The general supervision and administration of the free public school system shall be vested in the State Board of Education. The State Board of Education shall establish all needed rules and regulations for the system of free public schools, subject to laws enacted by the General Assembly. In accordance with Sections 7 and 8 of Article III of the North Carolina Constitution, the Superintendent of Public Instruction, as an elected officer and Council of State member, shall administer all needed rules and regulations adopted by the State Board of Education through the Department of Public Instruction. The powers and duties of the State Board of Education are defined as follows:

(1) Financial Powers. – The financial powers of the Board are set forth in Article 30 of this Chapter.

(1a) To Submit a Budget Request to the Director of the Budget. – The Board shall submit a budget request to the Director of the Budget in accordance with N.C. Gen. Stat. § 143C-3-3. In addition to the information requested by the Director of the Budget, the Board shall provide an analysis relating each of its requests for expansion funds to anticipated improvements in student performance.

(2) Repealed by Session Laws 1985 (Regular Session, 1986), c. 975, s. 24.

(3), (4) Repealed by Session Laws 1987 (Regular Session, 1988), c. 1025, s. 1.

(5) Apportionment of Funds. – The Board shall have authority to apportion and equalize over the State all State school funds and all federal funds granted to the State for assistance to educational programs administered within or sponsored by the public school system of the State.

(6) Power to Demand Refund for Inaccurate Apportionment Due to False Attendance Records. – When it shall be found by the State Board of Education that inaccurate attendance records have been filed with the State Board of Education which resulted in an excess allotment of funds for teacher salaries in any school unit in any school year, the school unit concerned may be required to refund to the State Board the amount allotted to said unit in excess of the amount an accurate attendance record would have justified.

(7) Power to Alter the Boundaries of City School Administrative Units and to Approve Agreements for the Consolidation and Merger of School Administrative Units Located in the Same County. – The Board shall have authority, in its discretion, to alter the boundaries of city school administrative units and to approve agreements submitted by county and city boards of education requesting the merger of two or more contiguous city school administrative units and the merger of city school administrative units with county school administrative units and the consolidation of all the public schools in the respective units under the administration of one board of education: Provided, that such merger of units and reorganization of school units shall not have the effect of abolishing any special taxes that may have been voted in any such units.

(8) Power to Make Provisions for Sick Leave and for Substitute Teachers. – The Board shall provide for sick leave with pay for all public school employees in accordance with the provisions of this Chapter and shall promulgate rules and regulations providing for necessary substitutes on account of sick leave and other teacher absences.

The minimum pay for a substitute teacher who holds a teaching certificate shall be sixty-five percent (65%) of the daily pay rate of an entry-level teacher with an “A” certificate. The minimum pay for a substitute teacher who does not hold a teaching certificate shall be fifty percent (50%) of the daily pay rate of an entry-level teacher with an “A” certificate. The pay for noncertified substitutes shall not exceed the pay of certified substitutes.

Local boards may use State funds allocated for substitute teachers to hire full-time substitute teachers.

If a teacher assistant acts as a substitute teacher, the salary of the teacher assistant for the day shall be the same as the daily salary of an entry-level teacher with an “A” certificate.

(9) Miscellaneous Powers and Duties. – All the powers and duties exercised by the State Board of Education shall be in conformity with the Constitution and subject to such laws as may be enacted from time to time by the General Assembly. Among such duties are:

a. To certify and regulate the grade and salary of teachers and other school employees.

b. To adopt and supply textbooks.

c. Repealed by Session Laws 2017-126, s. 11, effective July 20, 2017.

c1. To issue an annual “report card” for the State and for each local school administrative unit, assessing each unit’s efforts to improve student performance based on the growth in performance of the students in each school and taking into account progress over the previous years’ level of performance and the State’s performance in comparison with other states. This assessment shall take into account factors that have been shown to affect student performance and that the State Board considers relevant to assess the State’s efforts to improve student performance. The annual “report card” for each local school administrative unit shall include the following:

1. The State Board shall award, in accordance with N.C. Gen. Stat. § 115C-83.15, an overall numerical school achievement, growth, and performance score on a scale of zero to 100 and a corresponding performance letter grade of A, B, C, D, or F earned by each school within the local school administrative unit. The school performance score and grade shall reflect student performance on annual subject-specific assessments, college and workplace readiness measures, graduation rates, and student progress in achieving English language proficiency. In addition, the State Board shall award separate performance scores and grades for the following:

I. School performance of certain subgroups of students as provided in N.C. Gen. Stat. § 115C-83.15

II. For schools serving students in any grade from kindergarten to eighth grade, school performance in reading and mathematics respectively.

2. For schools serving students in third grade, the number and percentage of third grade students who (i) take and pass the alternative assessment of reading comprehension; (ii) were retained in third grade for not demonstrating reading proficiency as indicated in N.C. Gen. Stat. § 115C-83.7(a); and (iii) were exempt from mandatory third grade retention by category of exemption as listed in N.C. Gen. Stat. § 115C-83.7(b).

3. For high schools, measures of Advanced Placement course participation, Cambridge Advanced International Certificate of Education (AICE) Program participation, and International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme participation and Advanced Placement, Cambridge AICE, and International Baccalaureate examination participation and performance.

4. For schools serving any students in ninth through twelfth grade, the percentage of students who achieved the minimum score required for admission into a constituent institution of The University of North Carolina on a nationally normed test of college readiness.

5. For schools serving any students in ninth through twelfth grade, the percentage of students enrolled in Career and Technical Education courses who score at Silver, Gold, or Platinum levels on a nationally normed test of workplace readiness.

c2. Repealed by Session Laws 1995 (Regular Session, 1996), c. 716, s. 1.

c3. To develop a system of school building improvement reports for each school building. The purpose of school building improvement reports is to measure improvement in the growth in student performance at each school building from year to year, not to compare school buildings. The Board shall include in the building reports any factors shown to affect student performance that the Board considers relevant to assess a school’s efforts to improve student performance. Local school administrative units shall produce and make public their school building improvement reports by March 15, 1997, for the 1995-96 school year, by October 15, 1997, for the 1996-97 school year, and annually thereafter. Each report shall be based on building-level data for the prior school year.

c4. To develop guidelines, procedures, and rules to establish, implement, and enforce the School-Based Management and Accountability Program under Article 8B of this Chapter in order to improve student performance, increase local flexibility and control, and promote economy and efficiency.

d. To formulate rules and regulations for the enforcement of the compulsory attendance law.

e. Repealed by Session Laws 2019-176, s. 3(d), effective July 1, 2020.

