RALEIGH — The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction released its 2015-16 school report cards this week, which give data about school performance and profiles. In general, Bladen County Schools are making a slow climb upward when compared to last year.
The following information is intended to provide a brief snapshot of the district. The entire report, as well as comparisons to last year and comparisons by school, can be found on DPI’s report card web site. The numbers below were found by averaging the percentage of students at each level as measured by reading, math, and science EOG scores or English II, Math I, and Biology scores. Levels range from one to five, with one being a limited command of knowledge and skills, three being on grade level, and five being a superior command of knowledge and skills.
Roughly 31 percent of the district’s students remain at level 1, compared to roughly 33 percent last year. About 22 percent are at level 2, while last year, the percentage was around 23. Level 3 students stayed the same, at 11 percent. Level 4 students increased from 27 to 29 percent, and the percentage of level 5 students increased from from 5 percent in 2015 to 10 percent in 2016.
While the numbers are steadily rising, they’re still lagging behind the state’s output. The district’s 31 percent at level 1 students is higher than the state’s 20 percent, and the percentage of students at level 2 in the district — 22 percent — also puts it higher than the number of level 2 students in the state. The district is about on par with the state’s 10 percent of students at level 3. Statewide, 35 percent of students are on level 4, and in the district, the number in roughly 29 percent. At level 5, the district’s 10 percent is slightly lower than the state’s 17 percent.
At the high school level, things remain relatively the same when compared to last year. The percentage of students at level 1 increased from 38 to 40, while the percentage at level 2 fell from 24 to 22. Roughly 9 percent remain at level 3, compared to last year’s 10 percent, and the number at level 4 increased 1 percent from 24 to 25. The 5 percent at level 5 remain unchanged from last year.
Again, at the high school level, Bladen County lags behind the state. The 40 percent of students at level 1 is 17 percent more than the 23 percent at level 1 statewide. The number of students in the state at level 2 is 19 percent, while 22 percent of Bladen County’s students remain unproficient. The district is on par with the state — 9 percent — at level 3. The district produces 25 percent of its students at level 4, compared to 37 percent statewide, and 5 percent of the students in Bladen County are on level 5, while 12 percent statewide attain the status.
The report looks at factors other than just performance. Bladen County schools have a lower-than-average number of suspensions and expulsions, a lower-than-average class size in the elementary schools, and a greater number of technological devices per capita than the state.
While Bladen County Schools receives more state and federal funding per student than the average district in the state, the county falls below the state average in the amount of funding contributed locally. Statewide, local sources provide $2,172.86 per student, while the Bladen County system receives $1,313.65 per student. The district spends 80.4 percent of its funding on salaries and benefits, and the report states that the category is expected to represent the largest portion of funding.
Phone calls and emails to central office personnel remain unanswered.
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Individual schools
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The following numbers represent the percentage of students at proficiency in reading (R), math (M), or science (S), as well as the letter grade the school received in each subject and overall (O). Letter grades were not given for science.
— Booker T. Washington (O=C) met expected growth. R=45 (D); M=57 (C); S=40
— Bladen Lakes (O=D) met expected growth. R=47 (D); M=48 (C)
—Bladenboro Middle (O=D) did not meet expected growth. R=39 (D); M=27 (F); S=62
— Bladenboro Primary (O=D) did not meet expected growth. R=47 (D); M=54 (C)
— Clarkton School of discovery (O=C) met expected growth. R=60 (C); M=46 (D); S=72
—Dublin Primary (O=C) did not meet expected growth. R=51 (D); M=57 (C)
— East Arcadia (O=F) met expected growth. R=31 (D); M=17 (F); S=43
— Elizabethtown Middle (O=D) exceeded expected growth. R=37 (D); M=35 (D); S=56
— Elizabethtown Primary (O=D) exceeded expected growth. R=42 (D); M=45 (C)
— Plain View Primary (O= C) met expected growth. R=55 (C); M=53 (C)
— Tar Heel Middle (O=D) exceeded expected growth. R=43 (D); M=36 (D); S=55
For high schools, grades were not given for subject areas.
— East Bladen (O=D) did not meet expected growth. English II=40; Math I=34; Biology=29; ACT proficiency=37; ACT Workkeys=59; 4-yr. graduation rate=90; pass Math III=95
—West Bladen (O=C) met expected growth. English II=43; Math I=32; Biology=40; ACT proficiency=41; ACT Workkeys=61; 4-yr. graduation rate=84; passing Math III=95
Chrysta Carroll can be reached by calling 910-862-4163.