What percentage of students in are proficient in math?

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About 40% of 4th graders and 25% of 8th graders were considered proficient in math in 2024, according to the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). The NAEP, also known as the Nation’s Report Card, assesses 4th and 8th graders’ progress in reading and math approximately every two years.

40%

of Guilford County School District 4th graders were proficient in math in 2024

25%

of Guilford County School District 8th graders were proficient in math in 2024
The NAEP uses a scale of 0-500 points to group 4th and 8th grade students into three achievement levels (basic, proficient, or advanced). "Proficient" is the benchmark used to describe students who demonstrate competency with challenging subject matter. However, NAEP proficiency is not the same as being on "grade level," which is often assessed by other state and district tests. More information on NAEP skill expectations at each grade level is available here.
In 2024, 8% of 4th graders in Guilford County School District were advanced in math and 32% were proficient, which means that about 3 out of 5 (60%) scored at basic or below. In 8th grade, 75% scored at basic or below.
In Guilford County School District, 4th grade math proficiency scores in 2024 were not significantly different from North Carolina overall. 8th grade proficiency was lower than the North Carolina average.

In 2024, the percentage of Guilford County School District 4th graders at a proficient or advanced math level was similar to the North Carolina average.

Percentage of students at each NAEP achievement level in 4th and 8th grade in 2024 in Guilford County School District and North Carolina

How has math proficiency changed over time?

From this point onward, “proficiency” includes students who were at or above proficient in math (proficient and advanced students).
Among 4th graders, math proficiency in Guilford County School District was lower than North Carolina in 2 test years (2019 and 2022). In all other test years, there was not a significant difference between Guilford County School District and North Carolina. Among 8th graders, math proficiency in Guilford County School District was lower than North Carolina in 2 test years (2017 and 2024). In all other test years, there was not a significant difference between Guilford County School District and North Carolina.
Data are available in Guilford County School District beginning in 2017.

Guilford County School District 4th graders had a similar level of math proficiency as North Carolina in 2 out of 4 test years

Percentage of 4th and 8th graders proficient in math in Guilford County School District, North Carolina, and the US, 2017–2024

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How do Guilford County School District students compare to other districts in math proficiency?

The NAEP collected data in 25 other large urban school districts in 2024. Guilford County School District had 67,832 students enrolled as of the 2023-24 school year, making it the seventh-smallest district in this sample.
Among 4th grade students, Guilford County School District had the sixth-highest math proficiency rate compared to other districts. It was 9 percentage points lower in proficiency than Miami-Dade County Public Schools, the district with the highest rate (49%).
Among 8th grade students, Guilford County School District had the fourth-highest math proficiency rate compared to other districts. It was 7 percentage points lower in proficiency than Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, the district with the highest rate (32%).

Guilford County School District is sixth-highest in 4th grade math proficiency and fourth-highest in 8th grade among the 26 districts tested

Percentage of 4th and 8th graders in each district who were proficient in math in 2024

Why is there data for Guilford County School District but not all districts?

The NAEP randomly chooses public, private, and charter schools from across the country and in each state and Washington, DC to participate in testing. This random process ensures that the test scores from students in these schools represent how the US and each state are performing as a whole. In addition to national- and state-level reporting, for several years the NAEP has also administered the test to a random sample of schools within 26 of the nation's largest school districts in 2024, of which Guilford County School District was one.

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Methodology

USAFacts standardizes data, in areas such as time and demographics, to make it easier to understand and compare.

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USAFacts endeavors to share the most up-to-date information available. We sourced the data on this page directly from government agencies; however, the intervals at which agencies publish updated data vary.