Durham's Performance Learning Center

Summary:

Durham's Performance Learning Center is a small public high school serving grades 9-12 in Durham, North Carolina, with a student population of 155. This school stands out from its surrounding counterparts in several key ways.

First, Durham's Performance Learning Center has a significantly higher percentage of minority students compared to nearby schools. In the 2022-2023 school year, the school's student body was 44.52% African American, 43.23% Hispanic, and only 6.45% White. This contrasts with more racially diverse schools like Riverside High, City of Medicine Academy, and Durham School of the Arts. Additionally, Durham's Performance Learning Center consistently ranks among the lowest-performing high schools in North Carolina, with a statewide ranking between 450-650 out of over 600 high schools in recent years. The school's performance on end-of-course exams is significantly below the Durham Public Schools district and state averages.

Another key differentiator is the school's extremely high percentage of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 90-98% in recent years. This is much higher than the surrounding schools, indicating a high concentration of students from low-income families. Despite this, the school has a relatively low student-teacher ratio, ranging from 7.1 to 8.5 in recent years, lower than the nearby schools. These factors, combined with the school's declining performance over the past decade, suggest that Durham's Performance Learning Center faces unique challenges in engaging and supporting its student population, presenting an opportunity for targeted interventions and support systems to help improve academic outcomes.

Detail:

Public 9-12

401 North Driver Street
Durham, NC 27703

(919) 560-9190

District: Durham Public Schools

SchoolDigger Rank:
558^th of 640 North Carolina High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $15,776

Student/teacher ratio: 6.5

Number of students: 122

Racial breakdown:

African American:

51.6%

Hispanic:

39.3%

Two or more races:

4.9%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 95.1%

See top rated North Carolina high schools

Compare Durham's Performance Learning Center to nearby high schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Durham's Performance Learning Center ranks worse than 87.2% of high schools in North Carolina. It also ranks 8^th among 12 ranked high schools in the Durham Public Schools District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 14.12. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: African American (51.6%), Hispanic (39.3%), two or more races (4.9%). (See more...)

Compare Details 95.1% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Durham's Performance Learning Center is 6.5, which is the 2^nd best among 12 high schools in the Durham Public Schools District. (See more...)

Compare Durham's Performance Learning Center employs 18.5 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Durham's Performance Learning Center is $15,776, which is the 2^nd highest among 12 high schools in the Durham Public Schools District.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Durham's Performance Learning Center:

SchoolDigger ranks Durham's Performance Learning Center 558^th of 640 North Carolina public high schools. (See Durham's Performance Learning Center in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Female students:

Durham Public Schools:

SchoolDigger ranks Durham Public Schools 163^rd of 242 North Carolina school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Durham's Performance Learning Center

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Rank History for all students at Durham's Performance Learning Center

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NC State Percentile
2008	12.87	422^nd	477	11.5%
2009	9.28	444^th	490	9.4%
2010	25.57	419^th	499	16.0%
2011	12.89	443^rd	506	12.5%
2012	4.88	461^st	502	8.2%
2013	10.04	449^th	505	11.1%
2014	1.48	451^st	451	0.0%
2015	3.98	487^th	531	8.3%
2016	2.84	473^rd	507	6.7%
2017	2.21	458^th	476	3.8%
2018	1.46	465^th	469	0.9%
2019	2.64	500^th	514	2.7%
2021	2.92	591^st	594	0.5%
2022	3.55	613^th	621	1.3%
2023	1.89	624^th	626	0.3%
2024	14.12	558^th	640	12.8%

See the entire list of North Carolina High School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Durham's Performance Learning Center

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NC State Percentile
2018	3.19	420^th	424	0.9%
2019	4.59	439^th	446	1.6%
2023	5.11	593^rd	597	0.7%

See the entire list of Best North Carolina High Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Durham's Performance Learning Center

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NC State Percentile
2018	0.59	449^th	449	0.0%
2019	1.40	471^st	475	0.8%
2022	1.75	593^rd	594	0.2%
2023	0.92	588^th	588	0.0%
2024	11.34	558^th	602	7.3%

See the entire list of Best North Carolina High Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at Durham's Performance Learning Center

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NC State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2019	17.55	338^th	364	7.1%

See the entire list of Best North Carolina High Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Male students at Durham's Performance Learning Center

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NC State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	1.46	460^th	463	0.6%
2023	3.14	596^th	602	1.0%

See the entire list of Best North Carolina High Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for African American students at Durham's Performance Learning Center

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NC State Percentile
2018	7.43	353^rd	359	1.7%
2019	7.81	361^st	369	2.2%
2023	7.30	433^rd	434	0.2%

See the entire list of Best North Carolina High Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Durham's Performance Learning Center

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NC State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2019	3.19	353^rd	354	0.3%
2023	2.11	449^th	449	0.0%

See the entire list of Best North Carolina High Schools for Hispanic Students!

