The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction released the Moore County Schools (MCS) performance grades and other accountability measurements for the 2023-2024 school year on Wednesday.
This year, 22 schools were assessed, including Connect Academy. The school district said the final school performance grades are calculated based on a school’s achievement score (80 percent) and students’ academic growth over one year (20 percent).
The school district said of the 22 schools, one received an A grade; eight received a B grade, two more than in 2022-2023; 11 received a C grade, the same amount as 2022-2023; one received a D grade, three less than in 2022-2023; and one school dropped from a D to an F grade. The school district said five schools improved by one letter grade.
● Schools receiving an A performance grade: Pinehurst Elementary
● Schools receiving a B performance grade: McDeeds Creek Elementary, New Century Middle, Pinecrest High, Union Pines High, Sandhills Farm Life Elementary, West End Elementary, West Pine Elementary, and West Pine Middle
● Schools receiving a C performance grade: Cameron Elementary, Carthage Elementary, Connect Academy, Crain’s Creek Middle, Elise Middle, Highfalls Elementary, North Moore High, Southern Middle, Southern Pines Elementary, Vass-Lakeview Elementary, and Westmoore Elementary
● Schools receiving a D performance grade: Robbins Elementary
● Schools receiving an F performance grade: Aberdeen Elementary
Seventeen schools met or exceeded growth, up from 16 in 2022-2023. Eight schools improved their growth status, said the school district.
“Our students continue to demonstrate steady improvement in both overall student proficiency and student growth,” said MCS Deputy Superintendent Mike Metcalf. “In addition, we continue to exceed the state proficiency averages. It is evident that the dedication and hard work of our students, teachers, and staff continue to move us in a very positive direction.”
Crain’s Creek Middle and Elise Middle, previously designated as low-performing, improved their school performance grades from a D to a C and are no longer classified as low-performing schools, said the school district.
Two schools continue to be designated as low-performing, which are those with a letter grade of D or F and a growth status of met or not met. These schools are Aberdeen Elementary and Robbins Elementary.
“We are immensely proud of the dedication of our entire team and the progress of our students,” said Locklair. “For the second consecutive year, our district boasts an A-rated school, and we continue to demonstrate improvement in both growth and proficiency. While we will maintain our focused efforts, we are thrilled with the progress made and excited about the potential for continued growth this school year.”
The four-year high school cohort graduation rate for the class of 2024 was 89.8 percent, surpassing the state average of 86.9 percent. While the end-of-grades (EOG) and end-of-courses (EOC) primarily measure student proficiency on curriculum standards, they also generate a Lexile score.
Although Lexile bands are not included in the state accountability release, they provide insight into how many students are reading below, at, or above grade level. For grades three to eight and in English II, which is typically a 10th-grade level course, the results showed that 82 percent of 10th graders are reading at or above grade level.
Elementary and middle school performance grades are based on proficiency scores in reading and math for grades three through eight and science for grades five and eight, as assessed by EOG exams.
High school performance grades are derived from EOC exams in English II, NC Math 1, NC Math 3, and Biology, as well as 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.
Data Highlights (provided by MCS):
● The four-year graduation rate has consistently exceeded the state average for the past 11 years.
○ Moore County Schools achieved a four-year graduation rate of 89.8 percent, exceeding the state average of 86.9 percent.
● 17 out of 22 schools met or exceeded expected growth.
● Grade level proficiency increased by 2.1 percentage points, rising from 60.3 in 2022-2023 to 62.4 in 2023-2024, surpassing the state proficiency average of 54.2 percent.
● Students in Moore County Schools demonstrated gains in 11 of the 18 tested areas, with performance improvements ranging from 0.3 to 11.6 percentage points.
○ African American students showed progress in 11 of the 18 tested areas.
○ Hispanic students made gains in eight of the 18 tested areas.
○ Economically disadvantaged students demonstrated improvements in 11 of the 18 tested areas.
○ Students with disabilities saw gains in 11 of the 18 tested areas.
● 82 percent of 10th-grade students who took the English II EOC are reading at or above grade level, as measured by the EOC Lexile reading level.
● Moore County Schools increased the number of schools with a school performance grade of B from six to eight and reduced the number of schools with a D grade from four to one.
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