Jennifer S. Griffin, Superintendent Hickory City Schools | resources.finalsite.net
Jennifer S. Griffin, Superintendent Hickory City Schools | resources.finalsite.net
In the 2022-23 school year, English scores among the county districts dropped to 39%, a decline of 0.9% from the previous school year when 39.9% of students were considered ready for post-secondary education.
Countywide, Catawba County Schools students stood out in English, with almost 40.6% of the 12th-graders hitting the ACT benchmark in the 2022-23 school year (416). Meanwhile, students from Newton Conover City Schools struggled the most on the English portion, and 43.2% were considered ready for college.
For comparison, North Carolina saw 39% of its students meeting or exceeding the ACT benchmarks for English during this year.
Beyond English, 33% of Catawba County 12th-graders met Reading college readiness benchmarks in the 2022-23 school year. On Science, 27.3% of students were ready for college, and Math scores revealed 23.9% of seniors also met the standard. Overall, Catawba County had an average college readiness of 14.9% 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%.
| District | Met or Exceeded Benchmarks (2021-22) | Met or Exceeded Benchmarks (2022-23) |
|---|---|---|
| Catawba County Schools | 40.1% | 40.6% |
| Hickory City Schools | 33.3% | 30.2% |
| Newton Conover City Schools | 47.1% | 43.2% |
| Catawba County | 39.9% | 39% |
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