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Speaker critiques district test results and urges higher outcomes for underserved students
Summary
A public commenter challenged the Wake County Board of Education to address subgroup performance gaps on state standardized tests and urged a goal of raising readiness for college or workforce to 90% across student groups.
A Wake County resident criticized the district's interpretation of state test results at the Jan. 21 board meeting, urging the board to set higher goals for minority and economically disadvantaged students.
"It is not credible to suggest that more than one third of students are just having a bad day," said Joseph Deaton, citing the scale of underperformance across multiple subject areas. Deaton noted subgroup percentages offered in public comment: he said 77% of Asian students scored at the level described as ready to enter college or the workforce, 63% of white students reached that level and 42% of Native American students did; he said Black and Hispanic group results were "much lower" but did not provide exact percentages.
Why it matters: Deaton argued that downplaying test results or dismissing state assessments "will never help anyone reach their potential," and called for a goal to have 90% of students college- or workforce-ready.
Details and context
Deaton questioned board members' earlier defense that a single test is not dispositive, noting there are multiple subject-area tests administered in each grade. He urged the board to identify more objective third-party measures of student outcomes rather than relying on anecdotes.
No board action was taken in response during the public-comment period. Deaton framed his remarks as a plea for higher expectations and broader attention to subgroup gaps.
Ending
Deaton concluded by saying improving academic attainment for minorities and economically disadvantaged students is "nothing more important for the good of society in our time than to improve academic attainment of minorities and the economically disadvantaged."
