North Carolina 2025 Session Status: In Committee Bipartisan · 9 R · 6 D cosponsors

HB 488 — Modify School Performance Grades.

Last action — Passed 1st Reading

  1. ✓
    Introduced
  2. 2
    In Committee
  3. 3
    Passed House
  4. 4
    Passed Senate
  5. 5
    To Executive
  6. 6
    Enacted

This bill is in committee in the House. Introduced March 24, 2025. It must pass committee before a floor vote.

Next likely step: a committee vote, then a floor vote in the House.

Prognosis

Advancing 42% · moderate confidence

Where this bill stands today.

Odds of enactment

Low

How often bills like it became law.

  • In Committee

    Current position in the legislative process.

  • 16 sponsors

    3 primary, 13 co-sponsors signed on.

  • Bipartisan support

    Sponsored across 2 parties (9 R · 6 D) — cross-party backing.

Prognosis reads this bill's own signals — stage, sponsorship breadth, committee status, recorded votes and cross-state momentum. Odds come from a model trained on which bills have become law.

Bill Text

What changed in the latest version

346 added · 345 removed

Plain-language change summary

The recent changes to House Bill 488 primarily include a minor update regarding how local education boards distribute school report cards. The key alteration involves ensuring that report cards are made available to the local press or the public more comprehensively, thereby improving transparency about school performance. This matters because it helps parents and the community stay informed about the educational progress and effectiveness of schools, ultimately fostering accountability and engagement in local education initiatives.

