THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT  
              Copyright (c) 1997, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: Sunday, January 17, 1997              TAG: 9701180375
SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B1   EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA 
SOURCE: ASSOCIATED PRESS 
DATELINE: RALEIGH                           LENGTH:   34 lines

N.C. RANKS NEAR THE TOP IN SCHOOLS REPORT CARD

North Carolina's public schools earned an A grade in one category, a D in another and mid-range grades in four others on a 50-state report card issued by a national magazine for educators.

The state-by-state analysis was released Thursday by Education Week, a trade publication for teachers, principals and counselors. The report card put North Carolina schools among the top dozen in the country.

North Carolina earned its highest mark for standards and assessments.

The state's public schools most needed improvement in the rating for overall climate, a grade which took into account such factors as the number of students in classes and in schools, school safety, absenteeism, student apathy and parent support.

Student crowding should ease as school systems receive an infusion of state construction money raised by $1.8 billion in borrowing approved by voters in November, said state schools Superintendent Mike Ward.

``While the report points to progress we are making in our state's educational system, there is still significant room for improvement, especially in the two areas of school climate and quality of teaching,'' Ward said in a prepared statement.

Teaching quality in North Carolina schools earned a C grade.

The magazine's judgment of how schools fared in spending decisions resulted in grades of:

A- for funding equity.

B- for adequacy of funding.

C+ for funding allocation.