Overcoming Barriers to Student Success

Based on 2017 data, of the over 2,600 public schools in North Carolina, 505 of them are currently designated as low-performing according to data from the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction’s accountability system (that’s an increase of 16 schools since 2015-16 school year). Over a quarter of a million students are enrolled in these schools. This means that roughly one out of every five schools in our state is classified as low-performing and does not meet expected student outcomes. Over the past few years, the number of low-performing schools has increased, which deepens the challenge facing students in our state who are already not performing at grade-level in reading and math. It’s a troubling trend that should concern everyone.