The top reported proficiency rate is 62% in Math. The lowest is 51% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Adams Elementary
Adams Elementary is a regular public school serving pre-kindergarten through fifth grade in Cary, a large, planned suburban town in the Raleigh-Cary metro. The school sits within Wake County Schools, a sizable district that has been managing substantial growth through new construction, boundary reassignments, and pedagogical shifts in early literacy instruction.
The school's enrollment is moderate for its grade band, and the student body reflects Cary's multicultural character. Just over half the enrollment qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a mixed-income population, and the school serves students across multiple racial and ethnic groups, with white and Hispanic students each representing a substantial share and Black students also well represented.
On state testing, Adams Elementary's results show uneven performance across subjects. Math proficiency is above the midpoint compared to where many schools land, while reading proficiency sits at the midpoint and science proficiency is slightly below. The math result is the school's strongest showing; reading is where the school's performance is most typical; science scores, while not poor, suggest an area where the school may need attention. No multi-year trend data was available, so it is not clear whether these numbers reflect recent movement or hold steady. The school's testing universe covers grades three through five, so proficiency figures reflect those grade levels only.
Because Adams Elementary serves only elementary grades, there is no high school completion or graduation data applicable to the school itself.
Cary is a town shaped by research and technology, home to SAS Institute and Epic Games among other major employers, and has invested heavily in downtown revitalization and parks infrastructure in recent years. The town's comprehensive plan, Imagine Cary, organizes growth around districts, centers, and corridors, and housing development is accelerating with significant new affordable-unit pipeline activity. Housing values in the 27511 zip code, where Adams sits, are elevated compared to state and national benchmarks, and the cost of both mortgage and rent is substantial relative to incomes, a dynamic true across Wake County.
Within Wake County Schools, the district has undertaken a major shift toward the Science of Reading pedagogy for grades K-5, with all elementary teachers completing state-mandated LETRS training. This is a foundational change in how early literacy is taught and evaluated. The district has also adopted a new district-wide cellphone policy effective 2025-26 that requires elementary students to keep phones silenced and stored away all day. Additionally, large-scale student reassignments have continued to address growth; a reassignment plan affecting Wake schools is slated to take effect in 2026-27, and families in affected attendance zones may face boundary changes or stability-transfer options.
A parent interested in Adams Elementary should expect solid math instruction grounded in the new reading science initiatives, ask the school directly about reading instruction specifics and any additional supports for students not yet proficient, and should be prepared for the possibility that Adams might be part of future boundary reassignments as the district manages growth and new school openings across Cary and the wider county.
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