Catherine Truitt North Carolina Superintendent of Public Instruction | North Carolina Department of Public Instruction website
Catherine Truitt North Carolina Superintendent of Public Instruction | North Carolina Department of Public Instruction website
Reading scores among the district's schools dropped to 15.2% compared to the previous school year, when 16.5% of students were considered ready for post-secondary education.
Columbus Career and College Academy students stood out from schools in Columbus County Schools in reading, with almost 22% of the 12th-graders hitting the ACT benchmark in the 2022-23 school year (9). Meanwhile, students from South Columbus High School struggled the most on the reading portion, and only 13.6% were considered ready for college.
For comparison, North Carolina saw 36% of its students meeting or exceeding the ACT benchmarks for reading during the 2022-23 school year.
Besides reading, 22.2% of Columbus County Schools 12th-graders met English college readiness benchmarks in the 2022-23 school year. In science, 7.9% of students were ready for college, and math scores revealed 5.2% of seniors also met the standard. Overall, Columbus County Schools had an average college readiness of 5.3% 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) |
|---|---|---|
| Columbus Career and College Academy | 30.2% | 22% |
| East Columbus Junior-Senior High School | 19.1% | 15.8% |
| West Columbus High School | 8.1% | 13.9% |
| South Columbus High School | 13.8% | 13.6% |
| Columbus County Schools | 16.5% | 15.2% |
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