Carver High

Carver High is a traditional public high school in Winston-Salem, NC, serving 728 students in grades 9–12 as part of the Winston Salem / Forsyth County Schools district, where nearly all students (99.6%) come from economically disadvantaged households. The school currently ranks in the 3rd percentile statewide, placing it among the lowest-performing high schools in North Carolina.

Academic outcomes at Carver are extremely low across every major subject. Only 5.2% of students scored proficient in Math I — roughly one-eighth the state rate — while Biology proficiency is 11.2% and English II is 16.2%. The graduation rate stands at 68.7%, far below the state average of 88.8%, and chronic absenteeism affects nearly 61% of students, more than double the statewide rate. Student outcomes across every demographic group rank in the bottom 1st percentile of North Carolina schools, reflecting a broad, systemic struggle rather than an isolated issue. One bright spot: as recently as 2022–23, Biology proficiency reached 44.3%, suggesting the school is capable of stronger performance, though that improvement was not sustained.

What makes Carver's results especially notable is that high poverty does not explain them. Several nearby schools serve nearly identical poverty rates with dramatically better outcomes: Walkertown High (99.6% poverty) graduates 89.9% of students with 42.5% Math I proficiency, J F Kennedy High (99.1% poverty) graduates 90.0%, and R J Reynolds High (99.4% poverty) graduates 82.8%. Carver actually spends more per student ($15,235) than most of these higher-performing schools and has a favorable 14.8:1 student-teacher ratio. The evidence points to attendance, foundational math and literacy instruction, and sustained academic support as the most urgent priorities for improving student outcomes.