Best in the Nation — Our 2030 Plan

Tracking our progress to make North Carolina’s public schools the best in the nation.

Celebrating Excellence in NC Public Schools
Achieving Educational Excellence

Welcome to the Achieving Educational Excellence dashboard.

The Achieving Educational Excellence: 2025–2030 Strategic Plan represents the shared vision of the North Carolina State Board of Education and the North Carolina Superintendent of Public Instruction — to have our public schools be the best in the nation! To be clear: to be the best is the only option. This dashboard is how we hold ourselves accountable to that commitment, sharing our progress openly with the people of North Carolina and every partner working with us.

Our Best in the Nation Measures are the statewide indicators we have chosen to track whether our public schools are, in fact, becoming the best in the United States by 2030. While we acknowledge our students are more than metrics, these measures tell us whether the eight transformative pillars of Achieving Educational Excellence are delivering for every child, in every community, across North Carolina.

The eight pillars of Achieving Educational Excellence are listed on the left-hand side of this dashboard. Click on any of the pillars to see more information on the 110 actions we are undertaking to make sure our public schools are the best in the nation by 2030.

Explore the Best in the Nation Measures
Young student cheering with arms raised at a track stadium
Elementary student holding a classroom recycling bin
Young student painting on an easel in art class
Student in graduation cap and gown giving two thumbs up
A diverse group of kids on a youth soccer team cheering together
Student examining a robotics project in STEM class
A diverse group of graduates celebrating with their diplomas