Chapter 115C

For the purposes of this Part, the following definitions apply: (1) Discriminatory practice. - Any of the following based on an individual's protected classification under federal law: a. Treating an individual differently solely to advantage or disadvantage that individual as co…

(a) Public school units shall not do any of the following: (1) Engage in or advocate for discriminatory practices. (2) Compel students, teachers, administrators, or other school employees to affirm or profess belief in divisive concepts. (3) Provide instruction to students on div…

(a) Parents have legal rights with regards to their child's education, including the following: (1) The right to consent or withhold consent for participation in reproductive health and safety education programs, consistent with the requirements of G.S. 115C-81.30. (2) The right …

(a) The State Board of Education shall develop minimum requirements for public school units for a parent's guide to student achievement to provide what parents need to know about their child's educational progress and how they can help their child to succeed in school. These mini…

(a) Governing bodies of public school units shall, in consultation with parents, teachers, administrators, and community partners, develop and adopt policies to promote parental involvement and empowerment in the public school unit. The policies shall provide for parental choices…

(a) A parent may request in writing from the principal of the school in which his or her child is enrolled any of the information the parent has the right to access, as provided in this Part. A principal, within 10 business days, shall either (i) provide the requested information…

(a) The governing body of a public school unit shall adopt procedures to notify a parent of the following: (1) At the beginning of each school year, notice of each health care service offered at his or her child's school and the means for the parent to provide consent for any spe…

Student support services training developed or provided by a public school unit to school personnel shall adhere to student services guidelines, standards, and frameworks established by the Department of Public Instruction. (2023-106, s. 2(a).)

Instruction on gender identity, sexual activity, or sexuality shall not be included in the curriculum provided in grades kindergarten through fourth grade, regardless of whether the information is provided by school personnel or third parties. For the purposes of this section, cu…

(a) The governing body of a public school unit shall adopt procedures for a parent to notify the principal at his or her child's school regarding concerns about a public school unit's procedure or practice under this Part and a process for resolving those concerns within seven da…

(a) The following definitions shall apply in this section: (1) Adult student. - An enrolled student who is 18 years of age or older or is an emancipated minor. (2) Protected information survey. - A survey, analysis, or evaluation that reveals information concerning any of the fol…

(a) Each public school unit shall report annually by September 15 the following information to the State Board of Education in a format designated by the State Board: (1) The most current version of the policies and procedures adopted as required by this Article with any modifica…

Instruction in career and technical education shall include the following: (1) The integration of academic and career and technical education. (2) A sequential course of study leading to career and college readiness. (3) Increased student work skill attainment and job placement. …

The State Board shall develop standards for an elective middle school course in which students investigate and learn about career pathways. The standards shall align with the requirements for career development plans under G.S. 115C-158.10(c) and include a focus on experiential a…

The State Board of Education shall develop a list of recommended conflict resolution and mediation materials, models, and curricula that address responsible decision making, the causes and effects of school violence and harassment, cultural diversity, and nonviolent methods for r…

(a) Instruction shall be provided in alcohol and drug use prevention education from kindergarten through high school. (b) The State Board of Education shall develop and maintain a recommended list of alcohol and drug use prevention education materials that include components for …

(a) Comprehensive health education instruction shall be developed and taught to students from kindergarten through ninth grade. (b) The State Board of Education shall do all of the following: (1) Supervise the development and operation of the statewide comprehensive school health…

The standard course of study shall include instruction on social media and its effects on health, including social, emotional, and physical effects. Instruction shall be provided once during elementary school, once during middle school, and twice during high school. Instruction o…

(a) Each local school administrative unit shall provide a reproductive health and safety education program commencing in the seventh grade. Materials used in this instruction shall be age-appropriate for use with students. Law enforcement agencies, criminal justice agencies, and …

The State Board of Education shall develop or identify academically rigorous honors-level courses in healthful living education that can be offered at the high school level. These honors-level courses shall be more rigorous than standard-level courses, include advanced content, p…

(a) When practicable, local boards of education shall offer advanced learning opportunities in mathematics in grades three through five, and advanced courses in mathematics in all grades six and higher. For the purposes of this section, advanced learning opportunities are those s…

The standard course of study shall include the requirement that the public schools provide to all students one yearlong course of instruction on North Carolina history and geography in elementary school and one yearlong course of instruction in middle school on North Carolina his…

(a) Except when a board authorizes teaching in a foreign language in order to comply with federal law, local boards of education shall require all teachers and principals to conduct classes except foreign language classes in English. Any teacher or principal who refuses to do so …

(a) All children can learn. It is the intent of the General Assembly that the mission of the public school community is to challenge with high expectations each child to learn, to achieve, and to fulfill his or her potential. With that mission as its guide, the State Board of Edu…

All high schools and middle schools shall be encouraged to have elected student councils through which students have input into policies and decisions that affect them. All other schools are encouraged to have student councils. The purpose of these student councils is to build ci…

