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Accountability

The ABCs focus on:
  • strong accountability,
  • emphasis on the basics and high educational standards, and
  • maximum local control.
The ABCs plan was developed by the State Board of Education in response to the 1995 General Assembly. The General Assembly, recognizing the need for North Carolina public schools to make faster progress in student achievement, directed the Board to recommend changes in the North Carolina public school system to focus on more basic subjects, efficiency, and better local control over education decisions.
The ABCs of Public Education was developed to meet those goals—without giving local schools a new complicated program to follow. As much as possible, the ABCs uses tests and other mechanisms that are already in place. This is a comprehensive plan to reorganize public schools in North Carolina.


Strong Accountability

Under the New ABCs of Public Education, individual schools are held accountable for student performance. Staff in each school must take responsibility for the education of each student. The new accountability plan retains core pieces of the testing program while cutting the amount of required statewide testing. Students in grades 3-8 are tested and held accountable by the state for basic subjects. The high school accountability program went into effect in 1997-98.

Performance Growth Standard—The ABCs is based on performance at the individual school rather than the district level. At least a year’s worth of growth for a year’s worth of schooling is expected. School growth is the expected growth rate for that school based on previous performance statewide. Exemplary growth is 110% of the expected growth rate.

School Incentive Awards—All schools achieving performance standards have the opportunity to receive incentive awards. Awards are allocated based on the number of certified staff at the school. The certified staff votes on the use of the funds.