The State Board of Education released the results of the ABCs of Public Education Accountability Report at their monthly meeting today. For the 2011-12 school year, 2,482 public schools in North Carolina were assigned an ABCs status. These results included traditional public schools, public charter schools, and alternative schools.

The ABCs accountability program sets growth and performance standards for each elementary, middle, and high school in the state. End-of-Grade (EOG) and End-of-Course (EOC) tests results are used to measure a school’s growth and performance.

The report showed that nearly 80 percent (79.5 percent) of North Carolina public schools met or exceeded their academic growth goals. 43.9 percent of the schools met high academic growth standards. Fifteen schools are considered low-performing schools, meaning less than half of students scored at or above achievement level. The number and percent of traditional public schools and public charter schools receiving recognition under the ABCs can be found here.

The report also included the cohort graduation rates. The graduation rate jumped to 80.2 percent, nearly 3 percentage points higher than the 2011 rate. The largest gain in the graduation rate came among Hispanic students, who went from a 68.8 percent rate in 2010-11 to 74.6 percent last year. Click here for more information about the graduation rate.