Math scores on ACT decreased among Onslow County Schools 12th-graders in 2022-23 school year

At Onslow County Schools, 322 out of 1,688 senior students taking the math portion of the ACT met the college readiness benchmark in the 2022-23 school year, according to the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction.

Math scores among the district’s schools dropped to 19.1% compared to the previous school year, when 19.9% of students were considered ready for post-secondary education.

Onslow Early College students stood out from schools in Onslow County Schools in math, with almost 84.8% of the 12th-graders hitting the ACT benchmark in the 2022-23 school year (39). Meanwhile, students from Onslow Virtual Secondary struggled the most on the math portion, and only 10.3% were considered ready for college.

For comparison, North Carolina saw 25% of its students meeting or exceeding the ACT benchmarks for math during the 2022-23 school year.

Besides math, 40.9% of Onslow County Schools 12th-graders met English college readiness benchmarks in the 2022-23 school year. In reading, 34.2% of students were ready for college, and science scores revealed 18.7% of seniors also met the standard. Overall, Onslow County Schools had an average college readiness of 10.7% 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%.