Northern High

Public 9-12

 117 Tom Wilkinson Road
       Durham, NC  27712-1432


(919) 560-3956

District: Durham Public Schools

SchoolDigger Rank:
575th of 626 North Carolina High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $10,719 Help


Feeder schools for Northern High:

Elementary:    Eastway Elementary
    Eno Valley Elementary
    Glenn Elementary
    Little River K-8 School
    More...
Middle:    George L Carrington Middle
    Lucas Middle

Student/teacher ratio:  15.1 Help
Number of students:  1,308

Racial breakdown:

African American:
40.4%
Hispanic:
35.3%
White:
18.4%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  64.1% Help


 See top rated North Carolina high schools

 Compare Northern High to nearby high schools!

Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details Northern High ranks worse than 91.9% of high schools in North Carolina. It also ranks 10th among 11 ranked high schools in the Durham Public Schools District. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2023 the calculated Average Standard Score was 10.73. (See more...)
Student Body
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Compare Details Student population at Northern High is diverse. Racial makeup is: African American (40.4%), Hispanic (35.3%), White (18.4%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 64.1% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
Help
Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Northern High is 15.1, which is the 5th best among 11 high schools in the Durham Public Schools District. (See more...)
Help
Compare Northern High employs 86.1 full-time teachers.
Finance
Help
Compare Details The average total spent per student at Northern High is $10,719. 6 high schools in the Durham Public Schools District spend more per student.
Schooldigger 2023 Rankings:

Northern High:

SchoolDigger ranks Northern High 575th of 626 North Carolina public high schools. (See Northern High in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Multi-racial students:
English Language Learner students:
Low Socio Economic Status students:
Female students:
Gifted and Talented students:
Male students:
African American students:
Hispanic students:
White students:


Durham Public Schools:

SchoolDigger ranks Durham Public Schools 140th of 243 North Carolina school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

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Rank History for Northern High

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Compare

Rank History for all students at Northern High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2006 32.50 337th 431 21.8%
2007 27.50 357th 453 21.2%
2008 19.60 406th 477 14.9%
2009 17.77 423rd 490 13.7%
2010 18.65 435th 499 12.8%
2011 23.32 427th 506 15.6%
2012 20.36 419th 502 16.5%
2013 25.26 345th 505 31.7%
2014 13.64 387th 451 14.2%
2015 20.07 399th 531 24.9%
2016 18.12 394th 507 22.3%
2017 22.61 360th 476 24.4%
2018 18.35 380th 469 19.0%
2019 18.91 416th 514 19.1%
2021 13.41 534th 594 10.1%
2022 13.56 551st 621 11.3%
2023 10.73 575th 626 8.1%
See the entire list of North Carolina High School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Northern High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 16.42 161st 185 13.0%
2019 17.93 177th 195 9.2%
2021 16.43 183rd 199 8.0%
2023 5.41 244th 249 2.0%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina High Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Northern High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 30.99 102nd 147 30.6%
2019 25.07 153rd 173 11.6%
2022 24.99 135th 156 13.5%
2023 18.75 218th 226 3.5%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina High Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Northern High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 15.93 375th 424 11.6%
2019 18.67 382nd 446 14.3%
2021 14.09 408th 432 5.6%
2022 16.39 496th 544 8.8%
2023 12.67 564th 597 5.5%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina High Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Homeless students at Northern High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2019 15.59 41st 44 6.8%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina High Schools for Homeless Students!

Rank History for Female students at Northern High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 19.45 373rd 449 16.9%
2019 18.36 401st 475 15.6%
2021 12.93 419th 475 11.8%
2022 12.81 529th 594 10.9%
2023 9.04 556th 588 5.4%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina High Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at Northern High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 14.39 342nd 349 2.0%
2019 25.19 294th 364 19.2%
2021 23.35 290th 334 13.2%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina High Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Gifted and Talented students at Northern High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 7.91 99th 100 1.0%
2019 5.37 315th 325 3.1%
2021 9.75 317th 337 5.9%
2022 10.67 377th 398 5.3%
2023 5.77 390th 403 3.2%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina High Schools for Gifted and Talented Students!

Rank History for Male students at Northern High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 15.02 399th 463 13.8%
2019 15.68 423rd 488 13.3%
2021 12.61 434th 481 9.8%
2022 12.83 537th 585 8.2%
2023 11.69 551st 602 8.5%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina High Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Asian students at Northern High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2019 37.49 61st 89 31.5%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina High Schools for Asian Students!

