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
Reading scores among the district's schools dropped to 26.5% compared to the previous school year, when 34.6% of students were considered ready for post-secondary education.
Gaston Early College High School students stood out from schools in Gaston County Schools in reading, with almost 70.8% of the 12th-graders hitting the ACT benchmark in the 2022-23 school year (34). Meanwhile, students from Bessemer City High School struggled the most on the reading portion, and only 15.5% were considered ready for college.
For comparison, North Carolina saw 36% of its students meeting or exceeding the ACT benchmarks for reading during the 2022-23 school year.
Besides reading, 28.6% of Gaston County Schools 12th-graders met English college readiness benchmarks in the 2022-23 school year. In science, 17.6% of students were ready for college, and math scores revealed 17.5% of seniors also met the standard. Overall, Gaston County Schools had an average college readiness of 10.3% 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) |
|---|---|---|
| Gaston Early College High School | 81.8% | 70.8% |
| Highland School of Technology | 66.9% | 61.9% |
| South Point High School | 43.2% | 33.9% |
| East Gaston High School | 30.9% | 27.2% |
| Stuart W. Cramer High School | 45.9% | 26.7% |
| Forestview High School | 36.6% | 25.1% |
| Cherryville High School | 33.3% | 22.7% |
| Gaston Virtual Academy | 50% | 20.9% |
| Ashbrook High School | 21.8% | 18.8% |
| North Gaston High School | 25.4% | 15.8% |
| Hunter Huss High School | 13.9% | 15.6% |
| Bessemer City High School | 15.8% | 15.5% |
| Warlick Academy | <5% | <5% |
| Gaston County Schools | 34.6% | 26.5% |
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