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All public schools in the state of North Carolina adhere to the curriculum standards outlined in the North Carolina Standard Course of Study, which is comprised of the Common Core State Standards for mathematics and literacy and Essential Standards for all other curriculum areas. The state’s Standard Course of Study defines the appropriate content standards for each grade level and each high school course to provide a uniform set of learning standards for every public school in North Carolina.

The goal of these research-based standards is to prepare all students to become career and college-ready. While the focal point of educational thought of the past was limited to success during the years of K-12 learning, the Common Core/Essential Standards mindset is targeted toward success well beyond the completion of high school or college. Thus, the overall goal is to prepare North Carolina’s children for optimal function on a global scale. Links to the curriculum documents can be found in the navigation bar to the right of this page.