WWW.NC.GOV
(North Carolina State Government Homepage)

WWW.NCDHHS.GOV
(NC Depart. of Health & Human Services Homepage)

The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 was signed into law by George W. Bush in 2002. The goal of the No Child Left Behind Act legislation is to have ALL students achieving at a proficient level, as defined by each state, by the 2013-14 school year. The main three requirements of the new law are: 1) closing the achievement gap for low-income students, minority students and students with disabilities; 2) holding schools accountable for ALL students performing at a high level; 3) and have a highly qualified teacher in ALL classrooms.

North Carolina Testing Program

North Carolina has several tests that students in grade 3-12 must participate in for accountability reasons. The following table is the North Carolina Testing Schedule, which shows the type of test and the grade in which it is taken.

Student Accountability Standards (SAS)

North Carolina has developed Student Accountability Standards for students in grades 3, 5, 8 and 12. These grades are referred to as the Gateways because they are transition grades before the next major step in a student’s educational program. The SAS was developed to make sure students are ready to be promoted to the next grade.

North Carolina ABC Program (ABCs)

In 1996 the State Board of Education began implementing the ABCs of Public Education. The ABCs focuses on 1) strong Accountability with an emphasis on high educational standards; 2) teaching the Basics; and 3) maximum local Control. This model sets growth and performance standards for each elementary, middle and high school in the state. End-of-Grade (EOG) and End-of-Course (EOC) test results and other components are used to measure the school’s growth and performance. The philosophy behind this model is that ALL students should grow academically for a year’s worth of education. In addition to growth, the goal is for all students to be proficient in reading, writing and mathematics.