North Carolina’s A-to-F school performance grades have long been criticized as a poor guide to school quality because they’re based primarily on student test scores.
On Monday, state Superintendent Catherine Truitt told a House committee on education reform about a new plan. It would give public schools four letter grades, which would provide information about proficiency in core subjects, student progress, preparation for college and careers and school climate.
“We believe that this provides a more valid depiction of school performance," Truitt said, "Down the road, it will allow the department to better use state dollars to assess and support schools in doing a better job of educating our students.”
Truitt said she hopes the General Assembly will approve a pilot program for this fall, with full adoption two years after that.
It wouldn’t cost anything this year, she said, but eventually she’ll ask the state for money to beef up staff who can help low-performing schools improve.