QUICK FACTS

STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT

ABCs of Public Education

North Carolina public schools felt the full effects of new, increased standards for reading in 2007-08 as fewer students earned passing scores on the state's end-of-grade reading test and the overall percentage of students making expected or high growth on the state's reading and mathematics assessments dropped to 52.6 percent. This represented a 19.2 percentage points drop over 2007-08 when 71.8 percent of students earned expected or high growth on the end of grade assessments.

In addition, 50.9 percent of students in grades 3-8 were considered at or above the proficient level in reading and mathematics and 68.4 percent of students were at or above grade level on 10 mandated end-of-course tests.

Under the 2007-08 ABCs, 33 schools earned designation as Honor Schools of Excellence or Schools of Excellence, the highest recognition category under the ABCs, and 205 schools were designated as Schools of Distinction.

National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP)

North Carolina's fourth and eighth graders' performance is on par with or better than the nation's performance on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) 2007 Reading and Mathematics Assessments. The results are particularly noteworthy in mathematics where North Carolina is noted as the state with the most gains in NAEP math scores since 1990.

North Carolina's fourth and eighth graders' performance was consistent with the nation on NAEP's Science Assessment. The fourth graders average score was the same as the nation's and above the Southeast's. North Carolina eighth graders' average score was just below the national average but significantly similar to the Southeast.

North Carolina 8th graders' writing scores were on par with the national average, and 87 percent of the students performed at the Basic level or better on the 2007 National Assessment of Educational Progress.

Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT)

North Carolina's average SAT score in 2008 increased to 1,007, bringing the state to within 10 points of the nation's average, 1,017. North Carolina's math score gained 2 points in 2008 from 509 in 2007 to 511 in 2008. The critical reading score on the SAT was 496 in 2008, up one point from 495. The average writing score was 482; no change from 2007.

On Advanced Placement tests, North Carolina students increased their participation, the number of tests they took and the number of tests they passed. The number of participants was up by 5.9 percent with a total of 45,704 students taking more than 85,000 exams. The percentage of AP exams that received passing scores (generally considered scores of 3, 4 or 5) also increased by 5.1 percent to 49,508.

North Carolina students also out performed the nation on the ACT for the first time in at least five years. North Carolina's average composite score increased by 0.3 points from 2007 to 2008 and totaled 21.3 points. The national average composite score decreased by 0.1 points to 21.1 total points.

STUDENT INFORMATION

Demographics

North Carolina's public schools are more of a melting pot than ever with over 225 languages spoken! The state's Hispanic student population has increased more than any other group. In the past 10 years, (1997-98 - 2007-08), the percentage of Hispanic students has risen from 2.7 percent, or 32,902, to 10.1 percent, or 143,911 students.

Aspirations

The number of North Carolina students dropping out of school in 2007-08 decreased to 4.97 percent from 5.04 percent the previous year. This marks the first decrease in the state's rate since 2004-05.

The percentage of students who entered as ninth graders in 2004-05 and graduated with their class four years later (Class of 2008) or sooner was 69.9 percent. This was a slight increase from 2003-04 when 69.5 percent of entering freshmen graduated four years later or sooner. Some students require a fifth year of high school in order to complete graduation requirements. The five-year cohort graduation rate for students who entered ninth grade in 2003-04 (class of 2007) was 71.8 percent, up from the five-year rate for the 2002-03 ninth graders (Class of 2006) of 70.3 percent.

Upon graduation in 2007, almost 85 percent of the state's public school graduates stated that they planned to further their education either through a four-year college/university, community college, junior college or trade/business school.