Cumberland County Schools staff explain state tests, scoring, retest options and parent resources

Cumberland County Schools staff told parents at a recent information session that North Carolina requires three types of state assessments — career and technical education (CTE) post‑assessments, end‑of‑grade (EOG) tests for grades 3–8 and end‑of‑course (EOC) tests for certain high‑school courses — and explained how scores, accommodations and retest options work.

The information matters because test results affect high‑school course grades, individual student records and some statutory programs such as the Read to Achieve law tied to third‑grade reading. Staff also outlined where parents can find individualized student reports and released practice tests on district and state websites.

Kim [last name not provided], a staff member in Cumberland County Schools’ data and accountability office, framed the session by saying, “We’re going to focus on three types of required exams in North Carolina.” Chip [last name not provided], a career and technical education staff member, walked parents through how CTE assessments are structured and scored.

Staff described the assessments and scoring as follows: CTE state assessments are typically 100 multiple‑choice items administered in a district CTE platform (CTE NC Test) and are scaled; Chip said, “If the student makes 70 or higher, they are considered proficient,” and a score of 90 or above indicates mastery. Many CTE courses are assessed…