Each year, as part of North Carolina's ABCs Accountability program elementary, middle, and high schools receive one or more ABCs designations based on their performance on the state's End-of-Grade/End-of-Course tests. These ABCs designations are awarded based on standards in two areas: 1) performance, the percentage of students testing at or above grade level, and, 2) growth, whether students have learned as much as they were expected to learn in one year. A school's designations are reported here and can be compared with the performance of similar schools at the district and state level. Use this table to view the percentage of schools at the district and state level receiving each of the ABCs designations. School similarity is determined based on the grades offered in the school.
No Child Left Behind (NCLB) continues to be an important component of accountability for North Carolina schools. The Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) measure is included in the ABCs report. AYP requires schools to focus on the proficiency of student groups within each school with a goal of closing achievement gaps and bringing proficiency rates to 100 percent for every student group by 2013-14.
Schools that reach the state's highest performance and growth standards are eligible for incentive awards or other recognition. To be eligible for incentive awards, schools must test at least 95 percent of their eligible students in grades K-8 and 95 percent of those enrolled in specific courses in high school. Schools are designated low performing when their growth and performance fall below specified levels, and those schools may receive mandatory assistance based on action by the State Board of Education
Each year, every school receives one of the following ABCs designations: High Growth, Expected Growth, No Recognition, Priority School, or Low Performing. When they meet or exceed the state's growth goals and satisfy the state's testing requirements, schools can earn the following additional designations for commendable performance: Honor School of Excellence, School of Excellence, School of Distinction, or School of Progress.
For definitions of the ABCs designations, refer to the Data Sources & Information Guide. For more information about the ABCs, visit the NC Department of Public Instruction's ABCs website.