At Whiteville City Schools, 15 out of 128 junior students taking the science portion of the ACT met the college readiness benchmark in the 2022-23 school year, according to the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction.
Science scores among the district’s schools dropped to 11.7% compared to the previous school year, when 16.1% of students were considered ready for post-secondary education.
For comparison, North Carolina saw 26% of its students meeting or exceeding the ACT benchmarks for science during the 2022-23 school year.
Besides science, 21.1% of Whiteville City Schools 11th-graders met English college readiness benchmarks in the 2022-23 school year. In math, 15.6% of students were ready for college, and reading scores revealed 15.6% of juniors also met the standard. Overall, Whiteville City Schools had an average college readiness of 6.3% across all ACT areas.
North Carolina’s education system is still grappling with the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the 2022-23 ACT results, college readiness among North Carolina students falls short of pre-pandemic levels, with only 17.1% meeting benchmarks.
Additionally, the state’s performance is lagging behind the national average, which currently stands at 21%.
| School | Met or Exceeded Benchmarks (2021-22) | Met or Exceeded Benchmarks (2022-23) |
|---|---|---|
| Whiteville High School | 16.3% | 12.2% |
| North Whiteville Academy | <5% | <5% |
| Whiteville City Schools | 16.1% | 11.7% |
