Data Sources
Families deserve transparent, trustworthy information about their school options. So we share the data sources and definitions behind all the data you see in RYSE.
RYSE data comes directly from official public sources, including the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI), Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, and Mecklenburg County GIS. See additional details below.
Academic growth data, including the growth status and growth index for the overall, reading, math, and student group data points, comes from the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI), specifically its Education Value-Added Assessment System (EVAAS) growth data. The 2025-26 results are NCDPI's preliminary September 2, 2026 release, and NCDPI posts the approved results on October 1, 2026.
- North Carolina Department of Public Instruction. (2026). EVAAS School Growth Data, 2025-2026: School Assessment and Other Indicator Data, School Growth tab, all North Carolina public schools, preliminary September 2 release [Data file]. North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, Education Value-Added Assessment System (EVAAS). https://www.dpi.nc.gov/districts-schools/accountability-and-testing/school-accountability-and-reporting/accountability-data-sets-and-reports(opens in a new tab) (Accessed September 2, 2026.)
- North Carolina Department of Public Instruction. Accountability report archive: EVAAS school growth and accountability data sets, 2023-24 and 2024-25 school years [Data files]. North Carolina Department of Public Instruction. https://www.dpi.nc.gov/districts-schools/accountability-and-testing/school-accountability-and-reporting/accountability-data-sets-and-reports/accountability-report-archive(opens in a new tab) (Accessed September 2, 2026.)
Information such as each school's name, address, phone number, website, grade levels, calendar, schedule, and virtual status comes directly from the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI) Educational Directory and Demographical Information Exchange (EDDIE) system. Where the state's listing is out of date, RYSE corrects a school's name or website link by hand.
- North Carolina Department of Public Instruction. (2025). Educational Directory and Demographical Information Exchange (E.D.D.I.E.) [Data portal, 2024-2025 school year]. North Carolina Department of Public Instruction. https://apps.schools.nc.gov/apx212/f?p=125:1(opens in a new tab) (Accessed September 16, 2025.)
These numbers come from the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction's statistical profile for the 2025-2026 school year, which covers every public school in the state. A small number of schools are not in the state's count for a given year. Where we have an earlier year for such a school, we show that instead. Each school's demographics panel labels the school year it reflects.
- North Carolina Department of Public Instruction. (2026). Table 10.1: Pupils in membership by race and sex (at school level), 2025-26 school year [Data set]. North Carolina public schools statistical profile. https://apps.schools.nc.gov/public/f?p=145:221(opens in a new tab) (Accessed September 8, 2026.)
- North Carolina Department of Public Instruction. (2026). Table 37: Charter and regional school membership by race and sex, 2025-26 school year [Data set]. North Carolina public schools statistical profile. https://apps.schools.nc.gov/public/f?p=145:68(opens in a new tab) (Accessed September 8, 2026.)
Magnet program themes, transportation zones, and transportation notes are compiled from Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools and the Mecklenburg County GIS GeoPortal. The CMS "Themes and Schools" webpage provides the baseline; CMS board materials document approved program and transportation changes.
- Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools. (2025). School choice: Magnet themes and transportation information [Web page]. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools. https://www.cmsk12.org/academics/school-choice/themes-schools(opens in a new tab) (Accessed September 18, 2025.)
- Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools. (2026, August 11). Plan in response to the 2024 comprehensive review: Board action [Presentation]. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education. https://go.boarddocs.com/nc/cmsnc/Board.nsf/pfiles/DWLTB9768997/$file/August%2011%20Plan%20in%20Response%20to%20the%202024%20Comprehensive%20Review%20-%20Board%20Action.pdf(opens in a new tab) (Accessed September 8, 2026.)
- Mecklenburg County GIS. (2025). GeoPortal [Web application]. Mecklenburg County GIS, 215 S. Turner Ave., Charlotte, NC 28208. https://maps.mecklenburgcountync.gov/geoportal/(opens in a new tab) (Accessed September 4, 2025.)
Elementary, middle, and high school boundary maps, used to build the school list for your address, are based on shapefiles provided by Mecklenburg County GIS through its Meck Geo Portal for the 2026-27 school year.
- Mecklenburg County GIS. (2025). Elementary School Attendance Boundaries [Geospatial data set]. Mecklenburg County Open Mapping Portal. https://maps.mecklenburgcountync.gov/openmapping/data.html(opens in a new tab) (Accessed June 28, 2025.)
- Mecklenburg County GIS. (2025). Middle School Attendance Boundaries [Geospatial data set]. Mecklenburg County Open Mapping Portal. https://maps.mecklenburgcountync.gov/openmapping/data.html(opens in a new tab) (Accessed June 28, 2025.)
- Mecklenburg County GIS. (2025). High School Attendance Boundaries [Geospatial data set]. Mecklenburg County Open Mapping Portal. https://maps.mecklenburgcountync.gov/openmapping/data.html(opens in a new tab) (Accessed June 28, 2025.)
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