North Carolina Readiness Policies

State law requires school counselors to provide college and career planning to middle grades and high school students but do not designate specific activities or timelines.

The University of North Carolina System, in partnership with the College Foundation of North Carolina, administers a statewide, federally funded GEAR UP program, which targets school districts with high poverty and low college-going rates. The goal of the program is to increase the number of high school graduates who enroll in college and complete a degree or certificate. GEAR UP North Carolina provides tutoring, mentoring, academic planning, financial aid planning, college tours and professional development, as well as resources for Spanish-speaking students and parents.

The College Foundation of North Carolina offers a statewide web portal that helps students plan for, apply to and pay for college. The online portal serves as a one-stop-shop for students to explore careers, save course information, track academic progress, and apply for financial aid.

The North Carolina First in FAFSA initiative from myFutureNC, in partnership with the College Foundation of North Carolina, focuses on increasing the number of high school seniors who complete the FAFSA, creating a FAFSA completion tracker that supports school districts and schools in accessing FAFSA completion data and target goals.

The North Carolina Career Cluster Guide is a web app that allows students to discover their career interests and explore occupations and related salary and job information.

The North Carolina Mathematics and Science Education Network Pre-College Program prepares students for careers in science, technology, engineering and math fields. Four NC public universities partner with schools and districts in the northeastern and central NC to offer academic STEM enrichment activities for students in grades 6-12. These include Saturday academies, summer programs, and leadership training and career activities. Coordinators hold parent seminars to help students and families prepare for college.

The Early Mathematics Placement Testing Program seeks to reduce the percentage of students who require remediation when they enter college. The program provides a free diagnostic test similar to the math placement tests given at state colleges and universities. These tests provide a snapshot of current readiness for college-level courses for each student’s chosen major at his or her first-choice college or university. Students enrolled in Math II and any upper-level high school math courses are eligible to participate.

Competency-Based Credit

Credit by Demonstrated Mastery allows a student to receive high school credit without course enrollment by way of a two-phase assessment process. Phase one consists of a standard examination: either the associated end-of-course or — if there is not a pre-established EOC — a final exam developed locally. Phase two is “an artifact which requires the student to apply knowledge and skills relevant to the content standard.” CDM is open to all students, but it is neither designed for whole groups of students nor intended to replace general accelerated pathway options.

All students are eligible throughout middle grades and high school to request an opportunity to earn credit in both academic and career and technical education courses through demonstrated mastery. For CTE courses, an industry credential may be accepted as the required “artifact” component. There is no limit to how many credits a student may earn through demonstrated mastery, but students may only make one attempt per course. Students who are unsuccessful after one attempt must enroll and complete that course in the traditional way.

Career and Technical Education

North Carolina has adopted the National Career Clusters Framework. The state’s College and Career Promise program allows qualified high school students who maintain a ‘B’ average to begin their two- and four-year college work tuition-free through the career and technical education pathway. The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction administers the ACT WorkKeys to all 12th graders who have achieved a CTE concentration (four technical credits in a cluster, including one completer course).

Cooperative education, offered to students 16 and older, combines technical classroom instruction with directly related paid employment. The paid experience must complement instruction and be completed in the same year in which the course is offered.

Dual Enrollment and Dual Credit

The Career and College Promise program allows high school students to enroll in courses at North Carolina community colleges, often earning dual credit — both at the college and high school levels. Eligible public, private and home-schooled students may participate in the CCP program, and are offered three pathway options to choose from.

Students interested in the program must contact their high school counselors, be approved by either the counselor or principal, and indicate the pathway and program of study they wish to pursue. Students must also complete a college application and be accepted by the college. To remain eligible, students must continue making progress toward high school graduation and maintain a 2.0 GPA for all college coursework. The North Carolina General Assembly pays all tuition charges, while student fees and textbook costs may be paid in a variety of ways, including student self-pay. The table below summarizes the three pathways.

Advanced Placement/International Baccalaureate

The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction established the NC Advanced Placement Partnership with the College Board to broaden access and successful participation in advanced courses with a focus on low-performing school districts. This legislation further provides funding for all test fees for AP and IB course exams to all public and charter school students. NCDPI also continues to increase access to AP courses through the NC Virtual Public School. Students who score a 3 or higher on an AP exam may be eligible to earn college credit for that course.

Early College High Schools

University of North Carolina System institutions may enter contracts with local school districts to establish Cooperative Innovative High Schools, targeting students at risk of dropping out of high school. These early college high schools, often housed on college campuses, allow students to earn credit toward high school diplomas while working toward an associate degree, a technical certificate or transferrable college credits. Early college and university officials agree on readiness measures that, when mastered, will allow early college students to take university-level courses. There are currently 134 Cooperative Innovative High Schools in the state, including 123 funded partnerships.

Early High School Graduation

Credit through Demonstrated Mastery may provide the opportunity for a student to graduate early from high school. The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction recommends that decisions regarding early graduation be made “through deep discussion between families, students and appropriate educational staff.”

Four-Year Institutions

Institutions set requirements for placement into math, English and other courses.

Two-Year and/or Technical Colleges

North Carolina Community Colleges administer the North Carolina Diagnostic Assessment and Placement Test. Colleges place students who do not meet placement cut scores in developmental education courses.

The State Board of Community Colleges requires institutions to use a multiple-measures placement policy. Students who meet one or more of the following criteria may be exempt from all or a section of the NC DAP Placement Test.

Multiple Measures Used for Community College Placement Decisions

The board authorizes community colleges to establish policies on how to support students that earn scores very near to Accuplacer cut scores through enrollment in a college course with appropriate developmental education supports.