GOLDSBORO, N.C. — Wayne County Public Schools has earned national recognition as a 2026 “District on the Rise” by the Education Scorecard, a collaboration between the Center for Education Policy Research at Harvard University and Stanford University’s Educational Opportunity Project.
The distinction recognizes school districts across the country whose academic performance is improving faster than similar districts in Mathematics, Reading, or both.
This year, only 26 districts nationwide received the honor. Wayne County Public Schools was one of just 16 districts in the country — and the only district in North Carolina — recognized for outperforming similar districts in both Math and Reading.
“Our district is committed to high standards, strong instruction, and continuous improvement,” said WCPS Superintendent Dr. Marc A. Whichard. “To be recognized by two highly respected research institutions as a ‘District on the Rise’ is more than just an honor. It is an affirmation that the hard work taking place behind the scenes and in our classrooms is making a measurable impact that is visible to both our stakeholders and to those analyzing school performance data from state to state.”
The Education Scorecard provides publicly accessible data showing how students are learning and progressing in school districts nationwide. According to EducationScorecard.org, the platform uses data from the Stanford Education Data Archive to allow for “apples-to-apples comparisons” between districts and states, regardless of the different testing systems used across the country.
To qualify as a “District on the Rise,” districts must meet several criteria, including having more than 1,200 students in grades 3-8, valid achievement data from 2019, 2022, and 2025, and at least four similar comparison districts with valid achievement data.
District leaders said the recognition reflects strong academic momentum and sustained improvement over the past two years.
Dr. Whichard noted that when he became superintendent in the summer of 2023, the district had recently been designated a “Low Performing School District” by the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction.
“In my opening days as superintendent, I established clear, non-negotiable expectations designed to help move our schools and district forward,” Whichard said. “Through the hard work and commitment of our staff and students, our district moved out of low-performing status within one year and advanced from 91st out of 115 school districts statewide to 62nd in just two years.”
Whichard added that the district hopes to continue its upward trajectory and approach a top-45 statewide ranking when new school performance results are released next fall.