Rank History for African American students at Northern High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 27.09 272nd 359 24.2%
2019 26.41 288th 369 22.0%
2021 18.38 335th 364 8.0%
2022 18.67 388th 430 9.8%
2023 16.46 403rd 434 7.1%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina High Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Northern High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 14.95 318th 340 6.5%
2019 19.05 312th 354 11.9%
2021 14.35 353rd 370 4.6%
2022 15.02 403rd 436 7.6%
2023 11.27 437th 449 2.7%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina High Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Northern High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 44.71 230th 427 46.1%
2019 33.71 292nd 444 34.2%
2021 34.92 257th 439 41.5%
2022 27.72 405th 534 24.2%
2023 23.61 436th 537 18.8%
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.

Northern High Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 



Data source: North Carolina Dept of Public Instruction

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 5)
100%

0%

0%

0%

0%

  

Reviews:
by a parent
Friday, August 29, 2014

Open Quote We are so blessed to have such a wonderful school for our son. My oldest graduated from Northern 2 years ago and my youngest is a junior. The teachers and support staff are so loving and caring. Mr Hunt the Principal is the best. My son has a medical condition and is in a wheelchair. I was so scared of high school for him, but Northern has truly made all my fears go away. UKNIGHTED Close Quote



Enrollment information for Northern High

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Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1988 1414 507 20 4 0 n/a n/a 0 1945
1989 1294 531 22 3 2 n/a n/a 0 1852
1990 1241 538 34 9 3 n/a n/a -7 1818
1991 1128 568 31 9 1 n/a n/a 0 1737
1992 1180 550 21 8 3 n/a n/a 28 1790
1993 1093 553 19 7 1 n/a n/a 0 1673
1994 1017 543 15 4 2 n/a n/a 0 1581
1995 975 747 20 13 5 n/a n/a 0 1760
1996 975 747 20 13 5 n/a n/a 0 1760
1997 852 746 19 16 6 n/a n/a 0 1639
1998 842 735 18 20 6 n/a n/a 0 1621
1999 792 658 23 19 4 n/a n/a 0 1496
2000 767 672 23 14 6 n/a n/a 0 1482
2001 741 687 26 18 5 n/a n/a 0 1477
2002 672 811 22 54 6 n/a n/a 0 1565
2003 672 811 22 54 6 n/a n/a 0 1565
2004 672 839 19 68 4 n/a n/a 0 1602
2005 642 859 20 77 2 n/a n/a 0 1600
2006 664 859 26 84 0 n/a n/a 0 1633
2007 617 868 19 102 0 n/a n/a 36 1642
2008 576 857 23 109 1 n/a n/a 38 1604
2009 559 944 21 124 3 n/a n/a 0 1651
2010 491 963 17 150 4 n/a n/a 0 1625
2011 414 821 16 187 9 0 37 0 1484
2012 363 791 17 202 12 0 37 0 1422
2013 319 773 17 258 10 0 38 0 1415
2014 290 734 15 250 16 1 62 0 1368
2015 323 757 18 291 11 1 47 0 1448
2016 327 756 22 331 5 1 54 0 1496
2017 322 737 18 370 2 1 53 0 1503
2018 329 722 29 401 3 1 51 0 1536
2019 312 711 23 394 2 1 47 0 1490
2020 295 664 22 430 1 1 57 0 1470
2021 284 590 21 400 2 0 52 0 1349
2022 262 543 15 432 2 0 53 0 1307
2023 241 529 20 462 3 0 53 0 1308