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GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA H.B.
GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA SESSION 2025 H 1 HOUSE BILL 488 Short Title:
488 Mar 24, 2025 SESSION 2025 HOUSE PRINCIPAL CLERK H D HOUSE BILL DRH40290-NG-98 Short Title:
Representative Riddell.
Representatives Riddell, Rhyne, Paré, and Johnson-Hostler (Primary Sponsors).
For a complete list of sponsors, refer to the North Carolina General Assembly web site.
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT TO MODIFY SCHOOL PERFORMANCE GRADES TO PROVIDE THAT ALL SCHOOLS RECEIVE A GRADE FOR SCHOOL ACHIEVEMENT AND A GRADE FOR SCHOOL GROWTH.
Education - K-12, if favorable, Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House March 25, 2025 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT TO MODIFY SCHOOL PERFORMANCE GRADES TO PROVIDE THAT ALL SCHOOLS RECEIVE A GRADE FOR SCHOOL ACHIEVEMENT AND A GRADE FOR SCHOOL GROWTH.
115C-83.15, in measures such as student performance on annual subject-specific assessments, college and workplace readiness measures, graduation rates, and student progress in achieving English *DRH40290-NG-98* General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025 language proficiency.
115C-83.15, in measures such as student performance on annual subject-specific assessments, college and workplace readiness measures, *H488-v-1* General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025 graduation rates, and student progress in achieving English language proficiency.
– Each local board of education shall ensure that the report card issued for it by the State Board of Education receives wide distribution to thelocal press oris otherwise providedto the public.
– Each local board of education shall ensure that the report card issued for it bythe State Board of Education receives wide distribution to thelocal press oris otherwise providedto the public.Eachlocal board of education shall ensure that the overall school performance score achievement and growth scores and grade grades earned byeach school in the local school administrative unit for the current and previous four school years is are prominentlydisplayed on the Web site of thelocal school administrative unit.
Eachlocal board of education shall ensure that the overall school performance score achievement and growth scores and grade grades earned by each school in the local school administrative unit for the current and previous four school years is are prominently displayed on the Web site of thelocal school administrative unit.
provided that for schools serving students in grades nine through 12, the growth score shall only include growth values for measures calculated under sub-subdivisions a.
provided that for schools serving students in grades nine through 12, the growth score shall onlyinclude growth values for measures calculated under sub-subdivisions a.
The numerical values used to determine whether a school has met, exceeded, or has not met expected growth shall be translated to a 100-point scale and used for school reporting purposes as provided in G.S.
The numerical values used to determine whether a school has met, exceeded, or has not met expected growth Page 2 House Bill 488-First Edition General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025 shall be translated to a 100-point scale and used for school reporting purposes as provided in G.S.
Page 2 DRH40290-NG-98 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025 (c1) Calculation of School Growth Grades.
(c1) Calculation of School Growth Grades.
For all schools, the total school performancescoreshall beconvertedto a100-point scaleandused to determinean overall school performance grade.
For all schools, the total school performancescoreshall beconvertedto a100-point scaleand usedto determineanoverall school performance grade.
– The State Board shall establish the minimum number of students in a subgroup served by a school that is necessary to disaggregate informationonstudentperformanceandtodetermineasubgroupperformancescoreachievement and subgroup growth scores and grade associated grades for the following subgroups of students:
– The State Board shall establish the minimum number of students in a subgroup served by a school that is necessary to disaggregate informationonstudentperformanceandtodetermineasubgroupperformancescoreachievement and subgroup growth scores and grade associated grades for the followingsubgroups of students:
School performance achievement and school growth scores for subgroups of students shall not be included in the calculation of the overall school performance achievement and school growth scores and corresponding grades under subsection (d) subsections (b) through (c1) of this section.
School performance achievement and school growth scores for subgroups of students shall not be included in the calculation of the overall school performance achievement House Bill 488-First Edition Page 3 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025 and school growth scores and corresponding grades under subsection (d) subsections (b) through (c1) of this section.
DRH40290-NG-98 Page 3 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025 (d3) Report of Subgroup Performance Scores and School Achievement and School Growth Scores and Corresponding Grades.
(d3) Report of Subgroup Performance Scores and School Achievement and School Growth Scores and Corresponding Grades.
– In addition to awarding the overall school scores for achievement, growth, and performance and the performance grade, achievement and growth and associatedgrades, using EVAAS, theStateBoardshall designatethataschool has met,exceeded, or has not met expected growth.
– In addition to awarding the overall school scores for achievement, growth, and performance and the performance grade, achievement and growth and associated grades, using EVAAS, theStateBoardshall designatethataschool has met, exceeded, or has not met expected growth.
(2a) The percentage of schools receiving a school growth letter grade of A, B, C, D, or F earned by each school located within a local school administrative unit and statewide.
(2a) The percentage of schools receiving a school growth letter grade of A, B, C, D, or F earned byeach school located within a local school administrative unit and statewide.
(5) The ability to easily compare annual report card information, including school performance achievement and growth grades and whether schools have met, exceeded, or have not met expected growth, for local school administrative units and for individual schools for a time span of at least three years." Page 4 DRH40290-NG-98 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025 SECTION 1.4.
(5) The abilityto easilycompare annual report card information, including school performance achievement and growth grades and whether schools have met, Page 4 House Bill 488-First Edition General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025 exceeded, or have not met expected growth, for local school administrative units and for individual schools for a time span of at least three years." SECTION 1.4.
114-95, to meaningfully differentiate the performance of schools on an annual basis.
114-95, to meaningfullydifferentiate the performance of schools on an annual basis.
For the purpose of compliance with federal law, the State Board of Education shall calculate the overall school performance score by adding the school achievementscoreandtheschoolgrowthscoreearnedby aschool.
For the purpose of compliance with federal law, the State Board of Education shall calculate the overall school performance score by adding the school achievementscoreandtheschool growthscoreearnedbyaschool.
… (b) Notwithstanding subsection (a) of this section and only for the purpose of conforming with ESSA, the State Board may label measures as indicators different from those described in subsection (a) of this section;
… (b) Notwithstanding subsection (a) of this section and onlyfor the purpose of conforming with ESSA, the State Board may label measures as indicators different from those described in subsection (a) of this section;
– If a school has been identified as low-performing as provided in this section and the school is not located in a local school administrative unit identified as low-performing under G.S.
– If a school has been identified as low-performing as provided in this section and the school is not located in a local school House Bill 488-First Edition Page 5 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025 administrative unit identified as low-performing under G.S.
DRH40290-NG-98 Page 5 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025 (1) The superintendent shall proceed under G.S.
(1) The superintendent shall proceed under G.S.
(b) PlanforImprovementofLow-PerformingLocalSchoolAdministrativeUnits.–Once a local school administrative unit has been identified as low-performing under this section, the following actions shall be taken:
(b) PlanforImprovementofLow-Performing LocalSchoolAdministrativeUnits.
–Once a local school administrative unit has been identified as low-performing under this section, the following actions shall be taken:
The plan shall also include specific strategies to improve early childhood learning along with measurable goals.
Page 6 House Bill 488-First Edition General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025 The plan shall also include specific strategies to improve early childhood learning along with measurable goals.
Page 6 DRH40290-NG-98 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025 … (c) Parental Notice of Low-Performing Local School Administrative Unit Status.
… (c) Parental Notice of Low-Performing Local School Administrative Unit Status.
(3) Information about the preliminary plan developed under subsection (b) of this section and the availability of the final plan on the local school administrative unit's Web site.
(3) Information about the preliminaryplan developed under subsection (b) of this section and the availability of the final plan on the local school administrative unit's Web site.
This notificationalsoshallincludetheoverallschoolperformancegradeandschool growth score the school achievement and growth scores and grades earned and an explanation of the school performance grades and school growth scores.achievement and growth scores and grades." SECTION 2.4.
This notificationalsoshallincludetheoverallschoolperformance gradeandschool growth score the school achievement and growth scores and grades earned and an explanation of the school performance grades and school growth scores.achievement and growth scores and grades." SECTION 2.4.
A charter school shall ensure that the report card issued for it by the State Board of Education receives wide distribution to the local press or is otherwise provided to the public.
A charter school shall ensure that the report card issued for it bythe State Board of Education receives wide distribution to the local press or is otherwise provided to the public.
– A regional school shall ensure that the report card issued for it by the State Board of Education receives wide distribution to thelocal press oris otherwiseprovidedto thepublic.Aregional school shall ensure thatthe overall school performancescore achievementand DRH40290-NG-98 Page 7 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025 growth scores and grade grades earned by the regional school for the current andpreviousfourschool yearsisareprominentlydisplayedontheschool Web site.
– A regional school shall ensure that the report card issued for it by the State Board of Education receives wide House Bill 488-First Edition Page 7 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025 distribution to thelocal press oris otherwiseprovidedto thepublic.Aregional school shall ensure thatthe overall school performance score achievementand growth scores and grade grades earned by the regional school for the current andpreviousfourschool yearsisareprominentlydisplayedontheschoolWeb site.
If a regional school earned an overall a school performance achievement orgrowth grade of Dor F,theregionalschool shall providenotice ofthegrade in writing to the parent or guardian of all students enrolled in that school." SECTION 2.7.
If a regional school earned an overall a school performance achievement or growth grade of Dor F,theregionalschool shall providenotice ofthe grade in writing to the parent or guardian of all students enrolled in that school." SECTION 2.7.
Page 8 DRH40290-NG-98
Page 8 House Bill 488-First Edition
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Action History

