The Forsyth Promise Data Exchange
We are sharing community information so that everyone can better understand our educational systems. This resource is kept up to date as local data sources are updated through a partnership between The Forsyth Promise and Forsyth Futures.
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Local Education Data
Core Education Measures
A better understanding of our educational systems empowers us to advocate for changes that can improve outcomes and equity.
What are Core Education Measures?
Core education measures help us understand critical outcomes within our educational systems like third grade reading proficiency, ACT proficiency, and high school graduation. Core education measures span the cradle-to-career spectrum, from early childhood to higher education, and feature interactive data visualizations built from reliable, high-quality data analysis. Many measures are disaggregated by race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and other variables.
Data visualizations for the 2020 report are set to show disaggregated data by race/ethnicity by default to highlight the major disparities in outcomes faced by students of color in Forsyth County.
The Forsyth Promise’s goal is to support improvement of community-wide education outcomes for all students and support the reduction (and ultimate elimination) of disparities in outcomes by race/ethnicity and socioeconomic status.
COVID-19 related disruptions had an apparent negative impact on some core outcomes (like third grade reading) and no apparent impact on others (like high school graduation).
There were some COVID-19 related data disruptions for the 2019-20 school year and these disruptions are noted in the measures below when present. Standard practices for assessments and data collection largely resumed for the 2020-21 school year.
Key Findings from the Core Education Measures
Disparities by race/ethnicity are present across all measures for which disaggregated data is available.
Major disparities between Black and Hispanic/Latino students compared to White students are present in all measures where disaggregated data is available except for High School Graduation. For that indicator disparities are present but not as pronounced.
Disparities by economic status are present across all measures for which disaggregated data is available.
Major disparities between economically disadvantaged students compared to non-economically disadvantaged students are present in all measures where disaggregated data is available except for High School Graduation. For that indicator disparities are present but not as pronounced.
When trend data is available, outcomes are either remaining stable or declining.
High School Graduation, College Enrollment, and College Completion measures are about the same across the period where data is available. Third Grade Reading and College Preparation measures are declining across the period where data is available.
Did you know?
Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools has a strategic plan that is designed to improve many of the educational outcomes that you’ll find in the TFP Data Exchange.
Kindergarten Readiness
The years before Kindergarten are critical for the healthy development of a child’s mind, body, and capacity to learn later in life. Many children enter Kindergarten without the skills necessary to excel in reading and are at risk of falling behind their peers. The data used in this measure is the Istation middle of year (MOY) assessment for Kindergarteners, which assesses early literacy skills. Istation defines proficiency as those who are likely to do well in reading in later grades.
No reliable data is available for the 2020-2021 school year; due to the COVID-19 pandemic, these assessments were administered at home, which likely generated inaccurate results. The data below is from the 2019-2020 school year. View data notes for this measure.
Data Visualization
Kindergarteners Proficient on MOY IStation (2019-20 School Year)
Use the dropdown menu below to view data on different groups.
Key Takeaways
There is no new data available for the 2020-21 school year.
No reliable data is available for the 2020-2021 school year; due to the COVID-19 pandemic, these assessments were administered at home, which likely generated inaccurate results.
The majority of Kindergarten students were not proficient.
Only 25% of Kindergarten students were proficient on the middle of year Istation reading assessment.
Disparities were present in proficiency levels by race/ethnicity.
Black and Hispanic/Latino Kindergarten students had lower proficiency levels in the middle of year Istation reading assessment compared to their White peers.
Data Notes
Kindergarteners Proficient on MOY IStation
Trend data is not available because the 2019-20 school year was the first year that the Istation assessment was administered. The prior assessment was the Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS).
Data source: Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools
Third Grade Reading
Children who are unequipped with basic reading skills at the end of third grade are at much greater risk of falling behind in school. After third grade, instruction transitions from “learning to read” to “reading to learn.” This measure is based on the reading test taken at the end of third grade; proficiency on this test is defined as possessing the skills required to read at a third grade level. View data notes for this measure.
Data Visualization
Grade-level Proficiency on End of Grade Third Grade Reading Test (2013-21 School Years)
Use the dropdown menu below to view data on different groups.
Key Takeaways
School Year 2020-21
Assessments were not administered in the 2019-20 school year.
There was decreased proficiency for all student sub-groups from the 2018-19 to 2020-2021 school year.
The percent proficient for all students went from 52% in the 2018-2019 school year to 39% in the 2020-2021 school year.
Disparities by race/ethnicity and economic status were present for the 2020-2021 school year.
