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- the extent to which students have learned as much as they were expected to learn in one year.
Each year, every school in your district 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.
No Child Left Behind (NCLB) continues to be an important component of accountability for North Carolina schools. Effective with the 2011-12 reports, the U.S. Department of Education granted North Carolina a waiver from some of the requirements of NCLB, including the designation of schools as having met Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP). Instead of AYP status, Annual Measureable Objectives for the whole school and for identified subgroups are reported for each school. The identified subgroups are white, black, Hispanic, American Indian, Asian, Pacific Islander, Two or More Races, economically disadvantaged, limited English proficient, and students with disabilities.
The ABCs school designations are an important measure of how well the schools in your district are meeting the state's performance standards. This table reports the percentage of schools in this district receiving each of the ABCs performance designations. Use this table to compare the percentage of schools in this district and at the state level receiving each of the ABCs designations. Are there differences between the performances of the district's elementary, middle, and high schools? Consider working with others in your community to set goals for meeting or exceeding the state's average for Schools of Distinction and Schools of Excellence, and then formulate plans to meet these goals.
Additionally, in your district, 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 98 percent of their eligible students in grades K-8, and those enrolled in specific courses in high school. Schools become designated as low performing when their growth and performance fall below specified levels, and those schools may receive mandatory assistance based on action by the NC State Board of Education.
For definitions of the ABCs designations, refer to the Data Sources & Information Guide, or, for more information about the ABCs, visit the NC Department of Public Instruction's ABCs website.