Data source: test scores: North Carolina Dept of Public Instruction, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Data source: North Carolina Dept of Public Instruction

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Enrollment information for Durham's Performance Learning Center

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
2008	15	58	n/a	7	1	n/a	n/a	2	83
2010	16	90	0	13	1	n/a	n/a	0	120
2011	11	139	2	14	0	0	4	0	170
2012	11	108	2	25	2	0	2	0	150
2013	21	153	1	65	2	0	6	0	248
2014	16	150	0	63	0	1	3	0	233
2015	15	152	0	70	0	1	4	0	242
2016	12	153	0	73	1	0	4	0	243
2017	10	122	0	66	0	0	7	0	205
2018	7	122	0	43	0	0	1	0	173
2019	9	118	1	54	0	0	4	0	186
2020	7	92	1	63	0	0	6	0	169
2021	6	65	0	40	0	0	1	0	112
2022	5	65	0	60	0	0	2	0	132
2023	10	69	0	67	0	1	8	0	155
2024	1	63	4	48	0	0	6	0	122

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Durham's Performance Learning Center

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2008	83	5.0	16.6	n/a
2010	120	6.7	17.7	40
2011	170	13.5	12.5	71.8
2012	150	13.7	10.8	67.3
2013	248	17.2	14.3	62.1
2014	233	16.6	14.0	66.5
2015	242	17.0	14.2	43.8
2016	243	18.0	13.5	52.7
2017	205	16.5	12.4	54.6
2018	173	15.0	11.5	59.5
2019	186	15.6	11.8	71
2020	169	16.0	10.5	98.2
2021	112	15.6	7.1	97.3
2022	132	18.0	7.3	90.2
2023	155	18.1	8.5	98.1
2024	122	18.5	6.5	95.1

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Durham's Performance Learning Center

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2008	83	5.0	16.6	n/a
2010	120	6.7	17.7	40
2011	170	13.5	12.5	71.8
2012	150	13.7	10.8	67.3
2013	248	17.2	14.3	62.1
2014	233	16.6	14.0	66.5
2015	242	17.0	14.2	43.8
2016	243	18.0	13.5	52.7
2017	205	16.5	12.4	54.6
2018	173	15.0	11.5	59.5
2019	186	15.6	11.8	71
2020	169	16.0	10.5	98.2
2021	112	15.6	7.1	97.3
2022	132	18.0	7.3	90.2
2023	155	18.1	8.5	98.1
2024	122	18.5	6.5	95.1

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Durham's Performance Learning Center

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$849 (5.4%)	$14,927 (94.6%)	$15,776

Data source: North Carolina Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Durham's Performance Learning Center

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Rank Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Ranks 500^th of 514 High schools	Ranks 624^th of 626 High schools	2.4%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
End of Course Biology (Durham's Performance Learning Center)	13.6	7.9	5.7%
End of Course Biology (Durham Public Schools)	52.3	47.5	4.8%
End of Course Biology (North Carolina)	59.6	54.1	5.5%
End of Course English II (Durham's Performance Learning Center)	11.1	11.8	0.7%
End of Course English II (Durham Public Schools)	51.8	49.5	2.3%
End of Course English II (North Carolina)	59.7	58.5	1.2%
End of Course Math III (Durham's Performance Learning Center)	9.5	5.6	3.9%
End of Course Math III (Durham Public Schools)	37.7	45.2	7.5%
End of Course Math III (North Carolina)	46.8	53.4	6.6%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	186	155	16.7%
African American	118	69	41.5%
American Indian	0	0
Asian	1	0	100%
Hispanic	54	67	24.1%
Pacific Islander	0	1
White	9	10	11.1%
Two or More Races	4	8	100%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	71%	98.1%	27.1%

