All but two Macon County Schools met growth expectations in 2022-23, according to state data presented to the Macon County Board of Education at its March 25 meeting.
Information collected by North Carolina School Report Cards shows Highlands School and Macon Early College got a B, Cartoogechaye, East Franklin, Franklin High, Iotla Valley, Macon Middle and South Macon got a C, Mountain View Intermediate and Nantahala got a D, while Macon Virtual Academy got an F. Bartram Academy is not given an overall performance grade due to being an alternate school.
Along with a grade score, the state measures growth performance as well. Out of those, all but Macon Virtual Academy and Mountain View Intermediate met expectations.
2022-23 was the second year since the pandemic that the state measured overall performance after a two-year break.
Around 70% of schools in the state met growth expectations in 2022-23, according to CTE Director Colleen Strickland who presented the information during the meeting.
Strickland said no virtual academy in North Carolina met expectations in the last two years. As virtual academy attendance drops due to more parents and students wanting to go to in-person learning, Strickland said most students want to be sociable.
The scoring system could be changing shortly. According to N.C. School Report Cards, done in conjunction with the N.C. Department of Public Instruction, the current system is based 80% on standardized test scores and 20% on student academic growth.
However, this could change as State Superintendent Catherine Truitt presented a new A-F system to the N.C. House Select Committee on Education Reform in February.
“[National Center for Education Statistics] data affirms North Carolina schools are performing considerably better than their state performance grades otherwise suggest,” Truitt’s PowerPoint to the House Select Committee stated. According to Truitt’s presentation, 46% of the state’s elementary schools, 53% of middle schools and 23% of high schools got a D or F in 2021-22, the first-year score after two years of no scores due to the pandemic.
This new system would add two more indicator categories along with academics and progress: readiness and opportunity.
According to news reports, on March 25, the state house committee approved the recommendation. Full N.C. General Assembly approval is needed to pass the changes.