1
REPORTCARD
LenoirCountySchools
AmericanIndian(.1%)
Asian(.7%) Hispanic(13.5%) Black(47.3%) White(35.6%) Multi-Racial(2.7%)
PacificIslander(.1%)
SchoolDistrictDemographics
2016-17
2017•PRODUCEDBYYOUTHJUSTICEPROJECT
ACADEMICACHIEVEMENT
TotalDistrictPopulation:8,735
RACIALEQUITY
Inthe2016-17schoolyearinthisdistrict,Whitestudentsingrades3-8were2.3timesmorelikelytoscore“CareerandCollegeReady”onend-of-
gradeexamsthanBlackstudentsinthesamegrades.
Studentswhoarebehindorfailingacademicallyaremore likely tobetruant,actout,andultimatelydropoutofschool.Statewide,in2016-17,only29.7%ofBlackstudents in grades3-8 scored “College andCareerReady”on their final exams,compared to 61.7% ofWhite students. While standardized test scores are notnecessarilyanaccuratemeasureof trueability, theyserveas thebasis formanyimportant decisions (e.g. courseplacement, gradepromotion). Thus, low scoresnegativelyimpactastudent’sacademicopportunitiesandoutcomes.
ACADEMICACHIEVEMENT
WhataretheRacialEquityReportCards(RERCs)?TheRERCsusepublicallyavailabledatatoprovideasnapshotofacommunity’sschool-to-prisonpipeline,includinganyracialdisproportionalitiesthatexistinthepipeline.
Whatistheschool-to-prisonpipeline(STPP)?TheSTPPisthesystemofpoliciesandpracticesthatpushstudentsoutofschoolandintothejuvenileandadultcriminalsystems.TheSTPPhasmanyentrypoints.OncestudentsarecaughtintheSTPP,itcanbeverydifficultforthemtoreengageandbesuccessfulatschool.InalmosteveryNCcommunity,studentsofcolorareoverrepresentedateachentrypointtothepipeline.
WhatisthepurposeoftheRERCs?TheRERCsareintendedtobeastartingpointforcommunityeducationanddiscussion.Therearemanycausesofracialdisproportionalityincluding,butnotlimitedto,implicitracialbiasofdecision-makers,institutionalandstructuralracism,andexplicitdiscriminationagainstpeopleofcolor.Together,theseforcesperpetuateracialdisproportionalityinacommunity’sSTPP.TheRERCsarenotmeantasanattackonthecriticallyimportantpublicinstitutionsthatserveouryouth,butrather,asacall-to-actionforstudents,parents,advocates,policymakers,andinstitutionalstakeholderstocollectivelyexaminethecausesofracialinequityintheircommunityanddevelopsolutionsthatwillhelpyoungpeople,especiallyyouthofcolor,avoidandescapetheschool-to-prisonpipeline.
34.7 37.1
52.4 54
35.138.9
20.2 23.8
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
2015-16SchoolYear 2016-17SchoolYearOverall White Hispanic Black
%ofStudentsGrade3-8"CollegeandCareerReady"onEnd-of-GradeExamsbyRace*
2
Short-TermSuspensions(STS)(1-10schooldays) 2,267
HighSchoolSTSRate(Per100Students) 27.7
Long-TermSuspensions(morethan10days) 1
Expulsions(indefinite) 0
27.7 31.1
44.4 48.4
28.833.8
14.2 16.3
0102030405060
2015-16SchoolYear 2016-17SchoolYear
Overall White Hispanic Black
%ofHighSchoolStudents"CollegeandCareerReady"onEnd-of-CourseExamsbyRace*
19.9
4.5
71
0
20
40
60
80
Short-TermSuspensions Long-TermSuspensionsWhite Hispanic Black
2015-16DISTRICTOVERVIEW
79.4 81.784.9 8770.8 76.276.6 79.2
0
20
40
60
80
100
2015-16SchoolYear 2016-17SchoolYear
Overall White Hispanic Black
%ofStudentsWhoGraduateHighSchoolWithin4YearsofEnteringbyRace*
SCHOOLDISCIPLINE Anytimespentoutoftheclassroomfordisciplinaryreasonsistimeastudent
isnotlearning.Researchshowsthatout-of-schoolsuspensionisineffectiveatcorrectingmisbehavior.Instead,suspensionislinkedtoacademicfailureandcourt involvement, with no measurable positive impact on overall schoolsafety.Statewide, in2015-16,Blackstudentsreceived57%ofall short-termsuspensions,eventhoughtheymakeuponly26%ofthestudentpopulation.
