North Carolina’s State Highlights

Summary of Grades

North Carolina scores above the average state in two of the four graded categories of education policy in Quality Counts, just below average on one, and right at average in another.

In standards and accountability, the state does well largely because of its school accountability measures. North Carolina sanctions and provides assistance to all low-performing schools and also rewards high-performing or improving schools. Its grade suffers because the state lacks assessments aligned to standards at the elementary and middle school levels in science and social studies.

The state performs above average in teacher quality. With written professional-development standards and state-financed professional development for all districts, North Carolina receives full credit for policies related to professional support and training. The state also fares well in accountability for teacher quality. Its school report cards include several pieces of information related to teacher qualifications.

In school climate, North Carolina posts average marks for performance. It earns full credit for the class-size indicators, but it is one of a few states without a public school open-enrollment program.

The state’s poorest showing is in the resource equity category. It has the second-worst wealth-neutrality score in the nation, meaning that per-pupil funding levels in the state’s wealthier districts tend to be considerably higher than in its poorer districts.

Note: Details may not sum to totals due to rounding.