BY KARISSA MILLER
Each year, the North Carolina State Board of Education recognizes schools for outstanding graduation rates, exceeding the goal of expected academic progress, and for achieving academic progress on the previous year’s statewide assessment tests.
I-SS Chief Academic Officer for Secondary Education Kelly Cooper and Chief Academic Officer for Elementary Education Jonathan Ribbeck recognized the schools and their principals for their hard work and accomplishments during the December 19 school board meeting.
Individual School Recognitions
The schools were recognized in these categories as follows:
Outstanding Graduation Rate
• Career Academy and Technical School – 95.6%
• Agriculture and Science Early College – 100%
• Collaborative College for Technology – 100%
• Crossroads Arts and Science Early College – 100%
Exceeded Academic Growth
• Collaborative College for Technology and Leadership
• Harmony Elementary School
• North Iredell High School
Expected (Met) Academic Growth
• Agriculture and Science Early College
• Woodland Heights Middle School
• Career Academy and Technical School
• Celeste Henkel Elementary School
• Cloverleaf Elementary School
• Lake Norman High School
• Lakeshore Elementary School
• N.B. Mills Elementary School
• Crossroads Arts and Science Early College
• Sharon Elementary School
• Troutman Elementary School
• Union Grove Elementary School
• Woodland Heights Elementary School
In North Carolina, students are assessed through a combination of classroom-based formative assessments, periodic benchmark tests, and standardized state tests like the EOG (End of Grade) and EOC (End of Course) throughout the school year.
District Highlights
• 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.
• 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.
• As a district, I-SS showed gains in fifth-grade reading scores, going from 49.3 percent proficient in 2022-2023 to 53.7 percent proficient in 2023-2024, and in math going from 57.8-percent proficient in 2022-2023 to 60-percent proficient 2023-2024.
• In high school, I-SS showed improvements in English II scores going from 56.7 percent in 2022-2023 to 60 percent in 2023-2024.