In making substantial policy changes in administration, curriculum, or programs the Board should conduct hearings throughout the regions of the State, whenever feasible, in order that the public may be heard regarding these matters.

(9a), (9b) Repealed by Session Laws 2005-458, s. 1, effective October 2, 2005.

(9c) Power to Develop Content Standards. –

a. The Board shall develop a comprehensive plan to revise content standards and the standard course of study in the core academic areas of reading, writing, mathematics, science, history, geography, and civics. The Board shall involve and survey a representative sample of parents, teachers, and the public to help determine academic content standard priorities and usefulness of the content standards. A full review of available and relevant academic content standards that are rigorous, specific, sequenced, clear, focused, and measurable, whenever possible, shall be a part of the process of the development of content standards. The revised content standards developed in the core academic areas shall (i) reflect high expectations for students and an in-depth mastery of the content; (ii) be clearly grounded in the content of each academic area; (iii) be defined grade-by-grade and course-by-course; (iv) be understandable to parents and teachers; (v) be developed in full recognition of the time available to teach the core academic areas at each grade level; and (vi) be measurable, whenever possible, in a reliable, valid, and efficient manner for accountability purposes.

b. High school course content standards shall include the knowledge and skills necessary to pursue further postsecondary education or to attain employment in the 21st century economy. The high school course content standards also shall be aligned with the minimum undergraduate course requirements for admission to the constituent institutions of The University of North Carolina.

c. The Board also shall develop and implement an ongoing process to align State programs and support materials with the revised academic content standards for each core academic area on a regular basis. Alignment shall include revising textbook criteria, support materials, State tests, teacher and school administrator preparation, and ongoing professional development programs to be compatible with content standards. The Board shall develop and make available to teachers and parents support materials, including teacher and parent guides, for academic content standards. The State Board of Education shall work in collaboration with the Board of Governors of The University of North Carolina to ensure that teacher and school administrator degree programs, ongoing professional development, and other university activity in the State’s public schools align with the State Board’s priorities.

(9d) Power to Develop Exit Standards and Graduation Requirements. –

a. The Board may develop exit standards that shall be required for high school graduation. The Board shall require the following for high school graduation:

1. Successful completion of instruction in cardiopulmonary resuscitation as provided in N.C. Gen. Stat. § 115C-81.25(c)(10).

2. A passing grade in the semester course on the Founding Principles of the United States of America and the State of North Carolina described in N.C. Gen. Stat. § 115C-81.45(d)(1).

b. The following restrictions apply to the Board regarding Algebra I and high school graduation projects:

1. The Board shall not adopt or enforce any rule that requires Algebra I as a graduation standard or as a requirement for a high school diploma for any student whose individualized education program (i) identifies the student as learning disabled in the area of mathematics and (ii) states that this learning disability will prevent the student from mastering Algebra I.

2. The Board shall not require any student to prepare a high school graduation project as a condition of graduation from high school; local boards of education may, however, require their students to complete a high school graduation as provided in N.C. Gen. Stat. § 115C-47(54a).

(10) Power to Provide for Programs or Projects in the Cultural and Fine Arts Areas. – The Board is authorized and empowered, in its discretion, to make provisions for special programs or projects of a cultural and fine arts nature for the enrichment and strengthening of educational opportunities for the children of the State.

For this purpose, the Board may use funds received from gifts or grants and, with the approval of the Director of the Budget, may use State funds which the Board may find available in any budget administered by the Board.

(11) Power to Conduct Education Research. – The Board is authorized to sponsor or conduct education research and special school projects considered important by the Board for improving the public schools of the State. Such research or projects may be conducted during the summer months and involve one or more local school units as the Board may determine. The Board may use any available funds for such purposes.

(12) Duty to Provide for Sports Medicine and Emergency Paramedical Program. – The State Board of Education is authorized and directed to develop a comprehensive plan to train and make available to the public schools personnel who shall have major responsibility for exercising preventive measures against sports related deaths and injuries and for providing sports medicine and emergency paramedical services for injuries that occur in school related activities. The plan shall include, but is not limited to, the training, assignment of responsibilities, and appropriate additional reimbursement for individuals participating in the program.

The State Board of Education is authorized and directed to develop an implementation schedule and a program funding formula that will enable each high school to have a qualified sports medicine and emergency paramedical program by July 1, 1984.

The State Board of Education is authorized and directed to establish minimum educational standards necessary to enable individuals serving as sports medicine and emergency paramedical staff to provide such services, including first aid and emergency life saving skills, to students participating in school activities.

(13) Power to Purchase Liability Insurance. – The Board is authorized to purchase insurance to protect board members from liability incurred in the exercise of their duty as members of the Board.

(14) Duty to Provide Personnel Information to Local Boards. – Upon request, the State Board of Education and the Department of Public Instruction shall furnish to any county or city board of education any and all available personnel information relating to certification, evaluation and qualification including, but not limited to, semester hours or quarterly hours completed, graduate work, grades, scores, etc., that are on that date in the files of the State Board of Education or Department of Public Instruction.

(15) Duty to Develop Noncertified Personnel Position Evaluation Descriptions. – The Board is authorized and directed to develop position evaluation descriptions covering those positions in local school administrative units for which certification by the State Board of Education is not normally a prerequisite. The position evaluation descriptions required in this subdivision are to be used by local boards of education as the basis for assignment of noncertified employees to an appropriate pay grade in accordance with salary grades and ranges adopted by the State Board of Education. No appropriations are required by this subdivision.

