COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
Education Data
Grounding ourselves in data empowers us as a community to effectively advocate for all children.
Key Takeaways
Click to jump to a data section:
County, state and federal factors negatively impact students in Guilford County and affect our community’s educational outcomes.
The transition into kindergarten is critical and reflects a range of factors including early learning skills, language proficiency and social-emotional development.
Racial disparities are evident across all grade levels and subjects, even as overall assessments show improvement.
Attendance matters. Chronically absent students miss critical learning benchmarks.
Kindergarten Readiness – Guilford County Schools
Healthy development and learning begins before the kindergarten years and these foundational pre-k years set the stage for future development. Only 30% of all students in Guilford County are enrolled in a pre-kindergarten program. Many children enter kindergarten without the necessary foundation for learning and are at-risk of falling behind their peers.
Data source: Guilford County Schools
Key Takeaways
Disparities in enrollment can be noted when the data is disaggregated by race/ethnicity.
Third Grade Reading
This is a critical learning benchmark for students. After third grade, literacy instruction shifts from “learning to read” to “reading to learn.” When a student doesn’t have basic reading skills in third grade, they are four times more likely to drop out of high school, a risk that increases for children living in poverty. This milestone also predicts long-term earning potential, health outcomes and career opportunities.
Data sources: Guilford County Schools and the Annie E. Casey Foundation
Key Takeaways
The pandemic caused reading scores to dip, but concentrated efforts, including targeted tutoring are starting to move the needle in a positive direction again.
Disparities in proficiency can be noted when the data is disaggregated by rae/ethnicity.
Eighth Grade Math
Proficiency in math is a critical skill set for a student’s future and many high-demand jobs require a strong foundation in math. Math skills in eighth grade are a predictor of success in post-secondary education as well. The measurement charted here from the eighth grade end-of-year exams and proficiency is defined as the skills required to do math at an eighth grade level.
Data source: Guilford County Schools
Key Takeaways
GCS students exhibit the the same performance drop-off as other districts show across the nation.
Disparities were present in proficiency levels by race/ethnicity.
High School Graduation
Earning a high school diploma is a baseline requirement for future employment. Increasingly, a person lacking a high school diploma is more likely to live in poverty, suffer from poor health outcomes and engage in crimes.
Data source: Guilford County Schools
Key Takeaways
Most high school students graduated within four years.
Disparities are present in four-year graduation rates by race/ethnicity.
GCS’s graduation rate in 2024-2025 was 92%, significantly higher than the statewide average of 88%.
College/University Enrollment and Completion
Obtaining a college degree is a pathway to higher lifetime earnings for many graduates and as such, graduation rates can predict the economic strength of a community. Monitoring demographic dates ensures that first-generation and minority students are experiencing equitable access to higher education.
Data source: Guilford County Schools