North Carolina Students See Modest Test Score Improvement

Test scores for North Carolina’s public school students have shown a slight increase, marking a positive shift in the state’s educational landscape. According to recent data, an average of 55% of students in grades three and above achieved proficiency on state exams for the 2023-24 school year, up from 54.2% the previous year. However, these numbers remain below the 58.8% proficiency rate recorded in the 2018-19 academic year, which was the last complete year prior to the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Despite the overall improvement, concerns linger regarding specific subgroups. Notably, only 46.6% of third graders demonstrated proficiency in reading, a decrease of two percentage points from the previous year. This decline raises questions about the effectiveness of North Carolina’s science of reading strategy, which is just beginning to influence classroom instruction.

Performance Gaps Persist Among Students

The data reveals persistent achievement gaps across various demographic groups. Students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds scored an average proficiency of 41.7%, significantly lower than the 68% proficiency rate for their more affluent peers. Furthermore, performance varied markedly among racial and ethnic groups, with Asian students achieving an average proficiency of 81.7%, followed by white students at 67.8%. In contrast, Hispanic students scored 43.2%, American Indian students 42.8%, and black students 39.2%.

Gender disparities were also evident, as girls outperformed boys slightly, with proficiency rates of 55.8% and 54.3%, respectively. These figures indicate that while progress is being made, significant challenges remain in addressing educational equity across North Carolina.

Call for Comprehensive Educational Reforms

John Hood, a board member of the John Locke Foundation, emphasized the need for a multi-faceted approach to educational improvement. “I’m an all-hands-on-deck guy,” he stated, advocating for diverse strategies rather than a singular focus. He highlighted the importance of science-based reforms in teaching reading and mathematics, competitive salaries for educators, and improved preparation for school leaders.

Hood also pointed to the need for stronger classroom discipline and efforts to reduce chronic absenteeism, alongside promoting educational choice and competition. He urged policymakers to adopt a broader perspective, avoiding the temptation to fit new data into existing political narratives.

“We’d all benefit from adopting a broader perspective instead of endlessly relitigating the past couple of decades of North Carolina trends and reforms,” Hood stated.

When evaluating educational outcomes, it is essential to consider various factors that influence test scores, including student background and non-school elements. The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) provides valuable insights into these dynamics, administering assessments to samples of fourth and eighth graders nationwide.

According to a recent analysis by the Urban Institute, Mississippi emerged as the highest-performing state in adjusted NAEP scores, demonstrating that effective educational outcomes can be achieved regardless of funding levels. Following Mississippi were Louisiana, Massachusetts, Texas, and Indiana in the top five states, while Michigan, Missouri, and Arizona languished in the bottom rankings.

This analysis raises important questions regarding the relationship between school funding and quality. While states like Massachusetts and Illinois spend significantly on education, lower-spending states such as Mississippi and Florida have also shown impressive performance, suggesting that expenditure alone does not determine educational success.

As North Carolina and other states implement school choice options, the focus must shift toward refining the training, evaluation, and compensation of public school educators. With choice and competition becoming integral to the educational landscape, it is crucial to acknowledge that most students will continue to be educated within public school systems.

In closing, Hood asserts the importance of accepting the current educational realities and moving forward with comprehensive reforms that benefit all students in North Carolina.