Deanne Meadows, Superintendent Columbus County Schools | columbus.k12.nc.us
Deanne Meadows, Superintendent Columbus County Schools | columbus.k12.nc.us
In the 2022-23 school year, Reading scores among the county districts dropped to 15.4%, a decline of 2.6% from the previous school year when 18% of students were considered ready for post-secondary education.
Countywide, Columbus County Schools students stood out in Reading, with almost 15.3% of the 11th-graders hitting the ACT benchmark in the 2022-23 school year (54). Meanwhile, students from Whiteville City Schools struggled the most on the Reading portion, and 15.6% were considered ready for college.
For comparison, North Carolina saw 33.4% of its students meeting or exceeding the ACT benchmarks for Reading during this year.
Beyond Reading, 19.3% of Columbus County 11th-graders met English college readiness benchmarks in the 2022-23 school year. On Science, 9.3% of students were ready for college, and Math scores revealed 7.9% of juniors also met the standard. Overall, Columbus County had an average college readiness of 1.7% 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%.
| District | Met or Exceeded Benchmarks (2021-22) | Met or Exceeded Benchmarks (2022-23) |
|---|---|---|
| Columbus County Schools | 15.8% | 15.3% |
| Whiteville City Schools | 22.6% | 15.6% |
| Columbus County | 18% | 15.4% |
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