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SB 579

Transforming the High School Experience.

2025-2026 Session Introduced by Val Applewhite and 5 co-sponsors

Creates the NC High School Redesign Commission to pilot competency-based pathways that let students earn college credits or credentials in healthcare and tech fields.

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Bill Summary · SB 579

SB 579 — “Transforming the High School Experience” (North Carolina)

Status: Reported Favorably as Committee Substitute; placed on Appropriations suspense (later died at sine die adjournment May 5, 2025)
Introduced: 2025 (Filed Mar 25, 2025)

Purpose / Intent

SB 579 seeks to redesign the high‑school experience in North Carolina by (1) creating a High School Redesign Commission to develop policy recommendations and oversee evaluation, and (2) establishing competency‑based education (CBE) pilots and pathways that enable students to earn college credit, industry credentials, or an associate degree while in high school — with an initial emphasis on healthcare and high‑tech career pathways.

Key provisions

  • Establishes the North Carolina High School Redesign Commission (administratively located in the Department of Public Instruction but independent in its duties).

    • Membership: 15 members, including legislative appointees, the Governor’s appointee, State Superintendent (or designee), presidents/designees of UNC, NC Independent Colleges & Universities, the Community College System, and CEOs/designees for MyFutureNC, NC Chamber, BEST NC, SparkNC; plus two local education or community college leaders appointed by the Commission chair.
    • Governance: Commission elects its chair (from legislature‑appointed members); meets at least four times per year; quorum = six.
    • Duties: Study and recommend reforms including flexible diploma requirements, personalized pathways, modular/competency‑based alternatives to time‑bound courses, expanded work‑based learning (apprenticeships, internships, clinicals), stackable industry credentials, community and business partnerships, uses of artificial intelligence for career exploration and scale, and alternative funding models.
    • Evaluation: Directed to partner with the Office of Learning Research at the North Carolina Collaboratory for program evaluation.
    • Reporting and sunset: Submit a report to the Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee by April 30, 2026, and annually thereafter. Commission terminates June 30, 2030 (or upon final report).

  • Competency‑Based High School & Healthcare/High‑Tech Pathways Program (pilot)

    • Initial participants named: Mooresville Graded School District (MGSD) in partnership with Mitchell Community College (MCC).
    • MGSD/MCC required to contract with an experienced organization to design and implement learner‑centered, modular, competency‑based high school programs aligned to healthcare and high‑tech pathways.
    • Program goals: enable students to choose a college/career track at the end of junior year, progress at student pace, earn stackable credentials or an associate degree, and integrate digital infrastructure that supports competency‑based assessments and interdisciplinary, real‑world learning.

Who would be affected

  • High school students (especially in participating pilots), families, and K‑12 districts (pilot partners and districts adopting CBE models).
  • Community colleges and universities partnering on dual enrollment, stackable credentials, and pathway alignment.
  • Local employers and industry (expanded opportunities for apprenticeships, credentialing, and work‑based learning).
  • State agencies: Department of Public Instruction (administrative host), NC Collaboratory (evaluation partner).
  • State budget/appropriations if funds are provided to support contracting, pilots, and commission operations.

Timeline / Procedural notes

  • Commission required to deliver first report by April 30, 2026; annual reports thereafter.
  • Commission sunset: June 30, 2030.
  • Legislative history (selected): reported favorably as a committee substitute and placed on the Appropriations suspense file; scheduled hearings and re‑referrals occurred in spring 2025. At adjournment for the 2025 session the bill did not complete enactment (died at sine die on May 5, 2025).

Potential impacts / considerations

  • If funded and implemented, the bill could expand CBE statewide through pilots, increase early college and credential attainment, and strengthen school–college–employer alignment.
  • Implementation will require contracting expertise, digital learning infrastructure, coordination across K‑12 and higher education, and funding for pilots and evaluation.
  • Evaluation clauses and Collaboratory partnership aim to produce evidence on efficacy before broader rollout.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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