Central Wake is a small public charter school that takes a personalized approach to learning for students who have dropped out of high school or are on the verge of dropping out, according to an article in Education Next.
Most students who come to Central Wake are failing academically or missing too much learning time. They are seeking a second chance and a new route to earn a high school diploma. The school has 363 students.
North Carolina policymakers have adopted an alternative accountability model that allows schools like Central Wake to demonstrate how its approach works. Administrators set goals each year for growth in math and reading test scores, credit-earning rates, GPA improvements, and student satisfaction. Central Wake has consistently received “highly effective” ratings for engaging students disconnected from school.
Students often arrive at Central Wake after hearing about it through their friends, family, or school counselors. They enter throughout the year and leave as they complete the program. How long they stay depends on how many credits students need to earn to graduate and their motivation. On average, students stay three semesters.
Teachers take a personal interest in students, often becoming mentors and a caring adult who keeps them engaged.
Many Central Wake teachers are experienced in working in alternative, credit-recovery, or at-risk settings. New hires complete an onboarding process that introduces them to the school model, its culture of belonging, and its instructional expectations. Teachers receive embedded job coaching, participate in monthly professional learning communities to share best practices, and can tap into the professional network.
Alternative charter school plans in North Carolina must be approved first by the school’s local board and then by the state Department of Public Instruction (DPI) and Board of Education. Once a school establishes a model, the framework typically doesn’t change much.
Each year, schools submit information on students’ actual performance (such as exam scores and grades) along with their initial targets. To ensure accuracy, DPI can request the underlying data behind the numbers.
Central Wake’s state-approved plan has evolved from a credit-recovery focus that prioritized course completion to a more comprehensive framework that measures academic knowledge, career technical education, and workplace skills.
In 2024–25, Central Wake’s plan included seven approved measures: (1) achievement; (2) reading growth; (3) math growth; (4) increased credit-earning rate; (5) industry certification; (6) improved GPA; and (7) student satisfaction.
For years, Central Wake has exceeded its targets in most categories. Feedback from student satisfaction surveys for the past three years shows 96 percent believe Central Wake is providing a high-quality education.
Beyond helping students earn a high school diploma, Central Wake works with them to develop an individual postsecondary plan that may include community college, university, military service, or the workforce.
The school began offering career technical education courses in 2023–24 in culinary arts and hospitality, carpentry, construction safety, health science, and welding. In 2024–25 it started a dual-enrollment program with Wake Technical Community College to give students the option of getting industry-based certifications.
Central Wake added a CTE goal to its latest accountability cycle, aiming to have 50 percent of students in CTE courses earn industry certification.
The high school created an advisory board with external businesses partners and the community college. It meets monthly to discuss strategies on how to reach and support students as they explore career pathways. Central Wake invites representatives from colleges, businesses, and the military to pitch students about career options.
Education Next