(16) Power with Regard to Salary Schedules. – The Board shall provide for sick leave with pay for all public school employees in accordance with the provisions of this Chapter and shall promulgate rules and regulations providing for necessary substitutes on account of sick leave and other teacher absences.

a. Support personnel refers to all public school employees who are not required by statute or regulation to be certified in order to be employed. The State Board of Education is authorized and empowered to adopt all necessary rules for full implementation of all schedules to the extent that State funds are made available for support personnel.

b. Salary schedules for the following public school support personnel shall be adopted by the State Board of Education: school finance officer, office support personnel, teacher assistants, maintenance supervisors, custodial personnel, and transportation personnel. The Board shall classify these support positions in terms of uniform pay grades included in the salary schedule of the State Human Resources Commission.

By the end of the third payroll period of the 1995-96 fiscal year, local boards of education shall place State-allotted office support personnel, teacher assistants, and custodial personnel on the salary schedule adopted by the State Board of Education so that the average salary paid is the State-allotted amount for the category. In placing employees on the salary schedule, the local board shall consider the education, training, and experience of each employee, including experience in other local school administrative units. It is the intent of the General Assembly that a local school administrative unit not fail to employ an employee who was employed for the prior school year in order to implement the provisions of this sub-subdivision. A local board of education is in compliance with this sub-subdivision if the average salary paid is at least ninety-five percent (95%) of the State-allotted amount for the category at the end of the third payroll period of the 1995-96 fiscal year, and at least ninety-eight percent (98%) of the State-allotted amount for the category at the end of the third payroll period of each subsequent fiscal year. The Department of Public Instruction shall provide technical assistance to local school administrative units regarding the implementation of this sub-subdivision.

c. Salary schedules for other support personnel, including but not limited to maintenance and school food service personnel, shall be adopted by the State Board of Education. The Board shall classify these support positions in terms of uniform pay grades included in the salary schedule of the State Human Resources Commission. These schedules shall apply if the local board of education does not adopt a salary schedule of its own for personnel paid from other than State appropriations.

(17) Power to Provide for School Transportation Programs. – The State Board of Education is authorized and empowered to promulgate such policies, rules, and regulations as it may deem necessary and desirable for the operation of a public school transportation system by each local administrative unit in the State. Such policies, rules, and regulations shall include, but are not limited to, fund allocations and fiscal support to assure the effective and efficient use of funds appropriated by the General Assembly in support of the school transportation system. Nothing herein shall be construed to affect in any way or to lessen in any way the full and complete authority of local boards of education to assign pupils to schools in accordance with N.C. Gen. Stat. § 115C-366

(18) Duty to Develop and Implement a Uniform Education Reporting System, Which Shall Include Standards and Procedures for Collecting Fiscal and Personnel Information. –

a. The State Board of Education shall adopt standards and procedures for local school administrative units to provide timely, accurate, and complete fiscal and personnel information, including payroll information, on all school personnel.

b. The State Board of Education shall develop and implement a Uniform Education Reporting System that shall include requirements for collecting, processing, and reporting fiscal, personnel, and student data, by means of electronic transfer of data files from local computers to the State Computer Center through the State Communications Network.

c. The State Board of Education shall comply with the provisions of N.C. Gen. Stat. § 116-11(10a) to plan and implement an exchange of information between the public schools and the institutions of higher education in the State. The State Board of Education shall require local boards of education to provide to the parents of children at a school all information except for confidential information received about that school from institutions of higher education pursuant to N.C. Gen. Stat. § 116-11(10a) and to make that information available to the general public.

d. The State Board of Education shall modify the Uniform Education Reporting System to provide clear, accurate, and standard information on the use of funds at the unit and school level. The plan shall provide information that will enable the General Assembly to determine State, local, and federal expenditures for personnel at the unit and school level. The plan also shall allow the tracking of expenditures for textbooks, educational supplies and equipment, capital outlay, at-risk students, and other purposes.

e. When practicable, reporting requirements developed by the State Board of Education as part of the Uniform Education Reporting System under this subdivision shall be incorporated into the student information system to minimize duplicative reporting by local school administrative units.

f. The State Board of Education shall develop a process for local school administrative units to annually identify enrolled military-connected students using the Uniform Education Reporting System. The identification of military-connected students shall not be used for the purposes of determining school achievement, growth, and performance scores as required by N.C. Gen. Stat. § 115C-12(9)c1. The identification of military-connected students is not a public record within the meaning of N.C. Gen. Stat. § 132-1 and shall not be made public by any person, except as permitted under the provisions of the Family Educational and Privacy Rights Act of 1974, 20 U.S.C. § 1232g. For purposes of this section, a “military-connected student” means a student enrolled in a local school administrative unit who has a parent, step-parent, sibling, or any other person who resides in the same household serving in the active or reserve components of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, or National Guard. Beginning in the 2016-2017 school year, and annually thereafter, the identification of military-connected students for all local school administrative units shall be completed by January 31 of each school year.

(19) Duty to Identify Required Reports and to Eliminate Unnecessary Reports and Paperwork. – Prior to the beginning of each school year, the State Board of Education shall identify all reports that are required at the State level for the school year.

The State Board of Education shall adopt policies to ensure that local school administrative units are not required by the State Board of Education, the State Superintendent, or the Department of Public Instruction staff to (i) provide information that is already available on the student information management system or housed within the Department of Public Instruction; (ii) provide the same written information more than once during a school year unless the information has changed during the ensuing period; (iii) complete forms, for children with disabilities, that are not necessary to ensure compliance with the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA); or (iv) provide information that is unnecessary to comply with State or federal law and not relevant to student outcomes and the efficient operation of the public schools. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the State Board may require information available on its student information management system or require the same information twice if the State Board can demonstrate a compelling need and can demonstrate there is not a more expeditious manner of getting the information.

The State Board shall permit schools and local school administrative units to submit all reports to the Department of Public Instruction electronically.

The State Board of Education, in collaboration with the education roundtables within the Department of Public Instruction, shall consolidate all plans that affect the school community, including school improvement plans. The consolidated plan shall be posted on each school’s Web site for easy access by the public and by school personnel.

