BY KARISSA MILLER

Iredell-Statesville Schools administrators and Board of Education members reviewed the district’s strengths and performance for the 2022-2023 school year on Monday morning.

There was plenty to be excited about. I-SS celebrated the following End of Grade testing gains for several elementary schools:

♦ Scotts Elementary and Union Grove Elementary were moved off the state’s list of low-performing schools, and both schools improved their grade from a D to a C.

♦ Coddle Creek Elementary, Cool Spring Elementary and Lake Norman Elementary all improved their grade from a C to a B.
♦ Ten elementary schools met growth, up from four the previous year. The schools are Coddle Creek, Cloverleaf, Cool Spring, Scotts, Sharon, Troutman, Union Grove, Woodland Heights, Third Creek and Harmony.
♦ Twelve elementary schools had their overall school score increase; and 14 schools increased their growth scores.

But there is still room for improvement. Jim Watson, president of WSRR Consulting Group LLC, told the board that there are many variables affecting student outcomes in I-SS.

He said North Carolina’s school performance grade for standardized testing is based on each school’s test scores (80 percent) and growth (20 percent).

Watson shared an analogy to help understant the challenge facing some schools. Imagine someone being overweight and then losing 20 pounds, he told I-SS officials.

“While it’s a good thing that I lose 20 pounds. I’m still being punished because I remain overweight,” he said.

Watson and consultant Eddie West also presented the district’s testing data by subgroups, with the highest performers being Academically Intellectually Gifted students testing at 95 percent.

Opportunity for Improvement

“It’s important to develop strategies and increase instruction for foster children, children with disabilities, homeless students and African American males,” West said, explaining that those subgroups are performing well below state averages in Reading tests.

West, who raised foster children, also mentioned that it’s critical to address mental health issues for the district’s foster care student population. He advised I-SS officials to set aside additional funds to help address the needs of the district’s subgroups.

Board Vice Chair Charles Kelly said the district had to be careful when moving resources.

“We don’t get more money. If you want to put more emphasis on one of these subgroups, you are going to have to shift some money from somebody else to get that. It has to be subtle because you don’t want to take away from a group that’s doing well,” he explained.

Superintendent Jeff James said the State of North Carolina was not providing enough funding to meet all of the students’ needs.

“We are seeing an increase in the number of students who require a significant number of resources. We are seeing an explosion in those classrooms. The state isn’t giving us the resources that is required,” said Superintendent Jeff James.

The district is focused on raising achievement and closing gaps. This is being carried out in partnership with Bill Daggett, founder of Successful Practices Network. He has helped dozens of school systems with their school improvement efforts and is widely known in education for his philosophy of rigor, relevance and relationships.

I-SS Strategic Plan

The district’s 2025 Strategic plan consists of five goals. They are:
♦ Goal 1: Academic Achievement and attendance;
♦ Goal 2: Recruit and Retain Highly qualified staff;
♦ Goal 3: Student Discipline;
♦ Goal 4: Safety and Well-being of students; and
♦ Goal 5: Efficiency of Operations