The State of Public Education in North Carolina

1
The State of Public Education in North Carolina

• EDN 200

2
Todays Plan

• Reading Discussion
• Book Report Comments
• School The Bottom Line in Education Video
• NC Information
• PDK/Gallup Survey

3
Kozol Comments

• Principal and Principle
• Separate but Equal
• Does integration have value? What are the
  benefits?

4
Education in NC

• Message from the Governor
• We continue to make great progress in education
  in North Carolina. Our students are performing
  above the southeastern and national averages on
  national exams in reading and math, they continue
  to increase their scores on the SAT, and North
  Carolina remains a national leader in sending our
  graduates on to colleges and universities. To
  continue this progress, we must stay focused on
  ensuring that all students are well prepared for
  the demands of college and skilled work in the
  21st Century.

5
Fordham Study (2006) Based primarily on the 2005
National Assessment of Educational Progress
(NAEP), specifically the reading, mathematics,
and science proficiency of low-income,
African-American, and Hispanic students.
6

• INDICATOR NATIONWIDE DATA
• Black (Percentage of students at or above
  proficient)
• 4th graders in Reading (2005 NAEP) 12
• 8th graders in Math (2005 NAEP) 8
• 8th graders in Science (2005 NAEP) 7
• Hispanic (Percentage of students at or above
  proficient)
• 4th graders in Reading (2005 NAEP) 15
• 8th graders in Math (2005 NAEP) 13
• 8th graders in Science (2005 NAEP) 10
• Low-Income (Percentage of students at or above
  proficient)
• 4th graders in Reading (2005 NAEP) 15
• 8th graders in Math (2005 NAEP) 13
• 8th graders in Science (2005 NAEP) 12
• Percentage of high school students who have
  passed 14.1
• (with a score of 3 or above) at least one AP exam
  
• (College Board,2006)
• Percentage of black students who graduate on time
  51.6

7

• Fordham (2006)
• Achievement Trends Thirty-one states have made
  at least "minimal" progress among poor or
  minority students.

8
Fordam (2006) Education Reform Grades
9
Other Mean Measures

• SAT Scores
• ACT Scores
• Dropout Rates

10
US Chamber of CommerceState Report Cards
Slides courtesy of Dr. Karen Wetherill and Dr.
Cathy Barlow
11
North Carolina State Report Card

• On Educational Effectiveness
• by a team of national experts
• Who focused on academic outcomes
• With attention to key business metrics
• Innovation
• Flexibility
• Management
• Fiscal Prudence

12
Academic Achievement

• C

13
Academic Achievement

• Student performance in North Carolina is mediocre
• The states 4th and 8th graders score a few
  percentage points above national average in
  percentage at or above proficient level on NAEP
  math exams
• They score below national average on NAEP reading
  exams.

14
Academic Achievement of Low-Income Minority
Students

• B

15
Academic Achievement of Low-Income Minority
Students

• Compared with rest of the country, North Carolina
  posts solid marks in this category
• 26 of Hispanic 4th graders score at or above
  proficient level on the NAEP math exam
• National average for Hispanic 4th graders is 19

16
Return on Investment

• A

17
Return on Investment

• Student achievement in North Carolina is very
  strong relative to state education spending
  (after controlling for student poverty, the
  percentage of students with special needs, and
  cost of living).
• This high return on investment earns the state an
  A in our ranking.

18
Truth in Advertising About Student Proficiency

• D

19
Truth in Advertising About Student Proficiency

• North Carolina gets poor marks on the credibility
  of its students proficiency scores.
• The state identified large percentages of its
  students as proficient in math and reading on
  2005 state exams
• Smaller percentages posted proficient scores on
  the NAEP in 2005.

20
Rigor of Standards

• C

21
Rigor of Standards

• North Carolina receives a middling grade for the
  rigor of its standards.
• English and science curriculum standards receive
  solid marks
• The state has yet to align its high school
  graduation requirements with college and
  workplace expectations or to enact a rigorous
  graduation exit exam

22
Postsecondary Workforce Readiness

• A

23
Postsecondary Workforce Readiness

• North Carolina earns a high grade in this
  category
• The states 11th and 12th graders perform very
  well on core Advanced Placement exams

24
21st Century Teaching Force

• A

25
21st Century Teaching Force

• North Carolina earns high marks for its teacher
  workforce policies
• The state tests incoming teachers on their basic
  skills, requires high school teachers to pass
  subject knowledge tests, and requires alternative
  route participants to demonstrate subject matter
  expertise

26
Flexibility in Management Policy

• B

27
Flexibility Management Policy

• The state receives a relatively high grade on how
  much freedom and flexibility it gives its schools
  and principals.
• 99 of principals report a major degree of
  influence over new teacher hiring
• National average is 88

28
Data Quality

• C

29
Data Quality

• North Carolina gets modest marks for its efforts
  to collect and report high-quality education data
• State collects student-level transcript
  information but does not use a unique statewide
  student identifier

30
Citation

• Leaders and Laggards State Report Cards
• www.uschamber.com/reportcard

31
What Metrics Matter to You?

• You have spent a semester wrestling with these
  questions. Tell us what matters to you?

32

• PDK Survey
• Thank you