(20) Duty to Report Appointment of Caretaker Administrators and Boards. – Pursuant to N.C. Gen. Stat. § 120-30.9G the State Board of Education shall submit to the Attorney General of the United States within 30 days any rules, policies, procedures, or actions taken pursuant to N.C. Gen. Stat. § 115C-64.4 which could result in the appointment of a caretaker administrator or board to perform any of the powers and duties of a local board of education where that school administrative unit is covered by the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

(21) Duty to Monitor Acts of School Violence. – The State Board of Education shall monitor and compile an annual report on acts of violence in the public schools. The State Board shall adopt standard definitions for acts of school violence and shall require local boards of education to report them to the State Board in a standard format adopted by the State Board. The State Board shall submit its report on acts of violence in the public schools to the Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee by March 15 of each year.

(22) Duty to Monitor the State of the Teaching Profession in North Carolina. – The State Board of Education shall monitor and compile an annual report on the state of the teaching profession in North Carolina that includes data on the decisions of teachers to leave the teaching profession and data on teaching positions that local boards of education are unable to fill, as provided in N.C. Gen. Stat. § 115C-299.5

(23) Power to Adopt Rules for Interscholastic Athletic Activities. – The State Board of Education shall adopt rules governing interscholastic athletic activities conducted by local boards of education, including eligibility for student participation, in accordance with this subdivision and Article 29E of this Chapter. With regard to middle schools and high schools, the rules shall provide for the following:

a. All coaches, school nurses, athletic directors, first responders, volunteers, students who participate in interscholastic athletic activities, and the parents of those students shall receive, on an annual basis, a concussion and head injury information sheet. School employees, first responders, volunteers, and students must sign the sheet and return it to the coach before they can participate in interscholastic athletic activities, including tryouts, practices, or competition. Parents must sign the sheet and return it to the coach before their children can participate in any such interscholastic athletic activities. The signed sheets shall be maintained in accordance with sub-subdivision d. of this subdivision.

For the purpose of this subdivision, a concussion is a traumatic brain injury caused by a direct or indirect impact to the head that results in disruption of normal brain function, which may or may not result in loss of consciousness.

b. If a student participating in an interscholastic athletic activity exhibits signs or symptoms consistent with concussion, the student shall be removed from the activity at that time and shall not be allowed to return to play or practice that day. The student shall not return to play or practice on a subsequent day until the student is evaluated by and receives written clearance for such participation from (i) a physician licensed under Article 1 of Chapter 90 of the N.C. Gen. Stat. with training in concussion management, (ii) a neuropsychologist licensed under Article 18A of Chapter 90 of the N.C. Gen. Stat. with training in concussion management and working in consultation with a physician licensed under Article 1 of Chapter 90 of the N.C. Gen. Stat., (iii) an athletic trainer licensed under Article 34 of Chapter 90 of the N.C. Gen. Stat., (iv) a physician assistant, consistent with the limitations of N.C. Gen. Stat. § 90-18.1, or (v) a nurse practitioner, consistent with the limitations of N.C. Gen. Stat. § 90-18.2

c. Each school shall develop a venue specific emergency action plan to deal with serious injuries and acute medical conditions in which the condition of the patient may deteriorate rapidly. The plan shall include a delineation of roles, methods of communication, available emergency equipment, and access to and plan for emergency transport. This plan must be (i) in writing, (ii) reviewed by an athletic trainer licensed in North Carolina, (iii) approved by the principal of the school, (iv) distributed to all appropriate personnel, (v) posted conspicuously at all venues, and (vi) reviewed and rehearsed annually by all licensed athletic trainers, first responders, coaches, school nurses, athletic directors, and volunteers for interscholastic athletic activities.

d. Each school shall maintain complete and accurate records of its compliance with the requirements of this subdivision pertaining to head injuries.

e. All teams participating in interscholastic or intramural athletic activities shall comply with the following:

1. Each team shall be expressly designated by the biological sex of the team participants as one of the following:

I. Males, men, or boys.

II. Females, women, or girls.

III. Coed or mixed.

2. Athletic teams designated for females, women, or girls shall not be open to students of the male sex.

3. For purposes of this sub-subdivision, a student’s sex shall be recognized based solely on the student’s reproductive biology and genetics at birth.

f. A student who is deprived of an athletic opportunity or suffers or is likely to suffer from any direct or indirect harm as a result of a violation of sub-subdivision e. of this subdivision may assert that violation as a cause of action for remedies provided for in sub-subdivision i. of this subdivision.

g. A student who is subjected to retaliation or other adverse action by a public school unit, administering organization as defined in N.C. Gen. Stat. § 115C-407.50, or other organization as a result of reporting a violation of sub-subdivision e. of this subdivision to an employee or representative of the public school unit, administering organization, or to any local, State, or federal agency with oversight of the public school unit shall have a cause of action for remedies provided for in sub-subdivision i. of this subdivision.

h. Any public school unit or its representatives or employees who suffer any direct or indirect harm for complying with sub-subdivision e. of this subdivision shall have a cause of action for remedies provided for in sub-subdivision i. of this subdivision.

i. Any person who brings a cause of action pursuant to sub-subdivisions f. through h. of this subdivision, within two years of the date the harm occurred, may obtain appropriate relief, including the following:

1. Injunctive relief, protective order, writ of mandamus or prohibition, or declaratory relief to prevent any violation of sub-subdivision e. of this subdivision.

2. Actual damages, including for psychological, emotional, or physical harm, reasonable attorney fees, and costs.

j. The State Board of Education shall monitor middle and high schools for compliance with sub-subdivision e. of this subdivision. If the Board finds a school in violation, it shall report the identity of the school to the Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee.

(24) Duty to Develop Standards for Alternative Learning Programs, Provide Technical Assistance on Implementation of Programs, and Evaluate Programs. – The State Board of Education shall adopt standards for assigning students to alternative learning programs. These standards shall include (i) a description of the programs and services that are recommended to be provided in alternative learning programs and (ii) a process for ensuring that an assignment is appropriate for the student and that the student’s parents are involved in the decision. The State Board also shall adopt policies that define what constitutes an alternative school and an alternative learning program.

