North Carolina has chosen top-10 expectations for students and last-place effort from policymakers. Is it fair to expect significantly more of NC’s public school children than of state budget writers?
North Carolina gives its students the 8th highest bar for proficiency standards in the nation…
…yet the NC General Assembly ranks last (50th) in PK-12 education funding effort – the share of the state’s economic capacity devoted to public education.
Those two rankings tell a remarkable story: North Carolina expects top-tier performance while making bottom-tier financial effort.
This is not an argument against rigorous expectations. High standards can benefit students.
But if North Carolina wants to maintain one of the highest academic expectations, it should also make one of America’s strongest commitments to supporting students and schools. High expectations without matching investment isn’t accountability – it’s a double standard.
educatEDpolicy 
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