Today, the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI) released school data from the 2025-26 school year. The data includes proficiency and growth scores. Proficiency is the percentage of students who scored at or above grade level on the various assessments. Elementary and middle school performance grades are based on scores in reading and math for grades 3 through 8, as well as science for grades 5 and 8, as assessed by End-of-Grade (EOG) exams. High school performance is derived from End-of-Course (EOC) exams in English II, NC Math 1, NC Math 3, and Biology, along with other indicators such as the Cohort Graduation Rate and the percentage of career and technical education graduates who achieve a Silver Certificate or higher on the ACT WorkKeys assessment.
Moore County Schools’ four-year high school cohort graduation rate for the Class of 2026 was 91.8 percent, continuing to surpass the state average of 88.8 percent. Seventy-three percent of graduates were proficient on the ACT College Readiness Exam, the National WorkKeys Assessments, or both. The National WorkKeys Assessments measure an individual’s workplace readiness.
Growth scores are an indication of the progress students make over the school year. For the 2025-26 school year, sixteen schools met or exceeded growth.
Proficiency and growth data are combined to calculate the School Performance Grade, with 80 percent based on proficiency and 20 percent based on growth.
School Performance Grades:
● A performance grade: Pinehurst Elementary and Moore Innovative High
● B performance grade: Carthage Elementary, Connect Academy, McDeeds Creek Elementary, New Century Middle, North Moore High, Pinecrest High, Sandhills Farm Life Elementary, Union Pines High, West End Elementary, West Pine Middle, and Westmoore Elementary
● C performance grade: Cameron Elementary, Crain’s Creek Middle, Elise Middle, Highfalls Elementary, Southern Middle, Southern Pines Elementary, Vass-Lakeview Elementary, and West Pine Elementary
● D performance grade: Aberdeen Elementary and Robbins Elementary
● As an alternative school, the Community Learning Center at Pinckney has a different accountability measure and does not receive a traditional School Performance Grade.
“We are so proud of the work that our students and staff do each and every day,” said Jennifer Purvis, superintendent of schools, in a press release. “Grade-level proficiency is at a 10-year high, and our graduation rate continues to surpass the state average. Our teachers and administrators will utilize this assessment data to assist in driving this year’s school improvement plans and classroom instruction. Great teaching, with a heart for children, produces results, and the fact that we have great teachers is evidenced by this year’s gains. Although we are very proud of the work that has been accomplished, we will not be satisfied until we have no schools receiving a D performance grade and all schools are meeting or exceeding growth. The excellent educators we have in Moore County Schools want what is best for kids and will continue to work to make this goal a reality. We are looking forward to another great year of learning and growing.”
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File photo of Union Pines High School graduation by Wendy Hodges/Sandhills Sentinel.
Contributed article.
