The House Select Committee on Education Reform voted Monday to ask the North Carolina General Assembly to incorporate new measures into the A-F school performance ratings.
Grades are currently determined based on student performance on state tests in reading, math, and science, as well as high school graduation rates and supplemental testing. Critics, including educators and lawmakers from both parties, have long argued that these scores say more about whether a student is well-advantaged or disadvantaged in admissions, rather than the quality of the education provided.
Last month, State Superintendent Catherine Truitt told a House committee that students' progress on proficiency and exams, their readiness for success after high school, and other factors that promote or inhibit learning, such as extracurricular activities and academics. To reflect this, we submitted a plan to switch each school into four grade levels. Chronic absenteeism.
The report to the General Assembly approved on Monday incorporates new elements but calls for the results to be consolidated into one grade level. There is no mention of how much weight each element should be given.
Although the 15-minute meeting did not result in an in-depth discussion, three panel members spoke about the importance of recognizing chronic absenteeism. Rep. Maria Servania, a Wake County Democrat, cited the 31% rate as “very high and very concerning.” That's the statewide rate reported in a recent Associated Press study on post-pandemic absenteeism, based on 2021-22 data.
Committee co-chair Brian Biggs (Randolph County Republican Party) agreed: Please tell them. ”
Rep. Hugh Blackwell, a Burke County Republican, said he would like to know more about the differences in absenteeism rates between school districts. “Maybe we can find out what the explanation is,” he said. “Is it a difference in policy? Is it a difference in student numbers or demographics? Low-income versus something else?”
The report does not make specific recommendations on teacher and principal pay, technology upgrades, addressing learning loss caused by the pandemic or improving high school math scores. It only encourages the General Assembly to continue considering ways to address these issues.
Co-chairman John Torbett, a Gaston County Republican, said he hopes to reconvene the committee for further discussion before the 2025 session, when lawmakers approve a new two-year budget. “I look forward to getting through this short session and returning to the committee here to make long-term plans for the next long session,” he said.