Schools Near Durham's Performance Learning Center

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				EOC Biology (2024)	EOC English II (2024)	EOC Math I (2024)	EOC Math III (2024)	EOG Mathematics (2024)			EOG Reading (2024)			EOG Science (2024)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2019)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	EOC Biology End of Course	EOC English II End of Course	EOC Math I End of Course	EOC Math III End of Course	EOG Mathematics 6th Grade	EOG Mathematics 7th Grade	EOG Mathematics 8th Grade	EOG Reading 6th Grade	EOG Reading 7th Grade	EOG Reading 8th Grade	EOG Science 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Durham's Performance Learning Center	Public	9-12	401 North Driver Street	Durham	27703	Durham County	Durham Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 560-9190	122	19	6.5	95.1%	1 (0.8%)	63 (51.6%)	48 (39.3%)	4 (3.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (4.9%)	14.1	558^th of 640 public high schools	12.8%		1.9	624^th of 626 public high schools	0.3%	66	33.3	27.3										$15,776	$849	$14,927
Holton Career and Resource Center	Public	9-12	401 North Driver St	Durham	27703	Durham County	Durham Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 560-2219	0	0			0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Middle College High School @ DTCC	Public	11-12	1637 Lawson Street	Durham	27703	Durham County	Durham Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 536-7203	134	8	17.8	28.4%	49 (36.6%)	41 (30.6%)	33 (24.6%)	3 (2.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (6.0%)								(n/a)				73.0								$8,584	$195	$8,389
J D Clement Early College High School	Public	9-12	1801 Fayetteville Street	Durham	27707	Durham County	Durham Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 560-2696	386	17	23.3	46.9%	15 (3.9%)	206 (53.4%)	133 (34.5%)	13 (3.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (4.9%)	94.1	37^th of 640 public high schools	94.2%		89.7	73^rd of 626 public high schools	88.3%	36	85.1	99.1	95.8	94.0								$8,162	$393	$7,769
Durham School of the Arts	Public, Magnet	6-12	401 North Duke Street	Durham	27701	Durham County	Durham Public Schools	No	Yes	No	No	(919) 560-3926	1,767	111	15.9	37.7%	627 (35.5%)	419 (23.7%)	547 (31.0%)	59 (3.3%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	113 (6.4%)	80.5	132^nd of 640 public high schools	79.4%		81.6	118^th of 626 public high schools	81.2%	14	70.5	89.9	59.0	80.6	71.6	75.4	77.6	72.4	70.5	75.5	84.2	$10,260	$523	$9,737
Hillside High	Public, Magnet	9-12	3727 Fayetteville St	Durham	27713	Durham County	Durham Public Schools	No	Yes	No	No	(919) 560-3925	1,454	95	15.2	99.8%	35 (2.4%)	923 (63.5%)	416 (28.6%)	14 (1.0%)	4 (0.3%)	2 (0.1%)	60 (4.1%)	14	560^th of 640 public high schools	12.5%		25.8	471^st of 626 public high schools	24.8%	89	27.5	40.7	14.7	33.4								$11,407	$967	$10,441
Southern School of Energy and Sustainabi	Public, Magnet	9-12	800 Clayton Road	Durham	27703	Durham County	Durham Public Schools	No	Yes	No	No	(919) 560-3968	1,352	75	18.0	99.8%	34 (2.5%)	587 (43.4%)	674 (49.9%)	8 (0.6%)	3 (0.2%)	1 (0.1%)	45 (3.3%)	8.5	604^th of 640 public high schools	5.6%		12.5	555^th of 626 public high schools	11.3%	49	16.4	31.2	17.8	24.2								$11,432	$509	$10,923
Durham School of Technology	Public	9-12	3727 Fayetteville St	Durham	27713	Durham County	Durham Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 560-9183	239	17	14.0	98.7%	10 (4.2%)	172 (72.0%)	48 (20.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (3.8%)	68.9	188^th of 640 public high schools	70.6%		72.5	163^rd of 626 public high schools	74.0%	25	54.3	59.6	85.7	84.7								$8,663	$236	$8,427
Lakeview School	Public	6-12	3507 Dearborn Drive	Durham	27704	Durham County	Durham Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 560-2520	70	19	3.6	95.7%	2 (2.9%)	53 (75.7%)	9 (12.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (8.6%)	1.1	640^th of 640 public high schools	0.0%					(n/a)		8.0		6.7	9.1			18.2	6.3	8.7	13.0	$45,258	$734	$44,524
City of Medicine Academy	Public	9-12	301 Crutchfield Road	Durham	27704	Durham County	Durham Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 560-2001	336	23	14.4	62.8%	25 (7.4%)	135 (40.2%)	155 (46.1%)	12 (3.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (2.7%)	85	112^th of 640 public high schools	82.5%		69.8	180^th of 626 public high schools	71.2%	68	89.0	87.0	76.3	70.9								$12,056	$1,005	$11,051

Frequently Asked Questions about Durham's Performance Learning Center

Is Durham's Performance Learning Center a good school?

Durham's Performance Learning Center ranks in the bottom 12.8% of North Carolina high schools.

What is the racial makeup of Durham's Performance Learning Center?

Students at Durham's Performance Learning Center are 52% African American, 39% Hispanic, 5% Two or more races, 3% Asian.

What district is Durham's Performance Learning Center in?

Durham Public Schools

How many students attend Durham's Performance Learning Center?

In the 2023-24 school year, 122 students attended Durham's Performance Learning Center.

Rate Durham's Performance Learning Center!

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the North Carolina Dept of Public Instruction.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.