By Ivey Schofield and Sarah Nagem
More students in North Carolina’s Border Belt region passed state exams last school year, but the numbers continued to lag behind pre-pandemic scores.
Data released Thursday during a state Board of Education meeting shows that public school performance in Bladen, Columbus, Robeson and Scotland counties fell below statewide averages during the 2021-2022 school year.
Last school year was the third impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, and North Carolina education leaders urged caution when comparing scores to previous years.
“Last year’s accountability results are really a testament to the resilience, dedication and commitment of thousands of educators across the state,” state superintendent Cathy Truitt said in a news release. “They know as I do that we still have a steep hill to climb and that every step matters.”
Here are a few things to keep in mind:
- Statewide, 51.2% of students passed exams last school year.
- Growth expectations are based on state exams.
- Letter grades assigned to schools are calculated using achievement scores and academic growth.
Here’s a breakdown of how local school districts fared.
ROBESON COUNTY SCHOOLS
Last school year, 31.1% of Robeson County students passed state exams, up from 21.2% the prior year.
But the figure is below that of 2018-2019, when more than 45% of students passed state exams.
Most Robeson County schools met or exceeded growth expectations on state exams. Seven schools did not meet expectations – Deep Branch Elementary, Rosenwald Elementary, Townsend, Red Springs Middle, Fairmont High, Red Springs High and Purnell Swett High.
Only two schools earned A or B letter grades: PSRC Early College and East Robeson Primary. Four schools earned a C, and 29 got a D or F.
COLUMBUS COUNTY SCHOOLS
Last school year, 42.3% of students in Columbus County Schools passed state exams, up from 35.4% the prior year.
But the figure is below that of 2018-2019, when 51.9% of students passed state exams.
Most schools in the district – 10 – did not meet growth expectations. No schools exceeded expectations, and four met expectations: Acme Delco Elementary, Old Dock Elementary, Tabor City Middle and West Columbus High.
No schools earned an A or B letter grade. Four earned a C, and nine got a D. One school got an F – Evergreen Elementary.
WHITEVILLE CITY SCHOOLS
Last school year, 50.8% of students in Whiteville City Schools passed state exams, up from 47% the prior year.
But the figure is below that of 2018-2019, when 60.3% of students passed state exams.
Central Middle and Classical Charter Schools of Whiteville met growth expectations; Edgewood Elementary and Whiteville High did not.
No school in the tiny district earned an A or B letter grade. Two got a C – Central Middle and Whiteville High. Two got a D – Edgewood Elementary and Classical Charter Schools of Whiteville.
BLADEN COUNTY SCHOOLS
Last school year, 35.2% of Bladen County students passed their state exams, up from 27.3% the prior year.
But the figure is below that of 2018-2019, when 47.5% of students passed state exams.
Eight schools in the district met or exceeded growth expectations last school year. Four schools did not meet expectations: Bladenboro Primary, Dublin Primary, Elizabethtown Primary and Elizabethtown Middle.
Five schools earned C grades, five earned D grades, and two schools – Elizabethtown Primary and Elizabethtown Middle – earned F grades.
SCOTLAND COUNTY SCHOOLS
Last school year, 34.3% of Scotland County students passed state exams, up from 27.8% the prior year.
During the 2018-2019 school year, 45% of students passed state exams.
Three schools exceeded growth expectations: South Johnson Elementary, Scotland Neck Elementary Leadership Academy and Spring Hill Middle. Three schools met expectations: Laurel Hill Elementary, Carver Middle and Scotland Early College High.
One school earned an A letter grade: Scotland Early College High. One school got a C, and six got a D or F.
WANT TO KNOW MORE?
For more data on the state, district and school levels, check out this chart published by The News & Observer.
