February 6 Policy Updates

This week, the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (DPI) presented an annual report showing strong levels of safety in schools, and steady improvements in disciplinary outcomes and graduation rates across the state.

DPI’s Annual Report on Discipline, Alternative Learning, and Dropout

The State Board of Education reviewed DPI’s annual report at Wednesday’s meeting and noted encouraging trends in the data while emphasizing the need for continued, targeted supports:

• School safety remains strong statewide. Nearly 80% of schools reported five or fewer reportable criminal offenses, and 44% reported zero incidents. Fewer than 1% of students were involved in any reportable offense, meaning more than 99% of students were not.
• Violent incidents are rare. The rate of violent crime was 0.196 per 1,000 students, with most reported offenses tied to nonviolent substance possession.
• Discipline and dropout rates continue to decline. Suspensions, alternative placements, and dropouts have all decreased over the past two years, signaling continued recovery from pandemic-era disruptions.
• Discipline is concentrated, not systemic. Fewer than 13% of students received any reportable disciplinary consequence, reinforcing that challenges are clustered in specific schools, grades, and student groups rather than across the system.
• Middle grades and Grade 9 are critical intervention points. Grades 6-8 show the highest suspension rates, and Grade 9 continues to be the primary risk point for suspensions, reportable offenses, and dropouts.
• Persistent disparities remain, but trends are improving. Male students, Black students, economically disadvantaged students, and students with disabilities continue to experience higher rates of discipline and dropout, though most of these groups saw declines over the past two years. These same student groups are also more likely to experience systemic challenges like attendance and academic performance, reinforcing that discipline is not a standalone issue.

DPI’s Recommendations & Policy Implications

The report highlights the importance of early identification, prevention, and coordinated student support, particularly in key transition years–all of which align with DPI’s Strategic Plan. However, district capacity remains a limiting factor. Implementing these recommendations requires adequate staffing at ratios that allow schools to build relationships, address mental health needs, and reduce reliance on exclusionary discipline. Without sustained funding and policy support from the General Assembly, schools will struggle to implement the very strategies the data show are working.

North Carolina’s public schools are safe, and the trajectory is moving in the right direction. The challenge now is not identifying what works, but ensuring schools have the people, resources, and policy alignment needed to sustain progress, address disparities, and support students at the moments that matter most.