The State Board of Education shall also adopt standards to require that local school administrative units shall use (i) the teachers allocated for students assigned to alternative learning programs pursuant to the regular teacher allotment and (ii) the teachers allocated for students assigned to alternative learning programs only to serve the needs of these students.

The State Board of Education shall provide technical support to local school administrative units to assist them in developing and implementing plans and proposals for alternative learning programs.

The State Board shall evaluate the effectiveness of alternative learning programs and, in its discretion, of any other programs funded from the Alternative Schools/At-Risk Student allotment. Local school administrative units shall report to the State Board of Education on how funds in the Alternative Schools/At-Risk Student allotment are spent and shall otherwise cooperate with the State Board of Education in evaluating the alternative learning programs. As part of its evaluation of the effectiveness of these programs, the State Board shall, through the application of the accountability system developed under N.C. Gen. Stat. § 115C-83.15 and N.C. Gen. Stat. § 115C-105.35, measure the educational performance and growth of students placed in alternative schools and alternative programs. If appropriate, the Board may modify this system to adapt to the specific characteristics of these schools. Also as part of its evaluation, the State Board shall evaluate its standards adopted under this subdivision and make any necessary changes to those standards based on strategies that have been proven successful in improving student achievement and shall report to the Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee by April 15, 2006 to determine if any changes are necessary to improve the implementation of successful alternative learning programs and alternative schools.

(25) Duty to Report to Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee. – Upon the request of the Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee, the State Board shall examine and evaluate issues, programs, policies, and fiscal information, and shall make reports to that Committee. Furthermore, by November 15 of each year, the State Board shall submit reports to that Committee regarding schools identified as low-performing, school improvement plans found to significantly improve student performance, personnel actions taken in low-performing schools, and recommendations for additional legislation to improve student performance and increase local flexibility.

(25a) [Development of Goals and Annual Report on Improvement in Graduation Rate.] – Prior to the 2010-2011 school year, the State Board of Education shall:

a. Develop a growth model establishing annual goals for continuous and substantial improvement in the four-year cohort graduation rate by local school administrative units.

b. Establish as a short-term goal that local school administrative units meet the annual growth model goals for improvement in the four-year cohort graduation rate beginning with the graduating class of 2011 and continuing annually thereafter.

c. Establish as long-term minimum goals statewide four-year cohort graduation rates of seventy-four percent (74%) by 2014; eighty percent (80%) by 2016; and ninety percent (90%) by 2018.

d. Establish as a long-term goal with benchmarks and recommendations to reach a statewide four-year cohort graduation rate of one hundred percent (100%).

The State Board of Education shall report to the Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee by November 15, 2010, and annually thereafter on the goals, benchmarks, and recommendations described in this section. Such goals, benchmarks, and recommendations shall appropriately differentiate for students with disabilities and other specially identified subcategories within each four-year cohort. The report shall include goals and benchmarks by local school administrative unit, the strategies and recommendations for achieving the goals and benchmarks, any evidence or data supporting the strategies and recommendations, and the identity of the persons employed by the State Board of Education who are responsible for oversight of local school administrative units in achieving the goals and benchmarks.

(25b) Repealed by Session Laws 2012-142, s. 7.13(d), effective July 1, 2012.

(26) Repealed by Session Laws 2012-142, s. 7.13(f), effective July 1, 2012.

(27) Reporting Dropout Rates, Corporal Punishment, Suspensions, Expulsions, and Alternative Placements. – The State Board shall report by March 15 of each year to the Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee on the numbers of students who have dropped out of school, been subjected to corporal punishment, been suspended, been expelled, been reassigned for disciplinary purposes, or been provided alternative education services. The data shall be reported in a disaggregated manner, reflecting the local school administrative unit, race, gender, grade level, ethnicity, and disability status of each affected student. Such data shall be readily available to the public. The State Board shall not include students that have been expelled from school when calculating the dropout rate. The Board shall maintain a separate record of the number of students who are expelled from school and the reasons for the expulsion.

(27a) Reducing School Dropout Rates. – The State Board of Education shall develop a statewide plan to improve the State’s tracking of dropout data so that accurate and useful comparisons can be made over time. The plan shall include, at a minimum, how dropouts are counted and the methodology for calculating the dropout rate, the ability to track students movements among schools and districts, and the ability to provide information on who drops out and why.

(28) Duty to Develop Rules for Issuance of Driving Eligibility Certificates. – The State Board of Education shall adopt the following rules to assist schools in their administration of procedures necessary to implement N.C. Gen. Stat. § 20-11 and N.C. Gen. Stat. § 20-13.2:

a. To define what is equivalent to a high school diploma for the purposes of N.C. Gen. Stat. § 20-11 and N.C. Gen. Stat. § 20-13.2 These rules shall apply to all educational programs offered in the State by public schools, charter schools, nonpublic schools, or community colleges.

b. To establish the procedures a person who is or was enrolled in a public school or in a charter school must follow and the requirements that person shall meet to obtain a driving eligibility certificate.

c. To require the person who is required under N.C. Gen. Stat. § 20-11(n) to sign the driving eligibility certificate to provide the certificate if he or she determines that one of the following requirements is met:

1. The person seeking the certificate is eligible for the certificate under N.C. Gen. Stat. § 20-11(n)(1) and is not subject to N.C. Gen. Stat. § 20-11(n1).

2. The person seeking the certificate is eligible for the certificate under N.C. Gen. Stat. § 20-11(n)(1) and N.C. Gen. Stat. § 20-11(n1).

These rules shall apply to public schools and charter schools.

d. To provide for an appeal to an appropriate education authority by a person who is denied a driving eligibility certificate. These rules shall apply to public schools and charter schools.

e. To define exemplary student behavior and to define what constitutes the successful completion of a drug or alcohol treatment counseling program. These rules shall apply to public schools and charter schools.

The State Board also shall develop policies as to when it is appropriate to notify the Division of Motor Vehicles that a person who is or was enrolled in a public school or in a charter school no longer meets the requirements for a driving eligibility certificate.

