schools

RALEIGH – People who urge local governments to dig deeper into taxpayers’ pocketbooks seem unwilling to part with their own cash voluntarily. That’s the key conclusion in a new John…

Every county and school district in North Carolina will accept voluntary contributions. Few people donate to Wake County schools or county programs.

RALEIGH – Raising the mandatory school attendance age could cost North Carolina nearly $9 million a year, with no positive impact on the state’s graduation or dropout rates. That’s the…

North Carolina is among the 26 states that have a maximum compulsory age of 16. Among the 50 states and D.C., there is no consistent relationship between the maximum compulsory age and graduation and dropout rates.

Unfortunately for North Carolina’s students, most of the adult debate over schools has focused on where to find the money to build the schools to accommodate its rapidly growing student population. Last year several NC counties passed bonded indebtedness of nearly $1.5 billion and presently counties and the state are discussing more bonds totaling an additional $3.6 billion.

RALEIGH – North Carolina can avoid large, expensive school buildings while working to improve student performance. That’s the key finding in a new John Locke Foundation Spotlight report. Click…

Contrary to the claims of school officials and community leaders in Wake County, students do not necessarily perform better in schools that have fewer mobile units or temporary classrooms, more square feet per student, and more acreage. This finding is consistent with national and international research that found no consistent relationship between school facilities and learning. The Wake County Public School System can scale back their multi-billion construction and renovation plans without harm to student learning.

RALEIGH – The Wake County Public School System could scale back its billion-dollar school construction and renovation plans without harm to student learning. That’s the key finding in a new…

A recent report published by the NC Center for Public Policy Research concludes that North Carolina is facing a crisis in teacher recruitment and retention. But neither the data on projected student enrollment growth nor teacher retention rates justify such a harsh assessment. Clearly teacher recruitment and retention is a challenge that will always have to be met. The best approach is to reward those teachers who best foster achievement and to differentiate salaries among teachers according to supply and demand conditions in different disciplines.

North Carolina's public school leaders are touting rising scores on state tests to prove that things aren't as bad as critics complain. However, the current method of calculating school performance misleads the public. The emphasis on "growth" shifts attention from true student achievement to a manufactured "feel-good" measure.