The Birth through Third Grade (B-3) Interagency Council was established by the General Assembly in 2017. It is a joint council between the NC Department of Health and Human Services and the NC Department of Public Instruction. The Council has 12 voting members and four nonvoting members, and will create a vision and accountability for a birth through grade three system of early education.

The Council shall have as its charge establishing a vision and accountability for a birth through grade three system of early education that addresses all of the following:

• Standards and assessment
• Data-driven improvement and outcomes, including shared accountability measures such as the NC Pathways to Grade-Level Reading
• Teacher and administrator preparation and effectiveness
• Instruction and environment
• Transitions and continuity
• Family engagement
• Governance and funding

The Council is specifically charged with reviewing the recommendations developed by DHHS and DPI pursuant to Session Law 2017-57, Senate Bill 257, Section 7.23I.(a). Establish B-3 Interagency Council.

The Council must submit a report on the initial results of its review and study by April 15, 2018, to the General Assembly’s Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee, the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on Health and Human Service, and the Joint Legislative Commission on Governmental Operations.

Additionally, the Council must submit a report by Feb. 15, 2019, to those committees on the final results of the review and study described above, as well as progress on the development of a coordinated system of early care, education, and child development services.