Schools should encourage discussions of current events in a wide range of classes, especially social studies and language arts classes. All high schools and middle schools are encouraged to have at least two classes per grade level to offer interactive current events discussions …

(a) This section shall be known and may be cited as the "Gizella Abramson Holocaust Education Act." (b) The State Board of Education shall review the middle school and high school standard course of study and, in consultation and coordination with the North Carolina Council on th…

(a) Each local board of education shall develop and implement character education instruction with input from the local community. The instruction shall be incorporated into the standard curriculum and should address the following traits: (1) Courage. - Having the determination t…

(a) Instruction shall be provided in personal financial literacy for all students. In addition to the requirements in subsection (b) of this section, the State Board of Education shall determine the other components of personal financial literacy that will be covered in the curri…

(a) Each local board of education shall provide instruction on disability, people with disabilities, and the disability rights movement in conjunction with Disability History and Awareness Month, established pursuant to G.S. 103-11. (b) This instruction shall be incorporated thro…

The standard course of study shall include the requirement that the public schools provide instruction in cursive writing so that students create readable documents through legible cursive handwriting by the end of fifth grade. (2017-126, s. 5.)

The standard course of study shall include the requirement that students enrolled in public schools memorize multiplication tables to demonstrate competency in efficiently multiplying numbers. (2017-126, s. 5.)

The State Board of Education and the Department of Public Instruction shall report to the Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee by March 30 of each year on the compliance of each local school administrative unit with the requirements regarding cursive writing pursuant t…

(a) The State Board of Education shall encourage schools to offer American Sign Language classes in high schools as a modern foreign language. (b) The State Board of Education shall adopt and implement standards for the certification of teachers of American Sign Language and shal…

(a) Required Instruction. - The State Board of Education shall include instruction in computer science in the standard course of study for middle and high school students. Computer science shall mean the study of computers and algorithmic processes, including their (i) principles…

The goal of the State is to ensure that every student read at or above grade level by the end of third grade and continue to progress in reading proficiency so that he or she can read, comprehend, integrate, and apply complex texts needed for secondary education and career succes…

(a) Each local board of education shall publish annually on a website maintained by that local school administrative unit and report in writing to the State Board of Education by September 1 of each year the following information on the prior school year: (1) The number and perce…

(a) Parents or guardians of a third grade student demonstrating reading proficiency or a second grade student demonstrating appropriate developmental abilities in reading comprehension may choose to enroll the student in the reading camp but may be charged an attendance fee. If a…

Local school administrative units shall not use a three-cueing system or a curriculum with visual memory as the primary basis for teaching word recognition in any instruction or intervention provided to students in grades kindergarten through three. (2023-134, s. 7.64(c).)

(a) School Scores and Grades. - The State Board of Education shall award school achievement, growth, and performance scores and an associated performance grade as required by G.S. 115C-12(9)c1., and calculated as provided in this section. (b) Calculation of the School Achievement…

(a) The State Board of Education shall use the school performance scores and grades as calculated under G.S. 115C-83.15 to satisfy the federal requirement under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), P.L. 114-95, t…

The following definitions apply in this Part: (1) Achievement score. - A numerical score on a scale of zero to 100 that is based on the sum of points earned by a school or by a subgroup of students pursuant to G.S. 115C-83.15. (2) Growth score. - A numerical score measuring stude…

G.S. 115C-83.2(a) is set out twice. See note. (a) (Applicable before the beginning of the 2022-2023 school year) The purposes of this Part are to ensure that (i) difficulty with reading development is identified as early as possible; (ii) students receive appropriate instructiona…

The following definitions apply in this Part: (1) "Accelerated reading class" means a class where focused literacy interventions are provided to increase a student's reading level at least two grades in one school year. (2) "Alternative assessment" means a valid and reliable stan…

(a) The State Board of Education shall require the following for high school graduation: (1) Successful completion of instruction in cardiopulmonary resuscitation as provided in G.S. 115C-81.25(c)(10). (2) A passing grade in the semester course on the Founding Principles of the U…

(a) The State Board of Education shall establish, implement, and determine the impact of adding (i) college, (ii) career, and (iii) college and career endorsements to high school diplomas to encourage students to obtain requisite job skills necessary for students to be successful…

(a) The State Board of Education shall develop, implement, and continuously evaluate a comprehensive plan to improve reading achievement in the public schools. The plan shall be based on reading instructional practices with strong evidence of effectiveness in current empirical re…

(a) There is established the Early Literacy Program within the Department of Public Instruction. The Department of Public Instruction, in consultation with the Department of Health and Human Services, shall use the Early Literacy Program to build strong foundational early literac…

(a) The State Board of Education shall ensure that every student entering kindergarten shall be administered a developmental screening of early language, literacy, and math skills within 30 days of enrollment. (b) The State Board of Education shall ensure that every student enter…

G.S. 115C-83.6 is set out twice. See notes. (a) Kindergarten, first, second, and third grade students shall be assessed with valid, reliable, formative, and diagnostic reading assessments made available to local school administrative units by the State Board of Education pursuant…