teacher Pay in North Carolina: A Smart Investment in Student Achievement. Includes new analyses of how increased and transformed teacher salary structures can make North Carolina a national leader in teacher pay! bestnc.org/policybriefs/ #NCEd

New data today! NC's 2025-26 four-year cohort graduation rate reached 88.8%, the highest in state history. Overall test proficiency hit 59.2%, a 3-year high. Low-performing schools dropped by 162 to 523; low-performing districts fell from 23 to 10, the fewest since 2018-19. #NCEd

North Carolina's public schools welcome back over 1.5 million students this fall. Source: NCDPI #NCEd

The percentage of North Carolina educator preparation program completers who were employed in North Carolina public schools the next year rose from 75% in 2020-21 to 79% in 2024-25. #NCEd

Take a look at public and independent educator preparation program completions across the United States and in North Carolina from 2004-2024. #NCEd

NC K-12 enrollment, 2014-15 to 2024-25: Public Charter enrollment more than doubled (68,770→151,029). Homeschool grew 55% (106,853→165,243). Traditional Public declined (1,433,592→1,365,118). Source: NCDPI Statistical Tables #NCEd

NC public and independent educator preparation program enrollment grew from 19,948 in 2015-16 to 21,769 in 2024-25, per NC DPI data. #NCEd

Child food insecurity in NC dropped from 26% in 2013 to 19% in 2023, per Feeding America's Map the Meal Gap data. #NCEd

Starting teacher pay in NC is now the highest in the region at $48K – with most districts offering supplements to boost that to an average of $53K. Want to become a teacher? Visit TeachNC.org for licensure info, scholarships, & a statewide jobs board! #nced #ncga

NC was the 1st state in the nation to ensure that qualified students had access to advanced math courses. Now, we're the 1st state to extend that auto-enroll policy to ELA, increasing access for tens of thousands of students! bestnc.org/advancedcoursewor… #nced #ncpol #ncga #ncbudget

The NC budget includes a $30M investment in ATR, which provides up to $10K extra to teacher leaders for taking on leadership duties, coaching their colleagues, and/or reaching more students. The result? Improved teacher quality and student outcomes! BESTNC.org/ATR #ncga

The NC state budget was released today – an important step in shaping the state's education investments for the year ahead. Follow its progress and see the details at ncleg.gov. #NCEd

Six years after graduation, NCCCS Early Childhood Education associate degree grads from the 2017-18 class earned a median wage of $32,074, compared to $45,936 for graduates across all subject areas. Source: NC TOWER #NCEd

In 2023-24, White children made up 47% of NC's under-5 population and 52% of preschool enrollment. Hispanic or Latino children were 20% of under-5 but 14% of preschool enrollment. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS #NCEd

NC's school-age population has declined from 21% of state residents in 2000 to 19% in 2024. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Decennial Census & American Community Survey #NCEd

In May 2024, NC median wages: child-care workers $28,480; preschool teachers $30,980; preschool/child care center directors $50,270. All below national medians. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OES #NCEd

42% of NC children ages 9–35 months received developmental screening in 2024, down from 51% in 2019. The national rate was 37% in 2024. Source: 2023-24 National Survey of Children's Health #NCEd

In 2025, 43% of NC children under 18 lived at or below 200% of the federal poverty line, compared to 34% nationally. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, CPS ASEC #NCEd

NC community colleges produced 3,116 early childhood education graduates in 2024-25, up from 2,777 in 2014-15. Source: NCCCS Data Dashboard #NCEd

Thanks to everyone who joined us for yesterday's Advanced Teaching Roles sharing session at NCDPI! Find out more about Advanced Teaching Roles here: bestnc.org/atr/ #NCEd

In NC, teachers of infants & toddlers are required to complete 1 course in early childhood education. NC Pre-K lead teachers must hold a bachelor's degree in early childhood education. Source: NCDHHS, NC Pre-K Program #NCEd