North Carolina SB 580: Insurance Regulatory Change.

Bill Text

GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
SESSION 2025
S 1
SENATE BILL 580

Short Title: Competency-Based Education Grant Program. (Public)
Sponsors: Senators Lee and Jones (Primary Sponsors).
Referred to: Rules and Operations of the Senate
March 26, 2025
*S580-v-1*
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1
AN ACT TO ESTABLISH THE NORTH CAROLINA COMPETENCY-BASED 2
EDUCATION INNOVATION GRANT AND NETWORK PROGRAM AND TO 3
APPROPRIATE FUNDS FOR THAT PURPOSE. 4
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts: 5
SECTION 1.(a) Program Established; Purpose. – There is established the North 6
Carolina Competency-Based Education Innovation Grant and Network Program (Program). The 7
purpose of the program is to provide funding and support to schools and districts to support the 8
transition to competency-based education (CBE) models that focus on mastery of learning rather 9
than instructional time. The grant aims to promote innovative instructional practices, flexible 10
assessment models, and systemic shifts to ensure all students progress based on demonstrated 11
proficiency. 12
SECTION 1.(b) Program Objectives. – The objectives of the Program are as follows: 13
(1) Redesign Learning Pathways. – Support schools and districts in developing 14
personalized, CBE models that allow students to progress at their own pace. 15
(2) Assessment Innovation. – Utilize formative and performance-based 16
assessments that measure student mastery of skills and knowledge, including 17
the use of AI learning tools. 18
(3) Educator Capacity Building. – Provide common professional development for 19
educators on instructional strategies and assessment practices aligned with 20
transitioning to CBE. 21
(4) Develop Strategies for Statewide Scaling and Best Practices. – Develop and 22
share resources, implementation strategies, and lessons learned to expand 23
CBE across North Carolina. 24
SECTION 1.(c) Phase One. – The first phase of the Program shall begin with the 25
2025-2026 school year and continue until the conclusion of the 2028-2029 school year. Public 26
school units shall submit applications and complete any planning or organizational duties during 27
the 2025-2026 school year with implementation of CBE in participating schools beginning with 28
the 2026-2027 school year. 29
SECTION 1.(d) Application. – The Department of Public Instruction shall create an 30
application for the Program and make the application available to all public school units no later 31
than 60 days after this act becomes law. Public school units shall submit their applications to the 32
Department no later than 60 days after the application becomes available. The Department shall 33
select 10 schools to participate in the Program no later than 60 days after the close of the 34
application period. When selecting schools to participate in the Program, the Department shall 35
prioritize schools that show a strong commitment to implementing CBE and innovation in 36

General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
Page 2 Senate Bill 580-First Edition
assessment. The Department shall develop criteria to determine which schools are most ready to 1
transition to CBE. The application shall include at least the following: 2
(1) A comprehensive plan outlining the school's vision for competency-based 3
education. 4
(2) A description of instructional and assessment shifts to be implemented. 5
(3) A budget for use of grant funds and a sustainability plan to continue utilizing 6
CBE after the conclusion of Phase One. 7
(4) Commitments from public school units leadership and stakeholders. 8
SECTION 1.(e) Grant funds; Use; Training. – Grant awards shall be in the amount 9
of three hundred thirty thousand dollars ($330,000) to each participating school. Participating 10
schools shall use the sum of ninety-five thousand dollars ($95,000) each school year to receive 11
training on the implementation of CBE in the school. The remaining grants funds shall be used 12
for costs associated with the transition to CBE, including travel costs and CBE resources. Grant 13
funds shall remain available until the end of the 2028-2029 fiscal year. 14
SECTION 1.(f) Selection of third party vendor. – The Department shall select a third 15
party vendor (Vendor) that is an educational support provider with a nationally recognized, 16
research-based instructional and leadership framework, including a High Reliability School 17
model, a taxonomy of educational objectives aligned to classroom strategies, and a system for 18
implementing personalized competency-based education. The provider must have published 19
extensively in peer-reviewed and practitioner literature, have an established track record of 20
working directly with K–12 schools and districts across multiple states, and offer professional 21
development services, implementation support, and instructional resources developed and led by 22
a founding education researcher with over four decades of influence in curriculum, instruction, 23
and assessment. 24
SECTI