At Moore County Schools, 258 out of 936 junior students taking the science portion of the ACT met the college readiness benchmark in the 2022-23 school year, according to the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction.
Science scores among the district’s schools dropped to 27.6% compared to the previous school year, when 29% of students were considered ready for post-secondary education.
Union Pines High School students stood out from schools in Moore County Schools in science, with almost 31.5% of the 11th-graders hitting the ACT benchmark in the 2022-23 school year (91). Meanwhile, students from North Moore High School struggled the most on the science portion, and only 11.5% were considered ready for college.
For comparison, North Carolina saw 26% of its students meeting or exceeding the ACT benchmarks for science during the 2022-23 school year.
Besides science, 45.1% of Moore County Schools 11th-graders met English college readiness benchmarks in the 2022-23 school year. In reading, 36.6% of students were ready for college, and math scores revealed 23.6% of juniors also met the standard. Overall, Moore County Schools had an average college readiness of 15.3% across all ACT areas.
North Carolina’s education system is still grappling with the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the 2022-23 ACT results, college readiness among North Carolina students falls short of pre-pandemic levels, with only 17.1% meeting benchmarks.
Additionally, the state’s performance is lagging behind the national average, which currently stands at 21%.
| School | Met or Exceeded Benchmarks (2021-22) | Met or Exceeded Benchmarks (2022-23) |
|---|---|---|
| Union Pines High School | 36.1% | 31.5% |
| Pinecrest High School | 30.1% | 30.2% |
| Connect Academy | 0% | 21.2% |
| North Moore High School | 10.1% | 11.5% |
| The Community Learning Center @ Pinckney | 7.7% | <5% |
| Moore County Schools | 29% | 27.6% |