For the 2020-2021 school year third grade end of grade reading test, Black and Hispanic/Latino students both were proficient at 25% compared to 63% of White students and 23% of economically disadvantaged students compared to 53% of not economically disadvantaged students.
Data Notes
Grade-level Proficiency on End of Grade Third Grade Reading Test
Economic disadvantage is defined as students who are receiving free- or reduced-price lunch.
Data from the 2019-20 school year is not included because end of grade testing did not take place.
Data source: North Carolina Department of Public Instruction
Eighth Grade Math
Math is a critical way to measure and understand the world with greater precision. Many careers in the modern economy require a strong foundation in math. Math skills in eighth grade are a predictor of success in post-secondary education. Most eighth grade students take the eighth grade math EOG test or the Math I test (eighth grade students who are advanced in math). The measure used here is the percent of eighth grade students who were proficient on whichever of those two tests that the student took at the end of their eighth grade year. Proficiency on these tests is defined as the skills required to do math at grade level. View data notes for this measure. View data notes for this measure.
Data Visualization
Grade-level Proficiency of Eighth Grade Students on End of Grade Eighth Grade Math/Math I Tests (2020-21 School Year)
Use the dropdown menu below to view data on different groups.
Key Takeaways
School Year 2020-21
Assessments were not administered in the 2019-20 school year.
There were large decreases in proficiency for all student sub-groups from the 2018-19 to 2020-2021 school year.
The percent proficient for all students went from 51% in the 2018-2019 school year to 24% in the 2020-2021 school year.
Disparities by race/ethnicity and economic status were present for the 2020-2021 school year.
For the 2020-2021 school year, Black and Hispanic/Latino students were proficient at 11% and 14%, respectively, compared to 43% of White students and 11% of economically disadvantaged students compared to 33% of not economically disadvantaged students.
Data Notes
Grade-level Proficiency on End of Grade Eighth Grade Math Test
Economic disadvantage is defined as students who are receiving free or reduced price lunch.
Trend data is not included because the standards were changed for the 2018-19 school year.
Data from the 2019-20 school year is not included because end of grade testing did not occur.
Data source: North Carolina Department of Public Instruction
College Preparation
Colleges expect incoming students to have the skills and knowledge necessary to tackle college coursework. Students who are unprepared for college often spend time and money on remediation once they get to college, which greatly decreases their chances of success and degree completion. The American College Testing (ACT) assessment is taken by all 11th grade students in North Carolina. In North Carolina, proficiency on the ACT is defined as a composite score of 17 or above – the minimum score required for admission into the University of North Carolina system. View data notes for this measure.
Data Visualization
Students Meeting ACT Proficiency (2013-21 School Years)
Use the dropdown menu below to view data on different groups.
Key Takeaways
School Year 2020-21
There was a slight decrease in proficiency for all student sub-groups from the 2018-19 to 2020-2021 school year.
The percent proficient for all students went from 54% in the 2018-2019 school year to 50% in the 2020-2021 school year.
Disparities were present in proficiency levels by race/ethnicity.
Black and Hispanic/Latino students were proficient on the ACT in the 2020-21 school year at less than half the rate of their White peers.
Disparities were present in proficiency levels by student economic status.
Economically disadvantaged students were proficient on the ACT test in the 2020-21 school year at less than half the rate of their non-economically disadvantaged peers.
Data Notes
Students Meeting ACT Proficiency
Economic disadvantage is defined as students who are receiving free- or reduced-price lunch.
Data source: North Carolina Department of Public Instruction
High School Graduation
In today’s economy, people with a high school diploma have better employment prospects. Increasingly, a person who lacks a high school diploma is more likely to live in poverty, suffer from poor health, and engage in crime. The measure used for High School Graduation is the four-year graduation rate, which is considered to be on-time graduation for high school students. View data notes for this measure.
Data Visualization
Four-Year High School Graduation Rate (2012-21 School Years)
Use the dropdown menu below to view data on different groups.
Key Takeaways
School Year 2020-21
The high school graduation rate stayed consistent throughout the pandemic.
The graduation rate was 86% for the 2018-19, 2019-20, and 2020-21 school years.
Disparities were present in four-year graduation rates by race/ethnicity.
Slightly fewer Black students than White students graduated in four years, 84% compared to 91%. Fewer Hispanic/Latino students graduated in four years (79%) compared to their Black and White peers.
Slight disparities were present in four-year graduation rates by student economic status.
Fewer economically disadvantaged students graduated on time (82%) compared to their non-economically disadvantaged peers (87%).
