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
Science scores among the district's schools dropped to 7.9% compared to the previous school year, when 8.3% of students were considered ready for post-secondary education.
Columbus Career and College Academy students stood out from schools in Columbus County Schools in science, with almost 14.6% of the 12th-graders hitting the ACT benchmark in the 2022-23 school year (6). Meanwhile, students from South Columbus High School struggled the most on the science portion, and only 5% were considered ready for college.
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, 22.2% of Columbus County Schools 12th-graders met English college readiness benchmarks in the 2022-23 school year. In reading, 15.2% 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 | 17% | 14.6% |
| West Columbus High School | 6.8% | 9.7% |
| East Columbus Junior-Senior High School | 7.4% | 7.9% |
| South Columbus High School | 6.2% | 5% |
| Columbus County Schools | 8.3% | 7.9% |
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