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 Northern High

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 1945 110.0 17.6 2.7
1989 1852 120.0 15.4 5.1
1990 1818 132.0 13.7 5.7
1991 1737 131.0 13.2 6
1992 1790 116.0 15.4 2.3
1993 1673 106.0 15.8 5.2
1994 1581 108.0 14.6 4.4
1995 1760 111.0 15.9 7
1996 1760 111.0 15.9 7
1997 1639 111.0 14.8 9.2
1998 1621 119.0 13.6 9.7
1999 1496 119.0 12.6 10
2000 1482 119.0 12.5 8.5
2001 1477 119.0 12.4 8.3
2002 1565 119.0 13.2 0
2003 1565 119.0 13.2 0
2004 1602 119.0 13.5 25.1
2005 1600 119.0 13.4 25.3
2006 1633 119.0 13.7 28.7
2007 1642 107.1 15.3 34.2
2008 1604 103.3 15.5 42.7
2009 1651 107.2 15.4 32.2
2010 1625 96.1 16.9 43.4
2011 1484 89.7 16.5 48.2
2012 1422 84.0 16.9 50
2013 1415 89.7 15.7 58.9
2014 1368 83.9 16.2 59.8
2015 1448 84.0 17.2 58.1
2016 1496 88.0 17.0 55.9
2017 1503 86.9 17.2 54.4
2018 1536 90.7 16.9 52.7
2019 1490 91.5 16.2 56.8
2020 1470 92.3 15.9 50
2021 1349 92.1 14.6 40.9
2022 1307 96.7 13.5 44.6
2023 1308 86.1 15.1 64.1

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 Northern High

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 1945 110.0 17.6 2.7
1989 1852 120.0 15.4 5.1
1990 1818 132.0 13.7 5.7
1991 1737 131.0 13.2 6
1992 1790 116.0 15.4 2.3
1993 1673 106.0 15.8 5.2
1994 1581 108.0 14.6 4.4
1995 1760 111.0 15.9 7
1996 1760 111.0 15.9 7
1997 1639 111.0 14.8 9.2
1998 1621 119.0 13.6 9.7
1999 1496 119.0 12.6 10
2000 1482 119.0 12.5 8.5
2001 1477 119.0 12.4 8.3
2002 1565 119.0 13.2 0
2003 1565 119.0 13.2 0
2004 1602 119.0 13.5 25.1
2005 1600 119.0 13.4 25.3
2006 1633 119.0 13.7 28.7
2007 1642 107.1 15.3 34.2
2008 1604 103.3 15.5 42.7
2009 1651 107.2 15.4 32.2
2010 1625 96.1 16.9 43.4
2011 1484 89.7 16.5 48.2
2012 1422 84.0 16.9 50
2013 1415 89.7 15.7 58.9
2014 1368 83.9 16.2 59.8
2015 1448 84.0 17.2 58.1
2016 1496 88.0 17.0 55.9
2017 1503 86.9 17.2 54.4
2018 1536 90.7 16.9 52.7
2019 1490 91.5 16.2 56.8
2020 1470 92.3 15.9 50
2021 1349 92.1 14.6 40.9
2022 1307 96.7 13.5 44.6
2023 1308 86.1 15.1 64.1

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 Northern High

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YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $534 (5.0%) $10,184 (95.0%) $10,719

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

Impact of COVID-19 on Northern 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 416th of 514 High schoolsRanks 575th of 626 High schools
 10.9%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
End of Course Biology (Northern High)41.619.7
 21.9%
   End of Course Biology (Durham Public Schools)52.347.5
 4.8%
   End of Course Biology (North Carolina)59.654.1
 5.5%
End of Course English II (Northern High)34.333.6
 0.7%
   End of Course English II (Durham Public Schools)51.849.5
 2.3%
   End of Course English II (North Carolina)59.758.5
 1.2%
End of Course Math I (Northern High)26.215.6
 10.6%
   End of Course Math I (Durham Public Schools)30.928.6
 2.3%
   End of Course Math I (North Carolina)41.235.9
 5.3%
End of Course Math III (Northern High)27.931.4
 3.5%
   End of Course Math III (Durham Public Schools)37.748.7
 11%
   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 Students14901308
 12.2%
African American711529
 25.6%
American Indian23
 50%
Asian2320
 13%
Hispanic394462
 17.3%
Pacific Islander10
 100%
White312241
 22.8%
Two or More Races4753
 12.8%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients56.8%64.1%
 7.3%


Schools Near Northern High









Frequently Asked Questions about Northern High

Students at Northern High are 40% African American, 35% Hispanic, 18% White, 4% Two or more races, 2% Asian.

Northern High is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Eastway Elementary
Elementary : Eno Valley Elementary
Elementary : Glenn Elementary
Elementary : Little River K-8 School
Elementary : Mangum Elementary
Elementary : Sandy Ridge Elementary
Middle : George L Carrington Middle
Middle : Lucas Middle

In the 2022-23 school year, 1,308 students attended Northern High.

Northern High ranks in the bottom 8.1% of 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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