State test results are now out showing how every North Carolina public school fared during the 2023-24 school year.
The results released at Wednesday’s State Board of Education meeting show that 54.2% of students passed state exams last school year. More schools earned A and B performance grades, and fewer schools were labeled as low-performing than the year before.
Performance is still below pre-pandemic levels. But it has now gone up the past three years in a row.
Schools are given an A through F letter grade from the state. The grade is largely based on passing rates on state exams so high-poverty schools on average have lower grades than affluent schools.
‘Watershed moment’ for Wake
In Wake County, the proficiency rate on state exams rose to 64.2%, up from 63.4% in 2023.
Wake isn’t yet at its overall pre-pandemic passing rate of 65.2% from the 2018-19 school year.
But Wake is above pre-pandemic levels on state exams for math in grades 4, 5, 6 and 8; reading in grades 4 and 5 and fifth-grade science. Wake is also above pre-pandemic levels for all high school end-of-course subjects except Biology.
The percentage of Wake schools that exceeded growth expectations on state exams rose to 40%, the highest it’s been since the 2012-13 school year.
“This is a watershed moment for our school district,” Wake Superintendent Robert P. Taylor said in a news release. “Just a few short years ago, we were mired in the uncertainty and learning disruptions caused by the pandemic.
“Now — thanks to the ingenuity, professionalism, and good old fashioned hard work of our teachers and staff — we have not only mostly recovered from the pandemic, we are on a trajectory toward a new level of excellence.”
In addition, Wake’s four-year graduation rate rose to a record 91.3%, up from 89.9% a year ago.
“Let me be clear: we are by no means declaring victory,” Taylor said. “We still have a long way to go, particularly for our students of color and lower-income students.
“But today is a day to celebrate everything that our students, families, and staff have accomplished in the face of adversity, even as we train our eyes on the next summit.”
Triangle district scores
The results were more mixed in the other Triangle school districts.
▪ Chapel Hill-Carrboro has the highest passing rate in the state at 69.8%. But it dropped from 71.1% in 2022. The district is trying to reach its 2018-19 passing rate of 75.5%.
▪ In Chatham County, the proficiency rate on state exams dropped to 57.8%. It was 58.4% the prior school year. The district is trying to reach its 2018-19 passing rate of 62.4%.
▪ In Johnston County, the proficiency rate rose to 56.4%, up from 55.2% the previous year. The district is well ahead of its pre-pandemic passing rate of 52.9% from the 2018-19 school year.
▪ In Orange County, the proficiency rate rose to 54.9%, up from 52.4% the prior year. The district is trying to reach its 2018-19 passing rate of 59.6%.
▪ In Durham the proficiency rate dropped to 47%. It was at 47.9% the previous year. The district is trying to reach its 2018-19 passing rate of 49% in the 2018-19 school year.
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