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
Science scores among the district's schools dropped to 17.6% compared to the previous school year, when 20.2% of students were considered ready for post-secondary education.
Highland School of Technology students stood out from schools in Gaston County Schools in science, with almost 50.8% of the 12th-graders hitting the ACT benchmark in the 2022-23 school year (60). Meanwhile, students from Bessemer City High School struggled the most on the science portion, and only 5.8% were considered ready for college.
For comparison, North Carolina saw 26% of its students meeting or exceeding the ACT benchmarks for science during the 2022-23 school year.
Besides science, 28.6% of Gaston County Schools 12th-graders met English college readiness benchmarks in the 2022-23 school year. In reading, 26.5% 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) |
|---|---|---|
| Highland School of Technology | 55.1% | 50.8% |
| Gaston Early College High School | 40.9% | 47.9% |
| South Point High School | 27.7% | 27.5% |
| Stuart W. Cramer High School | 26.4% | 19.8% |
| East Gaston High School | 18.8% | 16.8% |
| Forestview High School | 21% | 14.9% |
| Cherryville High School | 11.5% | 13.6% |
| Ashbrook High School | 9.9% | 10.7% |
| North Gaston High School | 14.1% | 10.4% |
| Gaston Virtual Academy | 10% | 7% |
| Hunter Huss High School | 6.4% | 6.8% |
| Bessemer City High School | 6.6% | 5.8% |
| Warlick Academy | <5% | <5% |
| Gaston County Schools | 20.2% | 17.6% |
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