RALEIGH (June 12, 2019) – We’re finally starting to get it: Improved student performance starts well before kindergarten. And that means getting more 4-year-olds into high-quality pre-kindergarten. Recent research indicates that the benefits of quality Pre-K prepare a child for academic success at least through eighth grade. For several years now, academics and business executives alike… READ MORE
NC teacher pay: Keep going
RALEIGH – We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again: Teacher pay in North Carolina is headed in the right direction. The National Education Association released estimates in March that indicate average pay for North Carolina’s K-12 public school teachers now stands at $53,975, ranking North Carolina 29th among the states.1 That’s an increase… READ MORE
NC Pre-K: 33,000 kids eligible, but can’t get it
RALEIGH (January 17, 2019) – The key to a student’s academic success is a strong foundation – and that foundation needs to be built before formal schooling even begins. So a group of North Carolina business leaders called Thursday for the state to revamp funding for its nationally recognized pre-kindergarten program so that it reaches… READ MORE
2018: Questions of leadership and governance
Our top higher-education stories of 2018 fell into several broad categories: LEADERSHIP/GOVERNANCE The year saw large questions of leadership and governance raised but not always answered. In May, the NC Board of Community Colleges named Peter Hans – a former board member with extensive experience in both community colleges and universities – as the new… READ MORE
Community Colleges: Not keeping up
RALEIGH – North Carolina’s community colleges are loved by their communities – 58 colleges throughout the state, within a 30-minute drive of 95% of North Carolinians. And they are a critical link in North Carolina’s workforce and economic development. Enrollment tends to jump at community colleges during recessions as workers seek to improve and update their… READ MORE
Universities: A shifting burden
RALEIGH – Perhaps because it has a constitutional mandate for it, North Carolina is known for support of its public universities. The state continues to rank among the best in state spending per student. But state support per student is still well below where it was before the Great Recession. And what doesn’t come from the… READ MORE
Pre-K
RALEIGH – Make no mistake, quality pre-kindergarten matters to higher education – it has implications for third-grade reading proficiency, eighth-grade math1 and placing students on a trajectory that leads to a degree and a well-paying job. After launching its NC Pre-K program in 2001, North Carolina grew enrollment to 22% of its 4-year-olds over the… READ MORE
K-12: Progress, but a long way to go
RALEIGH – North Carolina’s spending on K-12 public education took a hit during and after the Great Recession – and it still hasn’t fully recovered. Compared with its neighbors, North Carolina’s spending per student ranked 8th of 11 Southeastern states in 2017-18.1 North Carolina both lags adjacent states – trailing South Carolina by $2,385 per… READ MORE
K-12 teacher pay: A widening gap?
RALEIGH – A major component in education spending, of course, is teacher pay. A quality teacher can make an enormous difference in a child’s future. North Carolina’s rank in K-12 teacher peaked in 2001, when the state’s average teacher salary reached a rank of 19th in the nation. In 2000-01, the average salary for North… READ MORE
Universities: A shifting burden
RALEIGH – Perhaps because it has a constitutional mandate for it, North Carolina is known across the country for strong support of its public universities. The state continues to rank among the best in state spending per university student. But state support per student is still well below where it was before the Great Recession…. READ MORE