NC Report Cards

Know The Numbers: Essential Data for Black Parents in Gaston County

Knowledge is power. Use these databases and reports to track how our children are treated in the school system compared to their peers.

I. The Data Sources (Check These Reports)

Southern Coalition for Social Justice (SCSJ)

• What it shows: The "Racial Equity Report Card." This is the best source for seeing specific disparity ratios (e.g., how much more likely a Black student is to be suspended than a White student).

• View Report: https://rerc.southerncoalition.org/

"Miseducation" Database

• What it shows: An easy-to-read breakdown of the "Opportunity Gap." It tracks who is enrolled in AP/Gifted classes versus who is not, and uses federal Civil Rights Data (CRDC) to track referrals to law enforcement, restraint, and seclusion.

• View Report: https://projects.propublica.org/miseducation/

NC Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI)

• What it shows: The official state report cards. Use this to find raw numbers on enrollment, test scores, and official school performance grades.

• View Report: https://ncreports.ondemand.sas.com/src/

II. The Reality: Discipline & Suspensions

Recent data confirms that disparities in discipline remain a critical issue in our schools.

• Disproportionate Impact: Black students and students with disabilities are significantly overrepresented in short-term suspensions.

• The Trend: While overall school crime reports decreased slightly in 2023-24, the gap in who receives "exclusionary discipline" (being removed from the classroom) remains high for students with IEPs.

• Sources: NCDPI 2023-24 Consolidated Data Report & SCSJ Racial Equity Report Card.

III. The State Context: North Carolina’s "Pushout" Problem

It is important to understand that Gaston County operates within a state system that struggles to protect our most vulnerable students.

1. The #1 Ranking

• The Stat: North Carolina ranks #1 in the nation for suspending and expelling students with disabilities per capita.

• The Reality: Students with disabilities in NC lose more days of instruction to suspensions and expulsions than in any other state.

• Source: WCNC Charlotte Investigation, "NC students with disabilities suspended more often than peers."

2. The "Pipeline" Factors

• Criminalization: NC’s broad "Disorderly Conduct in Schools" law allows schools to press criminal charges for behavioral outbursts, which are often linked to disabilities.

• Double Disadvantage: Black students with disabilities face the highest rates of suspension and criminal referral compared to White students with the same disabilities.

• The Resource Gap: Schools frequently fail to meet recommended ratios for psychologists and counselors, leading to an overreliance on School Resource Officers (police) for behavioral management.

• Source: ACLU & Duke Law Report, "The Consequences of Cops in North Carolina Schools."

3. Federal Data Context

• These rankings are verified by the U.S. Department of Education’s Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC), which tracks suspension and expulsion rates across the country.

• Source: Civil Rights Data Collection Website