Challenger Early College High

Public 9-12

 2550 Hwy 70 SE
       Hickory, NC  28602


(828) 485-2980

District: Catawba County Schools

SchoolDigger Rank:
3rd of 626 North Carolina High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $6,093 Help


Student/teacher ratio:  25.0 Help
Number of students:  352

Racial breakdown:

White:
40.3%
Hispanic:
31.0%
Asian:
15.9%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  40.9% Help


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Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details Challenger Early College High ranks better than 99.5% of high schools in North Carolina. It also ranks first among 6 ranked high schools in the Catawba County Schools District! (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2023 the calculated Average Standard Score was 96.39. (See more...)
Student Body
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Compare Details Challenger Early College High has the smallest high school student body size in the Catawba County Schools District. Student population at Challenger Early College High is diverse. Racial makeup is: White (40.3%), Hispanic (31%), Asian (15.9%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 40.9% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Challenger Early College High is 25, which is the highest among 6 high schools in the Catawba County Schools District! (See more...)
Help
Compare Challenger Early College High employs 14 full-time teachers.
Finance
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Compare Details The average total spent per student at Challenger Early College High is $6,093, which is the lowest among 6 high schools in the Catawba County Schools District!
Schooldigger 2023 Rankings:

Challenger Early College High:

SchoolDigger ranks Challenger Early College High 3rd of 626 North Carolina public high schools. (See Challenger Early College High in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Multi-racial students:
Low Socio Economic Status students:
Female students:
Gifted and Talented students:
Male students:
Asian students:
Hispanic students:
White students:


Catawba County Schools:

SchoolDigger ranks Catawba County Schools 80th of 243 North Carolina school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Rank History for Challenger Early College High

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Rank History for all students at Challenger Early College High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2019 96.54 6th 514 98.8%
2021 97.77 9th 594 98.5%
2022 97.33 3rd 621 99.5%
2023 96.39 3rd 626 99.5%
See the entire list of North Carolina High School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Challenger Early College High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 98.42 2nd 249 99.2%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina High Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Challenger Early College High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 99.15 1st 424 99.8%
2019 98.34 4th 446 99.1%
2021 99.61 2nd 432 99.5%
2022 99.49 2nd 544 99.6%
2023 98.45 7th 597 98.8%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina High Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Challenger Early College High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 94.94 5th 449 98.9%
2019 95.17 9th 475 98.1%
2021 97.01 3rd 475 99.4%
2022 96.99 3rd 594 99.5%
2023 95.68 9th 588 98.5%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina High Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Gifted and Talented students at Challenger Early College High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2019 83.19 6th 325 98.2%
2021 84.68 5th 337 98.5%
2022 83.99 1st 398 99.7%
2023 81.54 13th 403 96.8%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina High Schools for Gifted and Talented Students!

Rank History for Male students at Challenger Early College High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2019 96.89 7th 488 98.6%
2021 98.28 4th 481 99.2%
2022 97.70 2nd 585 99.7%
2023 97.51 2nd 602 99.7%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina High Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Asian students at Challenger Early College High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 85.22 5th 77 93.5%
2019 86.53 8th 89 91.0%
2021 90.04 3rd 83 96.4%
2022 90.79 1st 91 98.9%
2023 89.32 4th 98 95.9%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina High Schools for Asian Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Challenger Early College High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 98.68 3rd 340 99.1%
2019 98.78 2nd 354 99.4%
2021 97.21 5th 370 98.6%
2022 99.05 1st 436 99.8%
2023 98.74 3rd 449 99.3%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina High Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Challenger Early College High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2019 95.45 4th 444 99.1%
2021 97.35 2nd 439 99.5%
2022 95.37 8th 534 98.5%
2023 93.71 26th 537 95.2%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina High Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: North Carolina Dept of Public Instruction, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Challenger Early College High Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 



Data source: North Carolina Dept of Public Instruction

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Enrollment information for Challenger Early College High

