At Henderson County Schools, 226 out of 944 junior students taking the science portion of the ACT met the college readiness benchmark in the 2022-23 school year, according to the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction.
Science scores among the district’s schools dropped to 23.9% compared to the previous school year, when 25% of students were considered ready for post-secondary education.
Henderson County Early College students stood out from schools in Henderson County Schools in science, with almost 45% of the 11th-graders hitting the ACT benchmark in the 2022-23 school year (18). Meanwhile, students from Henderson County Career Academy struggled the most on the science portion, and only 5% were considered ready for college.
For comparison, North Carolina saw 26% of its students meeting or exceeding the ACT benchmarks for science during the 2022-23 school year.
Besides science, 42.3% of Henderson County Schools 11th-graders met English college readiness benchmarks in the 2022-23 school year. In reading, 32.6% of students were ready for college, and math scores revealed 20.2% of juniors also met the standard. Overall, Henderson County Schools had an average college readiness of 11.8% across all ACT areas.
North Carolina’s education system is still grappling with the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the 2022-23 ACT results, college readiness among North Carolina students falls short of pre-pandemic levels, with only 17.1% meeting benchmarks.
Additionally, the state’s performance is lagging behind the national average, which currently stands at 21%.
| School | Met or Exceeded Benchmarks (2021-22) | Met or Exceeded Benchmarks (2022-23) |
|---|---|---|
| Henderson County Early College | 51.2% | 45% |
| Hendersonville High School | 36.2% | 36.3% |
| West Henderson High School | 35.6% | 28.5% |
| North Henderson High School | 11.7% | 16.5% |
| East Henderson High School | 17.9% | 16% |
| Henderson County Career Academy | 5.9% | 5% |
| Henderson County Schools | 25% | 23.9% |