The State Board shall develop a form for parents, guardians, or emancipated juveniles, as appropriate, to provide their written, irrevocable consent for a school to disclose to the Division of Motor Vehicles that the student no longer meets the conditions for a driving eligibility certificate under N.C. Gen. Stat. § 20-11(n)(1) or N.C. Gen. Stat. § 20-11(n1), if applicable, in the event that this disclosure is necessary to comply with N.C. Gen. Stat. § 20-11 or N.C. Gen. Stat. § 20-13.2 Other than identifying under which statutory subsection the student is no longer eligible, no other details or information concerning the student’s school record shall be released pursuant to this consent. This form shall be used for students enrolled in public schools or charter schools.

The State Board of Education may use funds appropriated for drivers education to cover the costs of driving eligibility certificates.

(29) To Issue Special High School Diplomas to Veterans of World War II, Korea, and Vietnam. – The State Board of Education shall issue special high school diplomas to all honorably discharged veterans of World War II, the Korean Conflict, and the Vietnam era who request special diplomas and have not previously received high school diplomas.

(30) Duty to Adopt Model Guidelines and Policies for the Establishment of Local Task Forces on Closing the Academic Achievement Gap. – The State Board shall adopt a Model for local school administrative units to use as a guideline to establish local task forces on closing the academic achievement gap at the discretion of the local board. The purpose of each task force is to advise and work with its local board of education and administration on closing the gap in academic achievement and on developing a collaborative plan for achieving that goal. The State Board shall consider the recommendations of the Commission on Improving the Academic Achievement of Minority and At-Risk Students to the 2001 Session of the General Assembly in establishing its guidelines.

(30a) Duty to Assist Schools in Meeting Adequate Yearly Progress. – The State Board of Education shall:

a. Identify which schools are meeting adequate yearly progress with subgroups as specified in the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001;

b. Study the instructional, administrative, and fiscal practices and policies employed by the schools selected by the State Board of Education that are meeting adequate yearly progress specified in the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001;

c. Create assistance models for each subgroup based on the practices and policies used in schools that are meeting adequate yearly progress. The schools of education at the constituent institutions of The University of North Carolina, in collaboration with the University of North Carolina Center for School Leadership Development, shall assist the State Board of Education in developing these models; and

d. Offer technical assistance based on these assistance models to local school administrative units not meeting adequate yearly progress, giving priority to those local school administrative units with high concentrations of schools that are not meeting adequate yearly progress. The State Board of Education shall determine the number of local school administrative units that can be served effectively in the first two years. This technical assistance shall include peer assistance and professional development by teachers, support personnel, and administrators in schools with subgroups that are meeting adequate yearly progress.

(31) To Adopt Guidelines for Individual Diabetes Care Plans. – The State Board shall adopt guidelines for the development and implementation of individual diabetes care plans. The State Board shall consult with the North Carolina Diabetes Advisory Council established by the Department of Health and Human Services in the development of these guidelines. The State Board also shall consult with local school administrative unit employees who have been designated as responsible for coordinating their individual unit’s efforts to comply with federal regulations adopted under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, 29 U.S.C. § 794. In its development of these guidelines, the State Board shall refer to the guidelines recommended by the American Diabetes Association for the management of children with diabetes in the school and day care setting and shall consider recent resolutions by the United States Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights of investigations into complaints alleging discrimination against students with diabetes.

The guidelines adopted by the State Board shall include:

a. Procedures for the development of an individual diabetes care plan at the written request of the student’s parent or guardian, and involving the parent or guardian, the student’s health care provider, the student’s classroom teacher, the student if appropriate, the school nurse if available, and other appropriate school personnel.

b. Procedures for regular review of an individual care plan.

c. Information to be included in a diabetes care plan, including the responsibilities and appropriate staff development for teachers and other school personnel, an emergency care plan, the identification of allowable actions to be taken, the extent to which the student is able to participate in the student’s diabetes care and management, and other information necessary for teachers and other school personnel in order to offer appropriate assistance and support to the student. The State Board shall ensure that the information and allowable actions included in a diabetes care plan as required in this subdivision meet or exceed the American Diabetes Association’s recommendations for the management of children with diabetes in the school and day care setting.

d. Information and staff development to be made available to teachers and other school personnel in order to appropriately support and assist students with diabetes.

The State Board shall ensure that these guidelines are updated as necessary and shall ensure that the guidelines and any subsequent changes are published and disseminated to local school administrative units.

(32) Duty to Encourage Early Entry of Motivated Students into Four-Year College Programs. – The State Board of Education, in cooperation with the Education Cabinet, shall work with local school administrative units, the constituent institutions of The University of North Carolina, local community colleges, and private colleges and universities to (i) encourage early entry of motivated students into four-year college programs and to (ii) ensure that there are opportunities at four-year institutions for academically talented high school students to get an early start on college coursework, either at nearby institutions or through distance learning.

The State Board of Education shall also adopt policies directing school guidance counselors to make ninth grade students aware of the potential to complete the high school courses required for college entry in a three-year period.

(33) Duty to Develop Recommended Programs for Use in Schools on Memorial Day. – The State Board of Education shall develop recommended instructional programs that enable students to gain a better understanding of the meaning and importance of Memorial Day. All schools, especially schools that hold school on Memorial Day, shall instruct students on the significance of Memorial Day.

(33a) Duty to Develop Recommended Programs for Use in Schools During Veterans’ History Awareness Month. – The State Board of Education shall develop recommended programs in collaboration with active military installations, veterans, and veterans service organizations that enable students to gain a better understanding of the meaning and importance of the contributions of American veterans and, in particular, veterans from North Carolina. Recommended programs may be integrated into lesson plans and may include veteran participation and veteran sponsorship in the form of an Adopt-A-Veteran program. All schools are encouraged to collaborate with veterans and veteran service organizations during Veterans’ History Awareness Month to designate time for appropriate commemorative activities.

