North Carolina posts record graduation rate and higher test scores

North Carolina public schools posted their highest graduation rate in state history and stronger test scores for the 2025-26 school year, with 99% testing participation. The results mark broad improvement across most measures as the state pushes toward a best-in-the-nation goal by 2030.

Why it matters: - North Carolina’s latest accountability results show broad gains across graduation, proficiency and school ratings. - The data matter because state leaders are using them to track progress toward making North Carolina’s public schools the best in the nation by 2030. - The results also matter for schools and districts flagged as low-performing, because fewer of them now fall into that category.

What happened: - The North Carolina Department of Instruction released 2025-26 school accountability results at the State Board of Education’s September meeting. - The state posted a 99% testing participation rate. - The four-year cohort graduation rate rose for the fourth straight year to 88.8%, up from 87.8% last year. - North Carolina recorded a new graduation-rate high for the second year in a row. - Grade-level proficiency reached the highest point in the last three years in 14 of 15 tested subjects. - Grade 4 reading was the only subject that did not improve, slipping from 58% to 57% proficient. - Proficiency results for every race and ethnic group were the highest in the last three years. - The composite proficiency rate across all grades and subjects increased 4.2 percentage points from last year to 59.2%.

The details: - School Performance Grades trended upward, with more schools earning A, B or C grades and fewer receiving D or F grades. - The number of low-performing schools and districts fell significantly. - Superintendent Mo Green unveiled the state’s strategic plan in August 2025 to reach best-in-the-nation status by 2030. - The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction created the Achieving Educational Excellence dashboard to let the public follow progress on each goal.

Between the lines: - The gains suggest North Carolina’s schools are improving even as the state continues to rank low in public education support and funding. - The broad improvement across most measures gives state officials evidence that the 2030 strategy is moving in the right direction. - The lone dip in Grade 4 reading stands out as an area to watch inside an otherwise positive results package.

What's next: - State leaders are expected to use the dashboard and annual accountability data to measure progress on the 2030 plan. - Future releases will show whether the graduation gains and test-score improvements continue and whether Grade 4 reading rebounds. - The state will also track whether fewer schools and districts remain in low-performing categories.

The bottom line: - North Carolina schools posted record-setting graduation results and stronger academic performance, giving the state momentum as it works toward a 2030 excellence goal.