Improvements to North Carolina’s education system requires us to understand the experiences of families. Policies are only effective if they reflect what parents actually encounter when navigating schools, supports and options. Listening to families across income levels and communities helps clarify where policy is working, where it falls short and where targeted action can produce meaningful gains for students.

This principle drives CarolinaCAN’s release of the second edition of the Survey of Educational Opportunity in North Carolina, developed in partnership with 50CAN and Edge Research. The survey provides an updated snapshot of how families are experiencing our education system today, while allowing for direct comparison to the results of the first edition, published in November 2024.