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Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
2006 56 10 22 7 0 n/a n/a 0 95
2007 115 13 44 17 0 n/a n/a 6 195
2008 144 13 73 27 0 n/a n/a 8 265
2009 200 27 97 38 0 n/a n/a 0 362
2010 187 27 98 47 0 n/a n/a 0 359
2011 169 20 92 59 2 0 11 0 353
2012 171 20 87 60 0 0 10 0 348
2013 177 23 77 71 0 0 11 0 359
2014 175 24 75 69 0 0 10 0 353
2015 204 17 68 70 0 0 9 0 368
2016 205 19 56 78 1 0 7 0 366
2017 212 25 63 88 0 0 9 0 397
2018 223 28 65 84 0 0 11 0 411
2019 216 27 66 94 0 0 12 0 415
2020 197 19 72 86 0 0 20 0 394
2021 189 11 68 88 0 0 20 0 376
2022 156 10 55 94 0 1 28 0 344
2023 142 12 56 109 0 1 32 0 352

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Challenger Early College High

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
2006 95 6.0 15.8 n/a
2007 195 10.1 19.3 n/a
2008 265 13.2 20.1 10.9
2009 362 14.2 25.5 16.3
2010 359 15.3 23.4 31.8
2011 353 14.1 24.9 46.7
2012 348 13.5 25.6 58.6
2013 359 14.3 25.0 52.6
2014 353 13.0 27.0 47
2015 368 14.0 26.2 45.4
2016 366 14.0 26.1 41
2017 397 14.1 28.1 42.1
2018 411 14.0 29.3 39.7
2019 415 13.9 29.8 36.4
2020 394 13.9 28.2 31
2021 376 14.0 26.8 27.4
2022 344 13.9 24.6 27.9
2023 352 14.0 25.0 40.9

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Challenger Early College High

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
2006 95 6.0 15.8 n/a
2007 195 10.1 19.3 n/a
2008 265 13.2 20.1 10.9
2009 362 14.2 25.5 16.3
2010 359 15.3 23.4 31.8
2011 353 14.1 24.9 46.7
2012 348 13.5 25.6 58.6
2013 359 14.3 25.0 52.6
2014 353 13.0 27.0 47
2015 368 14.0 26.2 45.4
2016 366 14.0 26.1 41
2017 397 14.1 28.1 42.1
2018 411 14.0 29.3 39.7
2019 415 13.9 29.8 36.4
2020 394 13.9 28.2 31
2021 376 14.0 26.8 27.4
2022 344 13.9 24.6 27.9
2023 352 14.0 25.0 40.9

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.
Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Challenger Early College High

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YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $246 (4.0%) $5,847 (96.0%) $6,093

Data source: North Carolina Department of Education
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Challenger Early College High

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Rank
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Ranks 6th of 514 High schoolsRanks 3rd of 626 High schools
 0.7%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
End of Course English II (Challenger Early College High)95.299
 3.8%
   End of Course English II (Catawba County Schools)63.360.1
 3.2%
   End of Course English II (North Carolina)59.758.5
 1.2%
End of Course Math I (Challenger Early College High)98.497.4
 1%
   End of Course Math I (Catawba County Schools)57.453.3
 4.1%
   End of Course Math I (North Carolina)41.235.9
 5.3%
End of Course Math III (Challenger Early College High)95.699
 3.4%
   End of Course Math III (Catawba County Schools)53.467.7
 14.3%
   End of Course Math III (North Carolina)46.858.3
 11.5%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students415352
 15.2%
African American2712
 55.6%
American Indian00
Asian6656
 15.2%
Hispanic94109
 16%
Pacific Islander01
White216142
 34.3%
Two or More Races1232
 166.7%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients36.4%40.9%
 4.5%


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Frequently Asked Questions about Challenger Early College High

In the 2022-23 school year, 352 students attended Challenger Early College High.

Students at Challenger Early College High are 40% White, 31% Hispanic, 16% Asian, 9% Two or more races, 3% African American.

Yes! Challenger Early College High is one of the best high schools in the state. It ranks 3rd of 626 North Carolina high schools.


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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the North Carolina Dept of Public Instruction. School Attendance Areas provided by ATTOM.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that school and district boundary data are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.





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