FROM STAFF REPORTS
Less than half of Iredell-Statesville Schools’ 37 schools met or exceeded year-to-year academic growth targets for the 2023-2024 school year, according to data released Wednesday by the N.C. Department of Public Instruction in its annual accountability report.
According to DPI:
♦ 21 I-SS schools did not meet growth projections;
♦ 13 district schools met projections; and
♦ 3 district school exceeded projections
In a news release, I-SS officials touted the performance of three schools:
♦ The Collaborative College for Technology and Leadership (CCTL) has had four years of exceeding growth expectations and received the highest school performance grade in the district at 96 (A);
♦ Harmony Elementary made significant gains by exceeding growth expectations; and
♦ North Iredell High School exceeded growth expectations and made the largest growth among any school in the district.
In addition, two district schools improved their letter grade from the 2022-2023 school year. The Career Academy & Technical School (CATS) moved from a C to a B, and North Iredell High improved from a C to a B.
Performance data also shows that three district schools that did not meet growth projections in 2022-2023 — Celeste Henkel Elementary, Lakeshore Elementary and N.B. Mills Elementary School — hit their growth targets in 2023-2024.
As a district, I-SS showed improvements in fifth-grade reading scores (from 49.3 percent proficient to 53.7 percent proficient), fifth-grade math scores (from 57.8 percent proficient in 2022-2023 to 60 percent proficient), and high school English II (from 56.7 percent proficient in 2022-2023 to 60 percent).
“We are excited to celebrate the accomplishments of our schools,” I-SS Superintendent Jeff James said in the news release. “Every day our dedicated staff members pour into our students—our community’s future. We highlight their hard work not just in this data, but in the daily successes throughout our district.”
Schools By Letter Grade
Here’s a breakdown of I-SS schools by letter grade:
A – CCTL and Crossroads early colleges
B – ASEC early college, Cool Spring Elementary, Lake Norman Elementary, Lake Norman High, The Brawley School, North Iredell High, Oakwood Middle, Sharon Elementary, Woodland Heights Elementary
C – Woodland Heights Middle, CATS, Celeste Henkel, Central Elementary, Coddle Creek Elementary,, Harmony Elementary, Lakeshore Elementary, Scotts Elementary, Shepherd Elementary, South Iredell High, Troutman Elementary, Union Grove Elementary
D – Cloverleaf Elementary, East Iredell Elementary, I-SS Virtual Academy, Lakeshore Middle, North Iredell Middle, Statesville High, Troutman Middle, West Iredell High, West Iredell Middle
F – East Iredell Middle, NB Mills Elementary, Third Creek Elementary, Third Creek Middle,
Graduation Rates
The four-year cohort graduation rate for the 2023-2024 school year was also released Wednesday.
Iredell-Statesville Schools’ rate was 86.5 percent, which is slightly lower than the state average of 86.9 percent.
The district’s five-year cohort graduation rate was 90.1 percent. This rate includes second-year seniors at the district’s three early colleges.
Teacher Recruitment & Retention
The superintendent said the overall data showed the impacts of the nationwide teacher shortage.
“We have to continue making plans to proactively recruit highly qualified staff in our schools,” James said. “The state has to address the disparity between the median income and the average teaching salary in the State of North Carolina.”
School Data
