Dare County Schools

Welcome to the Dare County Schools website. Not only is Dare County a beautiful place to live, it is home to some of the finest schools in North Carolina. Just as the area has a rich history, the public schools in Dare County also have a tradition of providing students with quality education.Our 11 schools serve approximately 5,000 students, and provide Dare County's children with a wealth of opportunities. Our teachers and staff are committed to preparing students to compete in the 21^st Century.

Dare County Schools is a promising system seeking to become a state and national model. We use performance data to benchmark against ourselves as well as other top performing schools.

Excellent Teachers and Administrators

Within each of our 11 schools you will find some of the most talented and dedicated teachers in the state. Approximately 40 percent of our local teachers hold graduate degrees, and 17 percent hold National Board Certification.

Outstanding Students – Academic Excellence

Advanced Placement (AP) - In the six years since the Board of Education established its goal of promoting and expanding AP course offerings, the percentage of graduates having completed at least one AP class has ranged from 15% to 44%. Since 2004-2005, each Dare County high school offers up to 17 AP courses. Based on their performance on AP exams, students receive varying levels of AP Scholar recognition by completing three or more AP exams, with scores of 3 or higher, out of a possible 5, on each exam.

 >> Dare County students took 477 AP Exams in May 2009 after completing challenging college-level courses at their high schools.  Thirty-five students earned AP Scholar Awards from the College Board in recognition of their exceptional achievement on these college-level Advanced Placement Program (AP) Exams.

>>  According to Newsweek magazine’s website for the second year in a row, Cape Hatteras Secondary School of Coastal Studies, First Flight High School and Manteo High School were in the top 6% of high schools in the nation based on the number of AP tests taken.

2010 Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) – For the seventh consecutive year, Dare County Schools maintained its state rank among the top ten schools in North Carolina in SAT scores with at least 70% of students participating. We want to expose as many of our students as possible to a rigorous curriculum which gives them an opportunity to attend college if they choose. Only one public school district with participation rates above 75% had higher average SAT scores than Dare County for he second consecutive year.

 >> Dare County Schools students’ average score on the math and critical reading (formerly verbal) portions of the test was 1027, exceeding the 1000 mark for the tenth year in a row.

District Highlights

Low Dropout Rate - For the sixth year in a row, Dare County Schools’ low dropout rate has claimed a spot among the state of North Carolina’s six best, ranging from two to six. Dare’s 2008-2009 dropout rate of 2.03% percent is sixth best in the state.

The “on-time” graduation rate is the percentage of students in a graduating class who earn a diploma in four years or less.  Dare County’s graduation rate increased from 82.8 % in 2007 to 90.2% for the Class of 2009 – the best in the state. The Class of 2010 rate of 90.5 put Dare County Schools on top for the second consecutive year.

No Child Left Behind standard of Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) – For 2009-2010, students at Dare County’s eleven public schools achieved 141 of 145 targets prescribed by the federal Adequate Yearly Progress standards, for a success rate of 97  percent. Nine Dare schools fully qualified for AYP by meeting 100 percent of their targets; click here for the full article.

New Schools Project - Cape Hatteras Secondary School is entering its fifth year of a five-year $300,000 Implementation Grant through the NC New Schools Project, an initiative of the Office of the Governor and the NC Education Cabinet with the support of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

Successful Practices Network - First Flight and Manteo High School are entering their fifth year of membership the Successful Practices Network, an elite group of fewer than 700 schools across the country established by Dr. Bill Daggett who, with support from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, is at the fore of developing a research-based framework for high school reform.

Four year senior scholarships have increased from 10 to 2001 to 43 for Dare County Schools grads in 2009.  Senior scholarships from all sources have risen from less than $500,000 for the Class of 2001 to more than $1.2 million for the class of 2009.

Ninth grade promotions - From 2001-2004, an average of only 80% of Manteo High School 9th graders were promoted each year. To increase graduation rates and high school success of entering ninth graders, freshman academies were established in 2004-2005 at both Manteo High School and First Flight High School (open in 2004). The freshman promotion rate has improved:

>      From 80% to 96.6% at FFHS
>      From 80% to 99% at MHS

The Dare Education Foundation quadrupled its contributions from $10,400 in 2003-2004 to $60,000 in 2007;  for school year ending 2010, direct program support was $93,000.  In addition to funding best practices efforts in each of our schools, DEF continues its recognition and support of faculty and staff, and continues funding for those seeking undergraduate and graduate degrees, licensure requirements and staff development.

>> In partnership with Dare County Schools, Dare Education Foundation secured a 2.1 million dollar interest-free loan from the State Employees’ Credit Union Foundation to fund a 24 apartment affordable teacher housing complex located on property owned by the Board of Education adjacent to the First Flight Schools. This is the second such to be completed in the state and was available for teachers to move into August 2008. 

More extensive scientific and technological advances will occur in the next few years than have happened in the last two centuries. Across the country, the old high school model designed for students to be successful in an industrial society is being replaced by models that prepare all students for higher education in our current rapidly-changing technological and global society. In Dare County, we recognize that the research-based reform efforts must begin the moment each of our students walks through our doors.

Through intensive staff development, and district and site-based professional learning communities, Dare County Schools teachers and administrators are embracing school reform to best prepare our students for unknown challenges born of extensive scientific and technological adavnces that mark this 21^st Century.

Thank you for your interest in Dare County Schools. I welcome your remarks about our system and this website.  We have designed this website with the public in mind and encourage you to visit it often.  New information and updates are posted daily. You will find a wealth of information about our individual schools and Board of Education, as well as topics of interest to parents, students, and the community at large.  Highlights include:

District News
2008-2009 Annual Report
Dare County Board of Education
Dare County Board of Education District Goals
The Dare County Board of Education Policy Manual
Frequently Asked Questions
Technology Plan
Student Code of Conduct
School calendar 2010-2011
Individual School Information, Contacts and Websites