Wayne County Public Schools

Wayne County Public Schools (WCPS) has been recognized by the Education Scorecard as a 2026 “District on the Rise.” The Education Scorecard is a collaboration between two of the nation’s leading education research centers, the Center for Education Policy Research (CEPR) at Harvard University and the Educational Opportunity Project (EOP) at Stanford University.

“Our district is committed to high standards, strong instruction, and continuous improvement,” said Dr. Marc A. Whichard, WCPS Superintendent. “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 a real-time, publicly accessible window into how students in local school districts across the United States are learning and growing. This year, 26 school districts nationwide earned the “District on the Rise” distinction for academic performance improving, or “rising,” faster than similar districts in the areas of Mathematics, Reading, or both. WCPS was one of just 16 districts in the nation - and the only district in North Carolina - recognized for outperforming similar districts in both Math and Reading.

To be designated as a “District on the Rise,” school districts must meet several criteria, including enrollment of more than 1,200 students in grades 3-8, valid achievement estimates available for 2019, 2022, and 2025, and a comparison group of at least four similar districts with valid achievement estimates for the same years.

District leaders note this latest recognition reflects the district’s academic momentum, significant academic performance gains over two consecutive years, and continued progress across the school district.

“It was during my first week on the job in the summer of 2023 when I was informed by the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction that Wayne County Public Schools had been designated as a ‘Low Performing School District’ based on its academic performance results,” adds Dr. Whichard. “In my opening days as superintendent, I established clear, non-negotiable expectations designed to help move our schools and district forward. 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. Our goal is to continue this momentum and be approaching a top-45 district ranking when this year’s school performance results are released next fall.”

According to EducationScorecard.org, the Education Scorecard uses data from the Stanford Education Data Archive (SEDA), allowing for “apples-to-apples comparisons” of student achievement across districts and states regardless of the assessments used by individual states.

To view the complete list of 2026 “Districts on the Rise,” click on educationscorecard.org/districts-on-the-rise. To view the WCPS case study results, click on WCPS Education Scorecard.