(34) Duty to Protect the Health of School-Age Children From Toxicants at School. – The State Board shall address public health and environmental issues in the classroom and on school grounds by doing all of the following:

a. Develop guidelines for sealing existing arsenic-treated wood in playground equipment or establish a time line for removing existing arsenic-treated wood on playgrounds and testing the soil on school grounds for contamination caused by the leaching of arsenic-treated wood in other areas where children may be at particularly high risk of exposure.

b. Establish guidelines to reduce students’ exposure to diesel emissions that can occur as a result of unnecessary school bus idling, nose-to-tail parking, and inefficient route assignments.

c. Study methods for mold and mildew prevention and mitigation and incorporate recommendations into the public school facilities guidelines as needed.

d. Establish guidelines for Integrated Pest Management consistent with the policy of The North Carolina School Boards Association, Inc., as published in 2004. These guidelines may be updated as needed to reflect changes in technology.

e. Establish guidelines for notification of students’ parents, guardians, or custodians as well as school staff of pesticide use on school grounds.

(35) To Encourage Local Boards of Education to Enter into Agreements Regarding the Joint Use of Facilities for Physical Activity. – The State Board of Education shall encourage local boards of education to enter into agreements with local governments and other entities regarding the joint use of their facilities for physical activity. The agreements should delineate opportunities, guidelines, and the roles and responsibilities of the parties, including responsibilities for maintenance and liability.

(36) Duty to Charge Tuition for the Governor’s School of North Carolina. – The State Board of Education may implement a tuition charge for students attending the Governor’s School of North Carolina to cover the costs of the School.

(37) To Adopt Guidelines for Fitness Testing. – The State Board of Education shall adopt guidelines for the development and implementation of evidence-based fitness testing for students statewide in grades kindergarten through eight.

(38) Repealed by Session Laws 2012-194, s. 55(a), effective July 17, 2012.

(39) Power to Accredit Schools. – Upon the request of a local board of education, the State Board of Education shall evaluate schools in local school administrative units to determine whether the education provided by those schools meets acceptable levels of quality. The State Board shall adopt rigorous and appropriate academic standards for accreditation after consideration of (i) the standards of regional and national accrediting agencies, (ii) the academic standards adopted in accordance with subdivision (9c) of this section, and (iii) other information it deems appropriate.

The local school administrative unit shall compensate the State Board for the actual costs of the accreditation process.

(40) (For applicability, see Editor’s note) To Establish High School Diploma Endorsements. – 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 in a wide range of high-quality careers and to reduce the need for remedial education in institutions of higher education. These endorsements shall reflect courses completed, overall grade point average, reading achievement, and other criteria as developed by the State Board of Education. A student shall only receive a high school diploma endorsement if that student receives on a nationally norm-referenced college admissions test for reading, either administered under N.C. Gen. Stat. § 115C-174.11(c)(4) or as an alternative nationally norm-referenced college admissions test approved by the State Board, at least the benchmark score established by the testing organization that represents the level of achievement required for students to have approximately a fifty percent (50%) chance of obtaining a grade B or higher or a seventy-five percent (75%) chance of obtaining a grade C or higher in a corresponding credit-bearing, first-year college course. A student may retake a nationally norm-referenced test as many times as necessary to achieve the required benchmark score for reading in order to receive a high school diploma endorsement prior to the student’s graduation. The State Board of Education shall report annually to the Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee on high school diploma endorsements in accordance with N.C. Gen. Stat. § 115C-156.2

(41) To Establish Career and Technical Education Incentives. – The State Board of Education shall establish, implement, and determine the impact of a career and technical education incentive program as provided under N.C. Gen. Stat. § 115C-156.2

(42) To notify the General Assembly of federal grant applications. – The State Board of Education shall provide written notification to the General Assembly in accordance with N.C. Gen. Stat. § 120-29.5 and to the Fiscal Research Division of its intent to apply for any federal grant prior to submitting the grant application. The notice shall include details about the grant and a brief summary of any anticipated policy implications of accepting the grant.

(43) To Ensure that Local Boards of Education Implement Injury Prevention and Return-to-Work Programs. – The State Board of Education shall develop policies and procedures to ensure that local boards of education implement and comply with loss prevention and return-to-work programs based on models adopted by the State Board. These models shall be designed to reduce the number of injuries resulting in workers’ compensation claims and ensure injured employees with workers’ compensation claims return to work in accordance with current State Board of Education policy.

(44) Duty to Ensure Educational Services in Private Psychiatric Residential Treatment Facilities (PRTFs). – The Board, in collaboration with the Department of Health and Human Services, shall ensure that educational services are provided to all students in PRTFs as required under Part 4 of Article 6 of Chapter 122C of the N.C. Gen. Stat.. The Board shall ensure that a child with a disability as defined under N.C. Gen. Stat. § 115C-106.3(1) in a PRTF receives educational services and procedural safeguards as provided in Article 9 of this Chapter.

(45) To provide notification of student and parent surveys. – The State Board of Education shall provide written notification to the General Assembly in accordance with N.C. Gen. Stat. § 120-29.5 of its intent to conduct any mandatory student or parent surveys in individual local school administrative units or on a statewide basis, including a copy of the proposed survey. The Department of Public Instruction shall also notify a superintendent of any plan to conduct a student or parent survey in the local school administrative unit. The superintendent shall be given a reasonable amount of time following notification to contact the Department with feedback on the survey prior to the survey being conducted in the local school administrative unit.

(46) Duty Regarding Anonymous Safety Tip Line Application. – The State Board of Education shall use the anonymous safety tip line application developed pursuant to N.C. Gen. Stat. § 115C-105.51(b) for all public secondary schools serving students in grades six or higher operated under the control of the State Board of Education.

(47) Duty Regarding Child Abuse and Neglect. – The State Board of Education, in consultation with the Superintendent of Public Instruction, shall adopt a rule requiring information on child abuse and neglect, including age-appropriate information on sexual abuse, to be provided by public school units to students in grades six through 12. This rule shall also apply to high schools under the control of The University of North Carolina. Information shall be provided in the form of (i) a document provided to all students at the beginning of each school year and (ii) a display posted in visible, high-traffic areas throughout each public secondary school. The document and display shall include, at a minimum, the following information:

a. Likely warning signs indicating that a child may be a victim of abuse or neglect, including age-appropriate information on sexual abuse.

b. The telephone number used for reporting abuse and neglect to the department of social services in the county in which the school is located, in accordance with N.C. Gen. Stat. § 7B-301

c. A statement that information reported pursuant to sub-subdivision b. of this subdivision shall be held in the strictest confidence, to the extent permitted by law, pursuant to N.C. Gen. Stat. § 7B-302(a1).

d. Repealed by Session Laws 2023-65, s. 7.2(a), effective June 29, 2023, and applicable beginning with the 2023-2024 school year.

