DNPE was formerly a subset of the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction. In 1979, it was placed under the Department of Administration, in response to controversy that was resolved by defining the relation between public and private schools as competing enterprises. The change was to ensure that neither competing entity could exercise authority over the other.
DNPE serves as the liaison between the Government of North Carolina and private education within the geographic boundaries of North Carolina. It maintains administrative data on students attending home schools and private schools, and it oversees driver's education certificates for non-public school students.
DNPE monitors compliance by home-schooled and private-school students with the requirement to take standardized, annual, end-of-grade tests. Failure to administer these tests, or failure of the student to pass these tests, triggers the DNPE to notify the county school superintendent. That superintendent can then take action to compel public school attendance.
DNPE publishes guidelines for procedure and curriculum, but has no legal authority to enforce these guidelines or curriculum. Home schools are required to submit a letter of intent and to maintain attendance records. Private schools are required by DNPE to maintain attendance records. DNPE is authorized to conduct an annual on-site inspection of the home school or the private school, but only for the purpose of confirming attendance records.
DNPE publishes the requirements for non-public students to acquire a valid high school graduation that is acceptable for application to the University of North Carolina system, validated by standardized tests. Those requirements include four units of English, two units of foreign language, four units of mathematics, three units of science, three units of social studies, one unit of physical education and four units of electives.