Data: Majority Of NC K-12 Students Taking State Exams Failed

New data shows the majority of North Carolina public school students taking standardized state exams in reading, math and science failed them last school year. The State Board of Education released results this week that showed just over 45% of K-12 students passing the exams. That's lower than the nearly 59% who passed them two years ago — the last time testing was required. Education leaders cautioned against making year-over-year comparisons with the tests taken during a school year marked by limited in-person instruction due to the COVID-19 pandemic. There was also a slight drop in the graduation rate this past year compared to the year before.