North Carolina’s K-3 students keep momentum, continue to outperform country

You wouldn’t know that though, because NC media outlets are largely ignoring the facts to instead run cover for Gov. Cooper

Raleigh, N.C. – North Carolina’s youngest students are continuing to improve on reading benchmarks due to literacy reforms included in the Excellent Public Schools Act of 2021.

According to new testing data from the state Department of Public Instruction, “North Carolina students have steadily increased their benchmark results from 47 percent at or above benchmark in 2021-22, to 53 percent in 2022-23 and now to 56 percent in the current school year’s middle-of-year assessment.” DPI notes that “From the beginning of the 2023-24 school year, there are over 20,000 fewer students below benchmark and more than 34,000 students at or above benchmark.”

The Excellent Public Schools Act of 2021 was critical to getting the science of reading into North Carolina’s classrooms. Since implementation, North Carolina’s K-3 students have made significant gains in reading proficiency and are outperforming the nation on reading benchmarks.

Despite being a newsworthy update, the announcement has been ignored by so-called “news” outlets like the News & Observer, WRAL, and EdNC, North Carolina's sole education-focused media outlet.

In EdNC’s case, the “nonpartisan” organization is instead promoting divisive DEI and CRT initiatives, and providing ad nauseam coverage of the governor’s publicity tour, where he hypocritically criticizes parents for utilizing school choice options. As a reminder, Gov. Cooper understands the importance of school choice, considering one of his daughters attended a private school.