Lee County Schools fell below the state level on the North Carolina End-of-Grade tests in several elementary and middle school grades and subjects and well below the state average for high school students in English II, Math I and Biology according to the 2012-2013 N.C. School Report Cards released by the state today.
Lee County exceeded the state average in the percentage of students who scored at or above grade level in third-grade reading, sixth-grade math, seventh-grade math and eighth-grade math. The district was well below average in the higher grade levels in English II, Math I and biology (see below).
Another area of concern dealt with middle school teachers. Lee County Schools had a 23-percent teacher turnover rate at the middle school level (state average 16 percent) and was well below the state average when it comes to middle school teachers with 4 or more years of experience (and nearly doubled the state average in the percentage of teachers with 0-3 years of experience).
Where did Lee County perform well? The district crushed the state average in terms of the number of students per “digital learning device” (computer). Statewide, there’s one computer per 1.79 students, and in Lee County, there are nearly three computers per student. (One could argue the district has too many “digital learning devices” from these numbers …)