Science scores on ACT decreased among Avery County Schools 11th-graders in 2022-23 school year

Catherine Truitt North Carolina Superintendent of Public Instruction | https://x.com/ctruittnc?lang=en

By High Country Times

Dec 16, 2024

At the only school in Avery County Schools, 31 out of 150 junior students taking the science portion of the ACT met the college readiness benchmark in the 2022-23 school year, according to the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction.

Science scores among students at Avery County High School, the only school in Avery County Schools, dropped to 20.7% compared to the previous school year, when 23.3% of students were considered ready for post-secondary education.

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, 30.9% of Avery County Schools 11th-graders met reading college readiness benchmarks in the 2022-23 school year. In English, 30.7% of students were ready for college, and math scores revealed 15.3% of juniors also met the standard. Overall, Avery County Schools had an average college readiness of 8.7% 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%.

Avery County Schools ACT Performance by Subjects (2022-23)