While many school districts have decreased out-of-school suspensions inrecent years, there has been a corresponding increase in other disciplinemeasuresthattakestudentsoutoftheirnormalclassroomorschool,suchasin-schoolsuspensionortransfertoanalternativeschool.Thesemeasuresarealsodisruptivetolearningandareoftenineffectiveunlessindividualizedandresearch-basedsupportisprovidedinthealternativeenvironment.
Inthe2015-16schoolyearinthisdistrict,Blackstudentswere2.7timesmorelikelythanWhitestudentstoreceiveashort-termsuspension.
%ofSuspensionsbyRace(2015-16)†
3
SCHOOLDISCIPLINE
YouthJusticeProjectoftheSouthernCoalitionforSocialJusticeworkstoensureequity,fairness,andjusticeforyouthinhigh-qualityeducation,juvenile,andcriminalsystems.
Formoreinformation,visitusatyouthjusticenc.org.
2016COUNTYOVERVIEW
Total#ofJuvenileCourtComplaints 295
Total#ofJuvenileDetentionAdmissions 19
20.7
3.4
72.2
3.7
0
20
40
60
80
Complaints DetentionAdmissionsWhite Hispanic Black Other
%ofJuvenileCourtComplaintsandDetentionAdmissionsinCountybyRace(CY2016)**
COURTINVOLVEMENT Criminalizationofyouthfulmisbehaviorhasimmediateandlong-termconsequences.
Studies show youth who are court involved are more likely to reoffend and beentangled in the criminal system as adults. Furthermore, court involvement canimpact a youth’s access to public education, employment, public housing, publicbenefits, voting rights, andother sourcesof opportunity and support. In 2016-17,over 40%of juvenile court referrals statewide came from schools. Overhalf of alljuvenile complaintswere filed against Black youth even though theymake up lessthanaquarterofthepopulation.
Thedatainthissectiononlyincludesyouthunder16yearsold.InNorthCarolina,all16and17yearoldsareautomaticallysenttotheadultcriminalsystemregardlessoftheoffense.ThiswillchangeinDecember2019whenallyouthundertheageof18willbesenttothejuvenilesystem,withsomeyouthsenttoadultcourt forseriousoffenses.However,until thischangetakeseffect,dataonarrestsanddetentionforyouthwhoare16andolderisnotavailable.
56% 44%
SchoolBasedComplaintsNon-SchoolBasedComplaints
56% 44%
SchoolBasedComplaintsAgainstBlackStudents
SchoolBasedComplaintsAgainstNon-BlackStudents
%ofJuvenileComplaintsthatwereSchoolBasedJuly2016-June2017
%ofSchoolBasedJuvenileComplaintsagainstBlackStudents**July2016-June2017
DataNotes:*Lackofdatainacategoryindicatesthedistrictdidnothavesufficientdataforreportinginthatcategory.Percentagesgreaterthan95orlessthan5arereportedbythestateas>95and<5respectively.Here,theyaredisplayedas95and5respectively.†Insomeinstances,itisimpossibletoknowtheexactnumberofsuspensionsforaracialgroupbecauseofthewaysuspensiondataispublicallyreported.Ifthereisenoughdatatoapproximatepercentagesbyrace,theRERCsdisplaythoseapproximations.Allapproximationsareequaltoorslightlylowerthantheactualpercentages.
**Racialbreakdownsarenotpublicallyavailableforcategoriesinwhichthecountyhadfewerthan50overalloccurrencesinthatcategory.