(48) Computer Science Reporting. –  The State Board of Education shall report annually by November 15 to the Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee, the Senate Appropriations Committee on Education/Higher Education, and the House Appropriations Committee on Education on the following data related to computer science participation. For each item, the report shall include (i) statewide data for the current school year, and the four years prior when data is available, to establish trends in computer science instruction and (ii) data for the current school year for each public school unit, disaggregated by school within that unit:

a. The number of teachers employed to teach computational thinking and computer science.

b. The statewide courses and local elective courses offered in computer science and computational thinking, and the number of students enrolled in each of those courses. For public school units, the report shall indicate when courses are offered on a semester basis.

c. The number of students enrolled in computer science and computational thinking courses by grade level.

d. For sub-subdivisions b. and c. of this subdivision, the report shall also include information on enrollment numbers by the following subgroups:

1. Economically disadvantaged students.

2. Students from major racial and ethnic groups.

3. Students by gender.

4. Children with disabilities.

5. English learners.

(49) Goal to Make Available Muscadine Grape Juice in Certain Schools. – The State Board of Education shall strive to ensure that one hundred percent (100%) muscadine grape juice is made available to students in every school operated under Article 9C of this Chapter as a part of the school’s nutrition program or through the operation of the school’s vending facilities. (1955, c. 1372, art. 2, s. 2; art. 17, s. 6; art. 18, s. 2; 1957, c. 541, s. 11; 1959, c. 1294; 1961, c. 969; 1963, c. 448, ss. 24, 27; c. 688, ss. 1, 2; c. 1223, s. 1; 1965, c. 584, s. 20.1; c. 1185, s. 2; 1967, c. 643, s. 1; 1969, c. 517, s. 1; 1971, c. 704, s. 4; c. 745; 1973, c. 236; c. 476, s. 138; c. 675; 1975, c. 686, s. 1; c. 699, s. 2; c. 975; 1979, c. 300, s. 1; c. 935; c. 986; 1981, c. 423, s. 1; 1983, c. 630, s. 1; 1983 (Reg. Sess., 1984), c. 1034, s. 16; 1985, c. 479, s. 55(c)(3); c. 757, s. 145(a); 1985 (Reg. Sess., 1986), c. 975, s. 24; 1987, c. 414, s. 1; 1987 (Reg. Sess., 1988), c. 1025, ss. 1, 3; 1989, c. 585, s. 1; c. 752, s. 65(c); c. 778, s. 6; 1991, c. 529, s. 3; c. 689, s. 196(b); 1991 (Reg. Sess., 1992), c. 880, s. 3; c. 900, s. 75.1(e); 1993, c. 321, ss. 125, 133(a), 139(b); 1993 (Reg. Sess., 1994), c. 769, ss. 19(a), 19.9; 1995, c. 60, s. 1; c. 324, s. 17.15(a); c. 450, s. 4; c. 509, s. 59; 1995 (Reg. Sess., 1996), c. 716, s. 1; 1996, 2nd Ex. Sess., c. 18, ss. 18.4, 18.28(a); 1997-18, s. 15(a), (c)-(e); 1997-221, s. 12(a); 1997-239, s. 1; 1997-443, s. 8.27(a), (e); 1997-443, s. 8.29(o), (u); 1997-507, s. 3; 1998-153, s. 16(b); 1998-212, ss. 9.16(a), 9.23; 1999-237, s. 8.25(d); 1999-243, s. 5; 1999-397, s. 3; 2001-86, s. 1; 2001-151, s. 1; 2001-424, ss. 28.30(e), (f), 31.4(a); 2002-103, s. 1; 2002-126, s. 7.15; 2002-159, s. 63; 2002-178, s. 1(a); 2003-251, s. 1; 2003-419, s. 1; 2005-155, s. 1; 2005-276, ss. 7.18, 9.34(a); 2005-446, s. 1; 2005-458, ss. 1, 2; 2006-75, s. 1; 2006-143, s. 1; 2006-203, s. 30; 2006-260, s. 1; 2009-305, s. 4; 2009-334, s. 1; 2009-451, s. 7.39(a); 2010-31, s. 7.5(c), (g); 2010-111, s. 1; 2010-112, s. 4(a); 2010-161, s. 1; 2011-145, ss. 7.9, 7.13(a); 2011-147, s. 3; 2011-185, s. 9(b); 2011-282, s. 4; 2011-306, s. 3; 2011-379, ss. 2(a), (b), 6(a); 2011-391, s. 14(b); 2012-142, ss. 7.13(d), (f), 7A.3(a); 2012-194, s. 55(a); 2013-1, s. 1(a); 2013-226, s. 9(e), (f); 2013-360, ss. 8.27(a), 8.28(a), 9.4(c), (d); 2013-382, s. 9.1(c); 2014-15, s. 1; 2014-78, s. 4; 2014-100, ss. 8.9, 8.26, 8.39(b); 2015-126, s. 1; 2015-241, ss. 8.25(a), (b); 2015-264, s. 82; 2016-94, s. 8.32(a); 2016-126, 4th Ex. Sess., s. 2; 2017-57, ss. 7.26(a), 7.26B(a); 2017-65, s. 2; 2017-102, s. 48(a); 2017-126, ss. 9-11; 2017-189, s. 5(a); 2017-197, s. 2.18(a); 2018-5, s. 7.26(b); 2019-142, s. 3; 2019-165, s. 3.2(c); 2019-176, s. 3(d); 2019-212, s. 4(a); 2021-132, s. 6(a); 2021-180, s. 7.9(a); 2021-184, s. 2(a); 2022-71, s. 2.1; 2023-63, s. 5(a); 2023-65, s. 7.2(a); 2023-109, s. 1(a).)