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The North Carolina Early Childhood Foundation (NCECF) has released a new data tool that uncovers significant gaps in third-grade literacy rates across public schools in the state. The Equity-Focused Early Literacy Dashboards reveal that students from low-income families are falling behind, highlighting the urgent need for more support in these schools, especially after the setbacks caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“This data shows exactly where more help is needed,” said Theresa Roedersheimer, Executive Director of NCECF. “With this tool, we can finally focus on closing the gap for children in poverty and ensure their success.”
What the Data Reveals
The dashboards clearly show third-grade reading levels by race, ethnicity, and economic status. They also show which schools and districts need extra funding to help struggling students. The visualizations are easy to understand, empowering policymakers, educators, and communities to take action and address the deep-rooted inequalities in North Carolina’s education system.
The Third-Grade Reading Gap
Reaching reading proficiency by third grade is a key milestone for student success. The new dashboards focus on this important benchmark, revealing how race and poverty play a big role in reading levels across the state. The data highlights which schools are doing well and which need more resources to help their students.
The findings are clear: economically disadvantaged students and schools need more support to make up for the learning loss from the pandemic. Targeted resources can help students in low-income schools catch up and achieve success.
Students in Poverty Are Falling Behind
Some of the wealthiest school districts, like Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools, have some of the biggest disparities in reading levels. Even though only 30% of their students are economically disadvantaged, the gap between wealthy students and those in poverty is striking. On the other hand, districts like Avery County Schools, where 63% of students come from low-income families, show similar gaps despite having fewer resources.
“Our state is failing children in poverty,” said Roedersheimer. “By pinpointing the areas with the largest gaps, we can direct resources to those schools, especially through increased state funding.”
Schools Making Progress After the Pandemic
The dashboards also show that many schools are starting to bounce back from the educational challenges caused by the pandemic. For example, most districts have made progress in narrowing the gap between Black and white students in reading proficiency. This success offers valuable lessons for how all schools can improve and create a more equal playing field for students.
“As North Carolina prepares for a new administration, it’s critical that they act quickly to support our children,” said Roedersheimer. “We need to speed up recovery and reduce disparities.”
Looking Ahead: Support for Literacy Success
A 10-year trend in the dashboards suggests North Carolina is moving in the right direction, but students in poverty still need more support. To address this, NCECF’s Science of Reading Fellowship is working to develop effective strategies to improve reading outcomes for all students. Fellows have been placed in schools across the state to learn and make recommendations, with policy briefs set to be released in 2025.
How to Explore the Data
The public can access the Equity-Focused Early Literacy Dashboards to explore reading disparities across North Carolina schools. The dashboards allow users to search data by school, district, or state level, making it easy for parents, legislators, and decision-makers to see where additional support is needed.
These dashboards were created using data from the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction’s School Report Cards. The NCECF team spent eight months analyzing and reorganizing the data to show it through an equity lens. Project lead Dr. Micere Keels worked with Columbia University’s Innovation Lab interns to bring this important project to life.
With this tool, communities can work together to support the schools and students who need it the most. You can explore the dashboards here.