BEST NC, partnering with the education consulting firm Watershed Advisors, convened the North Carolina Counts on Math (NCCOM) working group consisting of a cross-section of state and local mathematics educators, policymakers, and stakeholders to examine current conditions in K-5 mathematics and to identify opportunities for improvement. Over a three month period, the Working Group revealed a statewide consensus: improving K-5 math instruction is essential to preparing students for long-term academic and success. Through interviews, landscape analyses, and working group discussions, participants examined instructional practices, existing initiatives, and system-level supports for K-5 mathematics.

This final report examines the analysis, discussions, and recommendations for a unified vision of the future of K-5 math instruction in North Carolina.

Principals are the pivotal force shaping school culture, instructional quality, teacher retention, and — ultimately — student achievement. But, despite this well-documented reality, the education sector has historically lagged far behind other industries in its efforts to recruit, prepare, support, and retain exceptional leaders.

BEST NC’s policy brief documents North Carolina’s efforts from 2016 to 2020 to dramatically increase and transform the principal pay structure, focusing on how this important funding lever can best be used to improve student outcomes. This report also includes a robust set of recommendations to build upon and strengthen North Carolina’s nation-leading school leadership reforms.

For those seeking policy solutions that will improve student achievement, there is nothing more vital than a teacher pipeline that recruits high-quality candidates, provides them with opportunities to learn and grow in the profession, and retains them over time as their expertise and effectiveness increases.

BEST NC’s policy brief Teacher Apprenticeship in North Carolina: Exploring In-Classroom Preparation for the Next Generation of Teachers examines the past, present, and possible future of teacher apprenticeship, the benefits and barriers this initiative presents for North Carolina’s current teacher recruitment strategy, and our recommendations for future analysis and implementation.

For an abbreviated version of this report, download a copy of the executive summary.

Teachers are the most significant in-school factor for student success and the most important thing we can do to improve our education system is to recruit, prepare, support, and retain great talent for our schools. BEST NC’s groundbreaking report Teacher Pay in North Carolina: A Smart Investment in Student Achievement has been updated in 2025, and examines how existing teacher pay structures fail to address decades-long shifts in our national workforce and are inadequate for meeting the personal and professional needs of teachers. The report provides a set of strategic recommendations to significantly increase and improve the pay structure for North Carolina’s educators.

For an abbreviated version of the report, download a copy of the executive summary.

BEST NC’s report The New North Carolina Principal Fellows Program: Navigating North Carolina’s Bold Leadership Strategy provides education leaders and policymakers with an overview of the history of the New NC Principal Fellows Program, its impact on the principal pipeline in North Carolina, and makes recommendations to fortify the strengths of the program while expanding the program to have an even greater positive impact on student across North Carolina.

To learn more about the New NCPFP, visit our program landing page.

Today in North Carolina, Advanced Teaching Roles are providing new avenues for teacher leadership, modernizing outdated school organizational models, improving teacher retention, empowering school leaders, and improving student achievement. BEST NC’s report Advanced Teaching Roles in North Carolina: Meaningful Career Pathways for Education Professionals explores how this innovative initiative works, and outlines North Carolina’s unique opportunity to become a nation-leading champion for strategic staffing.

To download the full report, visit our program landing page. For an abbreviated version of this report, download the executive summary. For more policy-specific recommendations, download our Policymaker Overview.

This policy brief highlights the critical importance of school principals and documents North Carolina’s investment in a new approach to principals’ initial preparation. It explores the business community’s role in advocacy on behalf of school leaders, and looks ahead to additional investments, policies, and communications that can continue to strengthen North Carolina’s support for school principals.

Click here to download the report.

To learn more about the new North Carolina Principal Fellows Program (formerly TP3), visit our program landing page.