RALEIGH, N.C. (WPTF) — According to annually released data that was presented to the State Board of Education on Wednesday, North Carolina students achieved a three-year high in most standardized tests at the end of the 2024-25 academic year.
New statewide test scores released at Wednesday’s State Board of Education meeting show that 55% of students were proficient on state exams during the school year ending in June. That’s up slightly from 54.2% the prior year. But it’s still below the pre-pandemic proficiency rate of almost 59% in the 2018-19 school year.
New data shows that the four-year cohort graduation rate has also risen to 87.7%, up from 87.0% in 2023-24, and is the highest in the past 10 years.
In addition, school performance grades show an increase of schools earning an A, B or C, while the number of schools earning a D or F declined by nearly two percentage points. Approximately 71% of schools met or exceeded growth in 2024-25. As a result, nearly 50 fewer schools were designated as low performing in 2024-25 compared to the previous year.
State Superintendent Maurice “Mo” Green said, “I’m proud of our students and educators who have worked hard to improve these metrics even as we acknowledge that our students are more than test scores. While the progress and growth shown in these reports deserves praise, we must continue our work to promote excellence for all students. Our plan is to Achieve Educational Excellence – for every child in North Carolina and to have the best public schools in the nation. I am eager to see this data continue to improve as we work to implement our strategic plan.”