  1. Passed 1st Reading

  2. Ref to the Com on Education - K-12, if favorable, Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House

  3. Filed

Sponsors

Sponsorship breakdown

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3 sponsors · 13 co-sponsors · 163 not signed on

Sponsors (3)

Co-sponsors (13)

Not signed on (163)

163 members have not signed on to this bill.

Show all 163 →

"Not signed on" means a member has not sponsored or co-sponsored this bill — it does not imply opposition. Members flagged Voted No have a recorded No vote on this bill.

Whip count is in markup. Polling the chamber and every recorded vote this session. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Calling the roll · Tallying · Engrossing

Subjects

education
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Frequently asked questions

Who sponsors HB 488?
HB 488 is sponsored by Stephen M. Ross (Republican), Lindsey Prather (Democratic), Joseph Pike (Republican), Howard Penny, Jr. (Republican), Donny Lambeth (Republican), Pricey Harrison (Democratic), Allison A. Dahle (Democratic), Campbell, Gloristine Brown (Democratic), John M. Blust (Republican), Monika Johnson-Hostler (Democratic), Erin Paré (Republican), Heather H. Rhyne (Republican), Dennis Riddell (Republican), Cecil Brockman (Democratic), and Jake Johnson (Republican).
What is the current status of HB 488?
This bill is in committee in the House. Introduced March 24, 2025. It must pass committee before a floor vote.
Where can I track HB 488?
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