Slight disparities were present in four-year graduation rates by gender.
Fewer male students graduated on-time (82%) compared to female students (89%).
Data Notes
Four-Year High School Graduation Rate
Only two years of data are included because the way that the graduation rate is calculated changed for the 2017-18 school year.
Economic disadvantage is defined as students who are receiving free- or reduced-price lunch.
Data source: North Carolina Department of Public Instruction
College Enrollment
Many high school graduates do not take this critical first step toward post-secondary educational attainment. This measure represents the percentage of high school graduates who enroll in college during the fall after graduation. The school year included in the data visualization is the year of high school graduation. View data notes for this measure.
Data Visualization
College Enrollment in the Fall After High School Graduation (2012-20 School Years)
Use the dropdown menu below to view data on different groups.
Key Takeaways
School Year 2020-21
College enrollment levels stayed at a similar level for 2019-20 high school graduates in the fall after graduation.
Slightly more than half of high school graduates enrolled in college.
57% of the high school graduates from the 2019-20 school year enrolled in college the fall after graduation.
Disparities were present in college enrollment by race/ethnicity.
Fewer Black and Hispanic/Latino students than White students enrolled in college during the fall after high school graduation: 50%, 40%, and 70%, respectively.
Disparities were present in college enrollment by student economic status.
Fewer economically disadvantaged students enrolled in college (41%) compared to students who were not economically disadvantaged (64%) during the fall after high school graduation.
Disparities were present in college enrollment by gender.
Fewer males enrolled in college (51%) compared to females (64%) during the fall after high school graduation.
Data Notes
College Enrollment in the Fall After High School Graduation
Economic disadvantage is defined as students who are receiving free or reduced price lunch.
Data source: National Student Clearinghouse
College Completion
Post-secondary education, attained after high school, plays a key role in upward mobility. This includes colleges, community colleges, and universities, among others. This measure reflects the percentage of Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools high school graduates who complete a degree within six years of high school graduation. View data notes for this measure.
Data Visualization
Six-Year College Completion (Graduates from 2012-15)
Use the dropdown menu below to view data on different groups.
Key Takeaways
School Year 2020-21
Six-year college completion levels stayed at a similar level for 2014-15 high school graduates.
Fewer than half of high school graduates completed college six years after high school graduation.
42% of high school graduates from the 2014-15 school year completed college within six years of high school graduation.
Disparities were present in college completion by race/ethnicity.
Black (29%) and Hispanic/Latino (25%) high school graduates completed college within six years of high school graduation — less than half the rate compared to White high school graduates (54%).
Disparities were present in college completion by student economic status.
High school graduates who were not economically disadvantaged completed college within six years of high school graduation at more than twice the rate of high school graduates who are economically disadvantaged, 53% and 22%, respectively.
Disparities were present in college completion by gender.
Fewer males completed college (38%) compared to females (46%) within six years of high school graduation.
Data Notes
Six-Year College Completion
This measure represents the percentage of high school graduates who complete a post-secondary degree, Bachelor’s or Associates, from the high school graduate class of 2012-13 within six years of high school graduation (2019).
Economic disadvantage is defined as students who are receiving free- or reduced-price lunch.
Race/ethnicity and economic status disaggregation is not available for the high school class of 2012.
Data source: National Student Clearinghouse
Social and Emotional Learning
Research has shown that Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) skills are a critical component of academic success. Students who participate in evidence-based SEL programs (compared to students who did not) see improved academic outcomes, better classroom behavior, an increased ability to manage stress and depression, and better mindsets and attitudes about themselves and others.
Four measures show student SEL skills — classroom effort, emotion regulation, growth mindset, and self-efficacy. These measures are defined by Panorama, the assessment platform used by WS/FCS, as follows:
View data notes for this measure.
Data Visualization
Social and Emotional Learning (2020-21 School Year)
Use the dropdown menu below to view data on different groups.
Key Takeaways
School Year 2020-21
Elementary school students were average or above average on SEL skills.
Compared to national levels, WS/FCS elementary school students were about average on classroom effort (40-59th percentile), above average on emotional regulation (60th-79th percentile), growth mindset (60-79th percentile), and self-efficacy (80-99th percentile).
Middle and high school students were below average or average on SEL skills.
Compared to national levels, WS/FCS middle and high school students were below average on classroom effort (20-39th percentile) and self-efficacy (0th-19th percentile), and about average on emotional regulation (40th-59th percentile) and growth mindset (40-59th percentile).
What is "Percent Favorable?"