Standardized tests News and Reporting Coverage | WRAL

NC education leaders want to change how schools are graded. What analysts say is needed

State Superintendent Mo Green plans to form a task force to study revising how school performance is calculated, part of a strategic plan approved by the State Board of Education.

Emily Walkenhorst, WRAL education reporter

A gender gap in STEM widened during the pandemic. Schools in NC and US are trying to make up lost ground

Efforts to close the gap between boys and girls in STEM classes are picking up after losing steam nationwide during the chaos of the COVID-19 pandemic. Schools have extensive work ahead to make up for the ground girls lost, in both interest and performance.

Emily Walkenhorst, WRAL News, and ANNIE MA and SHARON LURY, Associated Press

Look it up: See how your North Carolina school performed on state tests in 2025

North Carolina students are making big gains in math, though they remain behind the proficiency rates of 2018, before the Covid-19 pandemic closed schools to in-person learning for a year.

Emily Walkenhorst, WRAL education reporter

Wake schools post growth in math scores, but reading lags pre-pandemic levels

More students in the Wake County Public School System are passing their standardized tests, new state data shows.

Emily Walkenhorst, WRAL education reporter

NC schools test scores rise again, make near post-pandemic recovery in math

Statewide average test proficiency rates are still behind pre-pandemic levels across all subjects except for fourth-grade reading and fourth-grade math, the new data shows.

Emily Walkenhorst, WRAL education reporter

End-of-grade tests: Everything you need to know about these annual exams

It's that time of year when your child will be taking end-of-grade tests or EOGs. What are EOGs and how can you help them be better prepared?

Suzanne Wood, Raleigh Tutoring

State Senate proposes cuts to funding for advanced placement exams

North Carolina's Senate has proposed cutting $14 million annually from the budget that currently covers Advanced Placement (AP) exam fees for public high school students, a move that risks limiting college credit opportunities for thousands of students.

What standardized tests will my child take in elementary school in NC?

Students in third grade in North Carolina will take their first end of grade tests, plus a beginning of grade test. Find out which tests to expect for each grade.

Kathy Hanrahan, WRAL lifestyle editor

Standardized tests in NC schools - Who takes them and why they are required

The mere mention of standardized testing can cause anxiety for students and parents. When does your child start taking these tests? And why do they have to take them in the first place?

Kathy Hanrahan, WRAL lifestyle editor

Middle school standardized tests in North Carolina: What to expect for your child

Students in middle school in North Carolina will take end-of-grade tests, plus other assessments throughout the school year.

Kathy Hanrahan, WRAL lifestyle editor

The standardized tests your NC high school student takes

By high school, students in North Carolina are used to taking standardized tests.

Kathy Hanrahan, WRAL lifestyle editor

NC schools still lag in math, reading after pandemic, but they outpace the nation

North Carolina's public schools are outpacing most of the nation in elementary and middle school math, a new national study shows. But the state is following the national drop in reading, according to the latest edition of the Education Recovery Scorecard, out Tuesday.

Emily Walkenhorst, WRAL education reporter

Math up, reading down: NC 4th and 8th-grade students see mixed test results amid national struggles

Math performance has slightly rebounded since the COVID-19 virus closed schools but reading performance hasn't, according to new National Assessment of Educational Progress data released Wednesday.

Emily Walkenhorst, WRAL education reporter

NC schools should focus on improving 7th- and 8th-grade performance, leaders say

A new analysis shows seventh- and eighth-grade students are on a worse trajectory than other grade levels, though they have shown improvement since the pandemic.

Emily Walkenhorst, WRAL education reporter

Tips to prepare for the SAT and ACT

While most students perform equally well on both exams, some have strengths and challenges that might dictate focusing on one test over another.

Suzanne Wood, assistant director of Raleigh Tutoring

Look it up: How well did your school do on the spring 2024 state tests?

Look up your school's grade level proficiency by subject area using the table below.

Emily Walkenhorst, WRAL education reporter

Wake schools test scores surpass pre-pandemic levels on more tests

Wake has more than rebounded from COVID-19 learning loss, new data shows, and is still working on others.

Emily Walkenhorst, WRAL education reporter

Statewide student test scores to be released Wednesday morning

On Wednesday, we'll learn more about how your child's school is performing. State school leaders will reveal the results of standardized testing in schools across North Carolina.

After SAT site found closed, parents concerned ACT site at St. Augustine's won't be open either

A family expressed their frustration after arriving at Saint Augustine's University on Saturday for their child's SAT test, only to find the testing center closed.

Carly Haynes and Julian Grace, WRAL reporters

UNC System considers reinstating standardized testing requirements

The University of North Carolina System is considering raising the minimum requirements for admission to its 16 schools.

UNC schools could make it more difficult for students to be admitted

The University of North Carolina System is considering raising the minimum requirements for admission to its 16 schools.

Matt Talhelm, WRAL reporter

How students are preparing for college admissions changes

How students are preparing for college admissions changes

How students are preparing for college admissions changes

Colleges across the country removed their standardized test requirements during the pandemic. Now, four years later, the UNC system might return to requiring all applicants to submit their scores.

Lauryn Lovett, 2024 CBC-UNC Diversity Fellow

Nash County Schools no longer 'low-performing,' new test scores show

Nash County Public Schools is celebrating significant strides in academic success.

Nash County Schools no longer considered 'low-performing,' according to latest test scores

Good news for Nash County Public Schools! After receiving their latest test scores, the school district is no longer considered "low-performing."