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 15 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 15 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 441 AP Exams in May 2008 after  
     completing challenging college-level courses at their high schools.
     Thirty-two 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.

2008 Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) – For the fifth 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 three public school districts with participation rates above 75% have higher average SAT scores than Dare County students participation rate of 78.4% compared to 45% nationally.

     DCS students’ average score on the math and critical reading (formerly
     verbal) portions of the test was 1024, exceeding the 1000 mark for the
     eighth year in a row.

District Highlights

Low Dropout Rate - For the fifth year in a row, Dare County Schools’ low dropout rate has claimed a spot among the state of North Carolina’s ten best. Dare’s 2007-2008 dropout rate of 1.68 percent is second 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 85.3 % for the Class of 2008 – the fourth best in the state.

Cape Hatteras Secondary School of Coastal Studies was one of only eight schools in North Carolina to achieve a 100% “on time” graduation rate.

First Flight High School was recognized as having the highest graduation rate in the state (92.4%) for a graduating class of 200-299 students.

No Child Left Behind standard of Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) – For 2008-2009, students at Dare County’s eleven public schools achieved 139 of 142 targets prescribed by the federal Adequate Yearly Progress standards, for a success rate of 98 percent, up from last year’s mark of 95 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 fourth 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 46 for Dare County Schools grads in 2008.  Senior scholarships from all sources have risen from less than $500,000 for the Class of 2001 to more than $1.7 million for the class of 2008.

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 2009, direct program support was $87,000.  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 advances that mark this 21^st Century.

I thank you for your interest in Dare County Schools and 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
2007-2008 Annual Report
Schools, Dare County Board of Education and Administrative Contacts
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 calendars for 2009-2010 and 2010-2011
Individual School Sites (link from dropdown left menu here)