Failure rate skyrockets for WCPS’ third- through eighth-graders

Members of the Wayne County Board of Education were notified Monday that Wayne County Public Schools has seen a significant increase in failing elementary and middle school students so far this year.

The report was delivered by Caroline Brown, Title 1 program specialist for the district, at the direction of Dr. Carol Artis, acting assistant superintendent for teaching and learning, in response to a query from board member Jennifer Strickland at the BOE’s January meeting.

Brown said the data from high schools is not yet available. However, she said she is continuing to compile statistics as final testing numbers and grades are coming in. She added that she looked at the information from the end of the first semester in 2019-20 and first semester in 2020-21.

In English, the district is seeing an 18-percent increase in the student failure rate — from 4 percent failing in 2019-20 to 22 percent this year.

In math, the district is seeing a 14 percent increase in the student failure rate, from 6 percent in 2019-20 to 20 percent in 2020-21.

Board chairman Chris West asked if the district’s numbers are consistent with data from across the state, saying that seeing numbers from other districts might give board members a better perspective on how the county’s failure rate compared.

“I would just like to know where we stand,” West said.

Brown and Artis said they did not have the state numbers, but added that they could be acquired.

Board member Wade Leatham said he is “looking forward to the numbers on high schools.”

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